Online poker sites will have less of a presence at this year's forthcoming World Series of Poker in Las Vegas as remote gaming sits uneasily with US officials.
Although last year, about half of the 8,773 qualifiers that joined the Main Event had won their seats in online tournaments. But since the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act was passed in the US some online card rooms no longer accept American players and will boycott the tournament.
As a result of losing online qualifiers, Harrah's Entertainment is offering more physical tournamant qualifiers at The Rio casino, with $550 and $1,060 buy-ins.
As no one can tell how large numbers will be, Harrah's has not said how big the winning prize pot will be, although the company has announced that the top prizes will be lowered to allow more people to finish with high winnings.
The number of events surrounding the main one will also be raised from 46 to 55, allowing more players the chance to show their skill in various styles and for varying stakes.
Harrah's will also install stadium-style seating for the finals so that the audience can watch the poker action in comfort.
Online poker sites will have less of a presence at this year's forthcoming World Series of Poker in Las Vegas as remote gaming sits uneasily with US officials.