WSOP announces 2014 dates

Cash contests will be held 24 hours across some 500 tables set up at the Rio Convention Center. Last year, nearly 80,000 players turned out for the most prestigious event in poker. It was the largest field in the tournament’s 44-year history.

Key dates for the 45th year include an opening Saturday featuring the “Millionaire Maker,” a us$1,500 buy-in No Limit Hold ’Em game with a guaranteed first prize of us$1 million. The popular event drew more than 6,300 entries last year and paid the winner more than us$1.2 million from a prize pool that grew to us$8.5 million.

Returning 29th June is the “Big One for ONE DROP,” a $1 million buy-in No Limit Hold ’Em face-off for charity with a possible top prize in excess of $20 million.

Coming up on the Main Event is the “Little One for ONE Drop” charity tournament, which debuted last year with 4,756 entries and more than $4 million in prizes. It will run over two days this year, 3rd and 4th July, as an us$1,111 buy-in No Limit Hold ’Em contest. Last year’s winner took home us$663,727.

For the first time this year, online players in Nevada and New Jersey will be able to qualify for seats from their home computers and mobile phones, including for the us$10,000 buy-in No Limit Hold ’Em Main Event, which runs from 5th to 14th July.