The 2023 World Series of Poker Europe is inching closer and closer, with the festival kicking off on October 25 at King's Resort, Rozvadov. It's expected to be the biggest WSOPE ever, with $15 million in prizes guaranteed across 15 bracelet events, and is a series you will not want to miss out on.
In addition to a great schedule with a variety of events that cater to Pot-Limit Omaha and Mixed Games aficionados, there is some huge value up for grabs from tournaments that come with affordable buy-ins.
From as little as €350, players can battle it out for a chunk of seven-figure prize pools, so PokerNews thought it'd be wise to highlight some of these tournaments as they are not ones to miss out on when cards go up in the air.
#1 WSOPE 2023 NLH Opener
The WSOPE is kicking off things the right way with its opening event that features an accessible €350 buy-in and a €1 million guarantee, which is a $500,000 increase from last year. It'll be a hard task to find a better-value tournament throughout the remainder of the year at that level.
Even better, players have plenty of chances to make it over the first hurdle as the event hosts six starting flights, which run from October 25-28. The surviving players will merge into one field on October 29 before a winner is crowned the following day. Prospects can also take advantage of the €80 satellite to the Opener that also takes place on October 25. A sizeable 15 seats are up for grabs, and the qualifier has a 180-entry cap.
Another awesome aspect about the Opener is that around a dozen players will win a ticket worth €10,350 for the $5 million guaranteed Main Event.
Players who enter The Opener will receive a 20,000 starting stack but don't worry if you get coolered out in the early stages as unlimited reentries are permitted during the 12 30-minute levels of late registration.
Fabio Peluso is the current defending champion after he topped the 2,454-entry field in 2022. He turned his €350 investment into a $95,670 payday after defeating compatriot Carlo Savinelli in heads-up play.
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#3 WSOPE Mini Main Event
Another tournament at the WSOPE that promises great value is the Mini Main Event. The series' showstopper younger sibling boasts an impressive €2 million guarantee. While this is €3 million less than the Main Event, the buy-in is way more affordable at €1,350.
A huge turnout is expected for the Mini Main Event as the guarantee has doubled, signalling some lofty ambitions.
In 2022, the tournament saw the 1,431 entries create a €1,631,340 prize pool. Ilija Savevski was the player to get the lion's share of the prize kitty and banked a €245,319 payout for his triumph last November.
This series' Mini Main Event kicks off on October 29, with four Day 1 flights pencilled in that culminate on November 1. Days 2-4, then play out from November 2-4. Like The Opener, satellites are available for those looking to book their spot for a fraction of the price. There is a qualifier for each Day 1, which costs €200 to enter, and each satellite has ten seats to be won.
The Mini Main Event also promises plenty of play for its participants, as entries get a 100,000 starting stack, which is good for over 300 big blinds. Levels are 40 minutes in length, and the late registration closes upon the start of Level 13. Each player is permitted two reentries per Day 1.
#5 WSOPE NLH Colossus
Likely to be the most attended event of the series, the €550 Colossus continues the trend of seeing the guarantees upped with this year's edition rising to €1.5 million from €1 million. Entrants will get a 25,000 starting stack (250 big blinds) and have several chances to make it to Day 2, thanks to the seven scheduled starting flights.
Day 1A commences on November 1, and from November 2-4, two starting flights will run each day, where again, two reentries are permitted per flight. Day 2 will run on November 5 before the final day gets underway on November 6.
Recreational poker player and programmer Lubos Laska defied the odds to take down the same event in 2022 and collected a life-changing €170,568 first-place prize. He overcame the 2,982 entry field to not only win his first WSOP bracelet but also his first-ever poker tournament!
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2023 World Series of Poker Europe Schedule
| Dates | Event | Buy-in | Guarantee |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 25-30 | #1 WSOPE 2023 NLH Opener | €350 | €1,000,000 |
| Oct 27-31 | #2 WSOPE Pot-Limit Omaha 8-Max | €550 | €300,000 |
| Oct 29-Nov 4 | #3 WSOPE Mini Main Event | €1,350 | €2,000,000 |
| Oct 31-Nov 1 | #4 WSOPE 2K Pot Limit Omaha | €2,000 | €300,000 |
| Nov 1-6 | #5 WSOPE NLH Colossus | €550 | €1,500,000 |
| Nov 5-6 | #6 WSOPE 5K Pot Limit Omaha | €5,000 | €500,000 |
| Nov 6-7 | #7 WSOPE NLH 6-Max | €1,650 | €300,000 |
| Nov 6-7 | #8 WSOPE NLHE GGMillion$ | €25,000 | €1,000,000 |
| Nov 7-8 | #9 WSOPE NLH 1K Mystery Bounty | €1,100 | €300,000 |
| Nov 8-9 | #10 WSOPE 8-Game Mix | €2,000 | €100,000 |
| Nov 9 | #11 WSOPE NLH Turbo Bounty Hunter | €1,100 | €300,000 |
| Nov 9-10 | #12 WSOPE 50K NLH Diamond High Roller | €50,000 | €1,000,000 |
| Nov 10-15 | #13 WSOPE Main Event NLH European Championship | €10,350 | €5,000,000 |
| Nov 12 | #14 WSOPE NLH Turbo Freezeout | €1,000 | €200,000 |
| Nov 12-14 | #15 WSOPE 2023 NLH Closer | €550 | €200,000 |
Calum has been a part of the PokerNews team since September 2021 after working in the UK energy sector. He played his first hand of poker in 2017 and immediately fell in love with the game. Calum's proudest poker achievement is winning the only tournament he has ever played in Las Vegas, the prestigious $60 Flamingo evening event.