The World Series of Poker (WSOP) finally offered an online series in Pennsylvania, after launching a short time ago in the state. From August 8-17, players in the state could take part in a variety of online poker events. Tournaments in the series offered buy-ins ranging from $400 to as high as $3,200. In total, more than 2,100 entries were recorded and over $1.4 million in total prize money was awarded.
A Few Highlights
Players were able to take part in several unique events, from regular No-Limit Hold’em options to PKOs. Event #2 was a Progressive Knockout event with a $500 buy-in. The tournament saw 327 entries with 262 original players plus rebuys.
The unique aspect of the PKO is players have a bounty on their heads. As you knock out players, you add their bounty to yours. Finish high in the event, and you earn a payout plus your bounty. With this event, it was TJ Carney and Frederick Ferrell that went head to head to see who would claim the first place prize plus a WSOP gold bracelet.
It would be a 10-hour event, but eventually, TJ Carney would claim the title. He earned $12,846 in prize money plus over $14,700 in bounties for the finish.
Event #3 was a High Roller tournament, with a large $3,200 buy-in. The NLH event saw 86 players competing and generated a hefty prize pool. In the end, Shankar Pillai and Brandon Hall would match up in the heads-up round to see who would win the bracelet.
Pillai was able to prevail and earned $66,641 for his efforts. The win marked his third gold WSOP bracelet which is a major accomplishment in the poker world.
WSOP in Pennsylvania
WSOP wasted no time in getting the online poker series up and running in Pennsylvania. The site launched in the Keystone State back in mid-July, and by early August it was game on. For a few weeks now, poker players have had access to quality cash games and tournament events.
The WSOP Online Series was a first for the state and a great way to kick off the site’s launch. Even more great tournament options will be offered in the future as WSOP never fails to disappoint. Players have waited a long time to have access to the brand’s content and the demand showed from the number of players taking part in the eight events of the first series.
It will be interesting to see what the brand comes up with next to offer poker players in Pennsylvania in the months ahead.