The World Series of Poker (WSOP) summer series is in its first year under the management of GGPoker, but it is the legacy WSOP Online client powered by 888 creating controversy.
The WSOP planned to feature 30 online bracelet events as part of the 100-bracelet summer poker series. Event #7, however, will not play to completion.
The event, a $250 buy-in No-Limit Hold’em Mystery Bounty evet with a $1 million guarantee was set to run across Saturday, June 7 and Sunday, June 8.
Play paused midway through Day 2
The first day of action generated 7,623 entries, crushing the guarantee and producing a $1.7 million prize pool. Of those, 1,110 advanced to the second day of play, with all advancing players in the money and eligible for a cash bounty for every player they eliminated.
When the action was supposed to start, many entries were unable to log in and their stacks were blinded out for two hours while the players who were able to log on continued playing before the WSOP paused the tournament.
With the mystery bounty element, a number of players on Day 2 earned cash bounties, including the top prize of $100,000. After a couple of days of relative silence from tournament staff, the WSOP Online team emailed affected players with information on how they would be compensated.
“We understand and apologize for the disappointment and frustration our players are experiencing. In keeping with our commitment to upholding the integrity of the game and treating players fairly, we are compenating all 1,100 players who restarted Day 2 of the $250 Online Bracelet Event #7.”
WSOP offering up $550K in tournament entries
Players with bounties are allowed to keep their prizes and every entrant will be refunded their buy-in.
“The remaining prize pool will be distributed in a way we believe upholds the integrity of the game and is the fairest and most respectful to the spirit of the competition.”
In addition to allocating the prize pool, WSOP is providing each of the 1,100 players with a $500 tournament ticket to be used for a future WSOP online bracelet event.
This is the first year that Pennsylania players have been able to play alongside players from Nevada, New Jersey and Michigan for online bracelet events as part of the summer series. Last year, Pennsylvania players took part in four ring-fenced bracelet events.
In the past, the GGPoker client has experience disruptions of it online bracelet events for international players.