World Series of Poker postponed; organizers target fall dates

Organizers of the World Series of Poker have announced that the event has been postponed as a result of the public health emergency involving COVID-19.

"We are committed to running the World Series of Poker this year but need additional time to proceed on our traditional scale while prioritizing guest and staff well-being," Ty Stewart, executive director of the World Series of Poker, said in a statement.

2020 WSOP Postponed :
The 51st World Series of Poker (WSOP), is officially being postponed as a result of the public health emergency involving COVID-19. It is now targeted for fall of 2020, with exact dates and events to be determined.
More details: https://t.co/iaYZgSGXr9 pic.twitter.com/UVL6PQwH96

— WSOP (@WSOP) April 20, 2020

The event was slated to begin May 26 at the Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas, with dozens of tournaments taking place leading up to the $10,000 no-limit hold 'em main event on July 1.

WSOP officials said the schedule will be revisited and changes are expected, ESPN reports. Organizers are now targeting autumn dates.

In March, Nevada Gov. Steve Sisolak ordered the state's casinos to cease operations until at least April 30 in an effort to slow the spread of the coronavirus.

"In the interim, official WSOP competitions are expected to be played online this summer," Stewart said. "We will soon announce details of an expanded series of tournaments to be played on WSOP.com and through a partnership with international operators, which will allow players to chase WSOP glory from their homes."

Online poker has seen an uptick in interest with many around the globe staying home to fight the pandemic. In March, PokerStars hosted an international online tournament that set records for number of entries and prize pool, and WSOP told ESPN that its online events were on pace to set records as well.