Player’s Guide to the WSOP Circuit

The World Series of Poker Circuit (WSOPC) is a series of live tournaments taking place all over the US, Europe and the world. Supplementing the main summer series in Las Vegas, WSOPC offers players a chance of winning prestigious WSOP Rings, with events running throughout the year. Players can even now also win Rings online.

The main idea behind WSOP Circuit was to bring the excitement of WSOP tournaments to the masses, expanding on the yearly main series taking place in Las Vegas.

Each WSOPC stop consists of several side events and one Main Event. Winners of all events receive WSOP Circuit rings alongside the prize money.

In 2015, the series expanded beyond the United States with the launch of the International Circuit, establishing stops in Europe, Asia, South America, and Africa. In 2020, WSOPC expanded to the virtual felt as well, offering players in the US and worldwide — through their partner GGPoker — to chance to win coveted Circuit rings from the comfort of their homes.

On this page, you will find all the information about the World Series of Poker Circuit, from its beginnings and history over interesting facts to the schedule of upcoming live and online events.

What Is WSOP Circuit?

WSOP Circuit is a year-long tournament series with stops all over the United States and the world. WSOPC complements the main World Series of Poker taking place in Las Vegas and winners of all WSOPC events are awarded rings instead of bracelets.

The season starts in July, kicking off when the main summer festival concludes. It then runs for the next ten months, usually with multiple stops every month. The action is basically continuous in both the United States and internationally, and there are often multiple events running simultaneously.

WSOPC 2024/2025 Schedule

The World Series of Poker announced the 2024/25 WSOP Circuit schedule early on July 1, 2024. There will be at least 18 stops on the calendar overall, with tournaments taking place both in the US and internationally.

WSOP US Circuit 2024/25

WSOP International Circuit

The international schedule for WSOPC doesn’t quite span the breadth of Europe like the American version does across the United States, but stops this 2024-2025 season have included Estonia, Canada, Italy, and the Czech Republic.

WSOPC International 2024/25 Schedule

WSOP Circuit Online

In addition to live tournaments in the US and worldwide, WSOP Circuit also takes place online. Online Circuit series happen several times throughout a year. Tournament winners are awarded WSOPC rings and qualify for the WSOP Tournament of Champions (ToC).

In the United States, online WSOPC events take place on WSOP Online sites in New Jersey, Nevada, Pennsylvania, and Michigan. As of end of May 2024, WSOP Online combines its player pools from Michigan, New Jersey, and Nevada, and players from these three state get to play in the same WSOPC events. WSOP PA hosts its own, separate Online Circuit events.

In Canada, WSOPC Online tournaments are hosted by WSOP @ GGPoker Ontario, while players from other countries around the world get to compete for golden rings on the international GGPoker platform.

WSOPC History

The first season of the World Series of Poker Circuit was 2004/05, with the inaugural event taking place in January 2005 at Harrah’s in Atlantic City. That first season was somewhat modest, featuring only five stops in New Jersey, Nevada, California, and Louisiana.

To kick things off, WSOPC Main Events featured a buy-in of $10,000, just like the WSOP Main Event, but this price point was somewhat prohibitive, reducing the number of players who could get involved.

Over the next few years, the buy-in was reduced, first to $5,000 and then eventually to $1,650 in the 2010/11 season. From that season onwards, most US stops have kept this buy-in for main events, making them much more affordable and appealing to mid-stakes grinders and casual players alike.

In addition to the Main Event, all stops feature several side events with buy-ins of a few hundred dollars. Each event awards a WSOP Circuit ring for the winner.

In 2015, WSOP Circuit expanded beyond the United States, becoming a truly international affair. Players from all over the world were given an opportunity to compete for WSOPC rings at their local casinos in many countries in Europe, Asia, Africa, etc.

WSOP Circuit National Championship (Global Casino Championship)

In addition to reducing Main Event buy-ins, the 2010/11 WSOPC season saw another big change with the introduction of the WSOP Circuit National Championship.

From 2011/12 onwards, winners of all WSOPC Main Events received an invite for the tournament, together with the top 100 point earners for the Circuit season. Top 100 players in the WSOP World Rankings received an invite as well, but had to pay $10,000 to enter the tournament.

The National Championship was an official World Series of Poker event, which means that the winner was awarded a gold bracelet.

Following the introduction of the WSOP International Circuit in 2015, the event was renamed to Global Casino Championship. It is still a closed event that extends an invitation to all WSOPC and International WSOPC winners, as well as online WSOP Circuit winners.

WSOP Tournament of Champions (ToC)

The WSOP Tournament of Champions (ToC) is an invitational event that brings together winners of all WSOP bracelets for the season alongside all WSOPC ring winners from US, international, and online events. Today, this is a bracelet-awarding event with $1,000,000 prize pool.

The tournament was first introduced back in 2004 and it saw many changes over the years. There was quite a bit of controversy surrounding the initial few events, leading to it being put on an indefinite hold in 2007.

In 2010, the Tournament of Champions made a short return, featuring a 27-player format, where participants were determined by the public vote. After the 2010 event, the ToC was, once again, put on ice.

Finally, in 2022, the Tournament of Champions returned with the new format, extending invitations to all WSOPC ring winners as well as all WSOP bracelet winners.

The 2023/24 WSOP Tournament of Champions took place at Commerce Casino in Los Angeles California, from May 22 – 24. The tournament once again featured a $1,000,000 prize pool and the winner, Dong Meng, triumphed in the 559-player field, claiming a WSOP bracelet and $200,000 for his efforts.

WSOPC Online Series

In 2018, the WSOPC series expanded to the online realm for the first time. The first-ever WSOP Circuit ring on the virtual felt was awarded on WSOP Nevada in February 2018. The inaugural event was a success, and online WSOPC events soon became a regular occurrence.

Today, players can compete for WSOPC rings online in all regulated US states via WSOP Online, in Ontario via WSOP @ GGPoker, and internationally on GGPoker’s rest-of-the-world client. There are several WSOP Circuit online series taking place every year.

Like their live counterparts, online WSOPC events also award physical rings to event winners, which adds to the appeal of these tournaments. Buy-ins usually range from $100 – $500, with an odd $1,000 tournament usually dubbed as a “high roller”.

Online Qualifiers for WSOP Events: Live and Online

Players on the WSOP Online platform can also qualify for live WSOP and WSOPC events via online pathways. These routes are usually made up of online promotions, satellites and freerolls.

For WSOPC events online qualifiers usually run the day of the event — so players must be sure to check the main WSOP Online Circuit Series schedule to find out exact dates. In addition, the WSOP often run freerolls to the Online Circuit Main Event.

For WSOP Bracelet live events, the WSOP will run online qualifiers to the WSOP Main Event that will give away a $10,000 seat at a fraction of the usual cost. Winners of Online Circuit Series Rings will also be entered into a Tournament of Champions freeroll. Winners will go onto to compete for a WSOP bracelet in a live setting.

In addition, the WSOP run online bracelet series on their US network and in Ontario plus Global platforms on partner GGPoker’s online poker platform.

WSOPC FAQ

When does WSOP Circuit take place?

WSOP Circuit is a year-long series with various stops in the United States and all over the world. You can find a WSOPC event running somewhere almost every month.

Are there any WSOPC events taking place outside of the US?

Yes, in 2015, the WSOP International Circuit was introduced, establishing events in Europe, Asia, Africa, and Australia. The schedule for the International Circuit is often changed and expanded, but there are many WSOPC events taking place outside of the United States every year.

Can I win a WSOP Circuit Ring online?

Yes, you can. There are numerous online WSOPC events taking place throughout a year, available to players in the United States, Ontario, and rest of the world. WSOP Circuit online tournaments are hosted by WSOP Online for players in the US and GGPoker for players in Ontario and rest of the world. Look out for the series called WSOP Circuit Online.

What is WSOPC Global Casino Championship?

The Global Casino Championship is an invitation-only tournament open to all WSOPC main event winners (US, international, and online). The winner of the Global Casino Championship is awarded a WSOP bracelet.

How old do I have to be to play in a WSOPC event?

The minimum age requirement for WSOP Circuit events depends on the place/venue. In the US, players usually have to be at least 21 years old, in Europe the age limit is usually 18, in Canada it is 18 or 19, etc. Whatever the legal age for gambling is in a hosting city, that will be the minimum age requirement to enter a WSOPC events as well.

Is the WSOPC Online the same at the live events?

Kind of, yes. Instead of having to leave the house, players in Michigan, New Jersey, Nevada and Pennsylvania can win Circuit Rings (exactly the same kind you would win in person) online. The WSOP Circuit Online Series plays out exclusively on the WSOP Online poker network for players in the United States.

Does the the WSOPC Online ever give away WSOP bracelets?

Not exactly. But all ring winners during the Online Series that takes places prior to the Las Vegas World Series of Poker will be entered into the Tournament of Champions $1 million freeroll, which is an official WSOP bracelet event.