WSOP has quietly made changes to its online bracelet schedule for Pennsylvania and Michigan poker players in a last-minute shake-up to the schedule.
The hottest craze in poker — the Mystery Bounty tournament format (MBT)— has now made its way to the 2023 World Series of Poker online series, replacing Event #4 $400 buy-in Progressive Knockout (PKO) bracelet on Sunday, June 25 with a new buy-in of $500.
As only the WSOP MI & WSOP PA platforms support the MB format, players on the shared WSOP NJ/NV network will have to wait a bit longer as the network still uses the classic 888poker software.
If you’re in the UK, Canada, South America, or most of Europe, this is the place to get in on WSOP action from the comfort of your own home.
- Online satellites to the Main Event and other bracelet events will run throughout 2023.
- Official online bracelet series on GGPoker for international players expected next year.
- Sign up today to claim a $600 sign-up bonus and take advantage of every WSOP 2023 offer and promotion as soon as they run.
If you’re in Ontario, this is the place to get in on WSOP action from the comfort of your own home.
- Online satellites to the Main Event and other bracelet events will run throughout 2023.
- Official WSOP Ontario online bracelet series expected next year.
- Sign up today so you’re ready to take advantage of every WSOP 2023 offer and promotion as soon as they run.
If you’re in Pennsylvania, Michigan, New Jersey or Nevada, this is the place to get in on WSOP action from the comfort of your own home.
- Online satellites to the Main Event and other bracelet events will run throughout 2023.
- Official online bracelet series across WSOP’s US network expected next year.
- Sign up today to claim a $1000 sign-up bonus and take advantage of every WSOP 2023 offer and promotion as soon as they run.
Originally, when the full schedule for the summer series was announced in February, the online bracelet schedule did not feature the sensational MB format in any of the states. This was probably because WSOP had only started testing the format in Michigan at the time.
Soon, the format also made its debut in the counterpart Pennsylvania market and also ran as part of the WSOP Online Circuit series in February in both states. Following the format’s success, not only is it part of the daily tournament schedule but it has also become a regular fixture of the Online Circuit Series that runs on a monthly basis.
Now, for the first time in the US market, an online gold bracelet event will be played in this trending format — something pokerfuse rightly speculated back in February.
“While the 2023 WSOP online bracelet schedule in Michigan or Pennsylvania does not feature a Mystery Bounty event, WSOP may make changes to the program, adding or replacing one of its existing tournaments with an MB event,” pokerfuse wrote.
First-Ever Mystery Bounty Online Bracelet in MI & PA: Key Details
The debutante MB online bracelet comes for a buy-in of $500 ($450+$50) and guarantees $100,000. It is scheduled for Sunday, June 25, at 18:30 PST in Michigan and Pennsylvania. The event replaces NL Hold’em Progressive Knockout, which carried a buy-in of $400.
For those not familiar with the format, Mystery Bounty works much like a traditional knockout format, with a portion of the tournament buy-in (usually 50%) set aside and put into the bounty pool. The tournament is divided into two parts — the First Phase and the Second Phase. The First Phase proceeds as a standard tournament, with no bounties awarded for eliminating players.
The Second Phase is where the bounties kick in. Unlike a Progressive Knockout, where bounties come into play from the very beginning and increase as the tournament progresses, the bounties in Mystery Bounty are randomized, meaning players don’t have to wait till the end of the tournament to win a massive bounty. Furthermore, no one knows what a particular player’s bounty is until that player is knocked out, which is where the mystery factor comes in.
The player who knocks out their opponent wins the mystery prize, which could be anything from half the buy-in or even 100 times the buy-in.
For the upcoming online bracelet event, the officials have set $20,000 as the top bounty prize. Bounties will kick in level 18 onwards, and every player starts with 30,000 chips. Players are permitted up to three re-entries.
But it won’t be the first time a Mystery Bounty bracelet will be held virtually. GGPoker takes that honor when it hosted the Million Dollar Mystery Bounty last year with a massive $10 million guaranteed prize money. The event set records including the largest MB event in online poker history, after it attracted over 50,000 entrants to surpass its eight-figure guarantee.
Considering the format’s popularity, the MB online bracelet event for US players could also set new records and generate a prize pool in seven figures.
2023 WSOP Online Bracelet Kicks Off in June
The WSOP 2023 online bracelet series is scheduled to start on Thursday, June 1, for New Jersey & Nevada players. The shared WSOP NJ/NV network features 20 bracelet events and runs through July 16. The schedule comprises the signature $1000 buy-in Online Championship event, a $1000 buy-in PLO 6-max Championship, a $333 buy-in Triple Treys to kick off the series, a $500 Summer Saver, and more.
Notably, the $5300 buy-in NL Hold’em High Roller Championship is played in the hybrid online-live structure, in which the majority of the tournament is played online, and the final table is played in person.
The series kicks off on Sunday, June 4, for Michigan and Pennsylvania players. Both series run separately on their respective platforms featuring an identical schedule.
WSOP MI & WSOP PA players have seven opportunities to claim the coveted WSOP gold until July 16. Highlights besides the Mystery Bounty include a $500 buy-in Bankroll Builder on the opening day of the series, a $600 buy-in NLHE Deepstack and an affordable $300 buy-in NLHE event.
Players can play from anywhere, including on their mobile devices, as long as they are within their state’s borders.
WSOP MI & WSOP PA Online 2023 Bracelet Schedule
| Day | Date | Event # | Tournament Name | Buy-in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sunday | June 4 | 1 | $500 NL Hold’em Bankroll Builder | $500 |
| Sunday | June 11 | 2 | $400 NL Hold’em PKO 8-Max | $400 |
| Sunday | June 18 | 3 | $500 NL Hold’em Turbo | $500 |
| Sunday | June 25 | 4 | $500 NL Hold’em Mystery Bounty | $500 |
| Sunday | July 2 | 5 | $600 NL Hold’em Deepstack | $600 |
| Sunday | July 9 | 6 | $300 NL Hold’em | $300 |
| Sunday | July 16 | 7 | $500 NL Hold’em Summer Saver | $500 |
Learn more about the best online poker sites in MI and the best online poker sites in PA in our complete guides!
