WSOP Seats For South Africans

The World Series of Poker or WSOP isn't just the biggest annual poker event, it gets substantially more lucrative every single year. The 2014 instalment featured 65 events with buy-ins as lows $500 from May to early July. Of course most eyes were fixed on the No-Limit Hold'em Main Event, which featured a $10,000,000 top prize. That's American dollars too, but you can easily convert that to more Rand than you can handle.

Although the main event takes place in the first week of July, once the final table is set the Main Event is paused until November. This doesn't just create hype during the intervening months, it ultimately makes for great television.

The World Series of Poker in a nutshell:

• The World Series of Poker is the biggest annual event in poker.
• Players compete in 65 high profile events, with the largest being the $10,000,000 US No-Limit Hold'em Main Event.
• The tournament takes place from late May to early July in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA but the final table is delayed until November.
• South African players are eligible to compete in the World Series of Poker.
• If you can't afford the $10,000 buy in, you can win your way for free on leading sites.

Take On The World

The WSOP is open to anyone who can make their way to Las Vegas and that obviously includes South Africans. You'll need a passport, but that's secondary to building your game and turning yourself into a force to be reckoned with on the felt.

If being crowned the winner of the World Series of Poker seems like an impossible dream, you are only half wrong. Players who have honed their skills online have come out of the woodwork to become overnight sensations and millionaires thanks to the main event. It's always good to aspire to something even in the name of fun.

The Legend Of Vegas

They say what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas, but these same people rarely explain how to get there. The reality is there is a big connection between what happens online and what takes place in so-called Sin City. The relationship works in both directions too. If you ever tune into the World Series of Poker, or most landmark tournaments for that matter, you'll certainly see players donning jerseys with leading and emerging poker sites. Some of the players are brand ambassadors, but others got started at or found success on many of our favourite sites.

Although Las Vegas might seem far away from Pretoria, it's certainly worth setting your sights on. Even if the $10,000 buy- in looks exceptionally large for most players, there are other ways to get in the game. Many leading poker rooms offer satellite tournaments that get you a seat and even airfare to the great state of Nevada, USA. If you play your cards right, you could even find yourself in a posh hotel getting the full VIP treatment. These satellite tournaments are affordable and can even be had for free on the best sites.

South Africa Making Its Mark

As the South African poker community grows you can expect more high profile events on your home soil. The World Series of Poker already stages events in Africa, which attracts high profile global players. As more South Africans start to raise their collective and individual profiles, you can expect even more local action. The World Poker Tour also makes a local stop, most recently at the Emperor Palace Hotel Casino in Johannesburg. You can win your way to tournaments just like these. If you improve your game you might wind up with a coveted bracelet and winning major money.