Michigan online poker players are stepping up to the big leagues for the 2024 World Series of Poker. This week, WSOP will merge its player pool with the shared liquidity markets of Nevada and New Jersey. And it could happen as soon as Wednesday.
That makes the start of the 2024 WSOP later this month that much more exciting. This year’s online bracelet events could be the largest in history for online poker players in Michigan.
WSOP MI, has operated solely within the Mitten State since it launched in March 2022.
Good news, but we must “keep waiting” for official announcement
While the 2024 WSOP online bracelet schedule has not been released, an upcoming May online circuit schedule briefly appeared on WSOP’s website in April.
Michigan, Nevada and New Jersey’s schedules were identical, which hinted at a first-ever three-state festival. Then, WSOP.com removed the schedules from its website and has not made any announcement of the news.
WSOP Social Media Manager Kevin Mathers told PlayMichigan that we still have no official date for that announcement.
“Unfortunately it’s keep waiting,” said Mathers. “Some noticed a few days ago that the WSOP website ‘leaked’ May’s WSOP Online Circuit ring events schedule and noticed Michigan have same schedule as Nevada/New Jersey.
“The Michigan Gaming Control Board has yet to formally announce that WSOP.com was merging liquidity with NV/NJ. The current speculation is that this will happen on May 8, just ahead of the May Online Circuit events.”
Nevada and New Jersey software update makes three-state pool happen
For the last two years, Michigan online poker players have competed for coveted gold bracelets through WSOP.com MI. However, those events have been in-state competitions with smaller fields. That has led to smaller payouts to the winners.
A WSOP bracelet will always carry prestige, but this year’s online events will also carry record-setting prize pools and award life-changing money to the winners. That hasn’t always been the case.
WSOP.com MI went live on a different, updated software from the Nevada and New Jersey platforms. Its Poker 8 platform debuted in Pennsylvania in 2021, almost three years ago, meaning NJ/NV players have played on out-of-date software for at least that long.
For all states to share liquidity, NJ/NV needs to update its software. The recent “leak” Mathers alluded to regarding with May’s online circuit schedule from May 11-22 being a three-state affair is only possible if a software update takes place before May 11.
WSOP multi-state pools an unexpected and pleasant surprise
WSOP.com was the third site to launch in Michigan and will become the second to enter a shared liquidity agreement. It will become part of the first three-state agreement in the US and just in time for the 2024 WSOP.
PokerStars MI was the first to launch and has shared player pools with New Jersey since Jan. 1, 2023.
BetMGM MI, which said interstate poker was “imminent” in a business update last December, remains ring-fenced and is the smallest site in the state.
Without warning, WSOP now figures to beat BetMGM to the interstate poker punch.
Interstate poker has been a triumph in Michigan since PokerStars launched it in 2023. Its traffic increased by 32% year over year, helping Michigan become the top online poker market in the US.
WSOP (and BetMGM when it follows) will grow Michigan’s market share. With three states and a long-overdue software update, it could challenge PokerStars to become the top US online poker site.
