The World Series of Poker (WSOP) Paradise is a winter series held at the Atlantis Paradise Island in The Bahamas. The series is underway and runs from December 3-14. It will feature 15 bracelet events across different variants with over $51 million in guarantees. PokerNews is on hand to provide live coverage of the event, with photos, videos, and player interviews live from the tournament floor in The Bahamas.
For months, GGPoker has been busy qualifying players from all over the world via their “Road To Paradise,” which launched at the beginning of October. Each WSOP Paradise package came with entry into the prestigious $5,000 WSOP Paradise Main Event, scheduled to unfold amid the tropical splendor of Atlantis Paradise Island from December 9, offering an impressive $15 million in guaranteed prizes. But that’s not all; winners will also savor a 10-night stay at the luxurious Atlantis Paradise Island resort, celebrated for its lavish amenities and awe-inspiring ocean vistas.
There were several ways to qualify, and PokerNews has been profiling several of the lucky winners who’ll be traveling to the Caribbean island for their shot at poker immortality.
Here’s a look at the qualifiers PokerNews has profiled so far:
Q&A w/ Callum Gordon
One player who’ll be in the Bahamas is the UK’s Callum Gordon, who was offered a free ticket to the $50 satellite on GGPoker.
“Through this, I qualified for a $500 satellite to WSOP Paradise. When I qualified from the second stage I had expected a new tournament to pop up so it was a real surprise to see I had a $10k package to the Bahamas at that point,” he explained. “This will be the highest entry fee tournament I have played. I played at the Malta Poker Festival earlier this year so the combination of poker and holiday isn’t new to me and I enjoy it.”
Gordon lives in Birmingham within walking distance of a casino that hosts poker tournaments and cash games, which is how he got hooked on playing live. Before that, he had mostly played online poker and even took a long break from poker altogether.
“Back when I played a lot online had a few $10k tournament wins including $35k in a Pokerstars $160 tournament and $20k in a Full Tilt tournament,” said Gordon. “My biggest live win was £12k in a local competition. Even though that wasn’t my biggest win it felt amazing as it gave me confidence I could still win big prizes after a long time without playing.”
He continued: “I would say I’m a lot more mature as a poker player than I used to be. In my younger days there was one day I went to the Victoria Casino in London and played a £1/£2 cash game, as I was winning ended up moving up stakes to £1/£3, £2/£5 and £5/£10. These days I’m a lot more careful with my winnings!
“Honestly, winning the $10k package to WSOP Paradise will be something I remember for a long time, hopefully for the incredible experience I have there, but also for the surprise factor as I really didn’t expect to win a package when I entered the tournament. Winning such a big package from a freeroll is a special feeling because as there was no risk or investment I had no pressure or expectations. Perhaps this could work to my advantage in the Bahamas too.”
While in the Bahamas, Gordon plans to enjoy a holiday with his girlfriend.
“Neither of us has been to the Bahamas before and we have been busy searching about it online in excitement. The restaurants at the resort caught my eye and of course, the white beaches, sea, and pools – what’s not to like about that? Otherwise potentially seeing the dolphins, sharks, and going to swim with pigs.”
Here Are the Celebrities & Poker Pros Confirmed to Attend WSOP Paradise
2023 WSOP Paradise Schedule
The 2023 WSOP Paradise shuffles up and deals in the Bahamas on December 3 with the $1,650 buy-in Mystery Millions. It boasts a $5 million guarantee on its prize pool, so will be the perfect curtain raiser for the 11-day festival.
Every bracelet-awarding event promises at least $1 million will be awarded, with the $1,500 Millionaire Maker and the $103,000 Ultra High Roller coming with a $5 million guarantee.
Of course, the biggest tournament of them all is the $5,300 Main Event, which will pay out $15 million to those fortunate and skillful enough to make it into the money place.
| Start Date | Event | Total Buy-in | Guarantee |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sun 3 Dec | #1: Mystery Millions | $1,650 | $5,000,000 |
| Mon 4 Dec | #2: Millionaire Maker in Paradise | $1,500 | $5,000,000 |
| Tue 5 Dec | #3: GGMillion$ High Rollers Championship | $26,000 | $10,000.000 |
| #4: Mini Main Event No-Limit Hold’em | $1,100 | $1,000,000 | |
| Thu 7 Dec | #5: High Roller Pot-Limit Omaha | $26,000 | $2,000,000 |
| Fri 8 Dec | #6: No-Limit Hold’em 6-Handed | $3,300 | $1,000,000 |
| #7: Super High Roller No-Limit Hold’em | $53,000 | $2,000,000 | |
| #8: Mystery Bounty Pot-Limit Omaha | $2,100 | $1,000,000 | |
| Sat 9 Dec | #9: Ultra High Roller No-Limit Hold’em | $103,000 | $5,000,000 |
| #10: Main Event Championship | $5,300 | $15,000,000 | |
| Tue 12 Dec | #11: Flip & Go | $800 | |
| Wed 13 Dec | #12: No-Limit Hold’em Freezeout (Online) | $1,050 | $1,000,000 |
| #13: Pot-Limit Omaha Championship | $10,400 | $1,000,000 | |
| #14: The Closer Turbo Bounty | $2,200 | $1,000,000 | |
| Thu 14 Dec | #15: High Roller No-Limit Hold’em 6-Handed | $10,400 | $1,000,000 |
Executive Editor U.S.
Executive Editor US, PokerNews Podcast co-host & 2013 WSOP Bracelet Winner.