Harrah’s Atlantic City Lines Up WSOP Circuit Return
PlayNJ reported a $1.5 million guarantee and Aug. 13-24 dates, while Caesars and WSOP.com listed Aug. 14-25.
Harrah’s Resort Atlantic City was back on the WSOP Circuit calendar, with PlayNJ reporting a stop from Aug. 13-24 and a $1.5 million guaranteed prize pool. The outlet said the series would bring more than a week of tournament poker to the Boardwalk cardroom, but that Harrah’s had not yet released a detailed schedule, buy-ins or starting flights. Caesars Entertainment and WSOP.com listed the Atlantic City stop for Aug. 14-25.
The stop fit a long Harrah’s history with the tour. Caesars said the resort hosted the inaugural WSOP Circuit stop in 2005 and had been a regular fixture through 2020. PlayNJ said Harrah’s had built a reputation as one of the Circuit’s go-to East Coast venues. Card Player said the last Atlantic City Circuit stop in early March 2020 was canceled before completion, and the main event never got off the ground.
Harrah’s executives pitched the return as a strong fit for the property. Joseph Giunta said the energy from these events reaches everyone from seasoned players to guests who just want to be part of the action, and Gregg Klein said the event reinforces Harrah’s commitment to premier gaming experiences and its place as a destination for poker fans.
The broader WSOP brand still gives the stop some weight. Caesars said the World Series of Poker has awarded more than $4 billion in prize money since 1970, and that the 2024 series drew 229,553 entrants and more than $438 million in prizes. WSOP.com said the 2024/2025 Circuit season paid out more than $168 million across 45 stops, 729 tournaments and more than 291,000 entries, before the tour shifted to a January-through-December calendar in 2026, with 17 U.S. stops and 12 international stops.
Atlantic City’s poker scene has also been thinner than it was before the pandemic. Card Player said the city had five poker rooms before COVID, but Golden Nugget and Caesars never reopened theirs, Borgata remained the market leader, and its Winter Poker Open main event drew 932 entries. The outlet also said no Borgata Poker Open was on the rest-of-year schedule.
