WSOP Circuit Opens Austin Stop With Action Clocks
The Texas Card House series runs through Sept. 21 with a $1,700 Main Event and nearly $4 million in guarantees.
The WSOP Circuit returned to Texas Card House in Austin on Sept. 10, opening a run that continues through Sept. 21 and features 18 official ring events with nearly $4 million in guaranteed prize pools. The centerpiece is a $1,700 No-Limit Hold’em Main Event with a $2 million guarantee, and every ring winner will also receive a $5,000 WSOP Paradise package.
As reported in July, the Austin stop follows the spring debut that gave Texas a new poker benchmark. The series at Texas Card House earlier this year produced the largest poker tournament prize pool in Texas state history, which is the backdrop for this second Circuit visit.
The Main Event begins Sept. 17 and uses three starting flights, all set for 11 a.m. on Sept. 17, Sept. 18 and Sept. 19. The event is the flagship of the stop, and it is one of the marquee tournaments that will use action clocks.
The action clock rules posted on WSOP.com lay out how the clocks work. Once the clock is in use, players get 15 seconds for their first preflop decision and 30 seconds for each later decision. Each player starts with five time extensions, gets five more later, and any unused extensions carry over rather than resetting.
The rules also spell out some of the edge cases. Only a floor supervisor can pause or suspend the clock, asking a question does not automatically stop it, and dealers will count down the final five seconds aloud. Event #7, the Big Tex High Roller, starts on the action clock at the beginning of Day 1, while Event #13, the WSOPC Texas Main Event, goes on the clock at the end of level 15.
