WSOP Global Casino Championship set for Aug. 9-11

The 12th season of the WSOP Circuit wraps up under the bright lights of the television cameras with the 2016 WSOP Global Casino Championship – an official WSOP gold bracelet event and a share of $1,000,000+ in prize money on the line – from Aug. 9-11, 2016 in North Carolina once again at Harrah's Cherokee Casino Resort.

Harrah's Cherokee will also host the first WSOP Circuit Event of the 2016-17 season from Aug. 4-16, 2016, with the championship sandwiched in between a robust WSOP Circuit series featuring 12 official gold ring events, including a $1,675 Main Event and a $2,200 High Roller tournament.

This is a historic year for the Global Casino Championship (formerly the WSOP National Championship). For the first time ever, it will welcome players from the WSOP International Circuit events. Players from venues in Morocco, Georgia, Italy, the Czech Republic, and Canada will join the contingent of qualifiers from the domestic WSOP Circuit.

A total of 100 players earn free seats to the Global Casino Championship. The Main Event winner at each stop of the 2015-2016 WSOP Circuit receives a free entry, as does the Casino Champion at each stop. An additional 12 qualifiers earned seats by winning the Main Event or becoming Casino Champion at a stop on the WSOP International Circuit.

The rest of the automatic qualifiers are filled out from the top of season-long Circuit points leaderboard.

This year, 50 players will automatically qualify, leaving 50 seats up for grabs based on the U.S. leaderboard. (If there are any double-qualifiers, the highest remaining point-getter on the at-large leaderboard receives entry).

All players who have earned a free entry will receive a $500 travel stipend and three nights at the Harrah's Cherokee hotel , plus one additional night for anyone making the final table.

As in years past, the top 100 players in the WSOP world rankings have the opportunity to buy into the Global Casino Championship directly for $10,000. The world rankings are compiled based on players' performance in WSOP gold bracelet events in 2014 and 2015. In addition, for the first time ever, any player who won an official ring event on the WSOP Circuit this season also has the option to buy in to the Global Casino Championship directly for $10,000. For all players who buy their seats, the $10,000 is added directly to the prize pool (rake-free), in addition to the $1,000,000 put up by WSOP.