$1,000 Teams Event could be the newest inclusion in 2016 World Series of Poker as stated by Gregory Chochon, the director of the World Series of Poker for Caesars Entertainment. Chochon announced this on a French language poker radio show, the RMC Poker Show recently. Although details of the tournament are yet to be announced officially, what we learnt from his interview is it will be 2 or 4 player teams event with each player buy-in of $1,000. The most important information revealed in the radios show is that the team event will also be bracelet event.
The tournament format the WSOP will use is also unknown at this time (stated as something along the lines of the Ryder or Davis Cup), but it sounds like players will either alternate in and out or will face off against a preselected opponent from the opposing team.
When asked how a team poker tournament might work, Matt Savage explained his experience with such formats:
RT @alex_dreyfus: Excited that @WSOP will have $1,000 Team event with a bracelet each player/team.<~Already searching for a partner!
— Matt Savage (@SavagePoker) February 15, 2016
Alex Dreyfus, CEO at Mediarex Sports & Entertainment – Global Poker Index is very supportive of this event as his brainchild GPL is also on the line of team event.
Excited that @WSOP will have $1,000 Team event, like a tag team format, with a bracelet each player/team. #SportifyPoker #RippleEffect
— Alexandre Dreyfus (@alex_dreyfus) February 15, 2016
2016 will be the (1st) year where the concept of Team Poker will really take off thanks to the power of WSOP. #acceptance #sportifyPoker
— Alexandre Dreyfus (@alex_dreyfus) February 15, 2016
From 1979 to 1983 the World Series of Poker schedule contained what was called a mixed-doubles event, where a team comprised of a male and a female player alternated in and out every half hour.
In 1979 the Mixed Doubles tournament was played as a Seven Card Stud tournament, in 1980 the tournament was changed to a No Limit Holdem event, and from 1981-1983 it reverted back to a Seven Card Stud tournament before being eliminated from the WSOP schedule.
A pair of poker legends were the first Mixed Double winners, as Doyle Brunson and Starla Brodie won the first Mixed Doubles event in 1979, while husband and wife team Donna and Jim Doman won the final Mixed Doubles tournament at the WSOP in 1983.
The other winners were:
- J Myers and Lynn Harvey in 1980
- Frank Cardone and Juanda Matthews in 1981
- David Sklansky and Dani Kelly in 1982