The World Series of Poker plans to return this year with in-person tournaments. Play is scheduled to start on Sept. 30 at the Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas and run through Nov. 23.

The Main Event, the $10,000 No-Limit Hold’em World Championship, will open play Nov. 4, with a winner being crowned Nov. 17.

Ty Stewart, WSOP executive director, proclaimed this year’s theme as “get vaccinated and get back to Vegas.”

“This year, more than ever, we embrace our role at the WSOP to deliver memorable experiences and bring this community of poker lovers back together,” Stewart said Thursday in a statement.

Main Event players can choose from four starting days: Thursday, Nov. 4, Friday, Nov. 5, Saturday, Nov. 6, or Sunday, Nov. 7.  Players from Thursday or Friday flights will have their Day 2 on Monday, Nov. 8 if they are not eliminated.  Those playing Saturday or Sunday will play their Day 2 on Tuesday, Nov. 9. The fields will combine on Wednesday, Nov. 10.

Charity events to benefit frontline healthcare workers, a $25,000 H.O.R.S.E. and a $5 million GTD no-limit hold’em event billed as “The Reunion, are scheduled for WSOP’s opening weekend.

Gaming regulators will review  COVID-19 safety protocols and tournament policies prior to the event.  The WSOP stated it will be compliant with all directives from the state of Nevada about social distancing and capacity limits on tournament dates.

Last year restrictions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic led to all WSOP events being held online except the Main Event, which adopted a hybrid format. Play for the $10,000 championship was held via separate online tournaments for international and American players. The final nine from each tournament played in-person, with the winners meeting in a heads-up match at the Rio.

The Main Event was won by Argentinian Damian Salas, after he was initially denied entry in the U.S. Salas defeated Joseph Hebert of Louisiana on Jan. 3, 2021,

Rege Behe is lead contributor to CDC Gaming Reports. He can be reached at rbehe@cdcgaming.com. Please follow @RegeBehe_exPTR on Twitter.