Be the best at your bar:
earn a Tavern Championship!
The Tavern Championships brings together all ranked players to battle for the ultimate bragging rights and the title of Tavern Champion.
The Tavern Championship is one game with one Champion! Plus, all players can enjoy the Early Strikers tournament.
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Read below for all the details!
JIM BENDER
Tavern Champion
The Tournaments
The Tavern Championship is One Game with One Champion (and Early Strikers after!). TD's will use the same blind structures as a regular-season game.
The TAVERN CHAMPIONSHIP
All players with a Qualified Tavern Ranking at that bar (15 games played with at least one Top 20 finish) will play in the Tavern Championship.
The Top 10 ranked players at that bar during the Regular Season start with 20,000 chips, while all other qualified players start with 10,000 chips.
The Top 10 will also get a Re-Entry & Bounty Card - if a Top 10 player gets knocked out before the end of the 500/1000 blind level, they can re-enter with a new 20,000-chip stack. If a Top 10 player is still in the game after the 500/1000 blind level and has not re-entered, their Re-Entry & Bounty Card becomes a 10,000-chip add on (received during chip up break).
However, if a qualified player knocks out a Top 10 player before the end of the 500/1000 blind level, that person gets a 10,000-chip bonus on the spot! Remember though, re-entries are only for the Top 10 ranked players. (1 per Top 10 player)
Finish in the Top 10 during the Tavern Championship and you'll earn a seat to the National Championship Semifinals and a seat to Regionals.
EARLY STRIKERS TOURNAMENT
Take advantage of the opportunity to get a jump start on the new season!
Any player is eligible to play in this points tournament, which will count towards the rankings for next season. The winner of this game will also earn a seat to Regionals.
Since the Tavern Championship will end prior to this game, now ALL PLAYERS can enjoy the Early Strikers tournament!
Other Notes:
The Tavern Championship is scheduled for the first regular start time for that day, while the Early Strikers game is scheduled for the second regular start time.
There are NO REGULAR BONUS CHIPS (such as early arrival or signing up online) for the Tavern Championship. Feel free to use your normal Bonus Chip structure for the Early Strikers game.
Please be sure to check the Tavern Rankings the day of the tournament to confirm your end of season ranking.
If a National Championship date has not yet been set, please use Nov 1st as the date to determine age eligibility for players.
The Early Strikers Tournament is open to any and all players. This includes players that may have never played in the league before, or those that may have already qualified for Regionals.
The Perfect Championship Night
Here are some guidelines and ideas to make your Tavern Championship night the most fun and enjoyable party of the season!
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TD's: Run your championship events the same way you run a normal game! Consistency is appreciated by players! This means getting games started on time, telling players what they are playing for before the game (announce drink & food specials for the night as well), and adhere to the official WTP Late Policy. This means a player can enter your game up to 30 minutes after the scheduled start time of your event.
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TD's: Your Re-Entry & Bounty Cards will be included on one sheet in your regular printouts for TC Night. PLEASE make sure to print these off!
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Talk to the bar owner before the game about providing some great food & drink specials. Some even provide a buffet for a reasonable price to say thank you.
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Contact local beer/liquor vendors (or other local businesses) for additional prizes to be given away.
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Print Championship awards (on the Marketing Tools section of the website) to hand out.
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Before the event starts, congratulate and hand out awards to your Season Points Champion as well as any other awards you have printed.
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Raise your glasses for a toast. Say thank you to your TD, your players, the bar owner and your servers for another wonderful season of World Tavern Poker!
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Thank those players who continue to support the bar with their food & drink purchases by reminding everyone that the bar pays to bring you World Tavern Poker each week.
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Check out all of the photos from Tavern and TOC Champ events from around the league!
How to Qualify
Tavern Championship
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All players ranked at that bar with a minimum of 15 games played with at least one Top 20 finish during the current season can play. The Top 10 players ranked in their bar qualify regardless of games played.
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The Top 10 ranked players start with 20,000 chips and receive a Re-Entry & Bounty Card. They can use it to re-enter the game with a new 20,000 stack if they are knocked out before the end of the 500/1000 level. If they are not knocked out, their Re-Entry & Bounty Card becomes a 10,000-chip add-on after the 500/1000 level is complete.
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All other qualified players start with 10,000 chips. Knock out a Top 10 player before the end of the 500/1000 level and earn 10,000 additional chips on the spot.
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Early Strikers Tournament
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Anyone can play in this game!​
The Prizes
Aside from any prizes the bar may be providing, the Tavern Champion wins the following;
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A seat directly into the National Championship Finals to compete for incredible cash and prizes
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The Tavern Champion Trophy and Medallion
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Bragging rights for the next 6 months!
Those who finish in the Top 10 in the Tavern Championship also qualify for the National Championship Semifinals and receive a seat to the Regional Championships (when held).
Tavern Championships - Week 25
Tavern Championship night should be a celebration of the season, awarding the Season Points Champion medallion as well as a battle to see who will be the next Tavern Champion.
There are 2 Tournaments on Tavern Champ Night:
1. The Tavern Championship
2. Early Strikers Tournament
Please remember that only ranked players with at least 15 games played during the season can participate in the Tavern Championship. You must also be at least 21 years old by the National Championship to play.
ALL PLAYERS are welcome to play in the Early Strikers game!
LAST PERSON STANDING
Those ranked in the Top 8 in their bar’s Best Customer ranking at the end of the season will receive a special card to be used during Tavern Championships - as long as they qualified for this event!
-- Each of these players has 2 shots at seats, meaning even if they win this event on Tavern Championship night, they can participate again on Tavern TOC night.
-- The card-holder that lasts the longest (last one knocked out) in the Tavern Championships wins a seat to the National Semi-Finals. TD's: to indicate the winner, simply check the Best Customer box next to the player's name when scoring.
-- It does not matter if any of these players have already qualified for a National Championship event - they are still being recognized as a Best Customer in that bar.
-- TD's (those listed as TD #1) are not permitted to participate in Last Player Standing at their own bar.
Tournament Director Idea Gallery
Frequently Asked Questions
What if we have 2 players tied for the #1 Ranking at the end of the Regular Season?
Host a special Heads Up Tournament to be played during Early Strikers (or a date to be determined). Each player should start with a full stack and 10 minute blinds. Also see if you can find a dealer (and shuffler). Winner takes the title of Season Points Champion!
How do I know if I qualifed for a Tavern Championship?
You will receive an email from each location you have qualified for. You can also check your "My Events" tab on your WTP.com profile during Week 25 to see which venues you can participate in.
I didn't qualify for my bar's Tavern Championship. Can I still play in the Early Strikers tournament on that night?
YES! Any and all players are welcome to the Early Strikers tournament on Tavern Championship night.
How do I know if I qualified for the Last Person Standing part of Tavern Championship Night?
CLICK THIS LINK and use the drop-down menus to check out your bar's Best Customer ranking. Remember, the Top 8 (and ties) qualify!
Click here to get more details on the Best Poker Customer program.
I didn't finish in the Top 10 at my bar but I qualified for the Tavern Championship. Do I get a re-entry?
No, re-entries in the Tavern Championship are only for those who finished in the Top 10 during the regular season (and only 1 per Top 10 player!). If you knock out a Top 10 player before the end of the 500/1000 blind level, though, you get 10,000 extra chips!
If I'm a Top 10 player and knock out another Top 10 player, what happens?
If it happens before the 500/1000 blind level has ended, you would get 10,000 chips on the spot. The Top 10 player who was KO'd takes their Re-Entry & Bounty Card to the TD to get a new 20,000-chip stack.
If a Top 10 player who was knocked out once is KO'd again, do I get a bounty?
No. There is only 1 bounty for each Top 10 player. If they are knocked out a 2nd time, there is no 2nd bounty.
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I'm a TD and I don't have enough chips for the 10k bounties and add-ons. What do I do?
Simply click here and order our sweet new PINK 10,000 chips!
If a player finished in the Top 10 of the Tavern Championship but already has a National Semifinals seat, can that spot go to another player?
No! Only those who legitimately finish in the Top 10 earn seats to the National Semifinals. If you qualify more than once, that is okay!
Do I have to register for games on Tavern Championship night?
You do NOT have to register for the Tavern Championship, as that list is already filled with qualified players automatically. However, please sign up online for the Early Strikers tournament as this counts for points next season!
Does the Final Table Bonus Points Structure apply to the Early Strikers tournament?
Yes it does! However it may take a couple weeks to reflect in your Tavern Rankings and scores for the new season.
If I already have a Regionals seat and I win the Early Strikers tournament, can I give it to someone else? Or, can I just turn my chips in if I get heads up with a player who doesn't have a Regionals seat?
Absolutely not! Regional seats are NON-TRANSFERABLE. Plus, the Early Strikers game is just like any other points game during the regular season. Why wouldn't you go for the win like usual?