JOSEPH WHALEN, NC
2024 National Champion (OPEN 31)
HUGE prizes and WSOP packages are on the line in the National Championship Finals each year. This is the ultimate reward for the league's best players!
Compete at the bar for a spot in one of our National events
Earn a seat to the National Finals at Regionals
Attend the OPEN and compete for BIG prizes!
How It Works
The National Championship is held during the World Tavern Poker OPEN to bring you the poker experience of a lifetime!
Nationals is broken down into 3 levels of play: Quarterfinals, Semifinals, and Finals. The Finals is the championship event with the BIG prizes on the line.
You can qualify for each level directly from your local bar. The more you play, the better your chance of advancing directly to the Finals.
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National Championship Quarterfinals
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The National Championship Quarterfinals will be held on the WTP Online website in the Fall of 2025. All qualified players can compete in a free online event where the Top 10% of the field move on to the National Championship Semifinals at OPEN 2025 this November.
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STEP 1: In the Fall of 2025, go to the OPEN 2025 website (click here). Check the National Finals list, and then check the National Semis list. If you are not listed on either one, ONLY THEN check the Quarterfinals list.
STEP 2: If you appear ONLY on the Quarterfinals list, you must have a WTP Online account. If you have one, move to Step 3. If you do not have one, you will need to create one! Just go to the WTP Online website for all details (click here).
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STEP 3: Now that you have a WTP Online account, go to the WTP Help Center (click here) and submit a ticket requesting an entry to the Quarterfinals event. If everything above checks out, we will give you a ticket for the event.
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Only those who follow these steps will be given tickets!​
To verify your ticket, simply log into your WTP Online account, click Play Now in the Online Dashboard section, and click Account in the Online lobby. Click Show Tickets, and you'll see "NCQ25" - this is your ticket for entry.
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National Championship Semifinals
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This is a shootout-style format where the Top 2 players at each table advance to the National Champ Finals.
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National Championship Finals
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This Championship multi-table event is where all qualified players compete for the BIG prizes, including Major Event packages and the title of National Champion!
Event Details
The next National Championship events will take place at the WTP OPEN at The Orleans Casino in Las Vegas in 2025. Details will be posted on the OPEN website:
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QUALIFIED PLAYER LISTS WILL APPEAR IN THE SPRING AND THE FALL ON THE OPEN PAGE LINKED ABOVE!!
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Frequently Asked Questions
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If I can’t make it to Vegas, can I carry over my qualifications?
Unfortunately not! All qualifications from the previous two seasons MUST be used at the OPEN or they are gone.
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I qualified during Season 1 2024 but cannot make it to Vegas. Can I carry that over to the next event?
No. Other than the unique situation the pandemic brought from 2020-2022, National Championship Event Qualifications cannot be carried over.
The Prizes
The National Championship Finals offers great prizes to the Top 16 players in the event. All packages won at the 2025 OPEN below will be redeemable starting in 2026.
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The winner receives a Major Event package, the trophy, an exclusive limited-edition Bulova watch, and the title of National Champion!
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Please note: Prizes are subject to change.
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1st Place: $5,000 Major Event Package
2nd Place: $2,000 Major Event Package
3rd Place: $1,500 Major Event Package
4th Place: $1,250 Major Event Package
5th Place: $1,000 Major Event Package
6th Place: $750 Major Event Package
7th Place: $750 Major Event Package
8th Place: $750 Major Event Package
9th thru 16th Place: $500 Major Event Package
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In addition, the National Points Champion and the National Cumulative Points Champion from the previous seasons will be honored with a presentation at the National Championship Finals! Both also receive Access Passes to the OPEN event for the season they qualified for.
How To Qualify
National Championship Quarterfinals
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-- Win at the bar, and you're in!
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-- Win just one (1) game during the regular season at a WTP venue and you're qualified for the Quarterfinals.
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National Championship Semifinals
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-- Five (5) total wins during the regular season (at any bar)
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-- Earn a Top 10 Tavern Ranking
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-- Top 10 finish in a Tavern Championship
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National Championship Finals
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-- Ten (10) total wins during the regular season (at any bar)
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-- Be the Season Points Champion at any bar
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-- Win a Tavern Championship
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-- Finish in the Top 1% Club (top 1% of a Region, State, National, or Cumulative Ranking)
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-- Finish in the Top 10% at a Regional Championship
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-- Top 2 finish in National Championship Semifinals
Other Notes
-- Championship seats (at all levels) are not transferable. You have to earn it!
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-- Dates for the National Championship events are typically announced several months prior to the event.
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-- There is a $25 casino fee for all National events at the OPEN. There is no cost to enter the online National Quarterfinals.
