THE STAR GOLD COAST RETURNS AS WSOP CIRCUIT HOST: EXCITEMENT AND CONCERNS FOR AUSTRALIAN PLAYERS

Once again, The Star Gold Coast has brought the internationally renowned WSOP Circuit to Australian shores, giving local players a chance to compete for beautiful WSOP rings crafted by Jostens, cash prizes, and a coveted spot at the WSOP Tournament of Champions. The highlight of the series is the $2,500 Main Event, which promises intense action and life-changing prize pools. With all 12 ring events offering strong fields, The Star’s polished presentation truly shines. Players especially appreciate the mystery bounty tournaments, which are run with fantastic attention to detail, and the WSOP-branded jackets awarded to final tablists, adding a stylish and memorable touch to the experience.

Last year’s WSOP Circuit Main Event in Sydney demonstrated the scale and allure of the series. Michael Brahim emerged as champion from a massive field of 1,035 entries, walking away with $387,590 from a prize pool exceeding $2.2 million. His victory remains a benchmark for aspiring Australian players hoping to make their mark on the international stage.

Unfortunately, some aspects of the Australian poker scene remain frustrating in 2025. Trophy events are seeing increased rake, with mid-stakes tournaments in the $300 to $700 buy-in range affected the most. Players now face a rake increase of around 33 percent, often alongside shorter blind structures of 15 and 12 minutes. The result is that even final tablists in trophy events, paying roughly 20 percent rake, appear to get little to nothing for their efforts.

While The Star excels at creating memorable experiences with mystery bounties and branded merch, the lack of value in the trophy events feels like a slap in the face, especially since concerns were raised a long way out and the response is little to no care from the organisers.

EVENTS OF CONCERN – HIGH RAKE TURBOS YOU WON’T BEAT

EVENTS #2,#13,#18,#24 $475 (400+75) with 15-minute blinds.

EVENTS #3 & #9 $365 (300+65)  with 15-minute blinds.

EVENT #6 $680 (600+80) HYPER TURBO NLH ONE DAY EVENT with 12-minute blinds. TWELVE!!

The Star are charging up to 50% more rake than other operators and setting structures that are at least 25% worse. By speeding up the blinds in a tournament, the length is shorter, so the costs are lower, but yet they are charging more. It is awful and unjustified. There is no bonus added for these events, which are raked the highest.

It will be interesting to see if these structural changes impact participation in the mid-stakes trophy events. While the allure of the WSOP brand, will no doubt get players in the door, they may be weighing the increased cost against the reduced prize value more carefully than in previous years.