Poker continues to boom with live tournaments producing huge fields around the world, including 888poker Live, and online poker seeing major gains as well. That momentum was on display at this year’s World Series of Poker with record numbers in Las Vegas.
The $10,000 Main Event saw the largest field ever for the tournament with 10,112 players and the largest prize pool for a single event in live tournament poker history at just over $94 million.
“It’s special to see the passion for poker continue to deliver records on an annual basis,” WSOP Senior Vice President Ty Stewart said. “The laundry list of records that were shattered this summer at the WSOP continue to show that the poker renaissance is upon us.”
In total, this year’s series generated 229,553 entries, the most ever. That included a record total of 34,717 places paid out, topping last year’s 32,282.
Other WSOP Records Set
The Main Event saw another high, setting a single-day entrants record on July 6 when 5,014 players joined flight 1D. Other tournaments also saw huge numbers including:
・ The $25,000 High Roller Pot Limit Omaha produced the largest PLO prize pool in live tournament poker history at $11.2 million.
・ The $1,000 Mystery Bounty PLO became the largest PLO field in live tournament poker history with 4,280 entries.
・ The Millionaire Maker became the largest $1,500 buy-in event in live tournament poker history with 10,939 entries.
・ New WSOP records were set this year for the number of events exceeding $2 million prize pools at 54 and $10 million at seven.
・ More bracelet hunting is in the works when the WSOP Europe returns to King’s Casino in the Czech Republic from Sept. 18 – Oct. 9. Players will find 14 events with buy-ins ranging from €350 to €50,000.