WSOP Main Event draws record field for 2nd straight year

The record for the largest World Series of Poker Main Event field fell for the second straight year.

Tournament officials announced Monday there were 10,112 entries in this year’s $10,000 buy-in No-limit Hold’em World Championship when registration closed at Horseshoe Las Vegas and Paris Las Vegas.

Last year’s Main Event drew 10,043 entries, smashing the previous record of 8,773 set in 2006.

“Ten thousand entrants has become the new magic number for the WSOP Main Event,” WSOP executive director Ty Stewart said in a statement. “The response has been overwhelming since our move to the Las Vegas Strip. Thank you to our partners, team members, and most of all, the players for another unforgettable summer.”

First prize in this year’s Main Event is $10 million, along with the WSOP bracelet. The runner-up will take home $6 million. All nine members of the final table are guaranteed a minimum of $1 million. Daniel Weinman, the winner of last year’s Main Event, earned $12.1 million for first place.

The 2024 Main Event features a record $94,041,600 prize pool, with the top 1,517 finishers making the money. The minimum cash is $15,000.

Additional notable payouts include $800,000 for 10th and 11th place, $600,000 for 12th and 13th place and $450,400 for 14th through 17th place. The top 125 finishers are guaranteed at least $100,000.

This year’s attendance was boosted by a record-setting Day 1D on Sunday when 5,014 players entered, the most ever for a Main Event starting flight.

The Main Event continues Tuesday with Day 3, when the surviving players from all four starting flights are combined for the first time. A handful of former Main Event champions and numerous top pros are sitting on healthy chip stacks with the money bubble projected to burst early Wednesday on Day 4.

The final table of the Main Event is scheduled to begin July 16 at Horseshoe Las Vegas.

Contact David Schoen at dschoen@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-5203. Follow @DavidSchoenLVRJ on X.