The first Monday in July brings about the biggest tournament in poker: the World Series of Poker $10,000 Main Event. The first starting flight gets underway at 11 a.m. with players from around the world converging on the Rio for a shot at the most coveted title in poker.
Over the next days, names like Hellmuth, Moneymaker, Chan, Raymer, Negreanu, and Ivey will be heard in the hallways as every serious (tournament) poker player gathers in the Amazon, Brasilia, Miranda, and Pavilion tournament rooms for their shot at eternal glory.
Featuring a comprehensive slate of tournaments in every major poker variation, the WSOP is poker’s longest-running tournament in the world, dating back to 1970.
In 2017, the WSOP drew 120,995 total entrants in 74 total events — the most in its history. The 2017 series awarded more than $231 million in prize money, and the events brought in players from 111 countries.
The venue has changed and numerous games and tournaments added, but the history remains. In recent years, some of those original games played in 1970 have even been worked back into the WSOP festivities in games like dealer’s choice and some of the mixed-games (Championship) events. And the foundation of that remains the Main Event.
When players take their seats beginning today in those first starting flight, they are not just attempting to win a poker tournament; they are attempting to become part of the game’s history — a history that traces its roots from the Revolutionary War to Civil War battlefields to 19th Century steamboats floating on the Mississippi River to scorching Las Vegas summers. Win that bracelet and your name becomes synonymous with some of the best in the game. Thousands will try, but only one will raise that shiny gold bracelet in victory.
Structure
At 11 a.m., players start with 50,000 in chips. Levels are 120 minutes long throughout. After every level, players have a 20-minute break. The dinner break, 60 minutes long, takes place after Level 2, which should be around 3:25 p.m.
Late registration for Day 1a of the 2017 WSOP Main Event is open for three levels, registration closes around 7:10 p.m. If you’re too late, there’s always tomorrow (Day 1b) and Wednesday (Day 1c). Day 1a wraps up around 11:00 p.m.
| Level | Duration | Small Blind | Big Blind | Ante |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 120 minutes | 75 | 150 | – |
| 20-minute break | ||||
| 2 | 120 minutes | 150 | 300 | – |
| 60-minute break | ||||
| 3 | 120 minutes | 150 | 300 | 25 |
| 20-minute break | ||||
| 4 | 120 minutes | 200 | 400 | 50 |
| 20-minute break | ||||
| 5 | 120 minutes | 250 | 500 | 75 |
Players to survive today return to the Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino Thursday, July 5, 2018, to play another five levels on Day 2ab.
Today’s action starts at 11 a.m. PokerNews will be there the entire day with live updates from around the convention center of the Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino. Besides live updates, you can follow along via ESPN2 and PokerGO.
When and Where to Watch
Once again, PokerGO and ESPN have teamed up to bring you a live stream of all the action. Here’s the schedule for the Main Event with times in Pacific Time (local Vegas time). This schedule is subject to change.
| Date | Main Event | Slot 1 | Start time | End time | Slot 2 | Start time | End time | Slot 3 | Start time | End time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| July 2 | Day 1a | ESPN2 | 05:00 p.m. | 10:00 p.m. | PokerGO | 10:00 p.m. | 11:35 p.m. | – | – | – |
| July 3 | Day 1b | ESPN2 | 04:00 p.m. | 08:00 p.m. | PokerGO | 09:00 p.m. | 11:35 p.m. | – | – | – |
| July 4 | Day 1c | ESPN2 | 05:30 p.m. | 09:00 p.m. | PokerGO | 09:30 p.m. | 11:35 p.m. | – | – | – |
| July 5 | Day 2ab | ESPN | 05:00 p.m. | 08:00 p.m. | PokerGO | 08:00 p.m. | 11:35 p.m. | – | – | – |
| July 6 | Day 2c | ESPN2 | 05:30 p.m. | 09:00 p.m. | PokerGO | 09:00 p.m. | 11:35 p.m. | – | – | – |
| July 7 | Day 3 | ESPN2 | 03:00 p.m. | 06:30 p.m. | PokerGO | 06:30 p.m. | 08:30 p.m. | – | – | – |
| July 8 | Day 4 | ESPN | 11:30 a.m. | 03:00 p.m. | PokerGO | 03:00 p.m. | 06:15 p.m. | – | – | – |
| July 9 | Day 5 | PokerGO | 05:00 p.m. | 06:00 p.m. | ESPN2 | 06:00 p.m. | 11:00 p.m. | PokerGO | 11:00 p.m. | 11:35 p.m. |
| July 10 | Day 6 | PokerGO | 11:30 a.m. | 03:50 p.m. | ESPN | 05:00 p.m. | 08:00 p.m. | PokerGO | 08:00 p.m. | 11:35 p.m. |
| July 11 | Day 7 | PokerGO | 11:30 a.m. | 09:00 p.m. | ESPN2 | 09:00 p.m. | TBD | – | – | – |
| July 12 | Final Table | ESPN/PokerGO | 06:00 p.m. | TBD | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| July 13 | Final Table | ESPN/PokerGO | 06:00 p.m. | TBD | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| July 14 | Final Table | ESPN/PokerGO | 06:00 p.m. | TBD | – | – | – | – | – | – |
A Long Summer
While the Main Event is just about to get underway, a plethora of events are already in the books. The 2018 WSOP kicked off May 31st with the $565 Employees Event. Since then, dozens of events have been played, and PokerNews.com was there for each and every one of them. Millions in prize money has been rewarded, hundreds of thousands of hands have been dealt. Take a look at all the results up until now:
| # | Event | Entries | Prize Pool | Winner | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | $565 Casino Employees No-Limit Hold’em | 566 | $283,000 | Jordan Hufty | $61,909 |
| 2 | $10,000 Super Turbo Bounty No-Limit Hold’em | 243 | $2,284,200 | Elio Fox | $393,693 |
| 3 | $3,000 No-Limit Hold’em SHOOTOUT | 363 | $980,100 | Joe Cada | $226,218 |
| 4 | $1,500 Omaha Hi-Lo 8 or Better | 911 | $1,229,850 | Julien Martini | $239,771 |
| 5 | $100,000 No-Limit Hold’em High Roller | 105 | $10,185,000 | Nick Petrangelo | $2,910,227 |
| 6 | $365 GIANT No-Limit Hold’em | 8,920 | $2,676,000 | Jeremy Perrin | $250,000 |
| 7 | $565 COLOSSUS No-Limit Hold’em | 13,070 | $6,535,000 | Roberly Felicio | $1,000,000 |
| 8 | $2,500 Mixed Triple Draw Lowball | 321 | $722,250 | Johannes Becker | $180,455 |
| 9 | $10,000 Omaha Hi-Lo 8 or Better Championship | 169 | $1,588,600 | Paul Volpe | $417,921 |
| 10 | $365 WSOP.com ONLINE No-Limit Hold’em | 2,972 | $974,816 | William ‘Twooopair’ Reymond | $154,996 |
| 11 | $365 PLO GIANT Pot-Limit Omaha | ||||
| 12 | $1,500 Dealer’s Choice 6-Handed | 406 | $548,100 | Jeremy Harkin | $129,882 |
| 13 | $1,500 Big Blind Antes No-Limit Hold’em | 1,306 | $1,763,100 | Benjamin Moon | $315,346 |
| 14 | $1,500 No-Limit 2-7 Lowball Draw | 260 | $351,000 | Daniel Ospina | $87,678 |
| 15 | $1,500 H.O.R.S.E. | 731 | $986,850 | Andrey Zhigalov | $202,787 |
| 16 | $10,000 Heads-Up No-Limit Hold’em Championship | 114 | $1,074,600 | Justin Bonomo | 185,965 |
| 17 | $1,500 No-Limit Hold’em 6-Handed | 1,663 | $2,245,050 | Ognyan Dimov | $378,743 |
| 18 | $10,000 Dealer’s Choice 6-Handed | 111 | $1,043,400 | Adam Friedman | $293,275 |
| 19 | $565 Pot-Limit Omaha | 2,419 | $1,209,500 | Craig Varnell | $181,790 |
| 20 | $5,000 No-Limit Hold’em | 518 | $2,408,700 | Jeremy Wien | $537,710 |
| 21 | $1,500 No-Limit Hold’em MILLIONAIRE MAKER | 7,361 | $9,937,350 | Arne Kern | $1,173,223 |
| 22 | $1,500 Eight Game Mix | 481 | $649,350 | Philip Long | $147,348 |
| 23 | $10,000 No-Limit 2-7 Lowball Draw Championship | 95 | $893,000 | Brian Rast | $259,670 |
| 24 | $2,620 THE MARATHON No-Limit Hold’em | 1,637 | $3,860,046 | Michael Addamo | $653,581 |
| 25 | $1,500 Seven Card Stud Hi-Lo 8 or Better | 596 | $804,600 | Benjamin Dobson | $173,528 |
| 26 | $1,000 Pot-Limit Omaha | 986 | $887,400 | Filippos Stavrakis | $169,842 |
| 27 | $10,000 H.O.R.S.E. Championship | 166 | $1,560,400 | John Hennigan | $414,692 |
| 28 | $3,000 No-Limit Hold’em 6-Handed | 868 | $2,343,600 | Gal Yifrach | $461,798 |
| 29 | $1,500 Limit 2-7 Lowball Triple Draw | 356 | $480,600 | Hanh Tran | $117,282 |
| 30 | $1,500 Pot-Limit Omaha | 799 | $1,078,650 | Ryan Bambrick | $217,123 |
| 31 | $1,500 Seven Card Stud | 310 | $418,500 | Steven Albini | $105,629 |
| 32 | $1,000 Seniors No-Limit Hold’em Championship | 519 | $5,327,100 | Matthew Davis | $662,983 |
| 33 | $50,000 Poker Players Championship | 87 | $4,176,000 | Michael Mizrachi | $1,239,126 |
| 34 | $1,000 DOUBLE STACK No-Limit Hold’em | 5,700 | $5,130,000 | Robert Peacock | $644,224 |
| 35 | $1,500 Mixed Omaha | 773 | $1,043,550 | Yueqi Zhu | $211,781 |
| 36 | $1,000 Super Seniors No-Limit Hold’em | 2,191 | $1,971,900 | Farhintaj Bonyadi | $311,451 |
| 37 | $1,500 No-Limit Hold’em | 1,330 | $1,795,500 | Eric Baldwin | $319,580 |
| 38 | $10,000 Seven Card Stud Championship | 83 | $780,200 | Yaniv Birman | $236,238 |
| 39 | $1,500 No-Limit Hold’em Shootout | 908 | $1,225,800 | Preston Lee | $236,498 |
| 40 | $2,500 Mixed Big Bet | 205 | $461,250 | Scott Bohlman | $122,138 |
| 41 | $1,500 Limit Hold’em | 596 | $804,600 | Robert Nehorayan | $173,568 |
| 42 | $25,000 Pot-Limit Omaha 8-Handed High Roller | 230 | $5,462,500 | Shaun Deeb | $1,402,683 |
| 43 | $2,500 No-Limit Hold’em | 1,248 | $2,808,000 | Timur Margolin | $507,274 |
| 44 | $10,000 Limit 2-7 Lowball Triple Draw Championship | 109 | $1,024,600 | Nicholas Seiken | $287,987 |
| 45 | Big Blind Antes $1,000 No-Limit Hold’em (30 minute levels) | 1,712 | $1,540,800 | Mario Prats Garcia | $258,255 |
| 46 | $2,500 Mixed Omaha Hi-Lo 8 or Better/Seven Card Stud Hi-Lo 8 or Better | 402 | $904,500 | David Brookshire | $214,291 |
| 47 | $565 WSOP.com ONLINE Pot-Limit Omaha 6-Handed | 1,223 | $635,960 | Matthew ‘mendey’ Mendez | $135,078 |
| 48 | $1,500 No-Limit Hold’em MONSTER STACK | 6,260 | $8,451,000 | Tommy Nguyen | $1,037,451 |
| 49 | $10,000 Pot-Limit Omaha 8-Handed Championship | 476 | $4,474,400 | Loren Klein | $1,018,336 |
| 50 | $1,500 Razz | 389 | $525,150 | Jay Kwon | $125,431 |
| 51 | $1,500 No-Limit Hold’em Bounty | 1,983 | $2,677,050 | Ryan Leng | $272,504 |
| 52 | $10,000 Limit Hold’em Championship | 114 | $1,071,600 | Scott Seiver | $296,222 |
| 53 | Event #53: $1,500 Pot-Limit Omaha Hi-Lo 8 or Better | 935 | $1,262,250 | Joseph Couden | $244,370 |
| 54 | Big Blind Antes $3,000 No-Limit Hold’em | 1,020 | $2,754,000 | Diogo Veiga | $522,715 |
| 55 | $1,000 Tag Team No-Limit Hold’em | 1,032 | $928,800 | Giuseppe Pantaleo – Nikita Luther | $175,805 |
| 56 | $10,000 Razz Championship | 119 | $1,118,600 | Calvin Anderson | $309,220 |
| 57 | $1,000/$10,000 Ladies No-Limit Hold’em Championship | 696 | $626,400 | Jessica Dawley | $130,230 |
| 58 | $5,000 No-Limit Hold’em 6-Handed | 621 | $2,766,750 | Jean-Robert Bellande | $616,302 |
| 59 | $1,000 No-Limit Hold’em Super Turbo Bounty | 2,065 | $1,858,500 | Mike Takayama | $198,568 |
| 60 | $10,000 Pot-Limit Omaha Hi-Lo 8 or Better Championship | 218 | $2,049,200 | $567,788 | |
| 61 | $1,000 WSOP.com ONLINE No-Limit Hold’em Championship | 1,635 | $1,553,250 | Ryan ‘Toosick’ Tosoc | $238,778 |
| 62 | $888 Crazy Eights No-Limit Hold’em 8-Handed – $888,888 Guaranteed 1st Place | ||||
| 63 | $3,200 WSOP.com ONLINE No-Limit Hold’em High Roller | 480 | $1,459,200 | Chance ‘BingShui’ Kornuth | $341,598 |
| 64 | $10,000 Seven Card Stud Hi-Lo 8 or Better Championship |
More Action
The Main Event has traditionally been the penultime or last WSOP tournament of the summer, but things are a little different this time around. There’s still a plethora of tournaments to be played, the majority running alongside the Main Event. The $1,000,000 buy-in Big One for One Drop is even to follow after the Main Event has wrapped up, running July 15 through 17. Here’s what’s still to be played:
| # | Event | Dates |
|---|---|---|
| 66 | $1,500 No-Limit Hold’em | July 05-07, 2018 |
| 67 | $1,500 Pot-Limit Omaha Bounty | July 06-08, 2018 |
| 68 | $1,000 + $111 The Little One for One Drop No-Limit Hold’em | July 07-11, 2018 |
| 69 | $3,000 Pot-Limit Omaha 6-Handed | July 08-10, 2018 |
| 70 | $3,000 Limit Hold’em 6-Handed | July 09-12, 2018 |
| 71 | $5,000 No-Limit Hold’em (30 minute levels) | July 10-12, 2018 |
| 72 | $1,500 Mixed No-Limit Hold’em/Pot-Limit Omaha 8-Handed | July 10-12, 2018 |
| 73 | $1,000 DOUBLE STACK No-Limit Hold’em (30 minute levels) | July 11-12, 2018 |
| 74 | $10,000 No-Limit Hold’em 6-Handed Championship | July 11-13, 2018 |
| 75 | $1,500 The Closer No-Limit Hold’em (30 minute levels) – $1 Million Guarantee | July 12-15, 2018 |
| 76 | $3,000 H.O.R.S.E. | July 12-14, 2018 |
| 77 | $50,000 No-Limit Hold’em High Roller | July 13-14, 2018 |
| 78 | $1,000,000 The Big One for One Drop | July 15-17, 2018 |
World Series of Poker History
The Main Event began as an idea hatched in Texas gambler Benny Binion’s mind to promote his casino. In 1970, a small group of Texas rounders gathered at Binion’s for 10 days playing for high stakes in games like five-card draw, 2-7 lowball, seven-card stud, razz, and no-limit hold’em. Players voted on the winner at the end — Texan and future Poker Hall of Fame member Johnny Moss. By 1972, no-limit hold’em became the premier game and the $10,000 buy-in tournament that players now know as the Main Event was introduced.
In the intervening 48 years, the event has grown to mammoth proportions with numerous preliminary events. The championship bracelet was introduced by Binion in 1976 and has become the ultimate trophy in poker. Owning one has become the litmus test for poker greatness. The series has even expanded beyond Las Vegas with numerous circuit and bracelet events around the country and the world.
Binion surely couldn’t have imagined the scope that the game would become since his showcase began in 1970. The World Series of Poker is the largest, richest and most prestigious gaming event in the world, having awarded more than $2.6 billion in prize money and the prestigious gold bracelet, globally recognized as the sport’s top prize.
Here’s a look at all the winners since the tournament’s inception:
| Year | Entries | Champion | Country | Winning Hand | Prize | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 7 | Johnny Moss | United States | – | – | |
| 1971 | 6 | Johnny Moss | United States | – | $30,000 | |
| 1972 | 8 | Thomas “Amarillo Slim” Preston | United States |   |
$80,000 | |
| 1973 | 13 | Walter “Puggy” Pearson | United States |   |
$130,000 | |
| 1974 | 16 | Johnny Moss | United States |   |
$160,000 | |
| 1975 | 21 | Brian “Sailor” Roberts | United States |   |
$210,000 | |
| 1976 | 22 | Doyle Brunson | United States |   |
$220,000 | |
| 1977 | 34 | Doyle Brunson | United States |  |
$340,000 | |
| 1978 | 42 | Bobby Baldwin | United States |   |
$210,000 | |
| 1979 | 54 | Hal Fowler | United States |  |
$270,000 | |
| 1980 | 73 | Stu Ungar | United States |   |
$385,000 | |
| 1981 | 75 | Stu Ungar | United States |   |
$375,000 | |
| 1982 | 104 | Jack Straus | United States | |
$520,000 | |
| 1983 | 108 | Tom McEvoy | United States |  |
$540,000 | |
| 1984 | 132 | Jack Keller | United States |  |
$660,000 | |
| 1985 | 140 | Bill Smith | United States | |
$700,000 | |
| 1986 | 141 | Berry Johnston | United States | |
$570,000 | |
| 1987 | 152 | Johnny Chan | United States | (born in China) |  |
$625,000 |
| 1988 | 167 | Johnny Chan | United States | (born in China) |  |
$700,000 |
| 1989 | 178 | Phil Hellmuth | United States |  |
$755,000 | |
| 1990 | 194 | Mansour Matloubi | Iran |   |
$895,000 | |
| 1991 | 215 | Brad Daugherty | United States |  |
$1,000,000 | |
| 1992 | 201 | Hamid Dastmalchi | Iran |   |
$1,000,000 | |
| 1993 | 220 | Jim Bechtel | United States | |
$1,000,000 | |
| 1994 | 268 | Russ Hamilton | United States | |
$1,000,000 | |
| 1995 | 273 | Dan Harrington | United States |   |
$1,000,000 | |
| 1996 | 295 | Huck Seed | United States | |
$1,000,000 | |
| 1997 | 312 | Stu Ungar | United States | |
$1,000,000 | |
| 1998 | 350 | Scotty Nguyen | United States | (born in Vietnam) | |
$1,000,000 |
| 1999 | 393 | Noel Furlong | Ireland |   |
$1,000,000 | |
| 2000 | 512 | Chris Ferguson | United States | |
$1,500,000 | |
| 2001 | 613 | Carlos Mortensen | Spain | (born in Ecuador) |  |
$1,500,000 |
| 2002 | 631 | Robert Varkonyi | United States | |
$2,000,000 | |
| 2003 | 839 | Chris Moneymaker | United States | |
$2,500,000 | |
| 2004 | 2,576 | Greg Raymer | United States |  |
$5,000,000 | |
| 2005 | 5,619 | Joe Hachem | Australia |  |
$7,500,000 | |
| 2006 | 8,773 | Jamie Gold | United States | |
$12,000,000 | |
| 2007 | 6,358 | Jerry Yang | United States | (born in Laos) |  |
$8,250,000 |
| 2008 | 6,844 | Peter Eastgate | Denmark |  |
$9,152,416 | |
| 2009 | 6,494 | Joe Cada | United States | |
$8,547,042 | |
| 2010 | 7,319 | Jonathan Duhamel | Canada | |
$8,944,310 | |
| 2011 | 6,865 | Pius Heinz | Germany | |
$8,715,638 | |
| 2012 | 6,598 | Greg Merson | United States |  |
$8,531,853 | |
| 2013 | 6,352 | Ryan Riess | United States | |
$8,361,570 | |
| 2014 | 6,683 | Martin Jacobson | Sweden |  |
$10,000,000 | |
| 2015 | 6,420 | Joe McKeehen | United States | |
$7,683,346 | |
| 2016 | 6,737 | Qui Nguyen | United States | (born in Vietnam) |  |
$8,005,310 |
| 2017 | 7,221 | Scott Blumstein | United States |  |
$8,150,000 |
