Yet another milestone has been achieved in the world of poker, as the 2024 World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event surpasses last year’s historic attendance figures.
Registration remains open as of Monday afternoon, Day 2 of the tournament. While the official final count is still pending, it has been confirmed that the record has been broken, with an impressive 10,112 players entering the competition.
Historic attendance:
In the previous year, Daniel Weinman took home a staggering $12,100,000 after emerging victorious in what was then the largest Main Event ever, featuring 10,043 participants. Before that, the record was set in 2006, when Jamie Gold triumphed in a tournament over a field of 8,773 entries, winning exactly $12 million.
In 2022, there was a buzz about potentially breaking the attendance record. The tournament almost achieved this feat, ending with 8,663 players, just 110 shy of the 2006 record. The surge in attendance, dubbed Poker Boom 2.0, culminated last year with a remarkable increase in participants, pushing the 2023 WSOP Main Event to unprecedented heights.
In the 2024 WSOP Main Event, significant speculation existed about another possible record-breaking year. The numbers started slow but gradually increased. After Day 2abc on Sunday, June 7, it became apparent that the final tally would be a nail-biter. By the end of the day, 9,494 players had registered, leaving the WSOP needing at least 550 more players to join before the third blind level of Day 2d commenced.
At approximately 2:30 p.m., Kevin “Kevmath” Mathers tweeted that the Main Event field had reached 10,000 entries, just 34 short of matching the previous record. It quickly turned from a question of “if” to “when,” soon after, it was confirmed that the record had been broken. This monumental moment is now etched into the history of the WSOP.
A legacy of growth:
The WSOP Main Event began in 1970 with just seven entrants. Fifty-four years later, the field has surpassed 10,000 entrants for two consecutive years. In a fitting tribute, the series’ founding father, Jack Binion, revealed the Main Event bracelet and kicked off Day 2d with the traditional “shuffle up and deal.”
This year’s Main Event bracelet is impressive, weighing 445 grams of 10-karat yellow gold. It is adorned with 2,253 precious gemstones, including 1,948 round genuine diamonds, 230 black onyx stones, and 75 genuine red rubies representing each suit. Additionally, it features a unique removable golden faceplate that can double as a card protector.
“The WSOP Main Event Bracelet is known as the most expensive trophy in sports, but the reason it’s priceless in the minds of players is because of Jack Binion,” said Ty Stewart, Executive Director of the World Series of Poker, as reported by PokerNews.
“With another field around 10,000 in Las Vegas, we’re proud to share with him just how far his vision has come.”