Las Vegas continues to rebound from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, with the 2022 World Series of Poker Main Event attracting its second largest field of all time.
Currently underway at its new home at Bally’s and Paris Las Vegas, the Main Event’s 8,663 starters moved past the 8,569 who hit the felt in 2019 – falling just shy of the all-time record of 8,773 who took part back in 2006 at the height of the first global poker boom.
With the WSOP, first held in 1970, now celebrating its 53rd year, the Main Event prize pool this year stands at more than US$80.8 million with the eventual champion set to walk away with US$10 million. The top eight finishers will all win more than US$1 million, with US$6 million awaiting the runner-up and US$4 million the third-place finisher.
At time of writing on Monday morning (Asia time), there were around 970 players remaining on Day 4 of the Main Event with all now in the money and guaranteed a minimum US$15,000 payday.
The WSOP, relocating from its home of the past 17 years at the Rio, was first held at Binion’s Horseshoe in 1970 when owner Benny Binion invited seven of the world’s best poker players to compete in a series of cash games – with the winner decided by vote.
Since then, the WSOP has grown into the largest and most prestigious poker series on the planet with the 2021 WSOP attracting a combined 127,245 entries across 88 events and paying out a total of US$238 million in prize money.
The 53rd annual WSOP kicked off on 31 May 2022 and concludes on 19 July 2022.
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