About The WSOP Tournament
The WSOP main event is the most renowned poker tournament in the world. With prize money totalling millions of dollars, thousands of players around the world enter for the chance to walk away with the title and a life-changing amount of money. Since 1976 every winner of an event at the WSOP tournament has also been given a bracelet and these have become extremely coveted. Professional players strive to win one as they see it as an accolade and recognition that they are among the poker elite.
The event had humble beginnings with just six players invited to take part in the first ever tournament back in 1970. It's come a long way since then, with an estimate of over 75,000 players taking part in the many events that will comprise the World Series of Poker 2024 in Las Vegas. There will be 65 different tournaments at the World Series of Poker 2024 in a variety of different types of poker games. Variations like Seven card stud, Omaha, HORSE and Hold'em are all included in the schedule. The event will be viewed worldwide on TV with coverage by the ESPN channel, and you can book your seat in Vegas for a fraction of the price by qualifying at or any one of our other top-rated online poker rooms.
- Play in one of 69 events at the World Series of Poker
- Qualify online for the Main Event or any of the smaller tournaments
- Cash-in multiple seats and packages and trigger a bonus while you do it
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World Series of Poker 2024
You might not be aware of the fact, but some internet casinos offer the chance to win seats at the WSOP main event through playing in their satellite poker tournaments and qualifiers. Anyone over the age of 21 can play in these poker tournaments - once the entry fee is paid, of course - and we have compiled a list of the best sites where these qualifying poker tournaments can be found. We have reviewed and rated all the sites where any World Series of Poker Australian players can participate so take a look and see if there's a venue that suits you. Because get this: Chris Moneymaker famously won the main event of 2003 having qualified on PokerStars.com for just $39. He became the first ever online qualifier to do so, winning US$2.5 million and kick-starting an online poker boom in the process.
Over the years there have been a few poker players who have won the WSOP main event back to back, the last being the late Stu Ungar who won in 1980/81. Ungar went on to capture the poker tournament again in 1997 when he made a comeback after years of drug addiction. Sadly, his addiction would contribute to his death only a year later, but he remains, in many poker experts' eyes, one of the greatest players of all time.
WSOP Events to Remember
A landmark was reached in 1990 when Brad Daugherty became the first poker player to walk away with $1,000,000 in prize money for winning the World Series of Poker main event. As the tournament has grown, so has the prize money. The 2013 World Series of Poker tournament offered in excess of $192,000,000 in prize money across is numerous tournaments. The biggest winner ever of the main event was Jamie Gold. At the height of the poker boom, in 2006, Gold won US$12 million for his first-place finish. This was the highest prize offered for any sporting event, ever, until it was eclipsed by another WSOP event, the Big One for ONE DROP event of 2012. This was a US$1 million buy-in event to benefit the ONE DROP charity foundation, in which Antonio "The Magician" Esfandiari won a staggering US$18,346,673.
So far, the only WSOP main event Australian poker player to win the main event is Joe Hachem, in 2005. His reward was a cool $7,500,000, and maybe not too surprisingly he is still the top Australian money-earner of all time. He is also only one of six non-USA players to win the WSOP main event. As of 2014, Hachem has won a total of $11,800,000 which makes him currently the fourteenth highest ranked player in earnings made in a live tournament setting.
Australians might also know of Jeffrey Lisandro, an Italo-Australian professional poker player who is a regular guest of poker tournaments including the WSOP. In 2009, at the WSOP, he became the very first person to win a World Series title in all three 7 Card Stud categories within the same year. This massive accomplishment did not go unnoticed; having garnered him the Player of the Year award. As of 2014, he has won 6 bracelets and has cashed out a total of $4,151,222 in winnings from the WSOP.
In 2013, after a star-studded final table that included JC Tran (who was the chipleader going into the final table) and online poker whiz David "Raptor Benefield", the event was taken down by relative unknown Ryan Riess, who promptly declared himself "the best poker player in the world". He won $8,361,570 after battling his way through 6,352 players.
2024 WSOP Event
The WSOP 2024 main event takes place at the Rio All Suite Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada. Satellite poker tournaments at the venue start as early as May, and the first of the 65 tournament finals will be played at the end of May. With more than 20 percent of the entrants expected to be made up from poker players who have qualified through internet competitions, why not go through our list of recommended WSOP main event poker sites and pick one to visit?
The Last Five Winners
| Year | Winner | Country | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | Qui Nguyen | USA | $8,005,310 |
| 2015 | Joe McKeehen | USA | $7,683,346 |
| 2014 | Martin Jacobson | Sweden | $10,000,000 |
| 2013 | Ryan Riess | USA | $8,361,570 |
| 2012 | Greg Merson | USA | $8,531,853 |
FAQs:
How popular is the WSOP?
The World Series of Poker is the world's biggest live poker series. In 2016, 69 tournaments were played, including the flagship $10,000 Main Event that had a prize pool worth over $63 million.
Is it just for professional players?
Not at all. In 2015, the second 'Colossus II' carried a friendly $565 buy-in and attracted 21,613 runners. The event included a guaranteed prize pool of $7 million, which was an increase in $2 million. The 2017 annual Colossus had a prize pool of $8 million and a guaranteed $1 million first prize win.
How can I qualify for entry?
Many of the bigger poker rooms run regular online satellites into the Main Event. These are usually comprised of 'Steps' satellites which increase in buy-in as you get to an online final. Packages including Main Event buy-in, travel and accommodation can be won. Alternatively, Aussie players can qualify for a lower buy-in WSOP side event or two via smaller online packages.
What is the best route from online to playing at the tournament?
It depends on your bankroll. If you can afford the $500 to enter an online Grand Final satellite, go for it. Alternatively, you can qualify from as little as a few player points or jump in at an $11 or $33 qualifier and try your luck from there. Each site is different, but whichever package you pick, make sure you choose a site with plenty of fishy players to make it easier to qualify.
Have many Australian players had success at the WSOP?
Yes. Aussies have been scoring big wins at the WSOP since the early days of the series. In 2016, Australian Martin Kozlov won the $10,000, 6-Handed NL Championship, securing him $665,709.
In 2005, Joe Hachem made history by becoming the first Australian to bag a WSOP Main Event title. Hachem won $7.5 million for his win to put him at the top of the Aussie all-time WSOP money-earner list.
Meanwhile, Perth-born Jeff Lisandro has won six WSOP bracelets during his career so far. Lisandro sits joint 9th in the all-time bracelet winners' list.
