2015 World Series of Poker Reaches Halfway Mark on Record Pace
The 2015 version of the World Series of Poker currently ongoing at the Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas is on record-setting pace, following what was a record-breaking year in 2014 (Photo credit: Jayne Furman/WSOP).
With 34 official WSOP gold bracelet events complete (and 34 more to go), the 46th Annual WSOP is pacing to become the largest in terms of participation in the series’ storied 46-year history. Already this WSOP has seen three of the seven largest live poker tournaments in history (Event #5, Event #16 and Event #28) which had 22,374 (#1 all-time), 7,275 (#6 all-time) and 7,192 (#7 all-time) entries respectively.
To date, 59,395 entries have been tallied – up 48% vs. the first 34 events in 2014 (40,216 entries). In 2014, for the entire duration of the WSOP, an average of 1,267 players participated in any given WSOP event and the entire series garnered a record 82,360 entries.
Thus far in 2015, the average entries per event are up 38%, to 1,747.
Players from 98 countries have already participated in events this WSOP, well on pace to top last year’s 110 country mark.
In terms of prize money awarded, the 34 official WSOP gold bracelet events have awarded $70,095,110, up 10% from 2014 at the same point. ($63,726,545). Each event is averaging a $2,061,620 prize pool, up $187,310 over 2014.
Between official WSOP gold bracelet, Daily Deepstack, single and mega satellites, a total of 116,977 entries have been recorded at the 2015 WSOP. (Note these numbers do not include participation in cash games, which we don’t track).
“This year more than ever, all poker enthusiasts are welcome here,” said WSOP Executive Director Ty Stewart. “We hope the World Series of Poker is on the radar of any poker player, regardless of bankroll and experience. The city of Las Vegas has been abuzz since the WSOP opening weekend. It’s great to see poker being played throughout the city, and here at the Rio the players have responded to our new and varied spread of offerings in record numbers this year. We truly believe the back half of our schedule is just as exciting and with the WSOP Main Event just a couple weeks away starting July 5, we’re optimistic the new ‘pay 1,000’ places plan will help drive that event to new heights too.”
Speaking of records, in 2015, the WSOP has already achieved the following firsts in poker history:
- Largest live poker tournament ever held: 2015 WSOP Event #5: 22,374 entries
- Most unique players in any poker tournament: 2015 WSOP Event #5: 14,284 persons
- Most players to ever cash in one poker event: 2015 WSOP Event #5: 2,241 places paid
- Number of countries represented in one event: 2015 WSOP Event #5: 98 countries
- Largest Prize Pool for any event under $5,000: 2015 WSOP Event #5: $11,187,000
- Largest 1st Place Prize for a $1,000 or under buy-in: 2015 WSOP Event #5: $638,880
- Best single day attendance at WSOP: 2015 WSOP Event #5: 12,172 entries (Sat. May 30)
- Largest live re-entry event ever held: 2015 WSOP Event #5: 22,374 entries
- Largest live non-hold’em poker tournament: 2015 WSOP Event #26: 1,293 entries (Pot-Limit Omaha)
The records at the 2015 WSOP aren’t just confined to the official WSOP gold bracelet events either. The popular Daily Deepstack tournaments are pacing well ahead of last year as well.
- 3pm Daily Deepstack ($235 buy-in) – Set record high with 2,149 entries on June 1 – besting last year’s high by 23%. (1,747 entries)
- 3pm Daily Deepstack – Averaging a record 1,249 entries per day, up 24% from last year’s average (1,005 entries)
- 3pm Daily Deepstack — The winner of the June 1 won $62,256 – a whopping 265 times their initial investment…all within a day’s time.
- 6pm Daily Deepstack ($185) – Set record high with 1,388 entries on May 31 – besting last year’s high by 245% (566 entries)
- 6pm Daily Deepstack ($185) – Averaging a record 434 entries per day, up 49% from last year’s average (290 entries)
- 10pm Daily Deepstack ($135) – Set record high with 484 entries on June 1 – besting last year’s high by 73% (279 entries)
- 10pm Daily Deepstack ($135) – Averaging a record 195 entries per day, up 71% from last year’s average (114 entries)
In addition to the fantastic tournament action, cash game activity has been plentiful as well, with as many as 85 cash game tables running simultaneously. WSOP Live-Action (@WSOPLiveAction) is spreading a wide variety of games at stakes from $1-$3 NL and $1-$2 PLO, all the way up to $10-$25 NL and $25-$50 PLO. A new table-top tool has been added to Open Face Chinese Poker to give added protection and rule information to players in that game. Players have also enjoyed some new action-friendly rule changes this summer such as: no posting for new players sitting down and the reinstatement of “No Flop No Drop”. With the upcoming schedule, we expect to reach our 91 table capacity.
The 2015 WSOP official has four weeks remaining, and among the highlights left on the schedule are as follows:
- Friday, June 19 – Event #40 – $1,000 buy-in Seniors No-Limit Hold’em Championship (age 50+)
- Saturday, June 20 – Event #42 – $1,500 buy-in Extended Play No-Limit Hold’em (90-minute levels, 50% longer than usual) (Expected to play similar to Monster Stack structure) – New Event
- Sunday, June 21 – Event #43 – $1,000 buy-in Super Seniors No-Limit Hold’em Championship (age 65+) – New Event
- Sunday June 21 – Event #44 – $50,000 buy-in Poker Players’ Championship (10-game variants to determine poker’s all-around top player)
- Thursday, June 25 – Event #52 – $1,500 buy-in Dealers Choice (players choose game from 18 variants, games rotates once a complete orbit of table has occurred)
- Friday, June 26 – Event #53 – $10,000 buy-in Ladies No-Limit Hold’em Championship (Ladies receive 90% discount on buy-in price)
- Saturday, June 27 – Event #55 – $1,500 buy-in DraftKings 50/50 No-Limit Hold’em (50% of entrants receive money from the prize pool) – New Event
- Sunday, June 28 – Event #58 – $111,111 buy-in High Roller for ONE DROP Charity No-Limit Hold’em (5% of entry pool donated to ONE DROP organization)
- Monday, June 29 – Event #60 – $25,000 buy-in High Roller Pot-Limit Omaha 8-Handed (4-day event) – New Event
- Tuesday, June 30 – Event #61A/B – $1000 buy-in Little One for ONE DROP ($111 add-on to double starting chip stack) – All $111 would go to ONE DROP as charitable donation
- Wednesday, July 1 – Event #62 – $1,500 buy-in Bounty No-Limit Hold’em (every player is a bounty worth $500) – New Event
- Thursday, July 2 – Event #64 – $1,000 buy-in WSOP.com ONLINE No-Limit Hold’em (1st ever online WSOP gold bracelet event, via WSOP.com Nevada software) – New Event
- Friday, July 3 – Event #66 – $777 buy-in Lucky 7’s No-Limit Hold’em (new price point, last No-Limit Hold’em event before Main Event) – New Event
- July 5/Mon. July 6/Tues. July 7 – Event #68 – $10,000 buy-in Main Event World Championship (3 starting flights) – Expected to pay 1,000 places
The World Series of Poker (WSOP) is the largest, richest and most prestigious gaming event in the world awarding millions of dollars in prize money and the prestigious gold bracelet, globally recognized as the sport’s top prize. 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 2014, the event attracted 82,360 entrants from 110 different countries to the Rio in Las Vegas and awarded over $227 million in prize money. In addition, the WSOP has formed groundbreaking alliances in broadcasting, digital media and corporate sponsorships, while successfully expanding the brand internationally with the advent in 2007 of the World Series of Poker Europe. For more information on the World Series of Poker, please visit www.WSOP.com.