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2023 Main Event: Everything About The Flagship Tournament Of WSOP
The World Series of Poker’s Main Event is the most renowned tournament in the poker community. It is perceived as the most prestigious event by poker players and fans. With a $10,000 buy-in, the Main Event lures thousands of players annually, offering the winner substantial money and the highly sought-after WSOP Main Event bracelet, which will transform their personal and poker lives.
This article will review the Main Event history, the 2023 schedule, notable winners, and the crazy stuff you should be expecting this year!
World Series Of Poker Main Event: History
In 1969, a group of card players from Texas came up with the idea for the World Series of Poker (WSOP) and its Main Event while in Reno. Tom Moore, a businessman from Texas, invited some of his poker-playing friends, including Benny Binion, to the Texas Gambling Reunion. Impressed by the amount of activity this gathering generated in the cash games, Benny Binion decided to start his own event, which he named the World Series of Poker and held at Binion’s Horseshoe in 1970.
The first WSOP was quite different from what we know and see today. There were no tournaments at all – only the Main Event was played as a cash game over three days, hence the importance of this tournament. Several games were played during the event, such as five-card draw, seven-card stud, razz, and Texas Hold ’em. At the end of the three days, the winner was chosen by a vote. Legend has it that two votes were required because every player voted for themselves in the first vote, resulting in a seven-way tie!
Johnny Moss was eventually voted the champion of the WSOP Main Event and received a silver cup as his prize because the bracelets were not introduced until 1976. Although there was no prize money for the winner, it is said that Johnny won a considerable sum from the other players during the three-day event.
Since then, the WSOP has grown in size and prestige. Players from all around the globe come to compete in the tournaments of the WSOP, particularly the Main Event. Everyone hopes for their shot at becoming a world champion and joining legendary players like Johnny Moss, Puggy Pearson, and Doyle Brunson. Due to the large number of players wanting to participate in the WSOP Main Event, the World Series eventually outgrew its original location at Binion’s Horseshoe and has been on a journey ever since!
WSOP Main Event & The Las Vegas Journey
In 2005, the WSOP moved from Binion’s Horseshoe to The Rio due to the poker boom and the need for more space. This was after Harrah’s (now Caesar’s Entertainment) bought Binion’s in 2004. The Main Event final table was still played at Binion’s that year.
The move was necessary because of the rapid growth in the popularity of poker after Chris Moneymaker won the 2003 Main Event. The number of players grew from 839 in 2003 to 2576 in 2004 and then to a record-breaking 8773 in 2006. Luckily enough, The Rio had the space to accommodate this growth.
The WSOP remained at The Rio until 2021 when it was announced that it would move to a new location on the Las Vegas strip. This was expected after The Rio was sold to a New York investment group in 2020 and Caesar’s wanted to keep the WSOP “in-house.”
It will be interesting to see how this new location on the strip will affect the series and if it will bring new energy to the games. Signs show that the new location will be a whole new madness! While the Main Event and World Series have always been in Vegas, the WSOP brand has expanded globally.
WSOP Main Event: Europe Extension
In 2007, the WSOP expanded beyond the US and launched WSOP Europe in partnership with Betfair. The inaugural WSOP Europe Main Event took place at The Sportsman Casino in London, England. It had 362 participants and a buy-in of £10,000. Annette Obrestad emerged as the winner, taking home £1,000,000 and becoming the youngest person ever to win a WSOP Main Event at just 18 years of age. This record still stands today.
WSOP Europe is smaller than the Vegas series but still generates interest and large prize pools. The WSOP Europe has been held in several locations, such as London, Cannes, Berlin, and currently Rozvadov.
The schedule for the 2023 WSOP Europe has not been announced yet, but we will keep you informed when it becomes available.
WSOP And The Asia Pacific
Following the success of WSOP Europe, the WSOP expanded to Australia with the first Asia Pacific (APAC) WSOP in Melbourne in 2013. The legend, Daniel Negraneau, won the inaugural Main Event, beating over 400 players and winning more than AU$ 1,000,000. In 2014, the WSOP APAC returned to Melbourne, but with a smaller number of players.
The WSOP decided to hold WSOP Europe and WSOP APAC once every two years, with the European series in odd-numbered years and the APAC series in even-numbered years. However, no plans were made for WSOP APAC in 2016, and it was dropped from the brand.
When Is WSOP 2023 Main Event?
The highlight of the summer is event #76, the $10,000 No-Limit Hold’em World Championship, or Main Event. It will commence on Monday, July 3rd, 2023, at 12:00 PM. The final table will be played over two days on July 16th and 17th, and the 2023 champion will be crowned on July 17th. The event will take place at the luxury Horseshoe Las Vegas and Paris Las Vegas Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada.
2023 Main Event: What To Expect?
Caesars Entertainment, the owner of the WSOP, also runs WSOP.com to offer the best online and offline poker experiences. This year, WSOP.com is offering multiple opportunities to qualify for the Championship by offering 112 Main Event seats from June 25 to July 8.
There are four starting flights for the Main Event starting on July 3, and players can expect payouts near the end of Day 3 on July 9.
According to the WSOP Vice President, Jack Eiffel, they tried to keep the Main Event close to the July 4 holiday to accommodate players’ schedules. This time of the year is when many people go on their vacations. Players have the option to enter on either of the two Day 2s on July 7th or 8th for two levels. As a result, scheduling the Main Event’s starting day around the holiday is a logical decision.
Last year’s Main Event had 8,663 entrants and was won by Espen Jorstad, who took home $10 million. This year, the WSOP is offering more ways to qualify for the Main Event through “Main Event Mania,” including a Global Qualification Weekend on May 20 and 21. Also, more promotions and new events are set. If the Main Event surpasses the record of 8,773 entries set in 2006, one lucky player will win a Main Event buy-in for the next 30 years through the “Main Event for Life” promotion.
The Daily DeepStack tournaments will also be making a comeback this summer, with buy-ins ranging from $200 to $400. Some events will be broadcast on CBS Sports Network, and daily streaming will be available on PokerGo.
Poker’s popularity continues to rise, and it is anticipated that the 2023 WSOP will exceed the record-breaking total prize pool of $347.9 million from last year.
WSOP Main Event Schedule Breakdown
| Main Event Date | Event No. | Day/Flight |
| Monday, July 3 | 76 | Day 1 Flight A |
| Tuesday, July 4 | 76 | Day 1 Flight B |
| Wednesday, July 5 | 76 | Day 1 Flight D |
| Thursday, July 6 | 76 | Day 2 Flight A, B, C |
| Friday, July 7 | 76 | Day 2 Flight D |
| Saturday, July 8 | 76 | Day 1 Flight D |
| Sunday, July 9 | 76 | Day 3 |
| Monday, July 10 | 76 | Day 4 |
| Tuesday, July 11 | 76 | Day 5 |
| Wednesday, July 12 | 76 | Day 6 |
| Thursday, July 13 | 76 | Day 7 |
| Friday, July 14 | 76 | Day 8 |
| Saturday, July 15 | 76 | Day 9 |
| Sunday, July 16 | 76 | Day 10 |
| Monday, July 17 | 76 | Day 11 |
Fun Facts About WSOP Main Event
Did you know that:
- The very first WSOP wasn’t even a tournament!
- The very first, first spot prize was only $30,000!
- Bracelets were first introduced in 1976!
- The legend, Phil Hellmuth has won a record-breaking number of 16 WSOP bracelets!
- As of 2022, only 51 women have won WSOP bracelets!
- Apart from the legend Phil, only three pro poker players have won 10 WSOP bracelets; Doyle Brunson, Johnny Chan, and Phil Ivey.
Final Words On WSOP 2023 Main Event
the WSOP 2023 Main Event promises to be an exciting and record-breaking event. With numerous ways to qualify and a chance to win a Main Event buy-in for the next 30 years, players from all over the world will be vying for a seat at the table. The move to the Las Vegas strip adds new energy to the series, and we can’t wait to see who will come out on top. Don’t miss your chance to be a part of poker history at the WSOP 2023 Main Event, and stay tuned for more news!
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