WSOP Bracelet: How Much Are They Valued At?

By Mrinal Gujare

23 Sep 2024

Mrinal Gujare 23 Sep 2024

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A World Series of Poker (WSOP) bracelet holds monumental value beyond its actual worth in gold, diamonds and other precious stones. The bracelet symbolises the pinnacle of achievement in the international poker space.

For countless poker players and enthusiasts, winning the coveted WSOP bracelet represents a milestone. Over the past fifty years, millions of players have attempted to grab a WSOP bracelet, yet only the ones who are at the top of their game have succeeded in nailing this piece of jewelry.

The inception of the bracelet goes back to 1976. Prior to this, winners of the live tournament series were awarded various forms of recognition, including a silver cup in 1970, a trophy was awarded between 1971 to 1974, and a silver plate given in 1975.

Although the design of the bracelet evolves with every passing edition, the bracelet’s core significance does not change. In the end, securing a bracelet means etching your name in wSOP history.

WSOP Bracelet: In the early years, a WSOP bracelet did not have the same weight it does today. Doyle Brunson, who has won 10 bracelets, stated that they “didn’t mean anything” back in the day. Brunson reportedly did not collect two of his bracelets.

For many seasoned players from back then, they saw the bracelet piece as just tokens. None of the players from the initial years of the WSOP would have imagined the shift in perception related to the bracelet.

Phil Hellmuth, who won the WSOP Main Event in 1989, holds the most number of WSOP bracelets (17). He reportedly said, “To me, the bracelets have always been a really huge deal… because I knew that they represented history.”

Expansion Beyond Las Vegas: For the longest time WSOP had been held in Las Vegas. In 2007 the live series expanded beyond Las Vegas with the launch of World Series of Poker Europe (WSOPE) in London.

Thomas Bihl became the very first player to scoop a WSOP bracelet outside the usual Las Vegas region. He shipped in the £2,500 World Championship H.O.R.S.E. tournament.

WSOP since then has widened its reach with more opportunities to win bracelets through events like WSOP Paradise, WSOP Online, and WSOP Argentina.

In 2015, WSOP offered its maiden online bracelet event on WSOP.com. This inaugural tournament attracted 905 participants and saw Anthony “holdplz” Spinella ship the title and prize money worth $197,743.

Making WSOP Bracelets: Initially the WSOP bracelet cost around $500 to make when they were introduced. These bracelets underwent several changes with every passing edition.

In the 1980s, Mordechai Yerushalmi was responsible for creating these precious bracelets until Harrah’s Entertainment acquired WSOP rights in 2004. Other firms have also been responsible for creating the gold bracelets.

Diamond International and Frederick Goldman Inc. have also created this remarkable piece of jewelry. From 2019, Jostens have been crafting these bracelets with tweaks coming in from time to time. Folks who scrutinize the Main Event bracelets will know that the design does undergo minor changes from time to time.

Image Credit: PokerGo

Jason Arasheben had in 2012 designed the Main Event bracelet featuring all four suits adorned with rubies for hearts and diamonds and black diamonds for spades and clubs. This Main Event bracelet weighed over 160 grams and consisted of more than 35 carats of stunning diamonds.

Many estimate the value of the WSOP bracelet to rest at $500,000. With the news of GGPoker buying WSOP from Caesars Entertainment for $500 Million, it remains interesting to see what changes are made to WSOP bracelets, especially the Main Event bracelet.