World Series of Poker Main Event Breaks Attendance Record

By Site Editor

10 Sep 2024

Site Editor 10 Sep 2024

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WSOP Main Event Breaks Attendance Record
10,112 players entered the $10,000 Buy-in Tournament
Alex Livingston posts biggest stack from Day 2d
Six More WSOP Main Event Champs Progress

Horseshoe Las Vegas Center Strip Hotel and Casino, home of World Series of Poker, 2024 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by AaronP/Bauer-Griffin/GC Images)

Biggest Ever World Series of Poker Main Event with 10,112 entries in the $10,000 Buy-In Tournament

When registration closed on Day 2d of the Main Event of the 55th Annual World Series of Poker, the total number of entries in the most prestigious poker tournament in the world had reached new heights.

In 2023 the event had smashed through the 10,000 player barrier for the first time and despite lower attendances on the first three days of the 2024 event, the final push on the second of two day twos pushed the number into uncharted territory once again.

The final total of 10,112 was an increase of 67 players year-on-year and represents just over half a percent growth.

Day 2d was contested by all the players who made it through Day 1d, plus a further 562 who chose to enter on the day. The total number of players who at some point took a seat on Day 2d was 4,441, of which 2,068 remain.

They will join the 1,549 players from Day 2abc for Day 3 of the event, when the remaining field will be combined for the first time.

Prize Pool Revealed

After registration closed, at the end of level seven, the total prize pool and payouts were revealed. The winner this year will walk away with $10m. This might seem strange, as last year Daniel Weinman took down $12.1m yet this year the number of players is up.

However this is by design, as since Weinman’s historic biggest win, the WSOP has increased the percentage of players who receive a payout, requiring a smaller first prize to be paid out.

Weinman looks like he will remain the biggest ever winner for quite a few more years, as it will take quite a huge jump in participation for a first prize of greater than $12.1m to be awarded.

This is what they’re playing for:

Place	Prize	Place	Prize
1st	$10,000,000	81st-125th	$100,000
2nd	$6,000,000	126th-134th	$85,000
3rd	$4,000,000	135th-162nd	$70,000
4th	$3,000,000	163rd-224th	$60,000
5th	$2,500,000	225th-287th	$50,000
6th	$2,000,000	288th-311th	$45,000
7th	$1,500,000	312th-350th	$45,000
8th	$1,250,000	351st-413th	$40,000
9th	$1,000,000	414th-476th	$37,500
10th-11th	$800,000	477th-539th	$35,000
12th-13th	$600,000	540th-602nd	$32,500
14th-17th	$450,400	603rd-665th	$30,000
18th-26th	$350,000	666th-7664th	$27,500
27th-35th	$300,000	765th-863rd	$25,000
36th-44th	$250,000	864th-950th	$22,500
45th-53rd	$200,000	951st-1008th	$20,000
54th-62nd	$160,000	1009th-1250th	$17,500
63rd-71st	$140,000	1251st-1517th	$15,000
72nd-80th	$120,000

Alex Livingston Bags Biggest Stack of Day 2d

Although it was a busier day two, nobody managed to bag as big a stack as Anthony Marisco’s 797,000. Bracelet winner Alex Livingston was the largest of the Day 2d stacks on 750,500.

Tyler Hatchel posted the second biggest stack of the day on 679,000 while Donovan Dean lies in third place with 634,500.

Five time bracelet winner Adam Friedman finished 7th in the chip count, on 581,000 and fellow bracelet winner Stephen Song is not far behind in 8th with 577,000.

Six former Main Event Winners Progress to Day 3

There were nine former WSOP Main Event winners taking part in Day 2d and six of them are safely through to fight on for a chance at finding a second needle in a haystack.

Joe McKeehan secured the largest stack of the day’s former champs with 309,500 by the time level 10 ended. Defending Champion Daniel Weinman is on 229,000, with Scotty Nguyen on 206,000.

Further back in the field are Martin Jacobsen (154,000) Espen Jorstad (133,000) and Ryan Riess (103,500).

These six join the five from Day 1abc, leaving eleven former WSOP Main Event Champs still in with a chance of another deep run.

Notables Players Still In

Finishing the day well was 6-times bracelet winner Brain Hastings (431,000) and the effervescent GG Poker pro Tony ‘Ren’ Lin (372,000).

Wing Po Liu (295,500), fresh from winning his second bracelet in event 77 is still in contention, as is eleven time bracelet winner Phil Ivey (283,500).

David Funkhouser (258,500), who also won a bracelet last week is still in, as Belgian Bart Lybaert (248,000).

Other multiple bracelet winners still standing include Brian Rast (229,000), Tony Ma (213,500), Michael Wang (208,000), Kevin McPhee (194,500), David Peters (195,500) and Kristen Foxen (181,000),

At the lower end of the chip charts are Allen Cunningham (123,500), Nick Schulman (122,000), GG Poker Ambassador Bertrand ‘Elly’ Grospellier (102,000), Men Nguyen (55,000) and Barry Greenstein (31,000).

Done and Dusted

For many players, Day 2d was the end of the road. Sadly for these players, the tarmac has now run out:

Allen Kessler
Kathy Liebert
Huck Seed
Jack Sinclair
Chris Hunichen
Igor Kurganov
Daniel Cates
Bryn Kenney
Jeff Lisandro

British Prospects

Luke Porter, who won the GUKPT London event in the UK earlier this year is going strong, posting a top 20 chip stack, on 502,000. He has the biggest stack of the British players who made it to the end of Day 2d.

Domenico Micillo on 463,000 and Daniel Rudd with 388,500 were the next biggest British stacks, with Talal Shakerchi not far behind on 359,500.

Other UK players finishing the day well included Andrew Wilson (350,000), Mathew Frankland (328,000), David Docherty (262,000) Christopher Brammer (203,500) and Ian Bradley (202,000).

Benny Glaser is still in, but has only 86,500 and shouts out to James Atkin, who is still clinging on with 58,500 and Fraser McIntyre (52,500).

Many other British players also made it to Day 3, but there were also many casualties on the day, including: