2025 WSOP Main Event: Falls Short of All-Time High

The 2025 World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event has once again captivated the poker world, drawing a massive field of poker players from around the world and setting new milestones for the game’s most prestigious tournament.

As registration officially closed during Day 2d, the iconic event welcomed 9,735 entrants, making it the third-largest Main Event in WSOP history.

Record-Breaking Numbers and Historical Context

This year’s turnout continues the trend of massive fields. While it fell just short of the record set in 2024 (10,112 entries) and the 2023 mark (10,043 entries), the WSOP Main Event stands as a testament to poker’s enduring popularity.

For context, the previous record was set in 2006, when a field of 8,773 players entered the tournament, and Jamie Gold claimed the WSOP Main Event title and a first prize of $12,000,000.

Last Couple of Years of WSOP Main Event Entry Numbers by Year

Champions and Challengers

The 2025 WSOP Main Event has once again delivered a dramatic mix of triumph and disappointment for some of poker’s most recognizable faces.

Defending champion Jonathan Tamayo, who famously won the 2024 WSOP Main Event last year after qualifying through a $160 online satellite to win the WSOP Main Event bracelet and $10,000,000, returned with hopes of making a rare back-to-back deep run.

As registration closed, Tamayo remained in contention, holding an average stack and keeping his title defense dreams alive.

Not all past champions fared as well. 2013 winner Ryan Riess saw his tournament end early on Day 2d, while Chris Moneymaker —whose 2003 victory sparked the global poker boom—was eliminated on Day 1.

Meanwhile, poker legends Phil Hellmuth, Daniel Negreanu, and Vanessa Selbst all advanced to Day 3, joined by many other well-known names, including Patrick (pads1161) Leonard, Doug Polk, Joshua Arieh, Chance Kornuth, Liv Boeree, Ryan Depaulo, and Darren Elias.

Chris Moneymaker: Early Exit—and Poker Tour Win

Few names resonate in poker, quite like Chris Moneymaker. His legendary 2003 World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event victory not only earned him $2.5 million but also ignited the “Moneymaker Effect,” inspiring a global poker boom.

That year, the Tennessee accountant turned an $86 online satellite entry into poker immortality, defeating Sam Farha heads-up in a dramatic final hand that saw Moneymaker’s full house triumph and his fearless bluffing style become the stuff of legend.

Fast forward to the 2025 WSOP Main Event, and Moneymaker’s run was far less storybook. Entering Day 1a with hopes of another deep run, he found himself on the wrong end of a brutal cooler just a few hours into play. Holding queen-jack, Moneymaker flopped trips and rivered a full house, only to run into an opponent’s pocket queens, giving his adversary a higher full house.

Despite some hesitation, Moneymaker called the all-in bet and was sent to the rail early, with a good reminder of poker’s relentless variance.

Yet, Moneymaker’s resilience and skill quickly shone through elsewhere.

Just days after his Main Event exit, he captured the spotlight by winning the $1,700 Main Event of his very own poker tournament series, the Moneymaker Tour, at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.

Outlasting a field of 909 players, Moneymaker claimed the title and a $238,900 top prize. This victory marked his third title and the second in two months on his self-titled tour.

What’s Next

Day 3 of the WSOP Main Event kicks off at noon PT on Tuesday, with players fighting for the WSOP Bracelet for a spot in poker history and a life-changing payday.

The total prize pool is $90,535,500, and a total of 1,461 players will earn a payout, with a minimum cash prize of $15,000 awarded to those who survive past the money bubble.

The bubble is expected to burst either late on Day 3 or early on Day 4, depending on how quickly play progresses.

WSOP Main Event – Final Table Payouts

The Bigger Picture

Although there was a decrease in players compared to the previous record-breaking event, the global appeal of poker and the enduring legacy of the World Series of Poker continue.

With three of the largest fields in history occurring in consecutive years, the game continues to thrive, drawing thousands of poker players to Las Vegas for a shot at glory.

As the action intensifies and the field narrows, the excitement escalates as the next world champion of poker emerges from one of the most competitive poker tournaments.

If you’d like to play next year’s WSOP Main Event, be sure to sign up for GGPoker, the official sponsor of the World Series of Poker.
GGPoker is offering poker players worldwide the chance to qualify for the Main Event and other prestigious tournaments!