2023 WSOP Main Event On Course to Set New Attendance Record

Summary:

• 2023 is shaping up to be a record-breaking year for the WSOP series, especially the Main Event
• Several tournaments have already broke their attendance records and the Main Event is expected to do the same
• The $10,000 tournament kicked off on July 3 and will run until July 17

The 2023 World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event has officially kicked off in Las Vegas, with the action running for two weeks until a new champion is crowned.

This year, organizers are aiming to set a new attendance record for the $10,000 buy-in tournament and if the festival’s initial turnout is any indication, that goal seems achievable.

Initial Turnout Signals Record-Breaking WSOP Main Event

The biggest-ever WSOP Main Event field was recorded in 2006 when the tournament attracted 8,773 entries, ultimately topped by Jamie Gold who took down the event for a whopping $12 million. The 2022 edition came close to breaking that record after pulling in 8,663 entrants.

The 2023 WSOP Main Event looks set to crush the numbers, with organizers expecting an influx of players from across the globe – around 800 of them coming from qualifiers and campaigns on WSOP.com and GGPoker – heading out to Las Vegas to compete in the largest and most prestigious poker tournament of the year which is held in the US.

The events comprising the first half of the festival made a strong showing, surpassing last year’s figures. For instance, one of the WSOP’s flagship events, the $1,500 Millionaire Maker, drew a massive 10,416-entry field which created a new attendance record for the tournament.

The brand-new $300 Gladiators of Poker also did not disappoint after attracting 23,102 entries. It is now among the WSOP events with the largest turnouts, second only to 2019’s Big 50 which had 29,371 entries.

Given these impressive initial results, it’s highly likely that the 2023 WSOP Main Event will become the largest WSOP Main Event in history in terms of field size. The tournament got underway on July 3 and features four starting flights. The action culminates on July 17 when the remaining players battle it out for the crown.

WSOP Main Event Ticket Draw Could Be On The Cards

WSOP Executive Director Ty Stewart is pretty confident the Main Event attendance record will be broken this year and the poker world is keeping its fingers crossed because achieving such a feat comes with a life-changing prize for one lucky player.

If the 2023 WSOP Main Event field exceeds that of 2006, the WSOP will award a Main Event ticket to one participant and that will hold good for the next 30 years. The winner will be determined through a drawing that takes place on July 8.