Phillip Jerome Hellmuth Jr. is an American professional poker player who has won a record seventeen World Series of Poker bracelets. He is the winner of the Main Event of the 1989 World Series of Poker (WSOP) and the Main Event of the 2012 World Series of Poker Europe (WSOPE), and he is a 2007 inductee of the WSOP's Poker Hall of Fame. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest tournament players of all time.
Phillip Dennis Ivey Jr. is an American professional poker player who has won eleven World Series of Poker bracelets, one World Poker Tour title, and appeared at nine World Poker Tour final tables. Ivey is regarded by numerous poker observers and contemporaries as the best all-around player in the world. In 2017, he was elected to the Poker Hall of Fame.
Gustav Hansen is a Danish professional poker player from Copenhagen, Denmark who has lived in Monaco since 2003. In his poker career, Hansen has won three World Poker Tour open titles, one WSOP bracelet and the 2007 Aussie Millions main event, and was the season one winner of the Poker Superstars Invitational Tournament. Before turning to playing poker professionally in 1997, Hansen was already a world class backgammon player and a youth tennis champion.
Michael Matusow is an American professional poker player residing in Henderson, Nevada. Matusow's nickname of "the Mouth" reflects his reputation for trash-talking at the poker table.
Bon "John" Phan is a Vietnamese-American professional poker player based in Stockton, California, who is a two-time World Series of Poker bracelet winner and is a winner and four-time final tablist of World Poker Tour Championships.
J. C. Tran is a Vietnamese-American professional poker player, based in Sacramento, California.
Frederick "Eric" Narciso is a dealer at the Orleans Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada. In 2007, he entered a $90 satellite held by his employer to gain entry into the 2007 World Series of Poker $500 Casino Employees World Poker Championship. It was in this event that he won $104,701 and a WSOP bracelet. He finished in 27th place in the same event in 2006.
The World Series of Poker Europe (WSOPE) is the first expansion effort of World Series of Poker-branded poker tournaments outside the United States. Since 1970, participants had to travel to Las Vegas if they wanted to compete in the World Series of Poker (WSOP). Although the WSOP held circuit events in other locations, the main tournaments, which awarded bracelets to the winners, were exclusively held in Las Vegas. The inaugural WSOPE, held in 2007, marked the first time that a WSOP bracelet was awarded outside Las Vegas. From its inception to the 2013 tournament, players from 19 countries — USA (10), France (4), UK (3), Denmark (3), Canada (2), Norway (2), Portugal (2), Italy (2), Afghanistan, Germany, Indonesia, Spain, New Zealand, Sweden, Tunisia, Switzerland, Australia, Italy and Finland — have won bracelets.
The Casino Employees Championship is one of only three closed tournaments awarding WSOP bracelets at the World Series of Poker gathering. While most of the events are open to the general public, participants in the Ladies Championship, Seniors Championship, and the Casino Employees Championship must meet certain eligibility requirements. While these events are closed, the winner of these events is "afforded the same distinction as all gold bracelet tournaments." The WSOP bracelet is considered the most coveted non-monetary prize a poker player can win.
David Lukaszewski is an American poker player. He was a Poker Room Shift Manager at the Desert Diamond Casino who won a bracelet in the 208-entry 2003 Casino Employees Championship event at the World Series of Poker. The Casino Employees Championship event was the first time that Lukaszewski had played in a tournament with a buy-in greater than $50. At the start of 2003, Lukaszewski set the modest goal of competing in a major poker tournament and at the last minute, he and several friends decided to drive to Las Vegas to play in the WSOP. Lukaszewski won the entry to the event by winning a $65 single-table satellite at Binion's Horseshoe. When the tournament reached the final three players, they started shooting Kamikaze's. "We were all having such a great time, sitting around playing poker that I think we may have forgotten about the prize money and the bracelet."
Travis Jonas is an American poker dealer who won a bracelet in the 2001 Casino Employees Championship event at the World Series of Poker.
The World Series of Poker Europe (WSOPE) is the first expansion effort of World Series of Poker-branded poker tournaments outside the United States. Since 1970, participants have had to travel to Las Vegas if they wanted to compete in the World Series of Poker (WSOP). Although the WSOP held circuit events in other locations, the main tournaments, which awarded bracelets to the winners, were exclusively held in Las Vegas. The inaugural WSOPE, held in 2007, marked the first time that a WSOP bracelet was awarded outside Las Vegas.
Joseph Cada is an American professional poker player from Shelby Charter Township, Michigan, best known as the winner of the Main Event at the 2009 World Series of Poker (WSOP).
The 2010 World Series of Poker was the 41st annual World Series of Poker (WSOP), held at the Rio All-Suite Hotel and Casino in Paradise, Nevada, and ran from May 28 to July 17. There were 57 bracelet events, culminating in the $10,000 No Limit Hold'em Championship that began on July 5. The November Nine concept returned for the third year, with the Main Event finalists returning on November 6.
Daniel J. Kelly is an American professional poker player from Potomac, Maryland, who won his first bracelet at the 2010 World Series of Poker in the $25,000 No Limit Hold'em Six Handed event, earning $1,315,518. his second came at the 2014 WSOP in the $1,500 Limit Hold'em event.
Matthew "Matt" Jarvis is a Canadian professional poker player from Surrey, British Columbia, known for his November Nine appearance in the 2010 World Series of Poker Main Event. He earned his first World Series of Poker bracelet at the 2011 World Series of Poker.
Mitch Schock is an American professional poker player. He won his first World Series of Poker bracelet at the 2011 World Series of Poker where he made three final tables and has had at least five in the money finishes in each of the last three World Series of Poker (WSOP). Upon winning his first bracelet after several years of trying, he was quoted in The Bismarck Tribune as comparing poker with farming saying "some years are better than others."
Ronnie Bardah is a professional poker player who won a World Series of Poker bracelet at the 2012 World Series of Poker and is also notable for holding the record for most consecutive World Series of Poker main event money finishes, with a streak of 5 years in a row from 2010 to 2014.
Fedor Holz is a German professional poker player, originally from Saarbrücken, who focuses on high roller tournaments. He was ranked by Pocketfives.com as the best online MTT player in 2014 and 2015. In July 2016, Holz won his first WSOP bracelet, in the $111,111 High Roller For One Drop, winning $4,981,775.
The 2019 World Series of Poker was the 50th annual tournament, and took place from May 28 – July 16, 2019 at the Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada.
