![]() | This article needs to be updated.(January 2024) |
The following is the list of World Series of Poker Main Event champions. The World Series of Poker (WSOP) is "the oldest, largest, most prestigious, Best,and most media-hyped gaming competition in the world". [1] It is held annually since 1970 in Las Vegas. Since 1972, the Main Event of the WSOP has been the $10,000 buy-in no-limit Texas Hold 'Em tournament. The winner of the WSOP Main Event receives a World Series of Poker bracelet, millions of dollars (with the exact amount based on the number of entrants), and the right to be considered the year's World Champion of Poker. [2] From 2008 to 2016, the nine players who made it to the final table of the Main Event were called the November Nine, a reference to the fact that the final table was completed in November, months after the Main Event's preliminary rounds were completed.
Until 2005, the WSOP was held at Binion's Horseshoe. In 2005, the event moved to the Rio All Suite Hotel and Casino. [3] The 2005 Main Event was not played completely at the Rio. The final three tables, which comprised the final 27 players, played the conclusion of the event at Binion's Horseshoe. All the Main Events that followed the 2005 event were played completely at the Rio through 2019, as well as in 2021. Consequently, this made Joe Hachem the final player to win the Main Event at the original home of the World Series of Poker.
Johnny Moss was the first person to win the WSOP. Since then only Moss and Stu Ungar have won the Main Event three times; Ungar is the only one to have won three times in the freeze-out format. Moss, Ungar, Doyle Brunson and Johnny Chan are the only people who have won the Main Event two years in a row. Johnny Chan's second victory in 1988 was featured on the 1998 film Rounders . [4] Peter Eastgate was the youngest person to win the Main Event when he won it in 2008, at 22 years of age. [5] He held that record for one year, when 21-year-old Joe Cada became the youngest Main Event champion.
![]() | This section needs to be updated.(September 2018) |
Elected to the Poker Hall of Fame. | |
† | Denotes player who is deceased. |
Hand | The two hole cards the winner held on the final hand. |
Prize (US$) | WSOP Main Event prize money. |
Entrants | The number of players in that year's Main Event. |
Winnings | Lifetime winnings in WSOP and WSOP Circuit events as of April 15, 2013. |
Bracelets | WSOP victories are counted in terms of bracelets, as of April 15, 2013. |
Image | Year | Winner | Nickname | Hand [6] | Prize (US$) | Entrants [7] | Total tournament earnings (US$) | WSOP bracelets | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
![]() | 1970 [lower-alpha 1] | Johnny Moss † | The Grand Old Man of Poker [9] | — | — | 7 | 824,922 | 9 | [10] |
![]() | 1971 | Johnny Moss † | The Grand Old Man of Poker | 30,000 | 6 | 824,922 | 9 | [10] | |
![]() | 1972 | Thomas Preston † | Amarillo Slim [11] | 80,000 | 8 | 436,055 | 4 | [12] | |
![]() | 1973 | Walter Pearson † | Puggy [13] | 130,000 | 13 | 245,740 | 4 | [14] | |
![]() | 1974 | Johnny Moss † | The Grand Old Man of Poker | 160,000 | 16 | 824,922 | 9 | [10] | |
![]() | 1975 | Brian Roberts † | Sailor [15] | 210,000 | 21 | 266,650 | 2 | [16] | |
![]() | 1976 | Doyle Brunson † | Texas Dolly [lower-alpha 2] | 220,000 | 22 | 2,808,945 | 10 | [18] | |
![]() | 1977 | Doyle Brunson † | Texas Dolly | 340,000 | 34 | 2,808,945 | 10 | [18] | |
![]() | 1978 | Bobby Baldwin | The Owl [19] | 210,000 | 42 | 604,900 | 4 | [20] | |
![]() | 1979 | Hal Fowler † | — | 270,000 | 54 | 270,000 | 1 | [21] | |
1980 | Stu Ungar † | Stuey or The Kid [22] | 385,000 | 73 | 2,078,838 | 5 | [23] | ||
1981 | Stu Ungar † | Stuey or The Kid | 375,000 | 75 | 2,078,838 | 5 | [23] | ||
![]() | 1982 | Jack Straus [lower-alpha 3] † | Treetop [25] | 520,000 | 104 | 555,000 | 2 | [26] | |
![]() | 1983 | Tom McEvoy | Grand Rapids Tom | 540,000 | 108 | 1,291,031 | 4 | [27] | |
— | 1984 | Jack Keller † | Gentleman [28] | 660,000 | 132 | 2,048,763 | 3 | [28] | |
— | 1985 | Bill Smith † | — | 700,000 | 140 | 788,000 | 1 | [29] | |
![]() | 1986 | Berry Johnston | — | 570,000 | 141 | 2,265,523 | 5 | [30] | |
![]() | 1987 | Johnny Chan | Orient Express [31] | 625,000 | 152 | 4,397,749 | 10 | [32] | |
![]() | 1988 | Johnny Chan | Orient Express | 700,000 | 167 | 4,397,749 | 10 | [32] | |
![]() | 1989 | Phil Hellmuth | The Poker Brat [33] | 755,000 | 178 | 14,612,213 | 17 | [34] | |
— | 1990 | Mansour Matloubi | — | 895,000 | 194 | 6,019,630 | 1 | [35] | |
![]() | 1991 | Brad Daugherty | — | 1,000,000 | 215 | 1,165,170 | 1 | [36] | |
![]() | 1992 | Hamid Dastmalchi | — | 1,000,000 | 201 | 1,642,463 | 3 | [37] | |
![]() | 1993 | Jim Bechtel | — | 1,000,000 | 220 | 1,944,623 | 2 | [38] [39] | |
![]() | 1994 | Russ Hamilton | — | 1,000,000 | 268 | 1,261,940 | 1 | [40] | |
![]() | 1995 | Dan Harrington | Action Dan [41] | 1,000,000 | 273 | 3,491,513 | 2 | [42] | |
![]() | 1996 | Huck Seed | — | 1,000,000 | 295 | 2,426,842 | 4 | [43] | |
1997 | Stu Ungar † | Stuey or The Kid | 1,000,000 | 312 | 2,078,838 | 5 | [44] | ||
![]() | 1998 | Scotty Nguyen | The Train or The Prince of Poker [45] | 1,000,000 | 350 | 5,895,732 | 5 | [46] | |
![]() | 1999 | Noel Furlong † | — | 1,000,000 | 393 | 1,070,785 | 1 | [47] | |
![]() | 2000 | Chris Ferguson | Jesus [48] | 1,500,000 | 512 | 5,033,593 | 6 | [48] | |
![]() | 2001 | Carlos Mortensen | El Matador [49] | 1,500,000 | 613 | 3,168,216 | 2 | [50] | |
![]() | 2002 | Robert Varkonyi | — | 2,000,000 | 631 | 2,110,212 | 1 | [51] | |
![]() | 2003 | Chris Moneymaker [lower-alpha 4] | — | 2,500,000 | 839 | 2,532,041 | 1 | [53] | |
![]() | 2004 | Greg Raymer | Fossilman | 5,000,000 | 2,576 | 6,669,417 | 1 | [54] | |
![]() | 2005 | Joe Hachem [lower-alpha 5] | — | 7,500,000 | 5,619 | 8,261,859 | 1 | [56] | |
![]() | 2006 | Jamie Gold [lower-alpha 5] | — | 12,000,000 | 8,773 | 12,067,292 | 1 | [57] | |
![]() | 2007 | Jerry Yang | The Shadow [58] | 8,250,000 | 6,358 | 8,280,913 | 1 | [59] | |
![]() | 2008 | Peter Eastgate [lower-alpha 5] | Isser [5] | 9,152,416 | 6,844 | 9,430,506 | 1 | [60] | |
![]() | 2009 | Joe Cada [lower-alpha 6] | — | 8,574,649 | 6,494 | 10,339,448 | 4 | [61] | |
![]() | 2010 | Jonathan Duhamel | — | 8,944,138 | 7,319 | 14,612,213 | 3 | [62] | |
![]() | 2011 | Pius Heinz | MastaP89 | 8,715,638 | 6,865 | 8,821,056 | 1 | [63] | |
![]() | 2012 | Greg Merson | — | 8,531,853 | 6,598 | 10,174,029 | 2 | [64] | |
![]() | 2013 | Ryan Riess | Riess the Beast | 8,359,531 | 6,352 | 8,920,672 | 1 | [65] | |
![]() | 2014 | Martin Jacobson | NosbocajM | 10,000,000 | 6,683 | 12,102,232 | 1 | [66] | |
![]() | 2015 | Joe McKeehen | — | 7,683,346 | 6,420 | 10,480,861 | 3 | [67] | |
![]() | 2016 | Qui Nguyen | Tommy Gun | 8,005,310 | 6,737 | 8,022,287 | 1 | [68] | |
![]() | 2017 | Scott Blumstein | — | 8,150,000 | 7,221 | 8,155,227 | 1 | [69] | |
![]() | 2018 | John Cynn | — | 8,800,000 | 7,874 | 9,513,071 | 1 | [70] | |
— | 2019 | Hossein Ensan | — | 10,000,000 | 8,569 | 10,233,973 | 1 | [71] | |
![]() | 2020 | Damian Salas | — | 1,550,969 | 1,379 | 5,238,933 | 1 | [72] | |
![]() | 2021 | Koray Aldemir | — | 8,000,000 | 6,650 | 20,334,110 | 1 | [73] | |
— | 2022 | Espen Jørstad | — | 10,000,000 | 8,663 | 10,271,872 | 2 | [74] | |
— | 2023 | Daniel Weinman | — | 12,100,000 | 10,043 | 15,857,357 | 2 | [75] | |
— | 2024 | Jonathan Tamayo | — | 10,000,000 | 10,112 | 15,857,357 | 2 | [76] |
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, the bracelet events have occurred every year in Las Vegas. The inaugural WSOPE, held in 2007, marked the first time that a WSOP bracelet was awarded outside Las Vegas. [77] The 2007 Main Event, a GBP 10,000 buy-in no-limit hold 'em tournament, was won by Norwegian player Annette Obrestad on the day before her 19th birthday. This made her the youngest person to win a WSOP bracelet, a record that cannot be broken in the Las Vegas WSOP under current laws because the minimum legal age for casino gaming in Nevada is 21. Obrestad could play in the WSOPE because the minimum age for casino gaming in the United Kingdom is 18. The World Series of Poker Europe has a unique identity from the Las Vegas WSOP, but according to Harrah's will remain true to the traditions and heritage. [77] The 2011 WSOP Europe main event was an 8-handed event. [78]
Image | Year | Winner | Nickname | Hand | Prize | Entrants [7] | Total tournament earnings | WSOP bracelets | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
![]() | 2007 | Annette Obrestad [lower-alpha 7] | Annette_15 [79] | £1,000,000 | 362 | $2,086,437 | 1 | [80] | |
![]() | 2008 [lower-alpha 8] | John Juanda | JJ or Luckbox | £868,800 | 362 | $4,825,816 | 5 | [82] | |
![]() | 2009 | Barry Shulman | — | £801,603 | 334 | — | 2 | ||
— | 2010 | James Bord | — | £830,401 | 346 | — | 1 | ||
![]() | 2011 | Elio Fox | smokrockflock | €1,400,000 | 593 | — | 1 | ||
![]() | 2012 | Phil Hellmuth [lower-alpha 9] | The Poker Brat | €1,022,376 | 420 | $14,026,167 | 17 | [83] | |
![]() | 2013 | Adrián Mateos | Amadi_017 | £1,000,000 | 375 | $5,010,189 | 1 | [85] | |
— | 2015 | Kevin MacPhee | ImaLuckSac | £883,000 | 313 | $5,456,298 | 2 | [86] | |
![]() | 2017 | Marti Roca de Torres | Iquinze | €1,115,207 | 529 | $1,295,566 | 1 | ||
— | 2018 | Jack Sinclair | Swaggersorus | €1,122,239 | 534 | $3,393,632 | 1 | ||
![]() | 2019 | Alexandros Kolonias | mexican222 | €1,133,678 | 541 | $1,469,612 | 1 |
The World Series of Poker Asia Pacific (WSOP APAC) is the most recent expansion of World Series of Poker-branded tournaments outside the United States. On April 30, 2012, WSOP owner Caesars Entertainment and Australian casino Crown Melbourne announced that the first WSOP APAC would be launched with five bracelet events in April 2013. [87]
Image | Year | Winner | Nickname | Hand | Prize (A$) | Entrants | Total tournament earnings (US$) | WSOP bracelets | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
![]() | 2013 | Daniel Negreanu | Kid Poker [88] | 1,038,825 | 405 [89] | 16,346,486 | 6 | [89] [90] | |
![]() | 2014 | Scott Davies | Big Papi | 850,136 | 329 | 1,653,593 | 1 | [91] |
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, in 2020 the World Series of Poker held an online poker series.
Image | Year | Winner | Nickname | Hand | Prize (US$) | Entrants [7] | Total tournament earnings (US$) | WSOP bracelets | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2020 [lower-alpha 10] | Stoyan Madanzhiev | — | 3,904,686 | 5,802 | 3,935,954 | 1 | [93] 2021 Aleksei Vandyshev |
The World Series of Poker (WSOP) is a series of poker tournaments held annually in Paradise, Nevada and, since 2004, sponsored by Caesars Entertainment. It dates its origins to 1970, when Benny Binion invited seven of the best-known poker players to the Horseshoe Casino for a single tournament, with a set start and stop time, and a winner determined by a secret ballot of the seven players.
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 the greatest tournament player of all time.
Johnny Chan (Chinese: 陳金海; is an American professional poker player. He has won 10 World Series of Poker bracelets, including the 1987 and 1988 World Series of Poker main events consecutively.
Philip Courtney Laak is an Irish–American professional poker player and a poker commentator, now residing in Los Angeles, California. Laak holds a World Poker Tour (WPT) title, a World Series of Poker (WSOP) bracelet, and has appeared on numerous nationally aired television shows.
The World Series of Poker Tournament of Champions is an invitational freeroll poker event. The WSOP ToC has been played intermittently five times in the 21st Century with different formats. The four WSOP ToC events held from 2004-2010 did not count as official WSOP bracelets events, with the winners receiving instead a large trophy in the shape of the official World Series of Poker logo. In 2010, the WSOP Tournament of Champions returned with a new format more akin to a typical sports league All-Star Event format. 27 players vied for $1 million, with 20 of those players selected by the fans via online vote at the WSOP's website. Controversies over the inclusion of commercially sponsored players resulted in a hiatus in the WSOP ToC for over a decade. The WSOP ToC was reintroduced in 2022 as an official WSOP bracelet event.
Below is a list of all poker players who have won multiple World Series of Poker (WSOP) bracelets, together with the year(s) in which the bracelets were won.
Jeff Shulman is the editor of Card Player Magazine, and an American poker player with a record of success in tournament play, based in Las Vegas, Nevada. He is the son of Jan Shulman and Barry Shulman. Shulman's father, Barry, is an accomplished poker player and CEO of Card Player.
The 2007 World Series of Poker (WSOP) began on June 1, 2007. The $10,000 (US) no-limit Texas hold 'em Main Event began on July 6 and was completed on the morning of July 18th. All events were held at the Rio All Suite Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada, by Harrah's Entertainment, which has run the annual event since its purchase from the Binion family in 2004.
The World Series of Poker (WSOP) bracelet is considered the most coveted non-monetary prize a poker player can win. Since 1976, a bracelet has been awarded to the winner of every event at the annual WSOP. Even if the victory occurred before 1976, WSOP championships are now counted as "bracelets". During the first years of the WSOP, only a handful of bracelets were awarded each year. In 1990, there were only 14 bracelet events. By 2000, that number increased to 24. As the popularity of poker has increased during the 2000s, the number of events has likewise increased. In 2011, 58 bracelets were awarded at the WSOP, seven at the World Series of Poker Europe (WSOPE), and one to the WSOP National Circuit Champion. This brought the total number of bracelets awarded up to 959. Five additional bracelets were awarded for the first time in April 2013 at the inaugural World Series of Poker Asia-Pacific in Melbourne, Australia. In 2017, 74 bracelets were awarded at the WSOP and an additional 11 will be awarded at the WSOPE in Czech Republic.
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 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.
Annette Obrestad is a Norwegian YouTuber, poker player, and Scrabble player. She is the youngest person to ever win a World Series of Poker bracelet, which she accomplished at the 2007 World Series of Poker Europe (WSOPE). She also runs a YouTube channel called Annette's Makeup Corner where she posts makeup tutorials and reviews, specializing in eyeshadow. She began playing in-person Scrabble tournaments in 2022 and has quickly risen to be one of the top 100 players in the North American lexicon.
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.
Metropolitan Gaming is a British gaming company that operates eleven casinos in the United Kingdom and Egypt. It is owned by Silver Point Capital. The casinos began as part of Grand Metropolitan, and later became an independent company, London Clubs International. From 2006 to 2021, they were owned by Harrah's Entertainment and then Caesars Entertainment.
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.
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.
The November Nine was the name used to refer to the final nine contestants, or final table, at the Main Event of the World Series of Poker (WSOP) from 2008 to 2016. The winner of the WSOP Main Event is considered to be the World Champion of Poker.
The World Series of Poker bracelet is considered to be the most coveted prize a poker player can win, but in most years there have been competitive events that did not award a bracelet to the winner. While most of these events are charity events or are related to poker, a few are not.
The sixth World Series of Poker Europe (WSOPE) took place from 21 September 2012 to 4 October 2012, at Hôtel Majestic Barrière and Le Croisette Casino Barrière in Cannes, France. There were seven bracelet events, culminating in a €10,450 No Limit Hold'em Main Event.
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