WSOP 2025 Main Event Kicks Off at Horseshoe and Paris Las Vegas

The 2025 World Series of Poker Main Event, the $10,000 No-Limit Hold’em World Championship, officially kicked off on July 2, at Horseshoe and Paris, Las Vegas. 

This year marks the 56th edition of poker's most renowned tournament series, scheduled to run for 11 days beginning with the first of four Day 1 flights.

Jonathan Tamayo emerged victorious last summer, defeating a record-setting field of 10,112 participants to secure the top prize of $10 million along with the championship bracelet. 

Tamayo’s performance set a new standard, surpassing the previous highest turnout recorded in WSOP history.

Ahead of the 2025 series, there was speculation within the poker community regarding potential drops in attendance, attributed to revised visa regulations, economic uncertainty, and reported declines in international tourism to the United States. 

These concerns cast doubt on whether the record-breaking turnout of 2024 could be replicated. However, through the first five weeks of this year's WSOP, attendance numbers have remained consistently strong across nearly all events. 

Enhanced efficiency in registration, largely credited to the implementation of the WSOP+ application, has enabled quicker player entry and contributed to maintaining steady participant flow. 

The true indicator of participation, however, will be determined after the late registration period closes at the start of Level 8 on Day 2D, Monday, July 7.

Whether final registration numbers approach the 2024 record of 10,112 or return closer to past turnouts, such as Jamie Gold's 2006 victory featuring 8,773 players, the event remains poised for substantial participation.

The structure for the 2025 Main Event features four separate Day 1 flights (Day 1A through Day 1D), each beginning at 12 p.m. local time, and starting stacks of 60,000 chips. 

Each Day 1 flight will consist of five 120-minute levels, interspersed with 20-minute breaks following each level, as well as a 75-minute dinner break after Level 3, approximately at 6:40 p.m.

Players may alternatively opt for late registration, joining on Day 2abc (July 6) or Day 2d (July 7). Late registration remains open until the beginning of Level 8, with players joining at that stage receiving starting stacks of 75 big blinds at Level 6, 60 big blinds at Level 7, or 50 big blinds at Level 8.

Day 2abc will merge survivors from flights Day 1A, Day 1B, and Day 1C, while Day 2d will combine players from Day 1D along with any late registrants. The complete Main Event field then consolidates fully on Day 3, Tuesday, July 8, continuing daily thereafter until reaching the final table. 

The tournament will then pause for a scheduled rest day on Monday, July 14, for the remaining nine competitors.

The WSOP Main Event traces its inception to 1970, when Johnny Moss was elected champion by his peers at Binion’s Horseshoe casino in downtown Las Vegas. 

Moss subsequently secured two additional titles, in 1971 and 1974, joining Stu Ungar as one of only two individuals to win the Main Event three times. Ungar notably captured the title in 1980, 1981, and later in 1997.

In 1989, Phil Hellmuth, at age 24, defeated reigning champion Johnny Chan heads-up, denying Chan a third consecutive title. Hellmuth's victory, earning him $755,000, initiated his storied career, now including a record 17 WSOP bracelets and widespread recognition within the poker community.

Initially small in scale, the Main Event hosted fields around 200 players in the late 1980s, increasing gradually throughout the 1990s. 

In 1998, Scotty Nguyen's victory marked an increase to 350 participants. Participation steadily climbed, peaking dramatically in the early 2000s.

A significant turning point occurred in 2003 when Chris Moneymaker, an online qualifier, won the event against 839 opponents, earning $2.5 million. 

This win led to widespread interest in the game and rapid growth in subsequent years. Greg Raymer followed in 2004, prevailing over a record 2,576-player field to earn $5 million, marking the largest year-over-year growth in the event’s history. 

Subsequent winners, including Joe Hachem in 2005, continued the upward trend, solidifying the Main Event as a consistent large-field tournament, typically attracting over 6,000 entrants annually, aside from the pandemic-affected 2020 event.

In 2024, Jonathan Tamayo further solidified this legacy, setting a new all-time participation record and winning the Main Event title along with $10 million in prize money.

Players from around the world are anticipated to compete in poker's flagship tournament, continuing the tradition established over five decades of competitive history.