Everything you need to know about 2025 World Series of Poker👇
The World Series of Poker (WSOP) is one of the most prestigious and biggest poker series in the world. The event has taken place in Las Vegas annually since 1970 and is the longest-running poker tournament in the world. Across WSOP’s entire history, more than $4 billion has been awarded in prize money.
Notably, it will be under new management for the 2025 edition. Caesars Entertainment sold the WSOP to NSUS Group Inc., the parent company of online poker brand GGPoker, for $500 million in October 2024. GGPoker has acted as the WSOP’s online qualifier for years.
When and where is the event held?
The WSOP runs from May 27th through to July 16, and it’s been hosted by the Horseshoe and Paris Las Vegas Hotel and Casino since 2022. In the 18 years prior, the WSOP took place at the Rio All-Suite Hotel and Casino. Its first home was Binion’s Horseshoe from 1970–2004.
How many events are in the 2025 WSOP schedule?
There will be a record-breaking 100 bracelet events in this year’s edition, one more than last year. The WSOP Main Event begins on July 2nd and finishes with the final table on July 15th–16th. Across the event, buy-ins range from $300 to $250,000.
A new addition for this year is Battle of Ages, which pits veteran, old-school players (50+) against the younger generation of the poker world in a $1,000 buy-in game.
What is the top prize at the WSOP?
The WSOP Main Event is the tournament’s top game. In 2024, Jonathan Tamayo outlasted a record field of 10,112 entrants to claim the $10-million first-place prize. While that was down from the record $12.1-million jackpot in 2023 won by Daniel Weiman, the Main Event’s prize pool was an all-time high of just over $94 million.
How many players enter the WSOP?
Last year, 229,559 players from over 100 countries were registered across the 99 events in the WSOP. The most well-attended event was the $300 Gladiators of Poker, with 20,647 entrants.
Are there any new rules or changes for this year?
The most-talked-about new rule comes in the wake of the controversy surrounding Tamayo’s Main Event win in 2024. Players and fans alike criticized Tamayo for consulting with his rail, which consisted of other professional poker players using a laptop with apparent real-time assistance (RTA) software visible.
While not technically illegal, the ethics of Tamayo having access to a solver didn’t sit right with many. So the WSOP has stepped in, banning all electronic devices for the final three tables in any tournament. Those who don’t comply face penalties that include disqualification.
Another significant new addition for this year is the WSOP+ app, intended to modernize registration and event access. It will allow players to avoid big queues and save time by providing pre-register for live events and give out real-time updates about seat availability. It also provides results and event schedules.
Who has the most bracelets and most winnings in WSOP history?
Phil Hellmuth is the WSOP king with 17 bracelets, six more than anyone else in the event’s history. The American won his first bracelet by taking the Main Event in 1989, the youngest-ever player to do so at the time. Hellmuth’s most recent one came in 2023 when he won the $10,000 Super Turbo Bounty for $803,818.
But Hellmuth is only fourth in all-time WSOP earnings. That top honor is held by the hugely popular Canadian Daniel Negreanu, who’s won $23.466 million coming into the 2025 tournament. For context, only one other person (Antonio Esfandiari, $22.326 million) has exceeded $19 million in total winnings.
Storylines to watch at the 2025 WSOP 👀
The WSOP has been home to some of the most exciting poker stories, such as Chris Moneymaker’s game-changing victory in the 2003 Main Event and Barbara Enright becoming the first — and still only — woman to make the Main Event in 1995.
So, what are the biggest storylines heading into the 2025 event? Let’s break them down.
Will anyone run afoul of new ban on electronics, coaching?
As I mentioned before, a major new rule change is the prohibition of all electronic devices. But also, players are no longer allowed to discuss strategy without a coach on the rail at any time when the tournament clock is running. Previously, players were only prohibited from talking strategy while in a hand.
While an outright disqualification is unlikely as the WSOP should give players some leeway as they acclimatize to these new rules, it’s possible that people will forget them while under pressure and create some drama. So keep an eye out for anyone taking a sneaky look at their phone.
Will Phil Hellmuth play in the WSOP Main Event?
Hellmuth is a mainstay of the WSOP and has been part of the Main Event every year since 1988. But could that 37-year run be coming to an end? Hellmuth, who owns a record 17 bracelets, said in February that he won’t be playing in the Main Event, citing its grueling schedule that favors younger players.
But one day before the start of the 2025 WSOP, Hellmuth seemingly had a change of heart, posting on X that he’d let his followers decide if he would play or boycott the Main Event in hopes of forcing the WSOP to give players a day off. The poll was later deleted, leaving Hellmuth’s status even more unclear.
Hellmuth was later captured on video saying he is playing the Main Event while attending the $25,000 WSOP Fantasy Draft. But is he still trolling us, or was that a real confirmation? I guess we’ll have to wait and see. I hope Hellmuth is serious, as the Main Event wouldn’t be the same without him and his iconic entrances.
2025 WSOP predictions 🔮
The WSOP is one of the most wildly unpredictable competitive events. But still, it’s fun to take a look into the crystal ball and try and guess at some of the major outcomes. Here, I’ll give three bold predictions for the tournament.
Daniel Negreanu will win 8th bracelet after breaking drought in 2024
Negreanu finally ended his long wait for a seventh bracelet last year as he won the coveted $50,000 Poker Players Championship. It had been 11 years since the last bracelet win for “Kid Poker,” and 16 since his last one in Vegas.
The Canadian is apparently feeling confident heading into the 2025 WSOP. It’s his first year of Seniors Event eligibility, and Negreanu is focused on having fun rather than the results.
But with that monkey off his back, I predict a more relaxed Negreanu will have a far shorter wait for his eighth bracelet. Perhaps a defense of the $50,000 Poker Players Championship, which has a history of repeat winners, is in the cards.
Scott Seiver will win Player of the Year again
Seiver took home last year’s Player of the Year award after a dominant display in which he won three bracelets, made five final tables, and cashed 17 times. It was the first year of a new ruleset for the award, with a point system that rewards quality over quantity by just taking into account a player’s top 10 points results.
That change should continue to suit Seiver, who I see doing something no one has ever done before in 2025: defending his Player of the Year award. Yes, it’s a bold call. But with the new scoring formula no longer rewarding players for racking up a bunch of min-cashes, it’s now far more possible.
Only Daniel Negreanu has won two Player of the Year awards since its inception in 2004, and he did so nine years apart. But Seiver, primarily a cash game player, was out to prove himself last year, and should now want to further cement his legacy with another great WSOP performance.
Main Event entries record will be topped despite pessimism
The last two years of the WSOP Main Event have seen new heights reached for entries. In 2023, the previous record of 8,773 set back in 2006 was easily surpassed with 10,043 entrants. Last year’s WSOP Main Event saw the ceiling pushed even further, with 10,112 players registering.
But many believe this trend won’t continue in 2025 due to new US immigration policies and overall economic factors dissuading overseas players from attending. I’m not among them, though. While I understand the logic, the pessimism is a little overblown.
The record definitely won’t be smashed like it was in 2023, but the WSOP will prove itself far more resilient to outside issues and just push past last year’s Main Event entries mark.
