Why I Look Forward to the WSOP Main Event

Those in the industry salivate at the thought of the World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event coming around the corner. Now that the final table of the $10,000 buy-in tournament has been pushed back until November, the drools have gotten just a little bit bigger. Why is everyone so fired up? Why does one tournament have the entire poker world buzzing year after year?

1. It’s a Staple – The WSOP Main Event is one of the few constants in poker. The tournament series has been held every year since 1970 and in 2009, the WSOP celebrated its 40th anniversary. There are very few events that have been held 40 straight years: the Super Bowl, the Academy Awards, and the Boston Marathon are only a handful of long-standing events in existence. The Marathon, by the way, began in 1897. With each year come new storylines, new villains, new heroes, and a bevy of cash awarded to amateurs and professionals alike. Players from around the world can mark their calendars for next year’s event; it’s certain to happen. I can’t name another poker event that boasts the same consistency as the WSOP Main Event.

2. It’s Prestigious – Just look at the names of several players who have won WSOP Main Event titles: Johnny Moss (1970, 1971, 1974), Stu Ungar (1980, 1981, 1997), Doyle Brunson (1976, 1977), Johnny Chan (1987, 1988), Ultimate Bet Pro Phil Hellmuth (1989), Amarillo Slim (1972), Scotty Nguyen (1998), PokerStars Pro Chris Moneymaker (2003), and Dan Harrington (1995). These are some of the most storied names in the game. Who wouldn’t want to join this prestigious group of players? Even recent winners like Greg Raymer (2004), Joe Hachem (2005), Jamie Gold (2006), Jerry Yang (2007), and Peter Eastgate (2008) have etched an indelible name for themselves in the poker world. All of their fame and glory came from winning the Main Event.

3. It’s Rich – Winning the WSOP Main Event will make you an overnight millionaire. It’s just like winning the lottery. Every WSOP Main Event winner since Brad Daugherty in 1991 has pocketed at least $1 million. Every winner since Raymer has taken home at least $5 million. The Main Event is, without a shadow of a doubt, the richest tournament in all of poker. It’s an event that can boost your bankroll by nearly eight figures (or in the case of Gold, $12 million).

4. It’s Gigantic - Ever since Moneymaker took down the 2003 WSOP Main Event, the size of the starting field has swelled to include thousands of players. In 2006, Gold trumped the largest field to date, 8,773. Raymer defeated a field of 2,576 in 2004. Hachem outlasted a field of 5,619 in 2005. Yang defeated a field of 6,358 in 2007. Eastgate bested a field of 6,844 in 2008. By virtue of the field’s size, even the recent second place finishers have become household names: David Williams (2004), Steve Dannenmann (2005), Paul Wasicka (2006), Tuan Lam (2007), and Ivan Demidov (2008). Winning the Main Event will kick start your career; so will finishing as the runner-up in the massive tournament. Recent Main Events have required four starting days in order to accommodate players. In 2009, more than 500 entrants were turned away after Day 1D sold out.

5. It’s Fun – There’s no other event with the atmosphere of the WSOP Main Event. Celebrities are everywhere, players are dressed up, Hellmuth makes a grand entrance, and lives are changed at the turn of a card. It’s magical walking into a room that features a symphony of players shuffling their chips, each trying to become poker’s next marquee name. This is the WSOP Main Event and it’s the reason why Holdem Bonuses loves the WSOP.