The Road to History: A New Chapter at the WSOP
Under the shimmering lights of Las Vegas, the tension is palpable. It’s July, and the poker world’s heartbeat once again echoes through the halls of Horseshoe and Paris Las Vegas. A sea of players—pros, grinders, dreamers—have descended on the city for the most iconic tournament in poker: the 2025 World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event. And this year, the Main Event is doing more than delivering stories—it’s making history.
With 8,694 entries already registered through four starting flights, the 2025 WSOP Main Event is guaranteed to be the fourth-largest in the event’s 56-year legacy. And it’s not done yet. Late registration remains open through the second level of Day 2ABC and Day 2D, meaning the door is still wide open for more players to join this historic run.
Where the Numbers Stand: A Look at the Current Field
Let’s put it in perspective. Only three other Main Events in WSOP history have drawn more players than 2025’s edition so far:
- 2024: 10,112 entries
- 2023: 10,043 entries
- 2006: 8,773 entries
At 8,694 entries, this year’s event has already surpassed the epic fields of 2022 and 2019—and it’s within reach of cracking the podium. If just 80 more players register before the close of Day 2 entries, 2025 will leapfrog 2006 and claim the No. 3 spot on the all-time list.
With last year’s Day 2 late registration accounting for over 824 additional entries, that milestone seems well within reach.
Day 1 Flights Breakdown: A Mixed Bag with High Hopes
The four Day 1 flights leading up to Day 2 offered an intriguing mix of surges and slight dips compared to the record-setting pace of 2024:
| Day | 2025 Entries | 2024 Entries | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Day 1A | 923 | 915 | +0.9% |
| Day 1B | 1,096 | 831 | +31.9% |
| Day 1C | 1,678 | 2,528 | -33.6% |
| Day 1D | 4,997 | 5,014 | -0.3% |
Day 1B in particular stood out with a remarkable 31.9% increase in participation over last year. Day 1C’s drop appears to be the only notable stumble, but Day 1D still drew nearly 5,000 players, reaffirming its role as the “mega flight” of the Main Event.
Despite some minor year-over-year fluctuations, the overall numbers speak volumes. The WSOP brand remains as strong as ever, and poker’s global appeal is clearly still growing.
Can 2025 Beat the All-Time Record?
To beat 2024’s record of 10,112 entries, the 2025 WSOP Main Event would need over 1,400 additional players to jump in during the Day 2 late registration windows. That’s a tall order, but if there’s one thing we’ve learned about poker players, it’s this: they love the dream.
Still, even if the top spot remains out of reach, third place seems almost inevitable, and the prize pool is swelling with every new entry. At $9,300 per buy-in going toward the prize pool (excluding the $700 fee), the current total sits above $80.8 million, with that number expected to climb in the coming hours.
A Glimpse at Poker History: The Top 10 Main Events
Here’s how the largest WSOP Main Events stack up:
| Year | Champion | Entries | Prize Pool | Top Prize |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Jonathan Tamayo | 10,112 | $94,041,600 | $10,000,000 |
| 2023 | Daniel Weinman | 10,043 | $93,399,900 | $12,100,000 |
| 2006 | Jamie Gold | 8,773 | $82,512,162 | $12,000,000 |
| 2025 | TBD | 8,694+ | TBD | TBD |
| 2022 | Espen Jorstad | 8,663 | $80,782,475 | $10,000,000 |
| 2019 | Hossein Ensan | 8,569 | $80,548,600 | $10,000,000 |
| 2018 | John Cynn | 7,874 | $74,015,600 | $8,800,000 |
| 2010 | Jonathan Duhamel | 7,319 | $68,798,600 | $8,944,310 |
| 2017 | Scott Blumstein | 7,221 | $67,877,400 | $8,150,000 |
| 2011 | Pius Heinz | 6,865 | $64,531,000 | $8,715,638 |
This year’s event is on track to push at least $90 million in total prizes if late registration follows a similar path as 2024. The poker world is watching closely.
What’s Next at the 2025 WSOP Main Event?
With registration still open until roughly 4:40 PM PT on Monday, July 7, there’s still a chance for the field to expand even further. From there, the race to the final table begins—and ultimately, one player will rise from the sea of nearly 9,000 entries to become poker’s newest world champion.
The question now is: who will it be?
Will it be a returning pro chasing their next bracelet? An online qualifier living out the ultimate poker fantasy? Or an amateur who decided to take a shot at glory?
One thing is certain: the 2025 WSOP Main Event has already solidified its place in history—and we haven’t even reached the money bubble.
Final Thoughts
Poker’s popularity continues to surge worldwide, and the WSOP Main Event remains the crown jewel of the game. The record books are being rewritten yet again, and Las Vegas is once more the stage for poker’s greatest stories.
Stay tuned with BetterPokerNews as we follow every hand, every hero call, and every heart-breaking bustout of this historic Main Event.
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Sources: cardplayer