Monday saw the start of Day 1C – the third and final registration day for this year’s World Series of Poker Main Event – with most of the big names in the game taking their seats, including a surprisingly low-key Phil Hellmuth, who eschewed his usual fancy-dress grand entrance and simply got down to work.
The “Shuffle Up and Deal” call honour was given to former main event champion Chris Moneymaker, an internet amateur who is widely credited with spurring online interest in the game among many younger players.
The Day 1C registrations were on the low side; official numbers released later in the day revealed that 3,467 players had entered which, added to the 2885 already recorded from Days 1A and B would give a total Main Event turnout this year of 6,352.
That has generated a prize pool of $59,708,800, from which this year’s winner can expect to win $8,359,531.
When we went to press, play on Day 1C was at level 4 and almost 12 hours into the action, with 1,942 players still in the game as the cut-off point approached. Jeff Madsen had just been busted out, and players were wondering what happened to Tom Dwan, who had entered but appeared to be a no-show.
With all the numbers in for this year’s 44th World Series of Poker, the organisers issued an interesting statistical breakdown which can be viewed here: http://www.wsop.com/news/2013/Jul/4486/44th-ANNUAL-WSOP-SETS-ALL-TIME-ATTENDANCE-RECORD.html
The report reveals that total numbers entered for the 2013 main event was 6,352, significantly short of the hoped for 7,000 but still “in range”.
Players from106 nations travelled to Las Vegas to compete, building entries in the 62 events to 79,471 and a prize pool that is the second largest in WSOP history at $197,041,468. The total number of entries surpassed by 5 percent the previous record of 75,672 set at the 42nd Annual WSOP in 2011.
In the 44-year history of the WSOP, the prestigious tournament has now awarded more than $1.8 billion in prize money. When added to the previous total — $1,642,409,323 – this year’s massive prize pool brings the new all-time money awarded to $1,839,450,791.
Top international players and celebs were again present this year, creating star A-lists too big to cover in detail.
However, among the players this year were actors Kevin Pollack, Jennifer Tilly, James Woods, Ray Romano, Brad Garret and Jason Alexander; Norwegian snowboard champion Torstein Horgmo; NHL goaltender Roberto Luongo; Olympic skier Petter Northug; Olympic swimmer Michael Phelps; NBA star Paul Pierce; Mixed-Martial Arts champion Georges St. Pierre, and cricket star Shane Warne.
The youngest player in this year’s WSOP Main Event was Rayan Chamas, of Dollard-des Ormeaux, Quebec, Canada, who played Day 1-C of the Main Event and was 21 years, 8 days old. The oldest player to participate in this year’s WSOP was 92-year-old William Wachter of Carmel, New York, who also played Day 1-C of the Main Event.
The WSOP report gives a brief overview of the 2013 WSOP official gold bracelet events:
•Total Entries: 79,471
•Total Prize Pool: $197,041,468
•Total Cashes: 8,454
•Average 1st Place Prize: $628,722
•Average Age: 37.60
•Average Age of Cashers: 36.44
•Average Age of Final Tablist: 34.07
•Male Participation: 94.9% (69,393 entries, excludes Main Event)
•Female Participation: 5.1% (3,726 entries, excludes Main Event)
•Male Money Won: $136,941,036
•Female Money Won: $3,423,282
•Male Cashes: 7,462 (10.75%)
•Female Cashes: 343 (9.21%)
•Most Entries by Country: 1) United States (57,040); 2) Canada (4,118) 3) United Kingdom (2,678) 4) Russia (1,110) 5) France (1,010)
The 2013 WSOP established new records for:
· Biggest single day attendance ever: 6,343 players in Event #6, shattering the record of 4,128 players in Event #29 in 2012 by 54%. Event #6 broke several other records as well, including: A) Largest non-Main Event field size ever (8th largest poker tournament ever), B) Largest $1500 buy-in poker tournament ever held, C) Most unique entrants for a non-WSOP Main Event (5,044 unique entrants), D) Largest 1st place prize for a $1500 buy-in ($1,199,104), E) Largest re-entry event field size ever (6,343)
· Largest Seniors event in history: Event #26 attracted a 4,407 players, eclipsing by 7 percent the previous record of 4,128 set last year. Year-over-year event prize money was up 7 percent from last year, jumping to $3,966,300 from $3,715,200.
· Largest $10,000 buy-in tournament in discipline other than No-Limit Hold’em: Event #60, the $10,000 buy-in Pot-Limit Omaha championship attracted a record 386 entrants, the most players to ever enter a poker tournament with a buy-in of $10,000 for a game other than No-Limit Hold’em. It was the largest PLO tournament the WSOP has ever held at the $10,000 buy-in level, and the largest field size for a WSOP $10,000 buy-in event outside of the Main Event. Prize pool was a record $3,628,400.
· Biggest High-Roller Event ever: 166 Players put up $111,111 for the One Drop High Rollers event (Event #47), easily breaking the record for most players to post a six-figure buy-in in a live tournament. The total prize pool of $17,891,148 was the second largest live prize pool of the year behind the Main Event.
· Most events with $1MM+ First Prize: Five distinct events (Event #6, Event #47, Event #52, Event #55 & Event #62) paid the winner more than $1,000,000 in prize money, a WSOP record. Three events (Event #47, Event #55 and Event #62) made multiple millionaires from the prize pool.
· Most cashes at WSOP without an event win: Tony Cousineau of Daytona Beach, Fla., extended his record as the player with the most cashes – 57 – without a win. He cashed four times in 2013.
· All-time Cashes and Final Tables: Phil Hellmuth added to his record as the individual all-time leader in cashes (99) with his four cashes in 2013.
Here are some other notable tournament records set at the 2013 WSOP:
•Largest live Omaha High-Low Split Tournament in history (1,014 entries) – Event #20
•Largest live $1,500 buy-in No-Limit Hold’em tournament in history with single day start (6,343 entries) – Event #6
•Largest live $1,000 buy-in No-Limit Hold’em tournament in history with single day start (3,164 entries) – Event #3
•Largest consecutive-days starting field sizes in poker history (combined 8,180) – Event #6 (6,343) and Event #7 (1,837) – Broke record of 6,939 in 2012 by 18 percent.
•Largest Seniors tournament in poker history (4,407 entries) – Event #26
•Biggest Seniors No-Limit Hold’em championship prize pool in history ($3,966,300) – Event #26
•Largest single-start live tournament in poker history (4,407 entries) – Event #26
•Most bracelet victories for a country, outside the United States – CANADA, 10 victories (besting previous record of 6 set in 2010)
•Most money won by a woman at one WSOP: Loni Harwood – $874,698 (Loni cashed six times, final tabled three events and won her first WSOP gold bracelet in Event #60)