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The WSOP Main Event is a tournament like no other in the poker world, and it showcases just how much of a spectacle it is every single year. In 2023, the WSOP Main Event shattered its attendance record and drew a field of more than 10,000 runners for the first time ever. The official field size for the 2023 WSOP Main Event was tallied at 10,043 entries, becoming by far the largest WSOP Main Event ever.

Prior to the record-setting turnout for the 2023 WSOP Main Event, the previous attendance record for this tournament belonged to the 2006 WSOP Main Event, which held the record for 17 years.

In this article, we’ll look at the numbers of all WSOP Main Events in history, going all the way back to the very first one in 1970. The growth over the years is incredible, and you can see how each year's field size translates to an enormous prize pool and absolutely life-changing first-place paydays.

Every WSOP Main Event By the Numbers

YEAR ENTRIES PRIZE POOL WINNER FIRST-PLACE PRIZE
2023 10,043 $93,399,900 Daniel Weinman $12,100,000
2022 8,663 $80,782,475 Espen Jorstad $10,000,000
2021 6,650 $62,011,250 Koray Aldemir $8,000,000
2020 1,379 $14,238,400 Damian Salas $1,550,969
2019 8,569 $80,548,600 Hossein Ensan $10,000,000
2018 7,874 $74,015,600 John Cynn $8,800,000
2017 7,221 $67,877,400 Scott Blumstein $8,150,000
2016 6,737 $63,327,800 Qui Nguyen $8,005,310
2015 6,420 $60,348,000 Joe McKeehen $7,683,346
2014 6,683 $62,820,200 Martin Jacobson $10,000,000
2013 6,352 $59,708,800 Ryan Riess $8,359,531
2012 6,598 $62,021,200 Greg Merson $8,531,853
2011 6,865 $64,531,000 Pius Heinz $8,715,638
2010 7,319 $68,798,600 Jonathan Duhamel $8,944,138
2009 6,494 $61,043,600 Joe Cada $8,574,649
2008 6,844 $64,333,600 Peter Eastgate $9,152,416
2007 6,358 $59,784,954 Jerry Yang $8,250,000
2006 8,773 $82,512,162 Jamie Gold $12,000,000
2005 5,619 $52,818,610 Joe Hachem $7,500,000
2004 2,576 $24,224,400 Greg Raymer $5,000,000
2003 839 $7,802,700 Chris Moneymaker $2,500,000
2002 631 $5,931,000 Robert Varkonyi $2,000,000
2001 613 $5,946,220 Carlos Mortensen $1,500,000
2000 512 $5,120,000 Chris Ferguson $1,500,000
1999 393 $3,930,000 Noel Furlong $1,000,000
1998 350 $3,500,000 Scotty Nguyen $1,000,000
1997 312 $3,120,000 Stu Ungar $1,000,000
1996 295 $2,950,000 Huck Seed $1,000,000
1995 273 $2,730,000 Dan Harrington $1,000,000
1994 268 $2,680,000 Russ Hamilton $1,000,000
1993 220 $2,308,000 Jim Bechtel $1,000,000
1992 201 $2,010,000 Hamid Dastmalchi $1,000,000
1991 215 $2,150,000 Brad Daugherty $1,000,000
1990 194 $1,940,000 Mansour Matloubi $895,000
1989 178 $1,780,000 Phil Hellmuth $755,000
1988 167 $1,670,000 Johnny Chan $700,000
1987 152 $1,520,000 Johnny Chan $625,000
1986 141 $1,410,000 Berry Johnston $570,000
1985 140 $1,400,000 Bill Smith $700,000
1984 132 $1,320,000 Jack Keller $660,000
1983 108 $1,080,000 Tom McEvoy $540,000
1982 104 $1,040,000 Jack Straus $520,000
1981 75 $750,000 Stu Ungar $375,000
1980 73 $730,000 Stu Ungar $385,000
1979 54 $540,000 Hal Fowler $270,000
1978 42 $420,000 Bobby Baldwin $210,000
1977 34 $340,000 Doyle Brunson $340,000
1976 22 $220,000 Doyle Brunson $220,000
1975 21 $210,000 Brian Roberts $210,000
1974 16 $160,000 Johnny Moss $160,000
1973 13 $130,000 Puggy Pearson $130,000
1972 8 $80,000 "Amarillo Slim" Preston $15,000
1971 6 $30,000 Johnny Moss $30,000
1970 7 n/a Johnny Moss n/a
 
Ryan Riess, Joe Cada, Daniel Weinman, Carlos Mortensen, Chris Ferguson, Greg Merson, Joe McKeehen, Martin Jacobson, Chris Moneymaker, Joe Hachem, Scott Blumstein, Qui Nguyen, 2018 WSOP Main Event, Pius Heinz, Jonathan Duhamel, Peter Eastgate, Jerry Yang, Jamie Gold, Robert Varkonyi, greg raymer, Scotty Nguyen, Noel Furlong