Record Breaking Year for the WSOP

July 11, 2014

This year’s WSOP will go down in history as the biggest in history, with a record 82,360 participants and amassing the biggest total prize pool yet, $227,712,923. Spanning 65 events, registrants represented 107 countries, with an all-time participation high, surpassing last year’s 79,471 by 3.6%, with the Main Event alone drawing in 6,683 players and a prize pool worth $62,829,200. The winner of the final event for this year will win $10,000,000. This was the fifth-largest Main Event in the history of the series, drawing the largest number of players since 2010.

“There is only one WSOP,” said Ty Stewart, World Series of Poker Executive Director. “We’re humbled to have seen this kind of response to our 10th series at the Rio. More than ever before, we embraced the challenge to have something for everyone who loves the game. With some of the biggest events ever organized it is clear poker remains strong and its best days are ahead. We can’t wait to start planning for next year.”

This will be the tenth year in a row that the series has generated more than $100 million, but only the second time in the history of the WSOP that it has gone over $200 million. Since it began 45 years ago, more than $2 billion has been paid out in winnings, $1 billion of that paid out in the past five years. The prize pool this year surpassed 2013 by 15.5%!

In addition, the WSOP has raised more than $5 million for charity for the second time in the past three years, contributing $5.2 million to ONE DROP, an organization that supports water access projects around the world. Players have the opportunity to donate 1% of their winnings to ONE DROP on top of the two specific events that support the cause. Since the partnership between the WSOP and ONE DROP began in 2012, more than $12 million has been donated, directly impacting more than 100,000 lives worldwide.

Zachary Zaffos from Florida was the youngest player to participate this year, turning 21 one day before he played in Day 1-C of the Main Event. On the other end of the spectrum was William Wachter from New York, who is 93 years young and played in Day 1-B of the Main Event. Wachter was the oldest player last year, as well. Poker Hall of Famer Henry Orenstein finished eighth in Event #60, becoming the oldest person at 90 years old to cash in this year’s series.

The US represented the largest number of players with 78,165 and all 50 states were present, while Canada was the second most represented with 6,045 players. The UK had 2,894 involved, while France, German, Russia, and Brazil, all had more than 1,000 players participate in this year’s WSOP. Italy, Austria, and Australia rounded out the bottom of the top 10 entries by country list.

Out of the 64 bracelets awarded, the US landed 52 of those—the most in history.

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