The 2025 WSOP Main Event starts today with four starting flights.
The WSOP Main Event is the flagship tournament of the World Series of Poker, held annually since 1970 in Las Vegas. It is a $10,000 buy-in no-limit Texas Hold 'em poker tournament, widely regarded as the most prestigious poker event in the world. The winner receives a coveted WSOP gold bracelet, a multi-million-dollar prize (depending on the number of entrants), and the unofficial title of World Champion of Poker. It is the highlight of the schedule.
The event will conclude with the final table played over two days, July 15 and July 16, and when it does, one of the world's top players will not only gain glory but also receive life-changing prize money.
In 2024, the stakes reached new heights as the WSOP Main Event awarded a prize that more than rivaled other individual sporting events across the globe and shattered previous payout records. But which event stood above the rest when it came to rewarding its champion?
Whether you’re a fan of golf, football, or high-stakes poker, the answer might just surprise you.
The Tour Championship (FedEx Cup) Paid Out $25,000,000
What About the WSOP Main Event 2024?
The WSOP Main Event ranks among the very top sporting events in the world in terms of prize money awarded to an individual winner.
According to Poker.org, the WSOP Main Event 2024 had a total prize pool of over $94 million, with the champion receiving $10 million for first place. This payout is larger than the first-place prizes of most major sporting events, including the two biggest golf tournaments combined.
In fact, each of the nine players who made it to the final table instantly became a millionaire. The World Series of Poker Main Event awarded $10,000,000 to its winner, Jonathan Tamayo, last year.
The prize money picked up by both J.J. Spaun at the US Open and Rory McIlroy at The Masters fell well short of Tamayo’s $10 million payday.
When compared to other global sporting events:
Tennis Grand Slams: The singles champions at Wimbledon and the US Open typically earn around $4 million.
Golf Majors: The Masters and US Open winners each receive around $4 million.
The FIFA World Cup: While the winning national team receives over $40 million, this is split among the federation and players; no individual player receives an amount close to the WSOP Main Event champion.
The Super Bowl: Each player on the winning team receives a bonus (about $150,000 in recent years), far less than the WSOP Main Event payout.
There are a few rare exceptions in sports and gaming—such as the "Big One for One Drop" poker event or certain special high-roller poker tournaments—where the first prize can exceed the Main Event, but these are infrequent and not annual occurrences.
How Much Will The WSOP Main Event 2025 Pay Its Winners?
The WSOP Main Event brings together thousands of players from around the world, from famous poker pros to amateurs, all fighting for a life-changing prize and a place in poker history.
But the prize money for the 2025 WSOP Main Event is not finalized until registration closes, as it depends on the total number of entries.
However, based on recent trends and expectations for a similar turnout to 2024 (over 10,000 players), first place is projected to be in the range of $10–12 million. The total prize pool is likely to exceed $94 million, with hundreds of players earning payouts and the top 100 finishers typically receiving six-figure prizes.
What started as a small invite-only game has turned into a huge international contest, with winners getting their pictures in the WSOP Gallery of Champions. It's a big deal in poker and in competitive gaming as a whole.
After the WSOP Main Event wraps up, many players will head to Harrah's Resort in Atlantic City for the World Series of Poker Circuit from August 14 to August 25. Harrah's is an important part of the WSOP Circuit's history, as it was the tour's first stop back in 2005.
