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The 2023 World Series of Poker (WSOP) is poised to shatter various records, marking it as a remarkable event. Participation levels have surged by over 10% compared to last year's figures, indicating a significant increase in player engagement.
With an expanded roster of live events, the festival is well on its way to achieving unprecedented attendance milestones. In the first two weeks alone, close to 70,000 participants have competed fiercely, vying for a prize pool exceeding $75 million and a collection of more than two dozen coveted bracelets.
One particular standout was the Mystery Millions tournament, which claimed the title of the largest-ever $1,000 buy-in WSOP event. With an impressive turnout of 18,188 entries, it solidified its place in history. A notable aspect of this event was that each buy-in contributed $300 to the bounty pool, leading to two fortunate players walking away with bounties worth $1 million each. Another record-breaking occurrence took place in the $1,500 Razz event, attracting 556 entries and surpassing the previous WSOP Razz tournament record set in 2012. Also worth mentioning is the $300 Gladiators of Poker tournament, lauded as the "most affordable" WSOP event ever held, which became the second-largest live event on record with an impressive participation of 28,371 players.
The WSOP is hosted at the Paris Las Vegas and Horseshoe Las Vegas (formerly Bally's) casinos for the second time. The tournament is scheduled to run until July 18, with the highly anticipated Main Event commencing July 3. WSOP Executive Director Ty Stewart expressed optimism about surpassing the record of 8,773 players set during the 2006 Main Event.
