As soccer’s most legendary coach, Vince Lombardi, as soon as stated, “Profitable isn’t all the pieces; it’s the one factor.”
Neglect the dangerous beats, one-outers, and misclicks—on the World Collection of Poker, success is measured in inexperienced (and gold). From its inception in 1970 to the record-breaking 2024 version, the collection has seen a few of poker’s most unforgettable victories and created lots of of millionaires.
Because of the poker increase (amongst different components), it’s no shock that the entire WSOP’s greatest payouts have come within the final 25 years. The Primary Occasion fields have exploded, and the rise of high-stakes tournaments has despatched prize swimming pools hovering to new heights.
Take Doyle Brunson’s first Primary Occasion win in 1976. Texas Dolly walked away with $220,000, which might be price round $1.23 million at the moment. Not dangerous for beating a 22-player discipline, but it surely pales compared to reigning champ Jonathan Tamayo, who banked $10 million in 2024 after outlasting a document 10,112 gamers.
From Primary Occasions to Large Ones, we’ve dug into the historical past books and crunched the numbers. For all you stats geeks on the market, listed below are the WSOP’s greatest wins of all time.
What are the Largest Wins from the WSOP?
Poker’s greatest paydays have solely gotten larger, however The Large One for One Drop nonetheless reigns supreme. Till somebody smashes these early 2010s data, listed below are the highest 10 greatest WSOP wins of all time:
Please notice – The highest 10 above was appropriate on the authentic time of publication.
WSOP Occasion 55 – The Large One for One Drop – 2012
Winner: Antonio EsfandiariPrize: $18,346,673
The primary-ever $1 million buy-in occasion was received by Iranian-American poker legend Antonio Esfandiari, who outlasted a 48-player discipline with a $42 million prize pool. He defeated Sam Trickett heads-up to take house a document $18,346,673.
Relive Esfandiari’s $18m Win Right here
WSOP Occasion 57 – The Large One for One Drop – 2014
Winner: Daniel ColmanPrize: $15,306,668
The second version of this high-stakes match featured 42 gamers and a $37.3 million prize pool. Daniel Colman emerged victorious, defeating Daniel Negreanu heads-up to say $15,306,668.
Dan Colman Wins $1M One Drop
WSOP Primary Occasion – 2023
Winner: Daniel WeinmanPrize: $12,100,000
A record-breaking 10,043-player discipline made this the most important Primary Occasion ever on the time. The highest 1,507 finishers earned a share of the prize pool, with Daniel Weinman successful $12,100,000, setting a brand new Primary Occasion document.
Weinman Wins Report-Breaking 2023 WSOP Primary Occasion
WSOP Paradise – Triton Million – 2024
Winner: Alejandro LococoPrize: $12,070,000
This WSOP Paradise occasion, held in December 2024, drew 96 entrants. Argentina’s Alejandro Lococo took the crown, defeating Ben Heath heads-up to win $12,070,000.
Lococo Beats Execs in WSOP Paradise Triton Million for $12M
WSOP Primary Occasion – 2006
Winner: Jamie GoldPrize: $12,000,000
Jamie Gold claimed the crown in a star-studded discipline that included A-listers like Charles Barkley, Lennox Lewis, and Tobey Maguire. He took house a then-record $12,000,000.
Jamie Gold Appears to be like Again on the 2006 WSOP
WSOP Primary Occasion – 2024
Winner: Jonathan TamayoPrize: $10,000,000
The reigning champion on the time of writing, Jonathan Tamayo, received the most important Primary Occasion discipline in WSOP historical past, with 10,112 entries. The highest 1,517 gamers shared a $94,041,600 prize pool, with Tamayo securing the $10,000,000 prime prize.
Tamayo Wins Report-Breaking 2024 WSOP Primary Occasion
WSOP Primary Occasion – 2022
Winner: Espen JørstadPrize: $10,000,000
Espen Jørstad of Norway triumphed in a discipline of 8,663 entries, securing the $10,000,000 prime prize. In the identical summer season, Jørstad additionally received his second bracelet within the $1,000 Tag Crew No-Restrict Maintain’em occasion, alongside his companion Patrick Leonard.
Espen Jørstad Wins 2022 WSOP Primary Occasion for $10m
WSOP Primary Occasion – 2019
Winner: Hossein EnsanPrize: $10,000,000
Hossein Ensan received $10,000,000, turning into the oldest Primary Occasion champion since Noel Furlong (1999) and the second German champion after Pius Heinz (2011).
Hossein Ensan Wins the 2019 WSOP Primary Occasion for $10m
WSOP Primary Occasion – 2014
Winner: Martin JacobsonPrize: $10,000,000
Martin Jacobson claimed $10,000,000 after besting a discipline of 6,683 gamers who had been battling for a $62,820,200 prize pool.
Martin Jacobson Wins the 2014 WSOP Primary Occasion for $10m
WSOP Occasion 57 – The Large One for One Drop – 2018
Winner: Justin BonomoPrize: $10,000,000
Three-time bracelet winner Justin Bonomo conquered the 27-entry discipline, defeating Fedor Holz heads-up to safe $10,000,000.
Justin Bonomo Wins 2018 Large One for One Drop
What was the Largest Event Prizepool Ever on the WSOP?
The highest 10 greatest match prize swimming pools on the WSOP have all come within the Primary Occasion, with each 2023 and 2024 smashing the $90 million barrier. Right here’s a take a look at the most important prize swimming pools in WSOP historical past:
Nineteen of the twenty-one largest prize swimming pools in poker historical past come from WSOP Primary Occasions, with the one exceptions being the Triton Million – A Serving to Hand for Charity. As we glance forward, may the 2025 version of the WSOP Primary Occasion shatter data as soon as once more?
How Have WSOP Prizepools Modified Over Time?
The WSOP Primary Occasion has skilled extraordinary development since its modest starting in 1970. The early years had been marked by smaller prize swimming pools, with the 1971 occasion providing simply $30,000. Nonetheless, as poker gained recognition, particularly within the late Nineteen Nineties and early 2000s, the prize swimming pools noticed a dramatic improve.
Early Progress (Nineteen Seventies–Nineteen Nineties)
From the Nineteen Seventies by the Nineteen Nineties, the prize pool grew steadily, with important will increase because the occasion gained extra traction. By 1982, the prize pool had surpassed $1 million for the primary time, a big milestone. In the course of the Nineteen Nineties, the WSOP prize pool reached the multi-million-dollar vary, with the 1999 prize pool reaching $3.93 million.
The Poker Increase (2000s)
Essentially the most notable change got here within the early 2000s, when on-line poker and the “Moneymaker Impact” reworked the panorama of the WSOP. Chris Moneymaker’s victory sparked a world poker increase, leading to a large improve within the prize pool. In 2004, the prize pool jumped to $24.2 million, and by 2006, it reached a outstanding $82.5 million when Jamie Gold received the occasion.
Publish-Increase and Stabilization (2010s–2020s)
After the preliminary increase, the prize pool fluctuated however remained exceptionally excessive, with a number of years surpassing $60 million. In 2019, the prize pool reached new heights at $80.5 million, earlier than the document for the most important prize pool was set in 2024 at an astounding $94 million.
What was the Most Costly Purchase-in on the WSOP?
The Large One for One Drop dominates as the most costly match on the WSOP, with its $1,000,000 buy-ins – the most important in poker match historical past. These occasions had been held in 2012, 2014, and 2018 on the WSOP, drawing the largest names within the recreation for enormous prize swimming pools.
Right here’s a take a look at the three Large One for One Drop tournaments and their a million greenback buy-ins:
One fascinating side of the WSOP Primary Occasion is how the buy-in has remained constant at $10,000 through the years. Whereas prize swimming pools have grown considerably resulting from bigger fields and inflation, the buy-in has stayed the identical.
This has helped preserve the occasion accessible to a variety of gamers, from seasoned professionals to amateurs, and has performed a key position within the regular improve in participation. What started with only a handful of gamers in 1970 has now grown into constantly one of many largest poker occasions on the planet.
Wanting forward, 2025’s largest buy-in occasion will as soon as once more be the $250,000 Tremendous Excessive Curler from June 15-18, 2025, with a $250,000 buy-in. Final yr, Santhosh Suvarna took down the title for $5,415,152.
