2024 WSOP Statistics and Figures: Comparison with 2023 Event

With about two weeks left of the illustrious series, the 2024 World Series of Poker (WSOP) is aiming to make it big. In the time left, it aims to up the participation levels and generate a record-breaking prize pool for the Main Event. See what the tournament’s entries and other statistics say about the 2024 edition’s performance.

The 2024 WSOP is going full-steam ahead, with some events performing significantly better than last year. Of the 99 bracelet events, 63 have closed their late registration, leaving 36 eligible events for the next two weeks.

So far, the event has recorded over 134k participants and awarded over $212 million. However, whether this will result in the overall winnings surpassing 2023’s $425 million record remains to be seen.

Hold’em events, particularly No-Limit Hold’em events, have seen increased participation levels. While the $300 buy-in Gladiators of Poker event saw a 10% drop in entrants, from 23,000 to 20,647, other events saw an increase.

• $1,000 buy-in Mystery Millions went from 18,188 entries to 18,409 
• $25,000 High Roller No-Limit Hold’em (HR NLH) had a 31% increase from 207 to 272
• $25,000 HR NLH (8-handed) grew from 207 to 318

Most non-hold’em events experienced a significant decrease in participation. The exceptions are the Seven Card Stud, $1,500 Dealer’s Choice, and the Limit 2-7 Lowball Triple Draw. However, noted decreases in participation are:

• Limit Hold’em Championship
• Seven Card Stud Championship
• $1,500 Badugi
• $1,500 and $10,000 Omaha Hi-Lo 8 or Better Championships
• $1,500 Mixed PLO
• $1,500 2-7 Lowball Draw

When we looked at what events impressed us, an immediate one to jump out was the $1,500 buy-in Millionaire Maker. It broke the record for this event with 10,939 entries, showcasing a 5% increase from its 10,416 participants in 2023. The $600 Deepstack Championship also boasts a 20% increase in participation from 4,303 to 5,126. Other impressive statistics are:

• $50,000 HR NLH (8-Handed): Grew from 124 to 177 participants
• $100,000 HR NLH: Increased from 93 to 112 entrants
• $250,000 Super HR: Experienced almost a 10% increase from 69 to 75 entries

However, the $50,000 buy-in High Roller Poker Players Championship saw a 10% decrease in entries. This year, it had 89 entrants, as compared to last year’s 99.

When considering participation levels and what could drive these changes, Bitcoin could be one answer. Bitcoin has had an excellent year so far. With many of the high rollers affiliated with cryptocurrencies, it’s perhaps no surprise the interest has increased. It means we might see more interest in the $10,000 buy-in Main Event.

It’s difficult to predict whether this year will overtake last year without knowing how the Main Event will perform. The overall participation is up by 0.04%, but the generated prize pool stands at $212m, while it was at $214m this time last year. However, five events have generated $10 million and up prize pools, and we’re looking forward to seeing what the Main Event will bring.