WSOP 2025: Main Event Becomes Third Largest in History, Champion to Take Home $10 Million

Even before Day 2D wrapped up, many expected that the field would fall short of hitting a five-figure number of entries this year. Yet, with 9,735 entries, the WSOP Main Event has once again become the third-largest in history, and this year’s champion will take home a cool $10 million!

Third Largest Main Event Ever

The WSOP Main Event once again drew a massive field of players chasing their poker dreams with the $10,000 buy-in. During the registration phase, a total of 9,735 players took their shot, making this year’s Main Event the third largest in the prestigious tournament’s history. Only the record-breaking fields from the previous two years stand ahead: 10,112 entries in 2024, and 10,043 in 2023.

The numbers are in on the third largest Main Event field ever!

9,735 entries built a prizepool of $90,535,500.
1,461 players will make the money.
The min-cash comes in at $15,000 and 9 players will go home with at least $1,000,000!

1st place: $10,000,000
2nd: $6,000,000
3rd:… pic.twitter.com/J2pRoBdELD
— WSOP - World Series of Poker (@WSOP) July 8, 2025

Despite a slight dip of 3.7% compared to last year, the Main Event continues to maintain its allure and prestige, drawing a lineup stacked with some of the game’s brightest stars. Late registration on Day 2 saw a significant jump—a 25% increase from last year—which stands out as an interesting trend. This year, 1,461 players will make it ITM, with the min-cash still set at $15,000. The bubble is expected to burst either at the end of today’s Day 3 or early on Day 4.

Nine Millionaires Guaranteed at the Final Table

After the criticism in 2023, when ninth-place finisher Daniel Holzner earned "only" $900,000, organizers have ensured that all 2025 Main Event final table participants will leave as millionaires. The player finishing ninth will bank exactly $1,000,000, while this year’s champion will collect the most coveted bracelet in poker—and a massive $10 million payday.

Place	Payout
1st	$10,000,000
2nd	$6,000,000
3rd	$4,000,000
4th	$3,000,000
5th	$2,400,000
6th	$1,900,000
7th	$1,500,000
8th	$1,250,000
9th	$1,000,000

Star-Studded Field Still in Contention

This evening will mark the first time the entire field comes together for Day 3. According to unofficial counts, more than 3,400 players (3,453) are still in the mix. Among them are heavyweights like Daniel Negreanu, Phil Hellmuth, Josh Arieh, Vanessa Selbst, as well as a number of former champions including Johnny Chan, Greg Merson, Greg Raymer, and Jonathan Tamayo.

Sources: PokerNews, PokerGO, WSOP, Twitter