For 35 of the first 36 years of its existence, the World Series of Poker Main Event — the $10,000 buy-in tournament considered the annual unofficial poker world championship — set a new record for entries.
In none of the next 16 years did the Main Event attract a record field size.
But in 2023, finally, that streak ended. The all-time high established in 2006 was exceeded.
And not by a little bit. The record of 8,773 players that stood for 16 years is now second on the list by a margin of 1,370.
The number achieved this summer, 10,043 players, marks a 14.5% increase over the previous record, a 15.9% increase over the 2022 tournament, and a 17.2% increase over the last pre-pandemic Main Event.
