The 2025 World Series of Poker (WSOP) $10,000 no-limit hold’em Main Event concluded with 9,735 total entries, officially making it the third-largest field in the tournament’s 56-year history. The event took place at Paris and Horseshoe Las Vegas, and with each player entering only once, the field consisted of 9,735 entrants.

The total prize pool reached $90,535,500. The eventual champion will receive $10,000,000, while the top 1,461 finishers will earn payouts starting from a $15,000 min-cash. Every player who reaches the final table is guaranteed a seven-figure payday, with payouts including $6,000,000 for second place, $4,000,000 for third, and $1,000,000 for ninth.

Entry Figures and Year-Over-Year Comparisons

The 2025 field is 3.7 percent smaller than the 10,112-player turnout in 2024, which remains the largest in WSOP history. It is also slightly smaller than the 2023 total of 10,043. However, it is 10.9 percent larger than the 8,773-player field in 2006, a number that stood as the tournament record for 17 years.

The breakdown of 2025 entries across opening flights, compared to 2024 figures, is as follows:

• Day 1A: 923 entries (up 0.9% from 915)
• Day 1B: 1,096 entries (up 31.9% from 831)
• Day 1C: 1,678 entries (down 33.6% from 2,528)
• Day 1D: 4,997 entries (down 0.3% from 5,014)
• Day 2ABC: 266 entries (up 29.1% from 206)
• Day 2D: 775 entries (up 25.4% from 618)

Registration remained open through the beginning of Level 8 on Day 2D, and a total of 775 players took advantage of this final window to enter.

Global projections further illustrate the sustained growth and popularity of both live and online poker. As of 2024, the worldwide online poker market was valued at $3.86 billion and is forecast to reach $6.90 billion by 2030. Broader estimates place the global online poker platform market at $107.7 billion in 2024, expected to grow to $120.7 billion in 2025 and exceed $238 billion by 2033. These figures show increased participation across both live and virtual events.

Payout Structure and Historical Context

To reach the money, players must finish in the top 1,461 positions. To lock in a six-figure payday of $100,000 or more, a player must finish in the top 89. The payout structure for the final table is:

• 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

Beyond the final table, payouts include $750,000 for 10th and 11th place, $560,250 for 12th through 13th, and range downward through a detailed payout structure that awards $15,000 to all players finishing between 1,259th and 1,461st.

Previous $10M+ Winners

This year’s winner will become the seventh time in WSOP history that the Main Event winner will receive an eight-figure prize. The six previous Main Event winners who earned $10 million or more are:

• Jonathan Tamayo (2024): $10,000,000
• Daniel Weinman (2023): $12,100,000
• Jamie Gold (2006): $12,000,000
• Espen Jorstad (2022): $10,000,000
• Hossein Ensan (2019): $10,000,000
• Martin Jacobson (2014): $10,000,000

Jonathan Tamayo, who won the 2024 Main Event, is among the players still competing in 2025. As of the close of registration, Tamayo held a stack of 118,000 chips, which is just under 100 big blinds.

Players Still in Contention and Eliminations

Several high-profile players advanced to Day 3, including:

• Phil Hellmuth
• Daniel Negreanu
• Vanessa Selbst
• Patrick Leonard (pads1161)
• Doug Polk
• Joshua Arieh
• Chance Kornuth
• Liv Boeree
• Ryan Depaulo
• Darren Elias

As always, a few notable names exited the tournament earlier than hoped. Ryan Riess, the 2013 WSOP Main Event winner, was eliminated on Day 2D.

Chris Moneymaker, the 2003 champion whose win is widely credited with igniting the poker boom, was eliminated on Day 1A. In his final hand, Moneymaker held queen-jack. He flopped trips and rivered a full house, but his opponent held pocket queens, resulting in a higher full house. Moneymaker called the all-in and was eliminated.

Shortly after his exit from the WSOP Main Event, Moneymaker won the $1,700 Main Event on the Moneymaker Tour, held at MGM Grand Las Vegas. He topped a field of 909 players and earned $238,900, which was his third title on the tour and his second in two months.

Top 10 Largest Main Event Fields in WSOP History

The ten largest Main Event fields on record are:

1. 2024 – 10,112 entries – Champion: Jonathan Tamayo – Prize Pool: $94,041,600 – Top Payout: $10,000,000
2. 2023 – 10,043 entries – Champion: Daniel Weinman – Prize Pool: $93,399,900 – Top Payout: $12,100,000
3. 2025 – 9,735 entries – Champion: TBD – Prize Pool: $90,535,500 – Top Payout: $10,000,000
4. 2006 – 8,773 entries – Champion: Jamie Gold – Prize Pool: $82,512,162 – Top Payout: $12,000,000
5. 2022 – 8,663 entries – Champion: Espen Jorstad – Prize Pool: $80,782,475 – Top Payout: $10,000,000
6. 2019 – 8,569 entries – Champion: Hossein Ensan – Prize Pool: $80,548,600 – Top Payout: $10,000,000
7. 2018 – 7,874 entries – Champion: John Cynn – Prize Pool: $74,015,600 – Top Payout: $8,800,000
8. 2010 – 7,319 entries – Champion: Jonathan Duhamel – Prize Pool: $68,798,600 – Top Payout: $8,944,310
9. 2017 – 7,221 entries – Champion: Scott Blumstein – Prize Pool: $67,877,400 – Top Payout: $8,150,000
10. 2011 – 6,865 entries – Champion: Pius Heinz – Prize Pool: $64,531,000 – Top Payout: $8,715,638