WSOP 2025 Main Event: Record-Breaking Entry and Historic Wins

The WSOP 2025 Main Event kicked off on Wednesday, July 2, with two of the four starting flights already completed. Day 1A drew 923 players, a slight uptick from the 915 entries recorded in the same flight last year. The bigger jump came on Day 1B, which attracted 1,096 runners, marking a 32% increase over the 831 players in 2024’s equivalent flight. This promising start suggests that the tournament could see another record field, as the WSOP 2024 Main Event drew a record 10,112 players.

With the first two flights having attracted 2,019 players, the tournament needs 8,094 more players to surpass last year’s all-time high. Day 1C and 1D, which historically bring in the biggest crowds, are still to come today and tomorrow, with late registration open through the early levels of Day 2 running during the weekend. This leaves plenty of time for this year’s edition to eclipse last year’s record.

Historically, most winners tend to emerge from the more popular starting days, Day 1C and 1D. Of the last six live editions, five champions started on Day 1C or 1D. John Cynn (2018), Hossein Ensan (2019), and Koray Aldemir (2021) all entered on Day 1C, while Daniel Weinman (2023) and Jonathan Tamayo (2024) began their run on Day 1D. Espen Jorstad, who won in 2022, is an exception; he entered early on Day 1A.