WSOP 2025: Top Picks, Controversies, and Early Highlights

The 2025 World Series of Poker (WSOP) draft has kicked off with a bang, setting new records and featuring some unexpected twists. This year, 24 teams participated, marking a significant increase from the 20 teams in 2023 and a stark contrast to the past when more than 10 participants were considered successful.

Jeremy Osmus was the most expensive pick, with Donnie Peters and the PokerGo journalists paying 141 points for him, which is 70% of the total bank. Osmus became the most successful player in the draft last year, earning 388 points for Mike Noury's team. However, his team still did not win. In the free roll, Osmus was the least popular choice among the 'killers', with only 10 out of 1243 teams picking him.

Scott Seiver was the second most expensive player, with Martin Zamani paying 125 points for him. Seiver, known for his versatility, has a history of defying low expectations. In the free roll, 32 participants believed in Seiver. Daniel Negreanu also made a significant move, paying 108 points for himself. Negreanu's self-pick is notable as he last did this in 2016 when there were only 8 teams in the draft.