2019 World Series of Poker: Demographic Breakdown of the Second Largest Field in Main Event History
Table Of Contents
- Biggest Fields, Year-over-Year Growth
- Top Five Main Events of All Time by Attendance
- Final Table Payouts
- Player Demographics
- Top Ten Countries Represented in 2019 WSOP Main Event
- Top Ten States Represented in 2019 WSOP Main Event
- Age Breakdown of 2019 WSOP Main Event Participants
- Total Field Demographics
- United States Demographics
- International Demographics
- Main Event Update, Payouts
- 2019 WSOP Main Event Payouts
The 2019 World Series of Poker $10,000 Main Event is the second-biggest field of all time with 8,569 entries, eclipsed only by what most call the "height of the poker boom" when 8,773 entered the 2006 edition which Jamie Gold won for $12 million.
The $80,548,600 prize pool generated this year is also the second biggest in WSOP history and this year's $10 million top prize ranks second, tied with the winning prize amount collected by Swedish poker pro Martin Jacobson in 2014. The Day 1C field this year was the largest starting flight in WSOP Main Event history with 4,877 players taking part.
Here, we take a look at the numbers of the 2019 WSOP Main Event, provided by WSOP.
Biggest Fields, Year-over-Year Growth
To put the Main Event growth in perspective, back when Chris Moneymaker helped spark the poker boom with his televised win in 2003 for $2.5 million, the field of 839 was the most the event had ever drawn. What followed, no one could have predicted. The Main Event shot up in attendance over the following three years to 2,576 in 2004, 5,619 in 2005 and then to its height in 2006. The 2010s have seen another uptick, providing some hope of return to poker boom numbers.
The last four years in particular have shown promise, with year-over-year growth each year and a 33% overall field increase since Joe McKeehen won the big one in 2015.
There has been a nine percent year-over-year increase over both of the last two years, going from 7,221 to 7,878 entries from 2017 to 2018, and bumping up to 8,569 in 2019. For a bit more perspective, this year's entries are more than the 2004 and 2005 fields combined. Following is a look at the biggest five Main Event fields in history.
Top Five Main Events of All Time by Attendance
| Year | Entrants | Winner | First Place |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | 8,773 | Jamie Gold | $12,000,000 |
| 2019 | 8,569 | TBD | $10,000,000 |
| 2018 | 7,874 | John Cynn | $8,800,000 |
| 2010 | 7,319 | Jonathan Duhamel | $8,944,310 |
| 2017 | 7,221 | Scott Blumstein | $8,150,000 |
All final tablists will be guaranteed seven-figures with seven-figure pay jumps starting with four players remaining. Last year's payouts saw a $3.8 million jump from second to first and a historically long heads-up battle between champion John Cynn and second-place finisher Tony Miles. This year will be even more dramatic in terms of the final payout bump with the winner taking home $4 million more than the runner-up.
Final Table Payouts
| Place | Payouts |
| 1 | $10,000,000 |
| 2 | $6,000,000 |
| 3 | $4,000,000 |
| 4 | $3,000,000 |
| 5 | $2,200,000 |
| 6 | $1,850,000 |
| 7 | $1,525,000 |
| 8 | $1,250,000 |
| 9 | $1,000,000 |
Player Demographics
In 50 editions of Main Events, the Word Series of Poker has really grown into a global event, with players coming from 87 different countries to make up this year’s field. That is four more countries than the 83 represented in the 2018 Main Event. Here's a look at the ten countries with the most representatives in the event.
Top Ten Countries Represented in 2019 WSOP Main Event
| Rank | Country | Players |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | United States | 6,110 |
| 2 | Canada | 420 |
| 3 | United Kingdom | 414 |
| 4 | France | 151 |
| 5 | China | 117 |
| 6 | Germany | 105 |
| 7 | Brazil | 104 |
| 8 | Australia | 91 |
| 9 | Russia | 79 |
| 10 | Austria | 73 |
The 2019 WSOP Main Event drew 8,569 entries, of which all 50 states, plus D.C. were represented in the 6,110 players that came from the United States. California drew the highest number with 1,057 with Nevada residents coming in second and Florida, New York and Texas rounding out the top five. Here is a breakdown of the ten states with the most entries.
Top Ten States Represented in 2019 WSOP Main Event
| Rank | State | Entries |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | 1,057 |
| 2 | Nevada | 698 |
| 3 | Florida | 540 |
| 4 | New York | 478 |
| 5 | Texas | 442 |
| 6 | New Jersey | 240 |
| 7 | Illinois | 236 |
| 8 | Massachusetts | 194 |
| 9 | Ohio | 169 |
| 10 | Pennsylvania | 157 |
Age Breakdown of 2019 WSOP Main Event Participants
The average age of 2019 WSOP Main Event participants is 41.46. For males, the average is 41.34 and for females, 44.30. Here is a more detailed look at the age ranges of this year’s participants.
Total Field Demographics
| Age Range | Total | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|---|
| 21-25 | 332 | 327 | 5 |
| 26-30 | 1,351 | 1,312 | 39 |
| 31-35 | 1,894 | 1,828 | 66 |
| 36-40 | 1,305 | 1,245 | 60 |
| 41-45 | 891 | 861 | 30 |
| 46-50 | 900 | 856 | 44 |
| 51-55 | 703 | 666 | 37 |
| >56 | 1,193 | 1,124 | 69 |
| Total | 8,569 | 8,219 | 350 |
United States Demographics
| Age Range | Total | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|---|
| 21-25 | 177 | 174 | 3 |
| 26-30 | 685 | 666 | 19 |
| 31-35 | 1,272 | 1,227 | 45 |
| 36-40 | 948 | 904 | 44 |
| 41-45 | 670 | 650 | 20 |
| 46-50 | 729 | 692 | 37 |
| 51-55 | 582 | 552 | 30 |
| >56 | 1,047 | 985 | 62 |
| Total | 6,110 | 5,850 | 260 |
International Demographics
| Age Range | Total | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|---|
| 21-25 | 155 | 153 | 2 |
| 26-30 | 666 | 646 | 20 |
| 31-35 | 622 | 601 | 21 |
| 36-40 | 357 | 341 | 16 |
| 41-45 | 221 | 211 | 10 |
| 46-50 | 171 | 164 | 7 |
| 51-55 | 121 | 114 | 7 |
| >56 | 146 | 139 | 7 |
| Total | 2,459 | 2,369 | 90 |
The percent of women in the Main Event field has remained seen a small year-over-year increase. The 350 ladies participating in 2019 make up nearly 4.1 percent of the total entries, while last year's 300 females represented 3.8% of the field of 7,874.
Main Event Update, Payouts
Of the whopping 8,569 runners, a total of 2,880 made it through the two different Day 2 fields to join together at the Rio to play out Day 3 on Monday. The money bubble is expected to burst in the early hours of Day 4, the top 1,286 players all guaranteed at least a minimum payout of $15,000. Here's a look at the full payout schedule for those lucky players who will receive a cashout in the Main.
2019 WSOP Main Event Payouts
| Place | Payout | Place | Payout | Place | Payout | Place | Payout | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | $10,000,000 | 10-11 | $800,000 | 64-72 | $117,710 | 415-477 | $30,780 | |||
| 2 | $6,000,000 | 12-13 | $600,000 | 73-81 | $98,120 | 478-540 | $27,390 | |||
| 3 | $4,000,000 | 14-15 | $500,000 | 82-90 | $82,365 | 541-603 | $24,560 | |||
| 4 | $3,000,000 | 16-18 | $400,000 | 91-99 | $69,636 | 604-666 | $22,190 | |||
| 5 | $2,200,000 | 19-27 | $324,650 | 100-162 | $59,295 | 667-765 | $20,200 | |||
| 6 | $1,850,000 | 28-36 | $261,430 | 163-225 | $50,855 | 766-864 | $18,535 | |||
| 7 | $1,525,000 | 37-45 | $211,945 | 226-288 | $43,935 | 865-963 | $17,135 | |||
| 8 | $1,250,000 | 46-54 | $173,015 | 289-351 | $38,240 | 964-1062 | $15,970 | |||
| 9 | $1,000,000 | 55-63 | $142,215 | 352-414 | $34,845 | 1063-1286 | $15,000 |
You can watch the PokerNews video update from July 8 at the WSOP here:
Photos courtesy of WSOP.
Keep following all the action in the World Series of Poker Main Event right here at PokerNews to find out who will claim the $10 million top prize on July 16!
PR & Media Manager for PokerNews, Podcast host & 2013 WSOP Bracelet Winner.
