Could The Colossus Attract 20,000 Entrants in 2025?
Welcome back to PokerNews, the official media partner of the 2025 World Series of Poker and home of live updates from all bracelet events.
Are you ready to take on the Colossus? Today marks the start of the first of four flights in Event #19: $500 Colossus No-Limit Hold'em, which sees a slight increase in buy-in from the $400 of previous editions. The Colossus is one of the cheapest bracelet-awarding events on the 2025 WSOP schedule, so expect a bumper crowd to descend on the Horseshoe and Paris Las Vegas over the next few days.
PokerNews live updates begin on Day 2 at 11 a.m. local time on Sunday, June 8.
Day 1 players start with 50,000 chips and play 40-minute levels throughout the tournament. Play on Day 1 lasts for 17 levels, with players heading on a 20-minute break every three levels or when the floor staff color up. A 75-minute dinner break is scheduled after Level 12 (~7:00 p.m.). If you play this event and bust, you may reenter once per flight.
Day 2, on June 8, sees the surviving players from the four starting flights combine and fight it out over the course of 15 levels. June 9 is when the third and final day commences, although its start time is yet to be decided.
Last year's Colossus was the best-attended since the WSOP created it. Some 19,337 players bought in, creating a colossal $5,940,883 prize pool. Bulgarian grinder Martin Alcaide captured the lion's share of the pot, $501,250, and his first WSOP bracelet.
Speaking to PokerNews shortly after his victory, Alcaide said, "I feel so relieved mostly. I was mostly just scared of losing, which is not a good mindset, so I was just trying to concentrate on the hands, so I'm relieved more to be rid of the tension than the happiness right now, but I'm sure that will change."
| Year | Entries | Winner | Country | Payout |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 19,337 | Martin Alcaide | $501,250 | |
| 2023 | 15,879 | Moshe Refaelowitz | $501,120 | |
| 2022 | 13,565 | Paul Hizer | $414,490 | |
| 2021 | 9,399 | Anatolii Zyrin | $314,705 | |
| 2019 | 13,109 | Sejin Park | $451,272 |
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Stay tuned to PokerNews for updates on this and all bracelet events at the 2025 WSOP!