Event #81: $10,000 WSOP Main Event No-Limit Hold'em World Championship, the flagship event of the 2025 World Series of Poker, has kicked off with a bang. Yesterday, 923 players descended upon the Horseshoe and Paris, Las Vegas, for Day 1a of the biggest poker tournament in the world, an increase over last year's first flight turnout of 915.
A night has come and gone since the end of Day 1a, which means that today, at noon local time, Day 1b of poker's marquee event will shuffle up and deal. All players who start their Main Event journey today will be chasing Victor Vo, who set the bar for the chip lead at 352,000 on Day 1a.
2023 WSOP Paradise's Main Event winner Stanislav Zegal also bagged a top ten stack with 256,400, while high-stakes regulars Martin Kabrhel (168,700), Roman Hrabec (162,500), and Leon Sturm (157,600) ended Day 1a in the top 100. Hall of Famer Billy Baxter, who announced "Shuffle up and deal!" on Day 1a, also made his way to the end of the night, albeit with 39,900 chips, less than a starting stack.
Day 1a Top Ten Chip Counts
| Rank | Player | Country | Chip Count | Big Blinds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Victor Vo | United States | 352,000 | 587 |
| 2 | Justin Yaker | United States | 348,000 | 580 |
| 3 | Miguel Coussement | Belgium | 320,200 | 534 |
| 4 | Marc Spitaleri | United States | 309,500 | 516 |
| 5 | Jeremy Dan | United States | 282,000 | 470 |
| 6 | Stanislav Zegal | Germany | 256,400 | 427 |
| 7 | Benjamin Gold | United States | 249,300 | 416 |
| 8 | Wesley Fei | China | 246,300 | 411 |
| 9 | Chad Power | United States | 243,900 | 407 |
| 10 | Yamamoto Toshiyuki | Japan | 243,200 | 405 |
Every player who registers on Day 1b will sit down with the starting stack of 60,000 chips. Blinds will start at 100/200 with a 200 big blind ante, meaning the Main Event begins a whopping 300 big blinds deep. Befitting of poker's Main Event, all levels throughout the tournament will be two hours long.
Day 1b will play five levels, after which the survivors will bag up to return on July 6 for Day 2abc. A 20-minute break will take place after every level, with a 75-minute dinner break scheduled after Level 3, around 6:40 p.m. local time. The chance for late registration will remain open throughout the day, as well as two more levels on Day 2, but the Main Event's freezeout format allows only one entry per player.
Day 1b Schedule
| Level | Start | Duration | Small Blind | Big Blind | Big Blind Ante |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 12:00 p.m. | 120 minutes | 100 | 200 | 200 |
| 2:00 p.m. | 20-minute break | ||||
| 2 | 2:20 p.m. | 120 minutes | 200 | 300 | 300 |
| 4:20 p.m. | 20-minute break | ||||
| 3 | 4:40 p.m. | 120 minutes | 200 | 400 | 400 |
| 6:40 p.m. | 75-minute break | ||||
| 4 | 7:55 p.m. | 120 minutes | 300 | 500 | 500 |
| 9:55 p.m. | 20-minute break | ||||
| 5 | 10:15 p.m. | 120 minutes | 300 | 600 | 600 |
PokerNews will be on the floor every day to provide extensive live coverage, so be sure to keep checking in to not miss anything from this year's WSOP Main Event.
2025 WSOP Main Event FAQs
When does the 2025 WSOP Main Event begin?
The Main Event begins on Wednesday, July 2, 2025 at 12 pm.
How much does it cost to enter the WSOP Main Event?
Each year, the buy-in for the WSOP Main Event is $10,000.
Who can enter the WSOP Main Event?
Anyone who can come up with $10,000 is eligible to compete.
How can I follow the Main Event?
You can watch the 2025 WSOP Main Event on PokerGO daily and through PokerNews live reporting.
Who won the WSOP Main Event in 2024?
Jonathan Tamayo won in 2024 and is the defending world champion.
Where does the WSOP Main Event take place?
The Main Event is hosted at Horseshoe and Paris Las Vegas.
How much money does the Main Event winner receive?
Last year's champion, Jonathan Tamayo, was paid $10,000,000. The 2025 winner will likely take home an amount within that ballpark.
Who won the first World Series of Poker Main Event?
Johnny Moss was the first ever world champion in 1970.
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