As thousands of poker players descend on Las Vegas for the World Series of Poker, fans might wonder about the best 2024 WSOP events to follow. The Sports Geek is here to help with a list of the most exciting tournaments!
There are so many unique events in the WSOP that it can be difficult for casual observers to find the most interesting ones. In 2024, 99 WSOP gold bracelets are up for grabs from Tuesday, May 28, 2024, to Wednesday, July 17, 2024, at the Horseshoe Las Vegas.
Six new tournaments are being introduced to the WSOP in 2024, including the $10,000 Big O Championship, $5,000 Seniors High Roller, and $3,000 Mid-Stakes Championship. Did any of them make it to the list of best WSOP tournaments below? Let’s find out!
WSOP Main Event
- Buy-In: $10,000
- Format: 60,000 Starting Chips; Freezeout; 120min Levels
- Game: No-Limit Texas Hold’em
- Date: July 3 to July 17
The $10,000 Main Event is by far the most popular tournament at the WSOP, so we had to start there. When you think of the WSOP, the Main Event is what likely comes to mind. This tournament has been the pinnacle of poker and an unofficial World Championship since the 1970s.
This is the most prestigious of all 99 bracelets that will be awarded in 2024. In 2023, a record-breaking 10,043 players entered the tournament to surpass the 2006 record of 8,773 players. Georgia native Daniel Weinman outlasted the competition on the final table to win the grand prize of $12.1 million.
The total prize pool for 2023 reached a record $93,399,900! Finishing last on the final table netted a cool $900,000 for ninth place. With renewed interest in poker from the public, we’ll see if the 2024 edition of the Main Event breaks last year’s mark.
The tournament, which will be split up into four flights of participants to start, features some of the biggest names in poker, and thousands of amateurs with a dream. Known as poker’s Super Bowl, the WSOP Main Event is a must-watch for any poker fan.
Super High Roller
- Buy-In: $250,000
- Format: 150,000 Starting Chips; One Re-entry; 60min Levels
- Game: No Limit Texas Hold’em
- Date: June 21 to June 24
Do you like watching high-stakes poker? The $250,000 Super High Roller No-Limit Hold’em is for you. With a buy-in of $250,000, this is the event with the largest entrance fee at the 2024 WSOP.
Typically, high-stakes poker is the most exciting tournament to watch as a spectator. The enormous payoff and money at risk add to the allure of the Super High Roller.
Additionally, many of the stars of poker show up for this monster event. Last year, 69 entrants participated in the Super High Roller at the 2023 WSOP.
The event included Phil Ivey, Phil Hellmuth, and Daniel Negreanu. Chris Brewer scored his first-ever WSOP bracelet and captured the grand prize of $5,293,556.
The top prize might not be as large as the Main Event, but the odds of winning are much higher against roughly 70 players than over 10,000! However, the incredible $250,000 buy-in makes playing in the Super High Roller out of reach for the vast majority of poker players.
That’s what makes the Super High Roller so compelling and one of the most exciting WSOP events to follow! Consider putting this on your tournament shortlist to follow at the 2024 WSOP.
Heads-Up Championship
- Buy-In: $25,000
- Format: 150,000 Starting Chips; Freezeout; 20min Levels
- Game: Heads-Up No-Limit Texas Hold’em
- Date: May 30 to June 2
Heads-up Texas Hold’em is one of the simplest poker games for any casual observer to follow. Many poker pros also believe it’s the purest form of the game because it’s mostly about playing your opponents as opposed to playing your cards.
From 2005 to 2013, NBC aired the National Heads-Up Poker Championship on national television on weekend afternoons. During the poker boom, it was a popular program and showed how poker on national television can work.
Similar to the March Madness college basketball format, The WSOP $25,000 Heads-Up No-Limit Hold’em Championship is a 64-player bracket. There is only room for 64 entries in this event.
There are only two players per table playing heads-up poker. The winner of each game will advance through the bracket until one remains. There is no re-entry into the tournament, so once a player loses, they are out of the game.
Brewer did well in this huge tournament last year, as well. He collected $192,362 in prize money, with the top prize of $507,020 going to Canadian Chanracy Kim. Poker personality and pro Doug Polk had the crowd behind him in the final match but couldn’t oust Kim.
This is a fun tournament that always makes for one of the best experiences for viewers. The short 20-minute intervals between blinds make this a fast-paced action-packed event at the WSOP.
Poker Players Championship
- Buy-In: $50,000
- Format: 300,000 Starting Chips; Freezeout; 100min Levels
- Game: Nine-Game Mixed (Limit Hold’em, Limit Omaha Hi-Lo 8 or Better, Seven Card Stud, Razz, No-Limit 2-7 Lowball Draw, No-Limit Hold’em, Pot-Limit Omaha, Limit 2-7 Lowball Triple Draw, Seven Card Stud Hi-Lo 8 or Better)
- Date: June 23 to June 28
It wouldn’t be a complete best WSOP events list without including the $50,000 Poker Players Championship. This tournament is the most lucrative mixed-game at the WSOP — with a buy-in of $50,000.
There are nine games included in this mixed tournament, including Omaha, Texas Hold’em, and Razz. Each will be played in rotation, testing the versatility of each player in the tournament.
Players who specialize in a variety of poke formats and have the bankroll for a $50,000 buy-in are encouraged to play. For the rest of us, following along and watching the drama unfold will suffice. It’s nine poker games squeezed into one tournament!
As one of the top WSOP tournaments, along with the prestige that comes with winning, it’s well worth a watch. In 2023, pro Brian Rast beat 98 foes to win the third WSOP Poker Players Championship of his career to take home the top $1,324,747 prize.
Ready To Play Tournaments Yourself?
If our list of the best WSOP events for 2024 inspired you to play some tournaments, you don’t need to go to Vegas! The top online poker sites have a long list of options waiting for you.
As our top pick, Bovada has everything a beginner or veteran poker pro needs to win big. Also, whether you are a low-stakes player or a high roller, Bovada has online tournaments for all bankrolls!
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