It doesn't take a rocket scientist to realize that the tables have been packed at the 2022 World Series of Poker (WSOP), the first year the series has been held at Bally's and Paris Las Vegas. But how will that translate into attendance in the most important event of them all — the Main Event?
Last year was a unique WSOP in that the series was held in the fall and only those vaccinated against COVID-19 were permitted to play. Still, the field in the $10,000 buy-in world championship event attracted 6,650 entries, impressive considering the circumstances, but nearly 2,000 fewer than in 2019 (the live WSOP was canceled in 2020).
Outside of the venue switch, things are back to normal this summer. So, we'll compare turnout up to this point at the 2022 WSOP to similar events in 2019 as we attempt to handicap turnout in the upcoming Main Event, which begins later today.
Huge Series Equals Huge Main Event?
Through Friday's action, there have been 45 events with registration closed thus far that also ran in 2019. The purpose of comparing similar events is to get a pulse on how many players we can expect to sign up for the Main Event. In the past, high turnout in the preliminary bracelet events have translated into a massive field Main Event.
In 2019, poker's world championship event attracted 8,569 entries, second only to 2006 (8,773). Leading up to the Main Event three years ago, the fields were record-breaking, including the $500 buy-in BIG 50, which wrapped with an almost unthinkable 28,371 entries, making it the largest live poker tournament in history.
With well beyond half the 2022 WSOP out of the way, it's clear that attendance in the most important tournament of the year will be high. But just how high will it be? Likely right around Cheech and Chong levels based on field sizes thus far.
Out of 45 matching events, meaning the same buy in and poker game played, there was increased attendance in 2022 compared to the same tournaments in 2019 in 31 events. In most similar tournaments, field sizes have been close one way or the other. But in other cases, turnout has been significantly up. Take, for example, Event #25: $800 No-Limit Hold'em Deepstack, which brought in 4,062 runners, up a whopping 44% compared to the same tournament three years ago.
Another prime example, Event #7: $1,500 Omaha Hi-Lo 8 or Better, the field was up 27% this year. On the flipside, the 2022 $1,500 buy in Millionaire Maker had 7,961 entries, down from the 8,809 of 2019 (9.6% drop).
Full List of Comparable Events
| Event | 2022 Entrants | 2019 Entrants | Difference | Higher Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $500 Casino Employees | 832 | 685 | 147 | 2022 |
| $2,500 NLH Freezeout | 752 | 996 | -244 | 2019 |
| $1,500 Dealers Choice | 430 | 470 | -40 | 2019 |
| $500 $5 Mil Gtd | 20.080 | 28.371 | -8291 | 2019 |
| $1,500 Omaha/8 | 1.086 | 853 | 233 | 2022 |
| $1,500 Seven Card Stud | 329 | 285 | 44 | 2022 |
| $10,000 Dealers Choice | 123 | 122 | 1 | 2022 |
| $600 NLH Deepstack | 5.720 | 6.150 | -430 | 2019 |
| $50,000 NLH High Roller | 101 | 123 | -22 | 2019 |
| $1,500 Limit Hold'em | 522 | 541 | -19 | 2019 |
| $1,500 NLH 6-Handed | 2.393 | 1.832 | 561 | 2022 |
| $10,000 Omaha/8 | 196 | 183 | 13 | 2022 |
| $3,000 NLH | 1.240 | 671 | 569 | 2022 |
| $2,500 Mixed Triple Draw | 309 | 296 | 13 | 2022 |
| $25,000 PLO High Roller | 264 | 278 | -14 | 2019 |
| $10,000 Seven Card Stud | 96 | 88 | 8 | 2022 |
| $3,000 Limit HE 6-Handed | 213 | 193 | 20 | 2022 |
| $800 NLH Deepstack | 4.062 | 2.808 | 1254 | 2022 |
| $1,500 Monster Stack NLH | 6.501 | 6.035 | 466 | 2022 |
| $10,000 Limit Hold'em | 92 | 118 | -26 | 2019 |
| $1,500 No-Limit 2-7 Lowball Draw | 437 | 296 | 141 | 2022 |
| $1,000 Pot-Limit Omaha | 1.891 | 1.526 | 365 | 2022 |
| $10,000 Limit 2-7 Lowball Draw | 118 | 100 | 18 | 2022 |
| $1,500 HORSE | 773 | 751 | 22 | 2022 |
| $3,000 NLH 6-Handed | 1.348 | 754 | 594 | 2022 |
| $2,500 Mixed Big Bet | 281 | 218 | 63 | 2022 |
| $1,500 Millionaire Maker | 7.961 | 8.809 | -848 | 2019 |
| $1,500 Seven Card Stud 8 or Better | 471 | 460 | 11 | 2022 |
| $1,000 NLH Super Turbo Bounty | 2.227 | 2.452 | -225 | 2019 |
| $100,000 NLH High Roller | 62 | 99 | -37 | 2019 |
| $10,000 Stud Hi-Lo 8 or Better | 137 | 151 | -14 | 2019 |
| $10,000 HORSE | 209 | 172 | 37 | 2022 |
| $5,000 NLH 6-Handed | 928 | 815 | 113 | 2022 |
| $1,000 Seniors NLH | 6.268 | 5.916 | 352 | 2022 |
| $1,500 8 Game Mix | 695 | 612 | 83 | 2022 |
| $400 Colossus | 13.565 | 13.109 | 456 | 2022 |
| $500 Salute to Warriors | 3.209 | 1.723 | 1486 | 2022 |
| $1,000 Tag Team NLH | 913 | 976 | -63 | 2019 |
| $50,000 Poker Players Championship | 112 | 74 | 38 | 2022 |
| $1,000 Super Seniors | 2.669 | 2.650 | 19 | 2022 |
| $10,000 Short Deck NLH | 110 | 114 | -4 | 2019 |
| $1,000 Ladies NLH | 1.074 | 968 | 106 | 2022 |
| $1,000 Mini Main Event | 5,833 | 5,521 | 312 | 2022 |
| $10,000 Super Turbo Bounty NLH | 419 | 204 | 214 | 2022 |
| $600 PLO Deepstack | 2,858 | 2,577 | 281 | 2022 |
Other Factors to Consider
Overall attendance is up in 2022 compared to previous years, not just 2019. That alone doesn't necessarily prove the Main Event will surpass the 2006 record-breaking turnout. But there is one other reason for optimism, and that is the added Day 1 starting flight.
In past years (save for 2021), the opening session has featured three starting flights, but there will be a fourth this year. Adding an extra Day 1 flight could give more players an opportunity to register.
It should also be noted that many of the aforementioned events cost less than $10,000 to enter, the price of the Main Event, and we included all comparable tournaments, not just no-limit hold'em. Some players who enter, say, a pot-limit Omaha tournament have no interest in the Main Event, and many who compete in a low buy-in tournament can't swing the $10k fee.
But there's simply no denying the fact that attendance across the board has been at all-time highs this year, which means the likelihood of a record-breaking Main Event is high.
Click here to participate in this poll.
Bookmark this page! All you need to know about the 2022 WSOP is here.
In this Series
- 1 Officials Offer First Look at 2022 WSOP; Answer Several Lingering Questions
- 2 Bally's & Paris: Your Guide to the New Home of the World Series of Poker (WSOP)
- 3 Negreanu, Deeb (as Expected) Highest Bids in $25k WSOP Fantasy Draft
- 4 WSOP Transportation Guide: Riding the Las Vegas Strip Monorail
- 5 Let the Games Begin: 2022 WSOP is Officially Underway
- 6 Phil Hellmuth Misses 2022 WSOP Opener After Bout of Traveler's Diarrhea
- 7 Kenney, Schindler & Imsirovic Arrive at 2022 WSOP Despite Recent Cheating Allegations
- 8 Phil Ivey is Back! Poker G.O.A.T. Cashes First 2022 WSOP Event
- 9 Baltimore Raven Calais Campbell at WSOP: "We Have Super Bowl Potential"
- 10 2022 WSOP Featured Females: Katie Kopp Becomes Bally's First-Ever Bracelet Winner
- 11 WSOP Player of the Year Race One Week In: Defending Champ Arieh Off and Running
- 12 ClubGG Offers Bubble Protection For Eight 2022 WSOP Events
- 13 Doyle Brunson Skipping 2022 WSOP Due to COVID-19 Concerns
- 14 Retired NBA Star Paul Pierce Allegedly Won't Pay His Poker Debts
- 15 Scott Seiver Pays $43k to Enter $1k WSOP Event, Fails to Cash
- 16 2022 WSOP Featured Females: Lara Eisenberg Talks Poker's Impact on Dementia
- 17 2022 WSOP Hands of the Week: Depaulo vs. Hellmuth, a Pure One Outer & a Royal Flush
- 18 Reigning World Champ Koray Aldemir Quietly Crushing it at 2022 WSOP
- 19 2022 WSOP Player of the Week 2: Jeremy Ausmus Wins Third Bracelet in 9 Months
- 20 Hellmuth Controversy at WSOP: Poker Brat's Chips Swiped on Break
- 21 Security Mistakenly Tries to Kick Out Neymar Jr. After He Cashes First WSOP Event
- 22 Breaking News: Phil Ivey Closing in on Elusive 11th WSOP Bracelet Tonight
- 23 Doyle Brunson Becomes a WPT Ambassador, Might Play WSOP Main Event
- 24 World Series of Daniel's? Zack, Weinman (But Not Negreanu) Lead POY Race
- 25 WSOP $250,000 Super High Roller Kicks Off; Ivey, Negreanu and Kenney All Enter
- 26 Ali Imsirovic Busts WSOP $250K Super High Roller on Brutal Cooler
- 27 Cruising in the $250k, Is 2022 One of Phil Ivey's Best WSOP's Ever?
- 28 Runner-Runner Bad Beat Tilts Negreanu; Poker Star Out of WSOP $250k
- 29 Navy Vet Reps Military Charity During WSOP Salute to Warriors Event
- 30 2022 WSOP Featured Females: Meet Wendeen Eolis, 1st Woman to Ever Cash Main Event
- 31 Dan Zack Still Leads WSOP POY Race; Ivey, Deeb within Striking Distance
- 32 888poker Pro Ian Simpson Gears Up for 2022 WSOP Main Event
- 33 Poker Players Who Have Defended Their WSOP Bracelet
- 34 How to Make Day 2 of the Million Dollar Bounty
- 35 Poker Player Wins WSOP Main Event Satty in His Sleep...Literally
- 36 Josh Arieh Flushed Out of WSOP Main Event Early; Four Past Champs in Day 1a
- 37 2022 WSOP Hands of the Week: Yuvee Loses $50K to Pair of Deuces; Ivey Hits Ace from Space
- 38 BREAKING: Phil Hellmuth at 2022 WSOP $3,000 NLH Final Table, Chasing 17th Bracelet
- 39 Will the 2022 WSOP Main Event Smash the Attendance Record?
- 40 Barstool Sports' Cracking Aces Podcast Hosts Crush it on Main Event Day 1
- 41 WSOP Main Event Railbird Pays Back Daniel Negreanu Four-Year "Debt"
- 42 Matt Glantz Finds the $1 Million WSOP Bounty
- 43 BREAKING: WSOP Main Event Day 2 Schedule Altered
- 44 Aces Bust Kings 15 Minutes into Day 1b of WSOP Main Event
- 45 The Muck: Ike Haxton Takes on Barstool Sports' Poker Invasion
- 46 2022 WSOP Player of the Week 5: Jessica Teusl Wins First Bracelet at First WSOP
- 47 2022 WSOP Main Event Draws Massive Field, Almost Breaks All-Time Record
- 48 Phil Hellmuth's World Series of Poker Entrance Met w/ a Chorus of Boos
- 49 Robert Lipkin is the 2022 WSOP Main Event Bubble
- 50 SO SICK! Kings vs. Kings Cooler Busts 888poker's Sam Abernathy from the WSOP Main Event
- 51 Koray Aldemir: Back-to-Back WSOP Main Event Runs "A Privilege"
- 52 Brutal River! Aces, Queens, & Jacks All In Preflop in WSOP Main Event
- 53 Former World Champ Tom McEvoy Shares his Poker Samadhi Wisdom
- 54 Did Alejandro Lococo Pull Off Best WSOP Main Event Bluff Since Moneymaker?
- 55 The Muck: Did Mike Matusow Really Have a Blow Up in the WSOP Main Event?
- 56 Dan Zack Claims 2022 WSOP Player of the Year Honors
- 57 How Much Money Players at 2022 WSOP Main Event Final Table Really Made
- 58 Espen Jorstad Wins 2022 World Series of Poker Main Event for $10,000,000
- 59 Las Vegas Active Shooter Rumors Spark Panic; WSOP Impacted, Negreanu Injured
- 60 Quads Dooms Asher Conniff at WSOP Main Event Final Table
- 61 Aces Cracked! Souki Busts from WSOP Main Event Final Table
- 62 Espen Jorstad Holds Commanding Lead in Pursuit of WSOP Main Event Title
- 63 Not Su's Day: From Chip Leader to Out in 9th Place
- 64 A Look at All the 2022 WSOP Online Michigan Bracelet Winners
- 65 Five Memorable Hands from the 2021 WSOP Main Event Final Table
- 66 Where Are They Now: Ron “The Carolina Express” Stanley Battled Stu Ungar at 1997 WSOP
- 67 WATCH: One of the Best Folds in WSOP Main Event History?
- 68 Adrian Attenborough Just Made Two of the Gutsiest Plays of the 2022 WSOP
- 69 Can Karim Rebei Click his Way to a WSOP Main Event Title?
- 70 Cool, Calm & Collected Efthymia Litsou is WSOP Main Event's Last Woman Standing
- 71 2022 WSOP Hands of the Week: Quads, Quads, Quads, Quads!
- 72 Brutal River! Aces, Queens, & Jacks All In Preflop in WSOP Main Event
- 73 Daniel Negreanu Wraps 2022 World Series of Poker Down $1.1 Million
- 74 How the 2022 World Series of Poker (WSOP) Will Be Remembered
- 75 PN Podcast: 2022 WSOP Main Event Final Thoughts; Interviews w/ Main Event Final Three
