
The record-breaking World Series of Poker 2024 recently finished in Las Vegas. Now, the numbers are in, and the organizer has revealed that more than 200,000 tournament entrants gambled $480 million during the 55-day event.
That total was across 99 tournaments, the best-attended being Event #20, the $300 Gladiators of Poker, with 20,647 entries. The lowest-attended tournament was Event #06, the $25,000 Heads-Up No Limit Hold’em Championship, with just 67 entries.
This shows the general trend of lower buy-in tournaments being far more popular, with the exception of the $10,000 Main Event. The next-most popular $10,000 buy-in tournament was Event #76: Mystery Bounty No-Limit Hold’em (8-Handed), which attracted 547 entries. That’s compared to the Main Event’s 10,112 entries.
Out of the $480 million put down on the felt, the WSOP organization took a $43.3 million slice, or rake. Of that, $13 million went to event staff in pay and bonuses, and $30 million went to WSOP.
Prizes and Buy-Ins
The top prize awarded to any one player was, of course, the (somewhat controversial) $10 million Main Event win by Jonathan Tamayo.
The smallest prize for any of the 99 tournament winners was Event #02, Casino Employee No-Limit Hold ‘Em. New Mexico blackjack dealer Jose Garcia took home $79,134 and a WSOP bracelet from the $500 buy-in event.
Outside of the Main Event, which guaranteed all eight final table players a million-dollar-plus prize, the highest individual win was for Nick Schulman. He took home $1.667 million for besting the field in Event #26: $25,000 High Roller No-Limit Hold’em (8-Handed).
All-in-all, 23 players won more than $1 million in a single tournament victory or cash at the 2024 WSOP at Horseshoe and Paris Las Vegas. Any player looking to enter every single one of the 99 tournaments would have spent a total of $971,856 across the 55 days.
The WSOP 2024 player of the year was Scott Seiver, who won three bracelets and $1,449,733 in tournament winnings. He hit first place in Event #10: $10,000 Omaha Hi-Lo 8 or Better, Event #40: $1,500 Razz, and Event #72: $10,000 No-Limit 2-7 Lowball Draw Championship.
He also made the cash limit in 17 different tournaments. Seiver’s achievement, as one of only five players to win three bracelets at a single WSOP event, puts him well in line for a Poker Hall of Fame award when he becomes eligible next year at age 40.
Event Highlights
Aside from the record-breaking attendance, main prize, and the controversy around the Main Event, WSOP 2024 produced many highlight reel moments. That included a return to form for legends Phil Ivey and Daniel Negreanu, who both picked up their first WSOP bracelets in many years, as well as several crazy bad beats for established pros.
Ivey picked up his 11th WSOP bracelet at Event #29, Limit 2-7 Lowball Triple Draw Championship, taking home $347,440 in the process. It was his first WSOP win since 2014. The now 50-year-old legend is chasing Phil Hellmuth’s 17 bracelets at the top of the all-time leaderboard.
Negreanu, meanwhile, picked up his first WSOP win in Las Vegas for 16 years. The poker legend and popular social media star took home the bracelet in Event #58: $50,000 Poker Players Championship (7-Handed). In what was one of the most star-studded lineups of the whole WSOP 2024, Negreanu also walked away with $1.178 million in prize money for his troubles.
Outside of all the top-tier action, spare a thought for Main Event contender Adam Rude, who managed to cash out $60,000 after surviving a heart attack overnight between play sessions.

David is an online casino expert who specializes in online slots and boasts over 10 years experience writing about iGaming. He has written for a wide range of notable publications, including eSports Insider and WordPlay Magazine.
David graduated Derby University with a BA Degree in English Literature and Creative Writing.