The 2015 World Series of Poker, known to be the most highly anticipated and most prestigious poker-related event, has been completed. The festival took place from May 27 to July 14 and as usual, it was held at Rio All-Suite Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada. Thousands of people from around the world arrived to try their skills and luck and to attempt to win one of the WSOP gold bracelets, which are indisputably the most prestigious and coveted non-monetary prize a poker player could wish for.
Over the past month and a half the Pavilion, Brazilia, and Amazon poker rooms were turned into poker arenas, where tournament entries were given the opportunity to show what they can do and grab a portion of the alluring prize pools.
Here is what the 46th Annual World Series of Poker offered to players as well as some of the most exciting highlights from the summer festival.
Events
This year’s edition of the WSOP featured a total of 68 events, the $10,000 Main Event included. Of those, 34 were No-Limit Hold’em ones with buy-in fees varying from $565 to $10,000. Other poker variations that were played at the tables of Rio All-Suite Las Vegas Hotel and Casino over the past one month and a half were Limit Hold’em, Pot-Limit Omaha, Omaha Hi-Lo 8 or Better, Seven Card Stud, Seven Card Stud Hi-Lo 8 or Better, Razz, Badugi, 2-7 Triple Draw Lowball, and many, many more.
Inaugural Events
This year, the WSOP debuted a total of 11 new exciting events. And the $565 COLOSSUS No-Limit Hold’em was indisputably the most highly anticipated one. Although it was scheduled to take place between May 29 and June 2, the event was completed on June 3 with Texan Cord Garcia topping the huge field of 22,374 entrants and scooping a $638,880 share of the prize pool, which amounted to $11,187,000.
The other events that were seen on the WSOP schedule for the first time were:
- $1,000 Hyper No-Limit Hold’em;
- $1,500 Extended Play No-Limit Hold’em;
- $1,000 Super Seniors No-Limit Hold’em (which required the entrants to be 65 or older);
- $5,000 Turbo No-Limit Hold’em
- $1,500 Draftkings 50/50 No-Limit Hold’em;
- $25,000 High Roller Pot-Limit Omaha;
- $1,500 Bounty No-Limit Hold’em;
- $777 LUCKY SEVENS No-Limit Hold’em;
- WSOP.com Online No-Limit Hold’em (in other words, the WSOP awarded its first online poker gold bracelet)
- $10,000 Dealers Choice (in fact, the event debuted at the 2014 WSOP, but this year, it featured a total of 19 poker variations or the most that have ever been played in a single Series event).
Entries
All 68 events featured during the 2015 WSOP attracted as many as 103,426 entries. In comparison, a total of 82,360 entrants took part in all 65 tournaments that were included in the schedule of last year’s Series. The significant increase in the number of participants was attributed to the debut of the COLOSSUS. It attracted 22,374 entries and officially turned into the event with the largest ever field in the 46-year history of the WSOP.
The $10,000 No-Limit 2-7 Draw Lowball Championship, on the other hand, had the most modest-sized field of only 77 entries. They created a prize pool of $723,800. Maryland-based poker pro Phil Galfond defeated the other 76 players who took part in the event to capture his second-ever gold bracelet.
Prize Pools and Payouts
It is not a surprise that this year, the $10,000 Main Event featured the largest prize pool. All 6,420 who entered the prestigious tournament created the considerable prize pool of $60,348,000. Of those, $7,680,021 will go to the winner, whose name will become clear on November 10.
Earlier this year, the WSOP announced that the top 1,000 finishers at the Main Event would receive a share of the money, provided that at least 5,000 entries register for it.
Apart from the most highly anticipated poker event of the year, there were two other tournaments that featured quite impressive prize pools. The $111,111 High Roller for ONE DROP attracted 135 entries and a prize pool of $14,249,925 was created. The first 16 finishers were paid and the winner collected $3,989,985 (more than a half of what the Main Event champion would get).
In addition, the $565 COLOSSUS event drew the impressive number of 22,374 entrants to create a prize pool of $11,187,000. The top 2,241 finishers got their portion of the money. And as mentioned above, the winner added $638,880 to his bankroll.
Generally speaking, the WSOP will award a little more than $210 million to a total of 11,643 tournament entries by the end of the Main Event in November. Last year, about $17 million more were distributed or the amount of $227 million, to be more precise. This was due to the fact that The BIG ONE for ONE DROP event was held as part of the 2014 WSOP. The event attracted 42 of the world’s best poker players and a prize pool of $37,333,338 was created.
Bracelets and Bracelet Winners
Featuring 67 different events, excluding the Main Event, which is yet to announce its champion, means that 67 bracelets found their new owners at this summer’s edition of the WSOP. And some players were fortunate enough to capture more than one of the coveted pieces of jewelry. For instance, Italian Max Pescatori collected two gold bracelets – one for topping the field of the $1,500 Razz and the other for winning the $10,000 Seven Card Stud Hi-Lo 8 or Better Championship. The player has previously won two of the prestigious pieces.
Florida-based poker pro Brian Hastings, too, captured two bracelets this summer. He was awarded the first one for taking 1st place in the $10,000 Seven Card Stud Championship. He claimed the other one for winning the $1,500 Ten-Game Mix event. Now, the player can boast of three of the shiny little things, known to be the most prestigious non-monetary award in the world of poker.
Most In-the-Money Finishes
During the 2015 WSOP, there were a number of players who made it to the money more than once. And here are the ones that cashed in the most events throughout this summer’s Series:
- Mark Radoja – the Canadian player cashed in a total of 10 WSOP events this year and collected $86,440. However, he did not make it to the final table of any of those.
- Eric Baldwin – similarly to Radoja, the Nevada-based player captured 10 WSOP cashes this summer. He, too, made no final table appearances. His 2015 WSOP winnings amounted to $77,291.
- Joe Kuether – the poker pro from Elm Grove, Wisconsin had 10 in-the-money finishes in this year’s edition of the Series. He scooped the total amount of $53,330. Yet he was not spotted at the final tables of any of the 10 events he cashed in.
Cards
This year, the WSOP selected Italian card manufacturer Modiano to provide the Series with decks. However, a number of players complained about the quality of the cards. Their main issues were that they were too thin and flimsy and therefore, they could be easily marked or damaged by accident. In addition, players claimed that spades and clubs as well as the face cards were quite similar and hard to discern.
Following the increasing number of complaints, the WSOP announced that Modiano would send new decks for the festival. The quality of those was significantly improved.
Player of the Year
Back in May, the WSOP announced its partnership with the Global Poker Index for what turned out to be GPI WSOP Player of the Year ranking. The player who manages to collect the most points by the end of the WSOP Europe in October would receive a special award. Points are calculated by means of the GPI’s exclusive formula. In other words, players will be given points depending on the events they enter, the buy-ins for those, and their finish.
The WSOP pointed out that including the WSOP Europe, there will be 74 qualifying events that would award points to those who finish in the money. The winner will be announced during the WSOP Main Event final table, which will be played on November 8-10.
Currently, it is Mike Gorodinsky that tops the prestigious ranking with 2157.19 points. The player cashed in 7 events this summer to collect the amount of $1,764,112 and his second career gold bracelet.
Records
Largest Field
As mentioned above, the 2015 WSOP launched the $565 COLOSSUS event this summer. The tournament drew as many as 22,374 entries. Thus, the event became the one with the largest field in the 46-year history of the WSOP.
Record Bracelet Winner
Poker legend Phil Hellmuth collected his 14th gold bracelet during the 2015 WSOP. He was awarded the prestigious piece for topping the field of the $10,000 Razz Championship. Thus, the Poker Brat, as he is known due to his somewhat bratty attitude at the tables, especially when hi loses a big pot, is still the player who holds the most gold bracelets. Hellmuth managed to maintain the lead in yet another important category. The player has cashed more money than any other in the history of the Series. Currently, his career WSOP winnings total $13,533,523.
Second Youngest Five-Time Bracelet Winner
Poker pro Daniel Alaei from Santa Fe Springs, California become the second youngest player to ever win five gold bracelets. At the age of 30, he collected his 5th piece during this year’s Series for emerging victorious over the field of the $10,000 Omaha Hi-Lo 8 or Better championship. The player captured his other pieces in 2006, 2009, 2010, and 2011.
As mentioned above, he became the second youngest player to win so many bracelets, with Allen Cunningham being the only to have been younger when he captured 5 of those.
Oldest November Niner
As the names of the nine players who will appear at the $10,000 Main Event final table became clear, it also turned out that another record was broken. Pierre Neuville from Belgium became the oldest ever November Niner. The 72-year-old player will start the final table with 21,075,000 chips and has every chance to take down the prestigious event and capture the first-place prize of $7,680,021.
Oldest Main Event In-the-Money Finisher
World War II veteran William Wachter from Mahopac, New York was the oldest player to enter this year’s Main Event. Furthermore, he turned out to be the oldest one to cash in the prestigious tournament in the long, long history of the Series. At the age of 94, Mr. Wachter finished 524th to capture the amount of $19,500 for his efforts. In addition, the New York resident may well have been the oldest to take part in this year’s edition of the Series, although no official information about this has been released yet.
