Everything You Need to Know About the 2018 WSOP Main Event!

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Jul 01, 2018 8 min read Last updated Jul 03, 2018

The first Monday in July brings about the biggest tournament in poker: the World Series of Poker $10,000 Main Event. The first starting flight got underway at 11 a.m. with players from around the world converging on the Rio for a shot at the most coveted title in poker.

Over the next few days, names like Hellmuth, Moneymaker, Chan, Raymer, Negreanu, and Ivey will be heard in the hallways as every serious (tournament) poker player gathers in the Amazon, Brasilia, Miranda, and Pavilion tournament rooms for their shot at eternal glory.

Featuring a comprehensive slate of tournaments in every major poker variation, the WSOP is poker’s longest-running tournament in the world, dating back to 1970.

In 2017, the WSOP drew 120,995 total entrants in 74 total events — the most in its history. The 2017 series awarded more than $231 million in prize money, and the events brought in players from 111 countries.

The venue has changed and numerous games and tournaments added, but the history remains. In recent years, some of those original games played in 1970 have even been worked back into the WSOP festivities in games like dealer’s choice and some of the mixed-games (Championship) events. And the foundation of that remains the Main Event.

When players take their seats beginning today in those first starting flight, they are not just attempting to win a poker tournament; they are attempting to become part of the game’s history — a history that traces its roots from the Revolutionary War to Civil War battlefields to 19th Century steamboats floating on the Mississippi River to scorching Las Vegas summers. Win that bracelet and your name becomes synonymous with some of the best in the game. Thousands will try, but only one will raise that shiny gold bracelet in victory.

Structure

At 11 a.m., players start with 50,000 in chips. Levels are 120 minutes long throughout. After every level, players have a 20-minute break.

Late registration for Day 1a of the 2017 WSOP Main Event is open for three levels, registration closes around 6:00 p.m. If you're too late, there's always tomorrow (Day 1c).

Players to survive today return to the Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino Thursday, July 5, 2018, to play another five levels on Day 2ab.

Today's action starts at 11 a.m. PokerNews will be there the entire day with live updates from around the convention center of the Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino. Besides live updates, you can follow along via ESPN and PokerGO.

When and Where to Watch

Once again, PokerGO and ESPN have teamed up to bring you a live stream of all the action. Here's the schedule for the Main Event with times in Pacific Time (local Vegas time). This schedule is subject to change.

A Long Summer

While the Main Event is just about to get underway, a plethora of events are already in the books. The 2018 WSOP kicked off May 31st with the $565 Employees Event. Since then, dozens of events have been played, and PokerNews.com was there for each and every one of them. Millions in prize money has been rewarded, hundreds of thousands of hands have been dealt. Take a look at all the results up until now:

More Action

The Main Event has traditionally been the penultime or last WSOP tournament of the summer, but things are a little different this time around. There's still a plethora of tournaments to be played, the majority running alongside the Main Event. The $1,000,000 buy-in Big One for One Drop is even to follow after the Main Event has wrapped up, running July 15 through 17. Here's what's still to be played:

World Series of Poker History

The Main Event began as an idea hatched in Texas gambler Benny Binion’s mind to promote his casino. In 1970, a small group of Texas rounders gathered at Binion’s for 10 days playing for high stakes in games like five-card draw, 2-7 lowball, seven-card stud, razz, and no-limit hold’em. Players voted on the winner at the end — Texan and future Poker Hall of Fame member Johnny Moss. By 1972, no-limit hold’em became the premier game and the $10,000 buy-in tournament that players now know as the Main Event was introduced.

In the intervening 48 years, the event has grown to mammoth proportions with numerous preliminary events. The championship bracelet was introduced by Binion in 1976 and has become the ultimate trophy in poker. Owning one has become the litmus test for poker greatness. The series has even expanded beyond Las Vegas with numerous circuit and bracelet events around the country and the world.

Binion surely couldn’t have imagined the scope that the game would become since his showcase began in 1970. The World Series of Poker is the largest, richest and most prestigious gaming event in the world, having awarded more than $2.6 billion in prize money and the prestigious gold bracelet, globally recognized as the sport’s top prize.

Here's a look at all the winners since the tournament's inception:

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