The Journey to Crowning a New World Series of Poker Europe Champion Begins Today at Noon
A tradition that began more than 15 years ago continues today when the €10,350 World Series of Poker Europe Main Event begins at noon local time.
Every 12 months, the best players from around the world descend on King’s Resort in Rozvadov to chase the title that can either pad the resume of an established pro or elevate someone new into the pantheon of the game’s greats. It was the event that catapulted 18-year-old Norwegian teenager Annette Obrestad into poker superstardom when she won the inaugural version in 2007, still the youngest to win a WSOP bracelet. Adrian Mateos was just 19 when he won a decade ago, kicking off a career that has since seen him amass nearly $40 million in live winnings. Marti Roca turned a €220 satellite ticket into €1,115,207 when he won in 2017, while Omar Eljach’s run as one of the hottest poker players on the planet began a year ago when he took down the title.
Past WSOPE Main Event Champions
| Year | Champion | Entries | Prize | Runner-Up |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | Annette Obrestad | 362 | £1,000,000 | John Tabatabai |
| 2008 | John Juanda | 362 | £868,800 | Stanislav Alekhin |
| 2009 | Barry Shulman | 334 | £801,603 | Daniel Negreanu |
| 2010 | James Bord | 346 | £830,401 | Fabrizio Baldassari |
| 2011 | Elio Fox | 593 | €1,400,000 | Chris Moorman |
| 2012 | Phil Hellmuth | 420 | €1,022,376 | Sergii Baranov |
| 2013 | Adrian Mateos | 375 | €1,000,000 | Fabrice Soulier |
| 2015 | Kevin MacPhee | 313 | €883,000 | David Lopez |
| 2017 | Marti Roca | 529 | €1,115,207 | Gianluca Speranza |
| 2018 | Jack Sinclair | 534 | €1,122,239 | Laszlo Bujtas |
| 2019 | Alexandros Kolonias | 541 | €1,133,678 | Claas Segebrecht |
| 2021 | Josef Gulas | 688 | €1,276,712 | Johan Guilbert |
| 2022 | Omar Eljach | 763 | €1,380,129 | Jonathan Pastore |
At the other end of the spectrum, Phil Hellmuth captured his 13th WSOP bracelet in this event in 2012. John Juanda, another Poker Hall of Famer, emerged from one of the longest heads-up duels in WSOP history to capture his fourth bracelet in 2008. Poker industry veteran Barry Shulman waged a memorable battle with Daniel Negreanu in 2009 that finally saw the CardPlayer Magazine publisher end up with the title. Jack Sinclair, a year after making the Main Event final table in Las Vegas, did it again in 2018 but finished on top this time.
Another player will join this illustrious list of champions in six days’ time. The journey begins with Day 1a, where players begin with 100,000 and will play seven 90-minute levels. There is a break after every level and a 90-minute dinner break at the end of Level 4 around 7 p.m. Players are allowed a single reentry, with late registration remaining open until the start of Level 13 on Day 2.
Event Schedule
| Date | Day | Start Time |
|---|---|---|
| Nov. 10 | Day 1a | 12 p.m. |
| Nov. 11 | Day 1b | 12 p.m. |
| Nov. 12 | Day 2 | 12 p.m. |
| Nov. 13 | Day 3 | 12 p.m. |
| Nov. 14 | Day 4 | 12 p.m. |
| Nov. 15 | Day 5 | 12 p.m. |
A packed house is expected over the next two days. More than 350 qualifiers are anticipated on Day 1a alone, with more to follow in the coming days. Last year’s event shattered the all-time record with 763 entries, and this year has a strong chance of being even bigger.
The wait is finally over. One of the most prestigious events on the poker calendar kicks off today, and PokerNews is tagging along for the entire journey until one player makes their mark on the WSOP record books.