2025 World Series of Poker May 27th - July 16th

Interesting that I haven’t seen any posts about Main Event attendance this year. It looks to be down about 4% compared to last year, but not one seems to care. Still curious given my sense that attendance throughout much of the rest of the Series was up.

2024 was 10043, it's 9737 (or 9735 not sure which is official) difference is really a nothingburger.

4% has to be close within normal variance

But if pressed for a reason the Main Event is slowly losing its luster each year as tv coverage gets worse and might not be bucket list item it once was. Tamayo certainly isn’t an inspirational character.

Other events remain strong though as wsop is a quality product (any big issues this year?)

Mixed games are growing and innovations such as mystery bounty are very popular

I actually don’t really care that the Main is down slightly.
It’s just slightly surprising that it has declined and yet no one is declaring that poker is doomed.

They shed their tears months before the start claiming doom. But then as you say many other things were slightly up. And as I alluded to, people know the Main is losing it’s luster slightly

It would be noteworthy if there was a massive drop this year or if for the next few years it drops year on year significantly. Other than that happening the only negativity will be based mostly on the motives for such criticism which usually is political.

There was complaining and predictions put out there and I am sure I seen a few guys go to church one Sunday to pray for a massive decrease so they could run to their device to rant about what they predicted.

I think because it is the 3rd largest in history......no one cares that it is down from last year lol

If you're watching the Poker Go coverage tonight - why is Locquet (running like God and never making a false move) looking at the camera multiple times and for several seconds every time he's in a big hand? If it's not just for attention it seems strange.

How do they manage to make all of the Main Event payouts such round numbers when literally none of the other payouts in any other event are rounded at all?

This dealer looks like he might be the Scott's "feed your lawn, feed it" guy

I like when Peters and Remko(?) talk actual strategy, I don’t play tournaments like at all.
But they’re like “And A4s here, your K5s type stuff make great 4b jams here pre, I’d love to see him shove… I think it works”

This after seeing hand after hand where people are limp calling TT, open folding KQo from EP. Folding AQs to like min 3bs

It’s a nitball festival

Serious Q for the tournament folks. It seems to me that all the amateurs and even serious players who aren't pretty good at NLH are basically dead money in the main. Sure, the field is super soft and in the first few days it's like the easiest tournament on the planet, but eventually the chips start to consolidate, and when all the EV is up top, you need to have a puncher's chance at making a really deep run to make it all worth it. Is this take correct?

I ask in part because I play basically entirely LHE, and while I've considered playing the Main just for shits and giggles, I've assumed that I, too, am basically dead money despite being quite proficient at LHE. But maybe not being a drooler and understanding hold 'em pretty well, if not NLH, is enough to make it +ev.

There was some horrifically bad play at last night's feature tables. Huge contrast to earlier series action where it's been lots of final tables with a bunch of crushers.

It's a good take. Day 3 would be hard for many to get through as the average stack comes back to earth, the decisions in roughly the 15-35bb range can be very tough, and most have no idea how to play a stack at those depths. It can also be a grind and the temptation to get tired and do things like 3-bet shove a low pocket pair at 24bb is there and usually fatal.

Think you just got to be slightly aggro like that guy who got second to aldemir and you have a shot. Ensan as well, though he's actually goodish but not gto Qui was also a bit aggressive.

tonight?

Are the posted payouts correct or off by 1 position? With 9 handed tables, I would expect the payouts to match up with tables breaking and refilling. For example, historically the payouts for places 37-45 would be the same, because once there are 36 players left, a table breaks and there are then 4 full 9 handed tables. With this payout structure, the first player eliminated after a table break gets the same payout as the 8 previous players before table breaking. The worst is that 18th place gets the same as 26th place, meaning the first player eliminated after reaching the final 2 tables gets no additional prize money as the 8 players eliminated before them during 3 table play.

Thanks. Guess I'll just play the 10k LHE instead!

Wonder what tanking nitty misreg will sunrun his way to the final table this year a la Tamayo

Neither an endorsement or a criticism from me, but I believe the logic is that the pay jump should take place when everyone is on a full/equal table

I'm not a tournament guy and haven't played NL in years although I played it for a living for a long time before switching to plo.of course my nl skills are pretty outdated at this point. I want to play the main once just to play it. From talking to a bunch of people who played it the first couple days with tons of mouth breathers around I wouldn't be a dog. But once it's mostly good players left I would be which is fine for a one off. The only thing that's stopped me so far is the tanking and how nitty it seems.

Basically I'll probably play it one day, be bored within a day or two and torch 10k.

can we have a list of all the notable players still left in?

I have:
Greg Raymer, Phil Hellmuth, Jonathan Tamayo, Johnny Chan, Daniel Negreanu, Jennifer Harman,

who else?

Josh Arieh
Vloggers Brad Owen Andrew Neeme Ryan DePaulo Doug Polk Ashley Frank