Ready, Set, Go — Quest for the 2024 WSOPE Main Event Bracelet Begins
The 2024 World Series of Poker Europe (WSOPE) has been in full swing for over two thrilling weeks at King's Resort in Rozvadov, and now the moment everybody has been waiting for is finally here as Event #13: €10,350 Main Event NLH European Championship kicks off at noon today.
Since the inception of the WSOPE in 2007, players have flocked to the Old Continent every year seeking one of the most elusive prizes in the poker world — a WSOP Main Event bracelet. Every year, the competition gets fiercer, and the dream of becoming part of poker history drives players to leave it all on the felt in a true test of poker skill and endurance.
Last year, Max Neugebauer battled his way through the record-setting field of 817 entries to claim his first bracelet and the €1,500,000 top prize. Neugebauer made an unforgettable hero call against Taiwan's Eric Tsai which sealed victory and carved his name into the history books. Now, with the Main Event about to begin, the question on everyone’s mind is — who will rise to claim the next crown?
2023 WSOPE Main Event Final Table Results
| Place | Player | Country | Prize (EUR) | Prize (USD) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Max Neugebauer | Austria | €1,500,000 | $1,631,588 |
| 2 | Eric Tsai | Taiwan | €891,000 | $969,163 |
| 3 | Michele Tocci | Italy | €639,000 | $695,056 |
| 4 | Kasparas Klezys | Lithuania | €464,000 | $504,704 |
| 5 | Michael Rocco | United States | €341,000 | $370,914 |
| 6 | Nils Pudel | Germany | €255,000 | $277,370 |
| 7 | Ruslan Volkov | Ukraine | €193,000 | $209,931 |
| 8 | Alf Martinsson | Sweden | €148,000 | $160,983 |
Neugebauer joined an exclusive list of WSOPE Main Event winners which include Annette Obrestad, John Juanda, Phil Hellmuth, Adrian Mateos, and Jack Sinclair.
Although the number of entries can't be confirmed just yet, the prognosticators out there may look at the previous years and realize that since 2015, the prize pool and number of entries has increased on every occasion that the Main Event has ran. Only time will tell if the 2024 edition of the Main Event can keep the trend going and produce another record-breaking tournament.
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 |
| 2023 | Max Neugebauer | 817 | €1,500,000 | Eric Tsai |
Day 1a of the Main event kicks off at 12 p.m. today. It is one of two opening flights scheduled to play seven 90-minute levels. Late registration will remain open until the end of Level 12 on Day 2, which plays out on Sunday, October 6.
Each player will start with a stack of 100,000 chips, equivalent to 333 big blinds, when play begins at Level 1 (100/300 with a 300 big blind ante). Buying in at the start of Day 2 will give a stack of 63 big blinds at Level 8 (800/1,600 with a 1,600 big blind ante), and max late registration during the break after the end of Level 12 will leave players with 20 big blinds at the start of Level 13 (3,000/5,000 with a 5,000 big blind ante).
As always, PokerNews will be on hand to provide updates throughout the Main Event until a new champion is crowned.