World Series of Poker
The World Series of Poker (WSOP) is a series of poker tournaments held annually in Paradise, Nevada and, since 2004, sponsored by Caesars Entertainment. It dates its origins to 1970, when Benny Binion invited seven of the best-known poker players to the Horseshoe Casino for a single tournament, with a set start and stop time, and a winner determined by a secret ballot of the seven players.
| Current season, competition or edition: 2023 World Series of Poker | |
| Sport | Poker |
|---|---|
| Founded | Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S. (1970) |
| Founder | Benny Binion |
| Owner(s) | Binion's Horseshoe (1970–2004) Harrah's Entertainment (2004–2020) Caesars Entertainment (2020–present) |
| Most recent champion(s) | Ian Matakis (Player of the Year); Daniel Weinman (Main Event winner) |
| Most titles | Phil Hellmuth (most bracelets, 17); Johnny Moss, Stu Ungar (most Main Event wins, 3) |
| Official website | Official website |
As of 2020, the WSOP consists of 101 events, with most major poker variants featured. However, in recent years, over half of the events have been variants of Texas hold 'em. Events traditionally take place during one day or over several consecutive days during the series in June and July. However, starting in 2008, the Main Event final table was delayed until November. The 2012 and 2016 Main Event final tables commenced in October because of the United States presidential election. As of May 2017, the World Series of Poker has done away with the November Nine concept and instead gone back to the old format of crowning the Main Event winner in July. After adopting a hybrid online format in 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the World Series of Poker announced a return to in-person play for the next series in September 2021, in Paradise, Nevada.