The final table of the 2013 WSOP Main Event was finally set on 15 July. The chipleader is JC Tran, the American pro, who managed to win WSOP titles twice, but he also has a WPT and a WCOOP victory as well. Even though, an amateur player can also win the tournament rather easily, such as Marc McLaughlin or Jay Farber, who drew much attention with playing really well in the day leading up to the final table, plus they are very well stacked, they are sitting down at the table to a 3rd and 4th biggest stack in November.
Poker is beautiful because anything can happen, be it even the World Series of Poker. With a ton of luck, even a beginner can take down the prestigious Main Event (just think about Moneymaker). On the other hand, there are numerous tournament professionals, who gained populararity after their Main Event victory. McLaughlin or Farber can easily join them in November.
Below we collected the names of the WSOP champions of the recent years. It's up for you to decide, who is the best of all. Tell us in the forum!
WSOP Main Event 2002 champion: Robert Varkonyi
Entrants: 631
Prize pool: $5.931.000
First prize: $2.000.000
Live tournament winnings: $2.298.983
The player of Hungarian descent was born in New York. He started playing poker during his university years. He got his degree in 1983, and went on to work as an invesment banker, and played poker on the side. He didn't have any live tournament results prior to his 2002 Main Event victory. Nobody found the antidote to Varkonyi during the tournament, he toppled Julian Gardner in the heads-up. Varkonyi went on to pursue a career as a poker pro after that, and managed to get a number of ITM finishes, but the big victory evaded him ever since. His second biggest money finish is the 2010 Venetian Deep Stack Extravaganza $500 NLHE victory for $65,032.
WSOP Main Event 2003 champion: Chris Moneymaker
Entrants: 839
Prize pool: $7.802.700
First prize: $2.500.000
Live tournament winnings: $3.522.442
Chris Moneymaker's story is fairly similar to that of Varkonyi, he took the Main Event down as an amateur. Moneymaker is from Atlanta, but he spent his childhood in Tennessee. He studied to be an accountant, and worked as such, he only played poker in his free time.
He qualified to the world series from an online satellite for a few dollars, which got him through the tough WSOP Main Event field, and he finally won the $2,5 million. Moneymaker's success resulted in a poker boom, his small initial invesment and stellar win draw much attention to the game. This period is named after him, that is the 'Moneymaker boom'.
The American player finished 2nd at the WPT Bay 101 Shooting Stars a year later for $200,000, and finished 2nd again in 2011 at the $25,000 NBC National Heads-Up Championship ($300,000) and then finished 11th at the PCA Main Event ($130,000). He collected numerous five-figure prizes afterwards, now he's a sponsored pro of PokerStars.
WSOP Main Event 2004 champion: Greg Raymer
Entrants: 2,576
Prize pool: $24.224.400
First prize: $5.000.000
Live tournament winnings: $7.415.712
'Fossilman', as he is called, Greg Raymer plays live tournaments since 1996. He arrived to the 2004 Main Event as a pro already, and as such, he marched his way onto the final table. He clashed with numerous poker pros at the table, to eventually beat David Williams in the heads-up. The American pro took down some major tournaments afterwards, he finished 25th at the Main Event the following year ($304,680) and 3rd at the 2009 $40,000 NLHE tournament for $774,927. He won three events last year at the Heartland Poker Tour.
WSOP Main Event 2005 champion: Joe Hachem
Entrants: 5,619
Prize pool: $52.818.610
First prize: $7.500.000
Live tournament winnings: $11.828.080
The Australian Joe Hachem primarily played in his home country until 2005. He played professionally, but fame evaded him until the 2005 WSOP. First, he finished 10th at a $1,000 NLHE event for $25,850, then won the Main Event, being the first Australian to win the bracelet.
Hachem didn't turn out to be a one week wonder; he won the WPT $15,000 Doyle Brunson classic in 2006 for $2,207,575 and finished 2nd ath the WSOP $2,500 NLHE Short handed tournament in the same year. He barely missed the 2008 EPT Grand Final final table, he finished 11th ($159,818). In 2011, he finished 2nd at the $4,650 The Big Event main event for $300,000 followed by his third place at the 2012 Aussie Millions $100,000 Challenge for $339,726.
WSOP Main Event 2006 champion: Jamie Gold
Entrants: 8,773
Prize pool: $82.512.162
First prize: $12.000.000
Live tournament winnings: $12.245.468
The American TV producer Jamie Gold won the biggest Main Event first prize of all time in 2006. He started playing poker rather young, but cards remaine a pastime for him. His grandfather won a gin rummy championship.
Gold bought into several tournaments after his Main Event success, but couldn't win a six-figure prize.
WSOP Main Event 2007 champion: Jerry Yang
Entrants: 6,358
Prize pool: $59,784,954
First prize: $8.250.000
Live tournament winnings: $8.416.758
Yang started playing as a hobby, he started the 2007 Main Event as an amateur. He beat the Canadian player Tuan Lam in the heads-up to win the $8 million prize. Yang is a poker pro ever since, a frequent entrant at bigger American tournaments, but he couldn't win a major tournament so far.
WSOP Main Event 2008 champion: Peter Eastgate
Entrants: 6,844
Prize pool: $64.333.600
First prize: $9.152.416
Live tournament winnings: $11.131.450
Eastgate plays cards since 2005, he arrived at the 2008 world series as a lesser known online cash game player. Soon, he became the youngest WSOP ME champion of all time.
In 2008, the November Nine was introduce, that is the play continued in July until the final table formulated, then the players had to wait until November to play the final table surrounded by a crazy media event. PokerStars approached the young player prior to the final table to offer him a contract of sponsorship. The 22-year-old happily accepted and went on to win the tournament in November.
His skills were questioned, but he muted the naysayers by winning some major events including the 2009 PCA $4,800 NLHE Event for $343,000 and finished 2nd at the EPT London ($843,734) and 7th at the EPT Deauville for $99,094. Despite the good results, he decided to retire from poker as he didn't feel the motivation to continue.
He returned in 2011 though, but he plays much less but still delivers some nice results, such as his 2012 WSOP $1,500 4th place for $209,111.
WSOP Main Event 2009 champion: Joe Cada
Entrants: 6,494
Prize pool: $61.043.600
First prize: $8.546.435
Live tournament winnings: $9.622.043
Cada started playing poker at the age of 16. He wasn't a very well known player at the 2009 WSOP, but it didn't stay that way for long. He played under the nickname 'jcada99' and took down some major tournaments including a Sunday Mulligan. He beat Eastgate's record for the youngest player to win a Main Event, Joe Cada was only 21 years old at the time of his victory.
The young American player won five-figure prizes in the following to years, and 2012 proved to be a very good year for him; he won the PCA $2,000 NLHE Leaderboard event for $175,550 and finished second at a $1,500 NLHE WSOP event ($412,424). This year he made it to two final tables, he finished 4th at a $1,500 NLHE event ($161,625) and a $1,500 NLHE Short Handed tourney ($83,558) as well.
WSOP Main Event 2010 champion: Jonathan Duhamel
Entrants: 7,319
Prize pool: $68.798.600
First prize: $8.944.310
Live tournament winnings: $11.807.347
The Canadian Duhamel became popular after his victory, but he also won the 2011 EPT Deauville High Roller tournament for $272,209, finished 4th at the NBC National Heads-Up Championship for $125,000. He finished 4th at the PCA $100,000 Super High Roller ($313,600), won the $5,000 NLHE 8 Max event for $239,830 and second at the $25,000 8 Max High Roller for $634,550. He finished 4th at the PartyPoker.com Premier League for $209,000 and 8th at the WSOP $50,000 Players Championship. He is currently a member of the PokerStars pro team.
WSOP Main Event 2011 champion: Pius Heinz
Entrants: 6,865
Prize pool: $64.531.000
First prize: $8.715.368
Live tournament winnings: $8.976.480
Pius Heinz won the first WSOP Main Event bracelet to Germany. He play online under the MastaP89 nick. He also got well known after the WSOP, even though he was a rather good online player, he also won a Sunday Mulligan.
WSOP Main Event 2012 champion: Greg Merson
Entrants: 6,598
Prize pool: $62.021.200
First prize: $8.531.853
Live tournament winnings: $9.894.547
Merson started playing poker as a teen in 2003, mostly because of the Moneymaker boom. He was soon a poker professional, and even though he got accepted to the Maryland University, he left school to play poker. He had serious drug problems, he thought that living as a professional poker player can help him overcome his addiction, while it was impossible for him to quit at the university parties.
Merson was a successful player prior to the 2012 WSOP, primarily as an online cash player. He visited the high stakes tables even, but the success and fame came with the WSOP Main Event. He also took the $10,000 NLHE Six Handed tournament for $1,136,197.
The American pro concentrated on poker in 2013, he played the WSOP and reached one ITM finish, 167th at the Main Event for $42,990.
Poker is beautiful because anything can happen, be it even the World Series of Poker. With a ton of luck, even a beginner can take down the prestigious Main Event (just think about Moneymaker). On the other hand, there are numerous tournament professionals, who gained populararity after their Main Event victory. McLaughlin or Farber can easily join them in November.
Below we collected the names of the WSOP champions of the recent years. It's up for you to decide, who is the best of all. Tell us in the forum!
WSOP Main Event 2002 champion: Robert Varkonyi
Entrants: 631
Prize pool: $5.931.000
First prize: $2.000.000
Live tournament winnings: $2.298.983
The player of Hungarian descent was born in New York. He started playing poker during his university years. He got his degree in 1983, and went on to work as an invesment banker, and played poker on the side. He didn't have any live tournament results prior to his 2002 Main Event victory. Nobody found the antidote to Varkonyi during the tournament, he toppled Julian Gardner in the heads-up. Varkonyi went on to pursue a career as a poker pro after that, and managed to get a number of ITM finishes, but the big victory evaded him ever since. His second biggest money finish is the 2010 Venetian Deep Stack Extravaganza $500 NLHE victory for $65,032.
WSOP Main Event 2003 champion: Chris Moneymaker
Entrants: 839
Prize pool: $7.802.700
First prize: $2.500.000
Live tournament winnings: $3.522.442
Chris Moneymaker's story is fairly similar to that of Varkonyi, he took the Main Event down as an amateur. Moneymaker is from Atlanta, but he spent his childhood in Tennessee. He studied to be an accountant, and worked as such, he only played poker in his free time.
He qualified to the world series from an online satellite for a few dollars, which got him through the tough WSOP Main Event field, and he finally won the $2,5 million. Moneymaker's success resulted in a poker boom, his small initial invesment and stellar win draw much attention to the game. This period is named after him, that is the 'Moneymaker boom'.
The American player finished 2nd at the WPT Bay 101 Shooting Stars a year later for $200,000, and finished 2nd again in 2011 at the $25,000 NBC National Heads-Up Championship ($300,000) and then finished 11th at the PCA Main Event ($130,000). He collected numerous five-figure prizes afterwards, now he's a sponsored pro of PokerStars.
WSOP Main Event 2004 champion: Greg Raymer
Entrants: 2,576
Prize pool: $24.224.400
First prize: $5.000.000
Live tournament winnings: $7.415.712
'Fossilman', as he is called, Greg Raymer plays live tournaments since 1996. He arrived to the 2004 Main Event as a pro already, and as such, he marched his way onto the final table. He clashed with numerous poker pros at the table, to eventually beat David Williams in the heads-up. The American pro took down some major tournaments afterwards, he finished 25th at the Main Event the following year ($304,680) and 3rd at the 2009 $40,000 NLHE tournament for $774,927. He won three events last year at the Heartland Poker Tour.
WSOP Main Event 2005 champion: Joe Hachem
Entrants: 5,619
Prize pool: $52.818.610
First prize: $7.500.000
Live tournament winnings: $11.828.080
The Australian Joe Hachem primarily played in his home country until 2005. He played professionally, but fame evaded him until the 2005 WSOP. First, he finished 10th at a $1,000 NLHE event for $25,850, then won the Main Event, being the first Australian to win the bracelet.
Hachem didn't turn out to be a one week wonder; he won the WPT $15,000 Doyle Brunson classic in 2006 for $2,207,575 and finished 2nd ath the WSOP $2,500 NLHE Short handed tournament in the same year. He barely missed the 2008 EPT Grand Final final table, he finished 11th ($159,818). In 2011, he finished 2nd at the $4,650 The Big Event main event for $300,000 followed by his third place at the 2012 Aussie Millions $100,000 Challenge for $339,726.
WSOP Main Event 2006 champion: Jamie Gold
Entrants: 8,773
Prize pool: $82.512.162
First prize: $12.000.000
Live tournament winnings: $12.245.468
The American TV producer Jamie Gold won the biggest Main Event first prize of all time in 2006. He started playing poker rather young, but cards remaine a pastime for him. His grandfather won a gin rummy championship.
Gold bought into several tournaments after his Main Event success, but couldn't win a six-figure prize.
WSOP Main Event 2007 champion: Jerry Yang
Entrants: 6,358
Prize pool: $59,784,954
First prize: $8.250.000
Live tournament winnings: $8.416.758
Yang started playing as a hobby, he started the 2007 Main Event as an amateur. He beat the Canadian player Tuan Lam in the heads-up to win the $8 million prize. Yang is a poker pro ever since, a frequent entrant at bigger American tournaments, but he couldn't win a major tournament so far.
WSOP Main Event 2008 champion: Peter Eastgate
Entrants: 6,844
Prize pool: $64.333.600
First prize: $9.152.416
Live tournament winnings: $11.131.450
Eastgate plays cards since 2005, he arrived at the 2008 world series as a lesser known online cash game player. Soon, he became the youngest WSOP ME champion of all time.
In 2008, the November Nine was introduce, that is the play continued in July until the final table formulated, then the players had to wait until November to play the final table surrounded by a crazy media event. PokerStars approached the young player prior to the final table to offer him a contract of sponsorship. The 22-year-old happily accepted and went on to win the tournament in November.
His skills were questioned, but he muted the naysayers by winning some major events including the 2009 PCA $4,800 NLHE Event for $343,000 and finished 2nd at the EPT London ($843,734) and 7th at the EPT Deauville for $99,094. Despite the good results, he decided to retire from poker as he didn't feel the motivation to continue.
He returned in 2011 though, but he plays much less but still delivers some nice results, such as his 2012 WSOP $1,500 4th place for $209,111.
WSOP Main Event 2009 champion: Joe Cada
Entrants: 6,494
Prize pool: $61.043.600
First prize: $8.546.435
Live tournament winnings: $9.622.043
Cada started playing poker at the age of 16. He wasn't a very well known player at the 2009 WSOP, but it didn't stay that way for long. He played under the nickname 'jcada99' and took down some major tournaments including a Sunday Mulligan. He beat Eastgate's record for the youngest player to win a Main Event, Joe Cada was only 21 years old at the time of his victory.
The young American player won five-figure prizes in the following to years, and 2012 proved to be a very good year for him; he won the PCA $2,000 NLHE Leaderboard event for $175,550 and finished second at a $1,500 NLHE WSOP event ($412,424). This year he made it to two final tables, he finished 4th at a $1,500 NLHE event ($161,625) and a $1,500 NLHE Short Handed tourney ($83,558) as well.
WSOP Main Event 2010 champion: Jonathan Duhamel
Entrants: 7,319
Prize pool: $68.798.600
First prize: $8.944.310
Live tournament winnings: $11.807.347
The Canadian Duhamel became popular after his victory, but he also won the 2011 EPT Deauville High Roller tournament for $272,209, finished 4th at the NBC National Heads-Up Championship for $125,000. He finished 4th at the PCA $100,000 Super High Roller ($313,600), won the $5,000 NLHE 8 Max event for $239,830 and second at the $25,000 8 Max High Roller for $634,550. He finished 4th at the PartyPoker.com Premier League for $209,000 and 8th at the WSOP $50,000 Players Championship. He is currently a member of the PokerStars pro team.
WSOP Main Event 2011 champion: Pius Heinz
Entrants: 6,865
Prize pool: $64.531.000
First prize: $8.715.368
Live tournament winnings: $8.976.480
Pius Heinz won the first WSOP Main Event bracelet to Germany. He play online under the MastaP89 nick. He also got well known after the WSOP, even though he was a rather good online player, he also won a Sunday Mulligan.
WSOP Main Event 2012 champion: Greg Merson
Entrants: 6,598
Prize pool: $62.021.200
First prize: $8.531.853
Live tournament winnings: $9.894.547
Merson started playing poker as a teen in 2003, mostly because of the Moneymaker boom. He was soon a poker professional, and even though he got accepted to the Maryland University, he left school to play poker. He had serious drug problems, he thought that living as a professional poker player can help him overcome his addiction, while it was impossible for him to quit at the university parties.
Merson was a successful player prior to the 2012 WSOP, primarily as an online cash player. He visited the high stakes tables even, but the success and fame came with the WSOP Main Event. He also took the $10,000 NLHE Six Handed tournament for $1,136,197.
The American pro concentrated on poker in 2013, he played the WSOP and reached one ITM finish, 167th at the Main Event for $42,990.
