2017 World Series of Poker Update: WSOP Main Event Attracts a Large Field

With the main event underway at the World Series of Poker we’re only a few days from someone winning over $8.1 million.

The main event drew quite a large field this year with 7,221 entries, the third largest in WSOP history. The big winner will get just over $8 million, but anyone who makes the final table will be pulling in seven figures. The ninth place finisher pockets $1 million.

What started as 7,221 is down to 2,572 heading into Day 3 of the tournament. The chip leader is Artan Dedusha with 680,000. If the name isn’t familiar that’s because he’s never even had a cash in a WSOP event before. His closest opponent is another unknown, Lawrence Bayley with 618,000 chips.

Some notable names who still have at least a chip and a chair include former main event champs Johnny Chan, Scotty Nguyen, Joe Cada, Joe Hachem, Greg Raymer and Carlos Mortensen.

Before the main event began someone finally took down The Giant. The $365 No-Limit Hold’em tournament started on June 9 and finally concluded on July 9. A total of 10,015 players ponied up the cheap buy-in, but in the end Dieter Dechant outlasted them all.

Dechant cashed $291,906 for the win for his second big win this year. He also raked in $281,691 after finishing third in the $1,000 Seniors No-Limit Hold’em Championship. Not bad for someone who came into this year’s events with only one WSOP Circuit win to his name, totaling $957.

As we previously mentioned, the nine players who reach the main event final table will become millionaires. Two other players cracked that category at the WSOP last week.

Elior Sion beat a 100-player field made up of many of poker’s elite to win the $50,000 Poker Players Championship. His cash for the win was $1,395,767. This was Sion’s second-consecutive trip to the final table in the $50,000 event. Last year he finished in ninth place to earn $116,571.

James Calderaro added $1,289,074 to his bankroll after winning the $25,000 Pot-Limit Omaha Eight-Handed tournament. He outlasted a 205-player field and is no stranger to big payouts at the WSOP. In 2010, Calderaro finished third in the $10,000 Pot-Limit Hold’em Championship to cash $284,845, and a year earlier in the 2009 Main Event he finished 13th to pocket $633,022.