The World Series of Poker 2022 returned to the Las Vegas Strip this year, and the 8,663-entry field dwindled down to the final ten after a grueling 17-hour session. Forbes reported that at least $15,000 was provided as compensation to everyone cut early on, but this amount is a far cry from the net prize pool of more than $80 million. The competition remained tense all the way to the Main Event final table.
Let’s take a closer look.
The 2022 WSOP
The 2022 WSOP is the 53rd year of the biggest and most famous live poker event. Held for the last 17 years at the Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino, the World Series of Poker in Las Vegas happens every summer. This year’s edition took a highly anticipated and prestigious move to the Las Vegas Strip, honoring its history by being held at Bally’s, soon to be renamed the Horseshoe. This pays ode to the first-ever WSOP tournament, which took place at the original Horseshoe in 1970.
This year’s festivities were launched by actor and poker player Vince Vaughn, who also took on a role as the Master of Ceremonies. The modern-era World Series of Poker generally runs for around seven weeks, and the 2022 WSOP ran from May 31 up to July 20.
The Final Countdown
The opening weekend started strong with a $5 million guaranteed no-limit Hold’em event known as “The Housewarming.” This was only one part of the exciting lineup of 88 bracelet events, including the $1,000 GGPoker Flip & Go, the $400 Colossus, and the Lucky 7’s.
Expectations were set even higher by the 2nd event, a new high roller tournament, the $100,000 High Roller Bounty No-Limit Hold’em. Here, players were awarded a $25,000 bounty for every player they eliminated.
However, all of these were merely a build up to the 2022 WSOP Main Event that began on July 3. The journey was grueling, with Day 44 bringing three new WSOP champions. 35 players sat down at the WSOP Main Event Day 7, hoping to make it until the end, but only ten managed to make it through.
These remaining ten players took their stand at the 2022 WSOP Main Event final table. At the end of the tunnel was a massive top prize of $10 million. In a close match that ended with a two pair against a full house, emerging victorious with the heavily coveted gold bracelet around his wrist was the native Norwegian, EspenJorstad.
Australia’s Adrian Attenborough came in second place and put up a good fight, walking away with $6 million in winnings. At the bottom list of the payout, Matthew Su still got to take home a cash bag of $850,675. The 2022 WSOP then culminated with a $1,000,000 freeroll tournament, its first-ever Tournament of Champions.
Poker Hall of Fame
On the other side of the competition, poker legends were being immortalized. Latest to join the Poker Hall of Fame is Layne Flack, a six-time World Series of Poker bracelet winner who passed away too soon last year at the age of 52.
Those from the 2022 WSOP will hope to have a legacy as lasting as Flack’s, who won all of his WSOP bracelets in tournaments between 1999 and 2008.
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