WSOP 2018 Main Event Down to Last 200: Largest Field in Last 12 Years

The biggest poker tournament of the year, the World Series of Poker Main Event, is well under way, as there are were just 310 players remaining after yesterday’s Day 4 and at the moment of writing this article, there are just 200 players left still battling it out at the tables.

The official number of entries for the 2018 Main Event climbed to 7,874, making it the largest Main Event in the last 12 years and the second largest in Series’ history, only trumped by the 2006 tournament, which saw the incredibly high turnout of 8,773 players.

What’s up for grabs?

With 7,874 players paying $10,000 each for their right to battle it out for the most prestigious poker title, after the rake, the total prize pool amounted to just over $74 million. The bulk of that money is, as usually, reserved for the final table.

Namely, those final nine players who manage to outlive all the bad beats and catch the right cards at the right time will get to battle it out for a grand total of just over $28 million. Of that money, $8,800,000 is reserved for the winner, while the runner-up will take home $5.5 million.

The largest bubble in poker

With the Main Event always attracting such a large field of players, even making into the money is a great feat, especially for many amateur players who come to Las Vegas to live out their dreams. This year, 1,182 players were set to make money – the rest would have to go home empty-handed, perhaps with a good bad beat story.

The bubble burst during early morning hours of Sunday, and one Matthew Hopkins took the unpleasant title of the “bubble boy.” His departure, however, gave everyone in the room a reason to breathe a sigh of relief, as they were guaranteed to take home at least $15,000 for their efforts, regardless of what happens from that point on.

As usually, Hopkins did get a complementary entry to the next year’s Main Event, so he’ll at least get another free shot at the dream title.

Many big names fall, many remain still

Yesterday was the Day 4 of the 2018 WSOP Main Event and by the end of the play, the field was whittled down to just 310 players. It was this day that saw exists of many great players who were still in the running, including none other than Phil Ivey.

Ivey went out in a blaze of glory, attempting a boldly river bluff, but his opponent didn’t feel like folding top two pair.

Other big names who shared Ivey’s fate and were sent to the rail included Jake Cody, Patrik Antonious, Johnny Chan, Todd Brunson, and Liv Boeree.

Alas, no more #WSOPMainEvent for me. Finished ~370th at very end of day 4, just like last year. GL to everyone still in. pic.twitter.com/EQCoQP6wvy

— Liv Boeree (@Liv_Boeree) July 9, 2018

Well-known names still in the mix

There are still quite a few well-known pros remaining in the field, although some of them will probably be eliminated by the bag and tag time. These include The Magician Antonio Esfandiari, Joe Cada, the 2009 Main Event winner, Benjamin Pollak, and Ivan Demidov.

The play in the 2018 Main Event continues as we move towards the final table, set to take place on July 12. If everything goes according to plans, the new champion will be crowned on July 14, and they will take home the hefty prize of $8.8 million!