The 55th annual World Series of Poker (WSOP) officially commenced at Paris Las Vegas and Horseshoe Las Vegas with Vegas Golden Knights champion Jonathan Marchessault delivering the ceremonial ‘Shuffle Up and Deal.’
Marchessault, a key player in the Golden Knights' 2023 Stanley Cup victory and winner of the Conn Smythe Trophy, participated in the event's opening, Event #1: Champions Reunion No-Limit Hold’em Freezeout.
Marchessault, joined by WSOP Main Event champions including last year's winner Daniel Weinman, took part in his first competitive poker tournament. He received advice from poker legend Daniel Negreanu before playing.
Marchessault noted: "While I’d rather still be on the ice fighting for a championship, sitting down to give it a shot in my first competitive poker tournament against WSOP legends is a nice consolation. The WSOP holds a special place in Las Vegas history and I am so glad I could come out and be a part of it today.”
The 2024 WSOP aims to build on its record-breaking 2023, which saw 214,641 entrants from over 114 countries.
Ty Stewart, WSOP Executive Director, said: “What a way to start out the 2024 World Series of Poker as we aim for our biggest and best series ever, following the record-setting summer that took place last year.”
The Champions Reunion No-Limit Hold’em Freezeout featured a $5,000 buy-in with a unique twist: players who eliminate a former Main Event champion receive automatic entry into the 2024 WSOP Main Event. All living Main Event champions were given free entry to participate.
Running from 28 May to 17 July 2024, the WSOP will host nearly 700 tables and numerous events, culminating in the Main Event, which begins on 3 July.
The Main Event offers multiple starting flights, with late registration available through Level 7 on 7-8 July. The final table will be held on 16-17 July at Horseshoe Las Vegas. The 2023 Main Event drew a record 10,043 entrants, with Daniel Weinman winning $12.1m, the largest first-prize payout in series history.
In related developments, WSOP and Caesars Entertainment recently launched WSOP Online, which pools players from Michigan, Nevada and New Jersey. This marks the first time a US poker operator has combined player pools across multiple states.
