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Top 5 Richest Poker Tournaments in the World

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Xenia Luch

30 November 2023

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From charity to glory, from thousands to millions, these are the top 5 richest poker tournaments in the world.

WSOP Main Event

This is the event that every poker player dreams of winning, and every poker fan watches with awe. It’s a $10,000 buy-in no-limit Texas Hold’em tournament that attracts over 7,000 players from all over the world to Las Vegas every year since 1970. The prize pool is over $80 million, and the winner gets over $10 million and the coveted WSOP bracelet, the most prestigious trophy in poker. The WSOP Main Event is also a live spectacle, broadcasted on TV and online for millions of viewers to witness the drama. Some of the most famous champions include Doyle Brunson, Stu Ungar, and Phil Hellmuth.

Phil Hellmuth - WSOP Main Event
Phil Hellmuth won record 16th World Series of Poker bracelet in 2021

Triton Million

In 2019, London hosted the 1st and only edition of this exclusive event, which was part of the Triton Poker Super High Roller Series. The buy-in was £1,050,000 or €1 218 958 (no, that’s not a typo), and the prize pool was a mind-blowing £54 million (€62 689 301). The format was unique, too: half of the 54 players were pro poker players, and the other half were businessmen and celebs. Aaron Zang, a Chinese businessman, beat Bryn Kenney, a pro from the US, in a thrilling heads-up match and took home £13.7 million (€15 904 507).

Aaron Zang - Triton Million 2019
Aaron Zang, the winner of Triton Million 2019

WPT World Championship

This is the grand finale of the World Poker Tour, which takes place at Wynn Las Vegas in December every year, and has a buy-in of $10,400. The field is exclusive, with the qualifiers from online and live satellites invited to play. In 2023, the WPT World Championship set a record $40 million prize pool, with an average of 2,500 entries. Eliot Hudon was the champion, who won $4,136,000, a seat in the next WPT World Championship, and a custom-made trophy. It’s also televised on Fox Sports, making it a popular show for poker fans in the US.

Eliot Hudon - the World Poker Tour 2023
Eliot Hudon, the winner of the World Poker Tour 2023

Big One for One Drop

If you want to play poker for a good cause, this is the tournament for you. This is a charity event that donates part of the buy-in to the One Drop Foundation, which helps people access clean water. But don’t let the philanthropy fool you, this is also a high-stakes game that attracts the best and the richest players in the world. The buy-in is a massive $1 million, making it one of the priciest poker tournaments ever. The last edition of this event was in 2018 with a prize pool of $24.8M, and the winner — Justin Bonomo — walked away with $10M. The next one is coming up in December 2023, and Phil Ivey, the legend, is already in the game.

Justin Bonomo - Big One for One Drop
Justin Bonomo, last winner of Big One for One Drop in 2018

EPT Grand Final

What do you get when you mix poker, Europe, and Monte Carlo? EPT Grand Final, of course. This is the final stop of the European Poker Tour, the most prestigious and lucrative poker tour in Europe. It usually takes place in Monte Carlo in the March-May period. The buy-in is €5K, but the prize pool is over €5 million, and the winner gets around €1 million. Only 8 players make it to the final table, where they face off in a live-streamed showdown on PokerStars TV and YouTube. It has also produced some of the most memorable moments in poker history, such as Victoria Coren Mitchell’s historic double victory in 2014 (she is the only player to win two EPT titles).

Victoria Coren Mitchell - EPT Grand Final 2014
Victoria Coren Mitchell, the winner of EPT Grand Final 2014