The 54th World Series of Poker Begins With $500 Casino Employees Event
What promises to be the biggest and best World Series of Poker ever gets underway Tuesday, and as is tradition, the 54th edition kicks off with Event #1: $500 Casino Employees.
Last year’s event saw Katie Kopp of Cleveland, Ohio, best a field of 832 entries that included several former event champions including PokerNews’ own Chad Holloway, Main Event final table members Kenny Hallaert and Garry Gates, renowned poker broadcaster David Tuchman, and reality star Lisa Vanderpump to name just a few.
Kopp earned $65,168 and her first WSOP gold bracelet for the victory. With early expectations for the WSOP already sky-high, an even bigger number could be on the horizon for someone’s $500 investment when the event concludes Wednesday.
Play begins at 10 a.m. Pacific time for the first of 17 scheduled 40-minute levels. A single reentry is allowed until registration closes at the start of Level 10 (approximately 5:55 p.m. following the 75-minute dinner break).
Players will begin the day with 25,000 chips at an opening level of 100/100 with a 100 big blind ante, and as with all events at the 2023 WSOP, any player registering before the start of the tournament will see their chips in play from the first hand of the day, whether they are in their seats or not.
Last year’s event concluded Day 1 with players in the money and just 82 of the 832 remaining by night’s end. Players are expected to again be in the money before the end of play today.
Recent WSOP Event #1: $500 Casino Employee Event Winners
| YEAR | ENTRIES | WINNER | COUNTRY | 1ST PRIZE |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | 566 | Jordan Hufty | United States | $61,909 |
| 2019 | 686 | Nicholas Haynes | United States | $62,345 |
| 2020 | - | No Event (Pandemic) | - | - |
| 2021 | 419 | James Barnett | United States | $39,013 |
| 2022 | 832 | Katie Kopp | United States | $65,168 |
The PokerNews live reporting team is primed and raring to go for a full summer of coverage from each WSOP tournament until the final bracelet is awarded on July 15th, so keep your browsers locked on PokerNews for all the drama and excitement from Horseshoe Las Vegas and Paris Las Vegas.