Vanessa Rousso [] b. in White Plains, New York as Vanessa Ashley Rousso 1 World Poker Tour title. 3rd place in 2015 season of Big Brother television series. Wikipedia | WSOP.com | Hendon
March 6
Maria Ho [] b. in Taipei, Taiwan Last Woman Standing in WSOP Main Event a record three times: 2007 (38th for $237,865), 2014 (77th for $85,812) & 2020 (22nd U.S. [~43rd in a non-split year] for $35,194). Second most cashes among women, behind only Kathy Liebert. Women in Poker Hall of Fame 2018. Wikipedia | WSOP.com | Hendon
March 31
Erik Friberg [] b. in Sweden 2006 WSOP Main Event 8th place ($1,979,189; the largest 8th prize in Main Event history). Wikipedia | WSOP.com | Hendon
April 22
$1,000 Seven-Card Razz (Event #1, 2 days [4/21 start])
Ken Flaton Defeats Huey, Dewey, and Stuey for First Bracelet New Jersey accountant defeats field of 124 in $1,000 Limit Seven-Card Stud for $62,000, with his final three opponents being Hugh Neville Todd (4th for $7,440), Dewey Tomko (3rd for $12,400), and Stu Ungar (2nd for $24,800).
$1,000 Limit Seven-Card Stud (Event #5, 2 days [4/29 start])
Stu Ungar Wins $5,000 Seven-Card Stud for Fourth Bracelet Defeats field of 44, including Dewey Tomko heads up, for $110,000 to join Doyle Brunson in the WSOP Millionaire Club. [His decade-leading fourth bracelet of the 1980s would not be caught, with Billy Baxter, Tom McEvoy, Don Williams, Johnny Chan, and David Sklansky each falling one short.]
$5,000 Limit Seven-Card Stud (Event #6, 2 days [5/1 start])
Omaha Set to Debut at World Series of Poker A Limit Omaha bracelet event will be played starting with blinds at 5 and 10 and limits of 15 and 30. [Originally scheduled to begin in two days on Wednesday, the event was postponed until Friday.]
May 4
$1,000 Limit Ace-to-Five Draw with Joker (Event #7, 2 days [5/3 start])
Donnacha O'Dea Becomes First Foreigner to Reach Heads Up in WSOP Tourney Irishman collects $46,800 for his success in the 234-player $1,000 Limit Hold 'Em.
Tom McEvoy Wins $1,000 Limit Hold 'Em for First Bracelet Defeats record field of 234 for $117,000. The unexpectedly large turnout forced the WSOP to run tables at the Golden Nugget, Fremont, and Four Queens casinos.
$1,000 Limit Hold 'Em (Event #11, 2 days [5/9 start])
Berry Johnston Wins $2,500 Match Play for First Bracelet Defeats field of 32 for $40,000 in 5-round heads-up No-Limit Hold 'Em event.
May 11
Record 248 Players Enter $1,000 No-Limit Hold 'Em Three tables are run across the street at the Golden Nugget, where tournament director Eric Drache is the poker room manager.
Official Main Event Odds Posted Although bookies have taken action on who would win past WSOP Main Events, this year the WSOP gave both El Cortez and Poker World the green light to post odds and accept bets. Bobby Baldwin is the favorite at 10-1 at El Cortez (16-1 at Vegas World), followed by Doyle Brunson at 12-1 (18-1), and Jack Straus also at 12-1 (22-1).
$1,000 No-Limit Hold 'Em (Event #13, 3 days [5/11 start])
Donnacha O'Dea Becomes First Foreigner to Reach Final Table of WSOP Main Event Irishman begins 9-player final table sixth in chips and exits in the same place for $43,200.
May 20
Tom McEvoy Wins 1983 WSOP Main Event Defeats field of 108, including Rod Peate heads up, for $540,000 and second bracelet of year as he becomes first Main Event champion who qualified in a satellite tournament. Doyle Brunson is Last Champ Standing and Top 4 for the fifth time in eight years, exiting third for $108,000, half of Peate's prize.
$10,000 Main Event - No-Limit Hold 'Em (Event #15, 4 days [5/16 start; ended past midnight])
James Akenhead [] b. in London, England 2009 WSOP Main Event 9th place ($1,263,602). Wikipedia | WSOP.com | Hendon
July 17
George Danzer [] b. in Sao Paulo, Brazil Won 2014 $10,000 Razz ($294,792), 2014 $10,000 Seven-Card Stud Hi/Lo ($352,696), 2014 WSOP Asia-Pacific A$5,000 8-Game Mix ($74,768), & 2016 $10,000 Seven-Card Stud Hi/Lo ($338,646). Wikipedia | WSOP.com | Hendon
August 10
Leo Margets [] b. in Barcelona, Spain as Leonor Margets-Perez WSOP Main Event Last Woman Standing in 2009 (27th for $352,832) & 2025 (7th for a women's Main Event record $1,500,000) to become the second woman to reach the final table, 30 years after Barbara Enright finished fifth. Won 2021 $1,500 Closer No-Limit Hold 'Em ($376,850). First Spanish woman to win a bracelet. WSOP.com | Hendon
September 5
Ari Engel [] b. in Toronto, Ontario, Canada as Alan Ryan Engel Won 2019 $2,500 No-Limit Hold 'Em ($427,399), 2021 $10,000 Omaha Hi/Lo ($317,076), & 2023 Online No-Limit Hold 'Em Turbo 6-Max ($38,197). Took over WSOP Circuit lead with his 17th ring in 2024. Over 100 WSOP cashes and 100 Circuit cashes. Wikipedia | WSOP.com | Hendon
September 20
Jason DeWitt [] b. in Mishawaka, Indiana Won 2010 $5,000 No-Limit Hold 'Em ($818,959) & 2016 $1,500 Millionare Maker ($1,065,403). Wikipedia | WSOP.com | Hendon
September 28
Jamie Kerstetter [] b. in Monroe Township, New Jersey 2022 $1,000 Tag Team 2nd place with Corey Paggeot ($45,756) & 2024 Ladies Championship 2nd place ($114,479). Over 200 combined WSOP & WSOP Circuit cashes including 2 rings and over $750,000. WSOP announcer for ESPN in 2020 and for CBS Sports since 2021. Global Poker Award winner for Best Twitter Personality in both 2020 and 2021. WSOP.com | Hendon
November 10
Doug Kim [] b. in Yonkers, New York 2006 WSOP Main Event 7th place ($2,391,520; the largest 7th prize in Main Event history). Youngest player to reach the Main Event final table at age 22, although the record only lasted one year. Wikipedia | WSOP.com | Hendon
December 1
Zhen Cai [] b. in Florida 2019 WSOP Main Event 6th place ($1,850,000). 2014 WSOP Main Event bubble boy. WSOP.com | Hendon