Computer Poker Opponent Takes on Phil Hellmuth Wayne Russell's MS-DOS Texas Hold 'Em program challenges WSOP Main Event champion. Hellmuth graciously accepts then donates his $5,000 winnings to help out UNLV senior Patrick Dillon, who suffers from neuro-fibro mitosis, a.k.a. Elephant Man's disease. Due to the medical bills, Dillon's family was about to lose their house to foreclosure.
$1,500 Limit Ace-to-Five Draw with Joker (Event #6, 2 days [5/5 start])
Two Former Main Event Champions Reach 9-Player Final Table Berry Johnston is Last Champ Standing when he places fifth for $75,150, while a drug-incapacitated Stu Ungar blinds away most of his chips before returning to the final table and exiting in 9th for $25,050.
May 17
Mansour Matloubi Wins 1990 WSOP Main Event Defeats field of 194, including Hans Lund heads up, for $835,000 to become the first foreign bracelet winner (born in Iran but living in Wales).
$10,000 Main Event - No-Limit Hold 'Em (Event #15, 4 days [5/14 start])
Ryan Riess [] b. in Pontiac, Michigan as Ryan Thomas Riess 2013 WSOP Main Event winner ($8,359,531). 2018 WSOP Europe Main Event 4th place ($384,362). Wikipedia | WSOP.com | Hendon
July 11
Daniel Colman [] b. in Holden, Massachusetts as Daniel Alan Colman Won 2014 Big One for One Drop ($15,306,668). 2014 Player of the Year for Global Poker Index and Card Player, All In, & Bluff magazines. Wikipedia | WSOP.com | Hendon
July 22
Felix Stephensen [] b. in Oslo, Norway as Felix Vincent Stephensen 2014 WSOP Main Event 2nd place ($5,145,968). Wikipedia | WSOP.com | Hendon
August 3
James Obst [] b. in Adelaide, Australia Won 2017 $10,000 Razz ($265,138) & 2024 $10,000 Seven-Card Stud ($260,658). Wikipedia | WSOP.com | Hendon
Sam Soverel [] b. in West Palm Beach, Florida as Sam Wolcott Soverel Won 2016 $1,000 Pot-Limit Omaha ($185,317) & 2023 Online $5,300 No-Limit Hold 'Em High Roller ($393,516). Four cashes for over $500,000, including 2019 $50,000 Final Fifty No-Limit Hold 'Em 2nd ($994,072) & 2022 $250,000 Super High Roller No-Limit Hold 'Em 5th ($1,001,142). WSOP.com | Hendon
August 26
Josh Beckley [] b. in Marlton, New Jersey as Joshua Beckley 2015 WSOP Main Event 2nd place ($4,470,896). WSOP.com | Hendon
September 26
Viktor Blom [] b. in Gothenburg, Sweden 2024 $100,000 High Roller 3rd place ($1,311,091) &2024 $50,000 High Roller 3rd place ($951,727). Played high stakes online matches as Isuldur1. Wikipedia | WSOP.com | Hendon
Niklas Astedt [] b. in Partille, Sweden 2024 WSOP Main Event 3rd place ($4,000,000). All-time leading online winner with over $48,000,000 in winnings through July 2024 (PokerStake). Wikipedia | WSOP.com | Hendon
November 24
Matthew Parry [] b. in New York as Matthew John Parry Won 2023 $3,000 Pot-Limit Omaha 6-Max ($480,122) WSOP.com | Hendon
December 19
Benny Binion Joins Poker Hall of Fame Binion bought the Eldorado Club and the Apache Hotel in 1951 and reopened them as Binion's Horseshoe Casino, where he would introduce the World Series of Poker in 1970.
December 23
Jack Sinclair [] b. in England 2017 WSOP ME 8th ($1,200,000). Won 2018 WSOP Europe Main Event (€1,122,239). WSOP.com | Hendon