2016 - This Year in WSOP History

2016

February 24

Payouts to Expand From 10% of Field to 15%
When the WSOP began, every event was winner-take-all. This slowly increased, depending on the field size, to three players, five players, the final table, the final two tables, and so forth, until roughly 9 to 11 percent of each field was paid from 2003 to 2015.
For the Main Event, starting stacks will be increased from 30,000 chips to 50,000.

April 25

Maurice Hawkins Becomes All-Time Circuit Money Leader
Defeats field of 1,008 in $1,675 No-Limit Hold 'Em Main Event at Harrah's Cherokee for his seventh circuit ring and $279,722, pushing him to $1,628,121 in Circuit winnings to pass Chris Ferguson, who had held the money lead since 2007.

June 2

$565 Casino Employees - No-Limit Hold 'Em (Event #1, 2 days [6/1 start])

Winner: Christopher Sand ($75,157 & 1st bracelet)

Entries: 731 (110 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

June 6

Robert Mizrachi Wins $10,000 Seven-Card Stud for Fourth Bracelet
Defeats field of 87 for $242,662.

$10,000 Seven-Card Stud (Event #3, 3 days [6/4 start])

Winner: Robert Mizrachi ($242,662 & 4th bracelet)

Entries: 87 (14 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

J.J. Liu Cashes in Women's Record-Tying 12th Straight WSOP
Makes the money in the $565 Colossus II to tie Jen Harman's women's record set from 1999 to 2010.

$1,000 No-Limit Hold 'Em WSOP.com Top Up Event (Event #4, 2 days [6/5 start])

Winner: Kyle Julius ($142,972 & 1st bracelet)

Entries: 667 (101 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

June 7

$565 Colossus II Breaks Record With 2,923 Paid
21,613 entries fall just short of last year's 22,374 in first Colossus, but new policy of paying approximately 15% of players instead of 10% crushes the 2,241 paid then. [Note that official press releases incorrectly claimed that 3,245 players were paid.]

$565 Colossus II No-Limit Hold 'Em (Event #2, 6 days [6/2 start])

Winner: Benjamin Keeline ($1,000,000 & 1st bracelet)

Entries: 21,613 (2,923 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

$1,500 Dealer's Choice 6-Max (Event #5, 3 days [6/5 start])

Winner: Lawrence Berg ($125,466 & 1st bracelet)

Entries: 389 (59 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

June 8

$1,500 No-Limit Hold 'Em (Event #6, 3 days [6/6 start])

Winner: Peter Eichhardt ($438,417 & 1st bracelet)

Entries: 2,016 (303 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

$1,500 No-Limit Deuce-to-Seven Draw Lowball (Event #7, 3 days [6/6 start])

Winner: Ryan D'Angelo ($92,338 & 1st bracelet)

Entries: 279 (42 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

June 9

$1,500 H.O.R.S.E. (Event #8, 3 days [6/7 start])

Winner: Ian Johns ($212,604 & 2nd bracelet)

Entries: 778 (117 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

$10,000 No-Limit Hold 'Em Heads-Up (Event #9, 3 days [6/7 start])

Winner: Alan Percal ($320,574 & 1st bracelet)

Entries: 153 (16 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

June 10

$1,500 No-Limit Hold 'Em 6-Max (Event #10, 3 days [6/8 start])

Winner: Mike Cordell ($346,088 & 1st bracelet)

Entries: 1,477 (222 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

$10,000 Dealer's Choice 6-Max (Event #11, 3 days [6/8 start])

Winner: Jean Gaspard ($306,621 & 1st bracelet)

Entries: 118 (18 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

June 11

$565 Pot-Limit Omaha (Event #12, 3 days [6/9 start])

Winner: Ryan Laplante ($190,328 & 1st bracelet)

Entries: 2,483 (373 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

$1,500 Seven-Card Razz (Event #13, 3 days [6/9 start])

Winner: Ralph Porter ($142,624 & 3rd bracelet)

Entries: 461 (70 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

June 12

$1,500 Eight-Game Mix 6-Max (Event #15, 3 days [6/10 start])

Winner: Paul Volpe ($149,943 & 2nd bracelet)

Entries: 491 (74 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

June 13

Jason Mercier Wins $10,000 No-Limit Deuce-to-Seven Draw for Fourth Bracelet
Defeats field of 100 for $273,335.

$10,000 No-Limit Deuce-to-Seven Draw Lowball (Event #16, 3 days [6/11 start])

Winner: Jason Mercier ($273,335 & 4th bracelet)

Entries: 100 (15 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

June 14

$1,500 Millionaire Maker No-Limit Hold 'Em (Event #14, 5 days [6/10 start])

Winner: Jason DeWitt ($1,065,403 & 2nd bracelet)

Entries: 7,190 (1,079 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

$1,000 No-Limit Hold 'Em (Event #17, 3 days [6/12 start])

Winner: Chase Bianchi ($316,920 & 1st bracelet)

Entries: 2,242 (337 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

$3,000 H.O.R.S.E. (Event #18, 3 days [6/12 start])

Winner: Marco Johnson ($259,730 & 2nd bracelet)

Entries: 400 (60 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

June 15

$1,000 Pot-Limit Omaha (Event #19, 3 days [6/13 start])

Winner: Sam Soverel ($185,317 & 1st bracelet)

Entries: 1,106 (166 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

$10,000 Seven-Card Razz (Event #20, 3 days [6/13 start])

Winner: Ray Dehkharghani ($273,338 & 1st bracelet)

Entries: 100 (15 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

June 16

$3,000 No-Limit Hold 'Em 6-Max (Event #21, 3 days [6/14 start])

Winner: Calvin Lee ($531,577 & 1st bracelet)

Entries: 1,029 (155 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

$1,500 Limit Hold 'Em (Event #22, 3 days [6/14 start])

Winner: Danny Le ($188,815 & 1st bracelet)

Entries: 665 (100 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

June 17

Jason Mercier Wins $10,000 H.O.R.S.E. for Fifth Bracelet, Second of Year
Defeats field of 100 for $422,874.

$10,000 H.O.R.S.E. (Event #24, 3 days [6/15 start])

Winner: Jason Mercier ($422,874 & 5th bracelet)

Entries: 171 (26 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

June 18

Bob Hooks d. 2016 [age 86] (b. 8/18/1929)
Four unpaid WSOP Main Event final tables: 1973 5th, 1974 6th, 1975 2nd, & 1977 5th.
Obituary | Hendon

$2,000 No-Limit Hold 'Em (Event #23, 4 days [6/15 start])

Winner: Cesar Garcia ($447,739 & 1st bracelet)

Entries: 1,419 (213 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

$2,500 No-Limit Hold 'Em (Event #25, 3 days [6/16 start])

Winner: Michael Gagliano ($448,463 & 1st bracelet)

Entries: 1,045 (157 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

$1,500 Omaha Hi/Lo Split 8/OB (Event #26, 3 days [6/16 start])

Winner: Benny Glaser ($244,103 & 2nd bracelet)

Entries: 934 (141 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

Benny Glaser Wins $1,500 Omaha Hi/Lo for Second Bracelet
Defeats field of 934 for $244,103.

June 19

$1,000 Seniors No-Limit Hold 'Em (Event #27, 3 days [6/17 start])

Winner: Johnnie Craig ($538,204 & 1st bracelet)

Entries: 4,499 (675 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

$10,000 Limit Hold 'Em (Event #28, 3 days [6/17 start])

Winner: Ian Johns ($290,635 & 3rd bracelet)

Entries: 110 (17 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

June 20

$1,500 No-Limit Hold 'Em (Event #29, 3 days [6/18 start])

Winner: Alexander Ziskin ($401,494 & 1st bracelet)

Entries: 1,796 (270 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

$3,000 Pot-Limit Omaha 6-Max (Event #30, 3 days [6/18 start])

Winner: Viatcheslav Ortynskiy ($344,327 & 1st bracelet)

Entries: 580 (87 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

June 21

$1,000 Super Seniors No-Limit Hold 'Em (Event #31, 3 days [6/19 start])

Winner: James Moore ($230,626 & 1st bracelet)

Entries: 1,476 (223 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

Benny Glaser Wins $10,000 Omaha Hi/Lo for Third Bracelet, Second of Year
Defeats field of 934 for $407,194 for second bracelet in three days.

$10,000 Omaha Hi/Lo Split 8/OB (Event #32, 3 days [6/19 start])

Winner: Benny Glaser ($407,194 & 3rd bracelet)

Entries: 163 (25 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

June 22

$1,500 Limit Deuce-to-Seven Triple Draw Lowball (Event #34, 3 days [6/20 start])

Winner: Andrey Zaichenko ($117,947 & 1st bracelet)

Entries: 358 (54 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

June 23

Adrian Mateos Wins $1,500 No-Limit Hold 'Em for Second Bracelet
Defeats field of 1,840, including Koray Aldemir heads up, for $409,171.

$1,500 No-Limit Hold 'Em (Event #33, 4 days [6/20 start])

Winner: Adrian Mateos ($409,171 & 2nd bracelet)

Entries: 1,840 (276 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

$5,000 No-Limit Hold 'Em 6-Max (Event #35, 4 days [6/21 start])

Winner: Michael Gathy ($560,843 & 3rd bracelet)

Entries: 541 (82 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

Michael Gathy Wins $5,000 No-Limit Hold 'Em 6-Max for Third Bracelet
Defeats field of 541 for $560,843.

$2,500 Mixed Omaha/Seven-Card Stud Hi/Lo 8/OB (Event #36, 3 days [6/21 start])

Winner: Hani Awad ($213,186 & 1st bracelet)

Entries: 394 (60 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

June 24

$1,500 Pot-Limit Omaha (Event #37, 3 days [6/22 start])

Winner: Jiaqi Xu ($212,128 & 1st bracelet)

Entries: 776 (117 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

$3,000 Limit Hold 'Em 6-Max (Event #38, 3 days [6/22 start])

Winner: Rafael Lebron ($169,337 & 1st bracelet)

Entries: 245 (37 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

June 25

$10,000 No-Limit Hold 'Em 6-Max (Event #39, 3 days [6/23 start])

Winner: Martin Kozlov ($665,709 & 1st bracelet)

Entries: 294 (45 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

$2,500 Limit Deuce-to-Seven Mixed Triple Draw Lowball (Event #40, 3 days [6/23 start])

Winner: Christopher Vitch ($136,854 & 1st bracelet)

Entries: 236 (36 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

June 26

$3,000 No-Limit Hold 'Em Shootout (Event #42, 3 days [6/24 start])

Winner: Phillip McAllister ($267,720 & 1st bracelet)

Entries: 400 (40 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

June 27

George Danzer Wins $10,000 Seven-Card Stud Hi/Lo for Fourth Bracelet
Defeats field of 136 for $338,646 to become the first player to win four bracelets in the 2010s.

$10,000 Seven-Card Stud Hi/Lo Split 8/OB (Event #43, 3 days [6/25 start])

Winner: George Danzer ($338,646 & 4th bracelet)

Entries: 136 (21 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

June 28

$1,500 No-Limit Hold 'Em (Event #41, 5 days [6/24 start])

Winner: Mitchell Towner ($1,120,196 & 1st bracelet)

Entries: 6,927 (1,040 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

$1,500 No-Limit Hold 'Em/Pot-Limit Omaha 8-Max (Event #45, 3 days [6/26 start])

Winner: Loren Klein ($241,427 & 1st bracelet)

Entries: 919 (138 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

Loren Klein Wins $1,500 No-Limit Hold 'Em/Pot-Limit Omaha for First Bracelet
Defeats field of 919 for $241,427.

June 29

$1,000 No-Limit Hold 'Em (Event #44, 4 days [6/26 start])

Winner: Steven Wolansky ($298,849 & 2nd bracelet)

Entries: 2,076 (312 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

$1,500 No-Limit Hold 'Em Bounty (Event #46, 3 days [6/27 start])

Winner: Kristen Bicknell ($290,768 & 2nd bracelet)

Entries: 2,158 (324 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

Kristen Bicknell Wins $1,500 No-Limit Hold 'Em Bounty for Canada's First Female Open Bracelet
Defeats field of 2,158 for $290,768 and her second bracelet.

$10,000 Limit Deuce-to-Seven Triple Draw Lowball (Event #47, 3 days [6/27 start])

Winner: John Hennigan ($320,103 & 4th bracelet)

Entries: 125 (19 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

John Hennigan Wins $10,000 Limit Deuce-to-Seven Draw for Fourth Bracelet
Defeats field of 125, including Michael Gathy heads up, for $320,103.

$5,000 No-Limit Hold 'Em (Event #48, 2 days [6/28 start])

Winner: Ankush Mandavia ($548,139 & 1st bracelet)

Entries: 524 (79 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

June 30

Shaun Deeb Wins $1,500 Seven-Card Stud for Second Bracelet
Defeats field of 331, including Adam Friedman heads up, for $111,101.

$1,500 Seven-Card Stud (Event #49, 3 days [6/28 start])

Winner: Shaun Deeb ($111,101 & 2nd bracelet)

Entries: 331 (50 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

July 1

Safiya Umerova Wins $1,500 No-Limit Hold 'Em Shootout for Russia's First Female Bracelet
Defeats field of 1,050 for $264,046 to become second woman to win an open bracelet in 2016.

$1,500 No-Limit Hold 'Em Shootout (Event #50, 3 days [6/29 start])

Winner: Safiya Umerova ($264,046 & 1st bracelet)

Entries: 1,050 (120 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

July 2

$10,000 Pot-Limit Omaha 8-Max (Event #51, 4 days [6/29 start])

Winner: Brandon Shack-Harris ($894,300 & 2nd bracelet)

Entries: 400 (60 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

$1,500 Mixed Pot-Limit Omaha 8/OB / Omaha 8/OB / Big O (Event #53, 3 days [6/30 start])

Winner: Allan Le ($189,223 & 1st bracelet)

Entries: 668 (101 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

July 3

WSOP Pays Out 100,000th Prize
The 100,000th prize awarded in WSOP history occurred roughly during the $888 No-Limit Hold 'Em 8-Max, although other events were running at the same time.

$3,000 No-Limit Hold 'Em (Event #52, 4 days [6/30 start])

Winner: Andrew Lichtenberger ($569,158 & 1st bracelet)

Entries: 1,125 (169 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

July 4

$888 Crazy Eights No-Limit Hold 'Em 8-Max (Event #54, 4 days [7/1 start])

Winner: Hung 'OH' Le ($888,888 & 1st bracelet)

Entries: 6,761 (954 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

July 5

David Peters Wins $1,500 No-Limit Hold 'Em for First Bracelet
Defeats field of 1,860 for $412,557.

$1,500 No-Limit Hold 'Em (Event #56, 3 days [7/3 start])

Winner: David 'NV' Peters ($412,557 & 1st bracelet)

Entries: 1,860 (279 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

$1,500 Pot-Limit Omaha Hi/Lo Split 8/OB (Event #57, 3 days [7/3 start])

Winner: David Nowakowski ($203,113 & 1st bracelet)

Entries: 732 (110 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

$1,000 No-Limit Hold 'Em (Event #58, 2 days [7/4 start])

Winner: Corey Thompson ($221,163 & 1st bracelet)

Entries: 1,397 (210 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

July 6

Brian Rast Wins $50,000 Poker Players Championship for Third Bracelet
Defeats field of 91, including Justin Bonomo heads up, for $1,296,097.

$50,000 Poker Players Championship 6-Max (Event #55, 5 days [7/2 start])

Winner: Brian Rast ($1,296,097 & 3rd bracelet)

Entries: 91 (14 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

Victoria Coren Mitchell and Debbie Burkhead Join Women in Poker Hall of Fame
Coren, the first player to win two European Poker Tour titles, and Burkhead, long-time Poker Player Newspaper columnist, are honored at the Golden Nugget.

July 7

$1,500 Seven-Card Stud Hi/Lo 8/OB (Event #60, 3 days [7/5 start])

Winner: David Prociak ($156,546 & 1st bracelet)

Entries: 521 (79 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

July 8

Yue Du Wins $5,000 No-Limit Hold 'Em for China's First Bracelet
Defeats field of 863 for $800,586. After Natasha Barbour exited in 3rd place for a career best $348,374, her boyfriend Jason Mercier proposed and she agreed.

$5,000 No-Limit Hold 'Em (Event #59, 4 days [7/5 start])

Winner: Yue Du ($800,586 & 1st bracelet)

Entries: 863 (130 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

$1,000 No-Limit Hold 'Em Tag Team (2-4 players) (Event #61, 3 days [7/6 start])

Winner: Doug Polk & Ryan Fee ($153,358 & 3rd & 1st bracelets)

Entries: 863 (302 paid)

Third bracelet for Polk and first for Fee.

WSOP.com | Hendon

WSOP.com $1,000 WSOP.com Online No-Limit Hold 'Em (Event #66, 1 day)

Winner: Clayton Maguire ($210,279 & 1st bracelet)

Entries: 1,247 (153 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

Ryan Laplante Sets Record With 12th Cash of Year
Partners with Leo Wolpert to finish 22nd in $1,000 Tag Team to split $4,315.

Inaugural Tag Team Tournament Won by Doug Polk and Ryan Fee
Pro duo defeats field of 863 two-, three-, and four-player teams for $153,358.

July 9

$25,000 Pot-Limit Omaha 8-Max (Event #62, 4 days [7/6 start])

Winner: Jens Kyllonen ($1,127,035 & 1st bracelet)

Entries: 184 (28 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

$1,000 No-Limit Hold 'Em (Event #63, 3 days [7/7 start])

Winner: Tony Dunst ($339,254 & 1st bracelet)

Entries: 2,452 (368 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

$3,000 Pot-Limit Omaha Hi/Lo Split 8/OB (Event #64, 3 days [7/7 start])

Winner: Kyle Bowker ($294,960 & 1st bracelet)

Entries: 473 (71 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

July 10

$1,000 Ladies No-Limit Hold 'Em (Event #65, 3 days [7/8 start])

Winner: Courtney Kennedy ($149,108 & 1st bracelet)

Entries: 819 (123 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

$111,111 High Roller for One Drop - No-Limit Hold 'Em (Event #67, 3 days [7/8 start])

Winner: Fedor Holz ($4,981,775 & 1st bracelet)

Entries: 183 (28 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

July 13

Roland Israelashvili Sets Record With 13th Cash of Year
Finishes 517th in $1,000 Little One for One Drop for $1,743 to break Ryan Laplante's 5-day-old record.

July 16

Greg Raymer Last Champ Standing in Main Event
Exits in 122nd place for $49,108.

Gaelle Baumann Last Woman Standing in WSOP Main Event
Finishes 102nd for $49,108 and her second Last Woman Standing title.

$1,111 Little One for One Drop - No-Limit Hold 'Em (Event #69, 3 days [7/12 start])

Winner: Michael Tureniec ($525,520 & 1st bracelet)

Entries: 4,360 (654 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

July 18

Jason Mercier Is WSOP Player of the Year
Cashes a POY-record 11 times while winning two bracelets to leave Paul Volpe in second.

2016 WSOP November Nine Set
Cliff Josephy leads with 74.6 million chips, ahead of Qui Nguyen with 68 million.

August 11

Said El-Yosfi Wins WSOP National Championship
Defeats field of 126 for $343,256.

$10,000 Global Casino Championship - No-Limit Hold 'Em (Event #1, 3 days [8/9 start])

Winner: Said El-Yousfi ($343,256 & 1st bracelet)

Entries: 126 (19 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

September 15

David Williams Exits "MasterChef" Reality Show
Main Event runner-up in 2004 reaches the final three of twenty contestants before bowing out.

October 16

Elton Tsang Wins €1,000,000 Big One for One Drop
Defeats field of 26 (2 rebuys) for $12,248,912 in non-bracelet event in the Monte-Carlo One Drop Extravaganza.

October 25

WSOP Europe Moves to Czech Republic
New home is King's Casino in Rozvadov.

October 26

Carlos Mortensen and Todd Brunson Join Poker Hall of Fame
Mortensen is the 2001 Main Event champion and Spain's first bracelet winner, while Brunson is a high-stakes cash game specialist who becomes the first player to join his father in the Hall.

November 1

Qui Nguyen Wins 2016 WSOP Main Event
Defeats field of 6,737, including Gordon Vayo heads up, for $8,005,310.

$10,000 Main Event - No-Limit Hold 'Em (Event #68, 10 days [7/9 start])

Winner: Qui Nguyen ($8,000,000 & 1st bracelet)

Entries: 6,737 (1,011 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon