2012 WSOP Sees 15% Growth On Last Year

The figures are in for the 2012 World Series of Poker revealing a 15.6% growth in the overall prize pool to $222 million from $192 million a year earlier, while attendances also grew to 75,672 from 74,766 in 2011.
Going into the 2012 WSOP there was initially concerns that the tournament series would see a fall in its number on account of recent knocks the poker industry has taken in the US, as well as the global economic slowdown. However, those worries have now proved unfounded, and as WSOP Executive Director Ty Stewart commented:
“We’re still in poker’s golden age, at least when WSOP gold bracelets are on the line. We can’t thank the players enough for their continued support of the WSOP and for once again putting a bad beat on market conditions.”
One of the factors helping to boost the 2012 WSOP figures was the 61 event series having two extra tournaments this year, one of which was the $1 million “Big One for One Drop” which generated a massive $42.6 million towards the overall prize pool.
In addition, the figures are now in from all three starting days of the Main Event showing a total of 6,598 players entered the show piece tournament, which was the fifth-largest starting field in the tournament’s history. However, that number was slightly lower than the 2011 tally of 6,865 participants, nevertheless the third and final starting day drew a record 3,418 competitors, a single-day record for the $10,000 buy-in Main Event.
Consequently, the 2012 WSOP Main Event has a prize pool worth $62 million with $8,527,982 earmarked for the eventual winner. Furthermore, 666 places will be paid, each receiving a minimum of $19,227 a piece, or nearly double their entries. The Main Event will now play through to July 16th when the final table of nine will be set, with the remaining competitors then returning to the Rio All Suites Casino at the end of October to battle for tournament poker’s most sought after title.