The 2021 World Series of Poker (WSOP) takes place in Las Vegas from September 30 and sees 88 bracelet-awarding events adorn its schedule. Players will win millions of dollars between them, much like the five biggest WSOP winners of all time.
The five biggest WSOP winners, in terms of money, not bracelets, have $89,046,763 in combined winnings. It should not take long before that figure breaks through the $100 million barrier, which is almost unbelievable. Who are the five biggest WSOP winners of all time? Keep reading to find out.
Antonio Esfandiari is the Biggest WSOP Winner
Antonio Esfandiari ranks 15th in the all-time money listing and the biggest WSOP winner, too. Esfandiari has $27,810,802 in tournament winnings, $22,365,691 stems from WSOP events.
Esfandiari first cashed at the WSOP in 2003; he finished fifth in a $2,000 No-Limit Hold’em event for $34,060. The fully trained magician won the first of three WSOP bracelets 12-months later. Esfandiari triumphed in the $2,000 Pot-Limit Hold’em event for $184,860.
Bracelet number two came in 2012 and did so with a gargantuan top prize. Esfandiari won the $1,000,000 buy-in Big One for One Drop, defeating Sam Trickett heads-up, and scooped an incredible $18,346,673. He won this third bracelet at the 2012 WSOP Europe festival.
The California resident should hold onto the title of the biggest WSOP winner ever for the foreseeable future because he holds a lead of almost $3 million.
Daniel Negreanu Ranks Second in the Biggest WSOP Winners List
Daniel Negreanu is the second biggest WSOP winner, Canada’s number one, and the world’s number three. That is what $43,298,504 in earnings does for you. Some $19,550,955 of that colossal sum is from Negreanu’s WSOP scores.
Negreanu is one of the most prolific WSOP players when it comes to in-the-money finishes. The Canadian superstar has 169 WSOP cashes, one WSOP Circuit ring, and six gold WSOP bracelets.
1998 was the year Negreanu won his first bracelet; he took down a $2,000 Pot-Limit Hold’em event. He is the only poker player in history to have won a WSOP bracelet in Las Vegas, Europe, and Australia. Negreanu has not won poker gold since 2013, so is long overdue a victory. Watch for Negreanu at the 2021 WSOP.
Dan Colman is Third Despite Only Ten Cashes
It is amazing that Dan Colman is the third biggest WSOP winner despite only registering ten cashes on the tour. Some $17,413,782 of his $28,925,058 winnings stem from his cashes at the WSOP.
Colman was already regarded as one of the best poker players in the world before he exploded onto the live scene in 2014. Colman crushed heads-up sit & go tournaments in the online poker world before stepping into the big wide world.
The man from Massachusetts was one of 42 players who paid $1 million to enter the Big One for One Drop. Colman was the last man standing a couple of days later, and he collected $15,306,668 after defeating Negreanu heads-up.
Phil Hellmuth Has The Most WSOP Bracelets
Phil Hellmuth has been a permanent fixture at the WSOP since 1988 and is now one of the biggest WSOP winners of all time. $15,050,038 of Hellmuth’s $24,917,333 earnings are from WSOP events.
The self-proclaimed Poker Brat won the WSOP Main Event in 1989, becoming the youngest-ever Main Event champion. Hellmuth has gone on to win a total of 15 WSOP bracelets, more than any other player. All but two of those bracelets are from No-Limit Hold’em events.
Hellmuth considers himself as the greatest-ever poker player. His peers do not agree because of his unorthodox style. You cannot argue with his WSOP earnings regardless of your thoughts about Hellmuth’s poker prowess.
Jonathan Duhamel is Fifth Despite No Cashes Since 2018
Canada’s Jonathan Duhamel rose to stardom when he won the 2010 WSOP Main Event for $8,944,310. That prize, along with his other 45 cashes, make Duhamel the fifth-biggest WSOP winner to date. $14,666,297 of Duhamel’s $18,012,109 winnings are from WSOP tournaments.
Duhamel is one of only three WSOP Main Event winners who have gone on to win another bracelet after their victory. However, we have not seen Duhamel at the tables since 2018. He lost his PokerStars sponsorship, and his backing deal after rumors about his personal life surfaced. Will Duhamel make a comeback? That remains to be seen.
Share
Brad Johnson
You name the game, and you can bet your bottom dollar that Brad has either played it or placed a wager on it! Brad calls himself a natural gambler, and someone who gains as much enjoyment from writing about the crazy game of poker as he does playing it.