After twelve days of intense action, the first-ever WSOP Paradise festival in the Bahamas is done and dusted, crowing its Main Event champion on Thursday.
Per data compiled by pokerfuse with the help of WSOP and PokerNews, 17,267 took part in the Caribbean festival, resulting in the distribution of more than $70 million in prize money across 15 bracelet events.
“From hall of famers winning bracelets to celebrity sightings and a classic Phil Hellmuth entrance to the Main Event, WSOP Paradise exceeded even our own lofty expectations and became the final highlight of an incredible year,” said Ty Stewart, SVP and Executive Director of the World Series of Poker, in a recent press release.
“We thank every player who made the trip to the Bahamas to be part of the action and launch our newest tradition, Winter in Paradise,” Stewart added.
WSOP Paradise 2023 By the Numbers:
- Bracelets Awarded: 15
- Prize Money Generated: $71,736,590
- Combined Entrants: 17,267
- Rake Collected: $3,753,520
- Overlay: $188,000
- Main Event Prize Pool: $15,050,000
The iconic five-star Atlantis Resort was the venue for 15 bracelet events during the series, including featuring GGPoker’s innovative hybrid OnLive format in multiple tournaments. This hybrid format allowed players to participate in Day 1s online and qualify to play in the Bahamas for later stages.
The series kicked off with a bang, recording record-breaking participation. The opening event, Mystery Millions, with a $1650 buy-in, attracted 3446 runners, surpassing its $5 million guarantee and establishing the largest poker gathering ever hosted in the Bahamas.
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The $25,000 buy-in GGMillion$ High Roller Championship drew 533 entrants, exceeding its $10 million guarantee and contributing an additional $3.3 million to reach a total prize pool of $13,325,000—the second-largest in the series.
The $1000 Mini Main Event saw a field of 2,234 runners, accumulating a prize pool of $2.23 million. The High Roller edition of Pot-Limit Omaha, featuring a $25,000 buy-in, attracted 140 entrants, resulting in a prize pool of $3.5 million.
The $50k Super High Roller attracted 137 runners, the $100k Ultra High Roller drew 111 entrants, and the Flip & Go event gathered 767 entries. Additionally, a couple of events took place exclusively online on the GGPoker platform, each generating prize pools of $1.3 million.
However, the star-studded highlight of the series was undeniably the WSOP Paradise Main Event. With an impressive guarantee of $15 million, it attracted precisely enough participants to exceed its target, culminating in 3010 runners across four live flights and multiple online Day 1s on GGPoker, resulting in a prize pool of $15,050,000.
Stanislav Zegal, a GGPoker online qualifier from Germany, emerged victorious, claiming the inaugural WSOP Paradise Championship title, $2 million, and his first-ever WSOP gold bracelet.
Nearly every event in the series surpassed its guaranteed prize pool, except for the Closer Turbo Bounty, featuring a $2000 buy-in and a $1 million guarantee. This particular event fell short of expectations. As one of the final tournaments on the WSOP Paradise schedule, it attracted a robust presence of players still in the Bahamas.
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Despite the determined effort, and many players had already departed for home or headed to Las Vegas for the WPT World Championship, the event did not meet its seven-figure guarantee, falling short by $188,000.
Nevertheless, the overall series proved to be a massive success, awarding $71,736,590 in prize money, with WSOP collecting $3.7 million in rake. The officials would be quite pleased, especially considering the direct competition posed by the WPT World Championship concurrently occurring at Wynn, Las Vegas, hosting a record-setting $40 million guaranteed event.
WSOP has already hinted at the possibility of Paradise becoming a traditional winter destination in the Bahamas, and players are eagerly anticipating the second edition scheduled for late 2024.
WSOP Paradise 2023 Results
| Event | Buy-in | Gtd | Entrants | Prize Pool | Entry Fee | Rake | Overlay |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1: Mystery Millions | $1,500 | $5,000,000 | 3446 | $5,169,000 | $150 | $516,900 | |
| #2: Millionaire Maker in Paradise | $1,425 | $5,000,000 | 3496 | $5,244,000 | $75 | $262,200 | |
| #3: GGMillion$ High Roller Championship | $25,000 | $10,000,000 | 533 | $13,325,000 | $1,000 | $533,000 | |
| #4: Mini Main Event No-Limit Hold’em | $1,000 | $1,000,000 | 2234 | $2,234,000 | $100 | $223,400 | |
| #5: High Roller Pot-Limit Omaha | $25,000 | $2,000,000 | 140 | $3,500,000 | $1,000 | $140,000 | |
| #6: No-Limit Hold’em 6-Handed | $3,000 | $1,000,000 | 755 | $2,265,000 | $300 | $226,500 | |
| #7: Super High Roller No-Limit Hold’em | $50,000 | $2,000,000 | 137 | $6,850,000 | $2,000 | $274,000 | |
| #8: Mystery Bounty Pot-Limit Omaha (Online) | $2,000 | $1,000,000 | 668 | $1,336,000 | $100 | $66,800 | |
| #9: Ultra High Roller No-Limit Hold’em | $100,000 | $5,000,000 | 111 | $11,100,000 | $3,000 | $333,000 | |
| #10: MAIN EVENT CHAMPIONSHIP | $5,000 | $15,000,000 | 3010 | $15,050,000 | $300 | $903,000 | |
| #11: Flip & Go | $740 | 767 | $567,590 | $60 | $46,020 | ||
| #12: No-Limit Hold’em FREEZEOUT (Online) | $1,000 | $1,000,000 | 1366 | $1,366,000 | $50 | $68,300 | |
| #13: Pot-Limit Omaha Championship | $10,000 | $1,000,000 | 104 | $1,040,000 | $400 | $41,600 | |
| #14: The Closer – Turbo Bounty | $2,000 | $1,000,000 | 406 | $1,000,000 | $200 | $81,200 | $188,000 |
| #15: High Roller No-Limit Hold’em 6-Handed | $10,000 | $1,000,000 | 94 | $1,690,000 | $400 | $37,600 |
