The 2024 edition of North American Poker Tour (NAPT) Las Vegas Main Event saw the registration officially close earlier today, with a total of 895 entries made across the event’s three Day 1 flights and the early levels of Day 2.
With the buyin for this year’s event set at $5,300, the players created a prize pool of $4,340,800, eclipsing the previous record for an NAPT Main Event set by the NAPT Venetian in 2010, which stood at $4,017,740.
The event also shattered the $3,000,000 guarantee which PokerStars had set for it, proving once again that live poker is alive and well. Yet, the overall number of players was significantly reduced compared to last year, when 1,095 players showed up and paid the significantly lower price to play in the first NAPT event in 12 years.
Following last year’s trial run, PokerStars returned in 2024 with the $5,300 buyin for the NAPT Main Event and was able to attract nearly 900 entrants, a portion of whom came via the regional qualifiers organized Philadelphia and Maryland earlier in the year.
- Play one hand & get $150 in bonus play funds
- Top-quality mobile app
- Best online MTT schedule
NAPT Returns to its Former Glory
PokerStars brought back its biggest American poker tour after a long hiatus of 12 years in 2023. The festival was a resounding success, although the $1,650 Main Event didn’t quite inspire the awe expected from a major poker tour on US soil.
This year, the organizers decided to kick things up a notch, setting the buyin to $5,300, closer to the original NAPT events back in 2010 and 2011, and guaranteeing payouts to the tune of at least $3,000,000 in the Main Event alone.
There was no doubt that the event would attract many of the world’s top tournament players, and likely cover the guarantee as well, but PokerStars went above and beyond and managed to shatter their own prize pool record for an NAPT Main Event.
Things started off pretty hot on Tuesday, with 266 entries made into flight 1A, the first opportunity to play in this year’s NAPT Main Event. Two more entry flights were available yesterday and 466 players took their seats in Day 1B, while an additional 103 tried to grab Day 2 seats in the afternoon Day 1C flight with turbo levels.
Finally, another 60 players entered the event at the start of Day 2 earlier today, which was enough to set the new prize pool record and make history, as NAPT continues growing and once again becoming one of the key tours in the world of live poker.
| Day | Total Entries | Prize Pool |
|---|---|---|
| Day 1A | 266 | $1,290,100 |
| Day 1B | 466 | $2,260,100 |
| Day 1C | 103 | $499,500 |
| Day 2 | 60 | $291,100 |
| Total | 895 | $4,340,800 |
Weng and Sepiol among Day 2 Notables
A total of 347 players made their way to the Resorts World convention area for Day 2 of the NAPT Main Event earlier today, with reigning WPT Player of the Year Bin Weng holding the chip lead with 359,000 chips to start the day.
With registration now closed and the just over 220 players left in the field, Bin Weng remains one of the top stacks in the room, with the likes of Dan Sepiol, Jeff Madsen, Kitty Kuo, Joe Serock, Jared Jaffee, Maria Konnikova, and Ethan “Rampage” Yau also nursing healthy chip stacks.
The likes of Vanessa Kade, Victoria Livschitz, Patrick Leonard, Aram Zobian, Phil Laak, Parker Talbot, and Jeremy Ausmus all competed in Day 2 as well, but busted in the early levels and well outside of the paid spots.
The Main Event field continues to dwindle with every passing level, as the remaining players approach the money bubble, which should burst when some 135 players are left in the room.
Stephen Song Dominates the Super High Roller
While the Main Event was always going to be the focal point of the entire NAPT festival, the $25,000 Super High Roller that came to a close yesterday was another event worth keeping a close eye on.
A total of 60 players signed up to play the elite event, with the likes of Scott Seiver, Dan Shak, Jason Koon, Jonathan Little, Erik Seidel, Justin Saliba, and other notables spotted in the field.
In the end, only eight players would share in the spoils of the $1.44 million prize pool, with Stephen Song taking home the biggest payday worth $439,400 and the Super High Roller trophy.
Following in his wake were the likes of Sean Winter ($288,100), Edward Sebesta ($208,900), James Collopy ($158,500), and Elias Gutierrez ($122,500), all of whom received six figure payouts.
Thomas Eychenne, Brock Wilson, and Paul Jager also made the money, while the likes of Nicholas Seward and Justin Saliba just nearly missed out on the spots that led to profit.
More Action Coming at the 2024 NAPT
The registration in the Main Event may be done, but there is still time to jump into action and get a taste of this year’s NAPT Las Vegas.
The $500 NAPT Cup, featuring a $300,000 guaranteed prize pool, starts tomorrow and features a total of four starting flights over the next couple of days, providing another opportunity to compete in a massive field event and play for the big bucks.
Elsewhere, the high rollers will get another chance in the $10,300 NAPT High Roller event with a single re-entry option on Friday, while the $550 Seniors Event starts the very same day.
The NAPT Main Event, NAPT Cup, and NAPT High Roller will all carry over into Saturday, the penultimate day of the festival, and come to a close the following day.
For all players in Las Vegas right now, PokerStars will also have a selection of other side events and cash games running around the clock at Resorts World, creating non-stop opportunities to play poker and compete against some of the very best in the world.
