The 2023 return of the WSOP's popular $1,500 "Millionaire Maker" no-limit hold'em event meant for twin packed houses at the Horseshoe and Paris casinos on both Friday and Saturday, when the event's Day 1A and Day 1B took place.
The attendance mark for the Milly, set at 8,809 entries in 2019, was squarely in view when the WSOP pulled in 4,585 entries for Friday's Day 1A. Given that Saturday's turnout has never failed to exceed Friday's in the event, it became more a story of not whether the old mark would be shattered, but by how miuch.
By early afternoon, the old mark had been surpassed. 5,300 entrants had already registered for Saturday's Day 1B session, stretching the overall total well past 9,800 entries with two more levels of play, plus a dinner break, of late-registration time remaining. Lines of would-be players were still waiting to get into the event.
As the dinner break concluded and Day 1B's Level 9 began, the entry tally for the session made its final upward ticks, When all those who entered were accounted for, 5,845 Day 1B entrants joined the 4,585 from Day 1A. The grand total: 10,430 entrants. As the WSOP had already noted, the 2023 Milly Maker also etched itself into the record books as being the largest $1,500 live event in poker history.
The complete prize breakdown for Event #53 had yet to be published at last report, but the total pool will be $6,120,975, and more than 1,600 players should make the money. The massive event, one of the WSOP's hallmark weekend offerings, remains a major draw. The Millionaire Maker was expected to set a new participation mark, but the huge attendance gains may make the event a mid-series fixture in future years.
Feature image source: Haley Hintze
