Jamie Gold wanted it to happen, and it did. The 2023 World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event has set an attendance record with 8,774 entrants and rising at the time of publishing, during Level 1 of Day 1d.
In 2006, Gold's world championship year, the field hit 8,773 players, a record that stood for 17 years. Last year, the WSOP came close to cracking that record, but inevitably fell just a bit short at 8,663 entries, making it the second largest Main Event in history.