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The World Series of Poker in 2023 is not too far away. The best Texas Hold ‘em players on earth will soon travel to Las Vegas and compete against each other. In preparation of the event, I want to look at a few WSOP 2023 props and offer you my predictions.
The most popular prop bets every year for the WSOP are pretty straightforward. You typically have the option to predict the age of the winner and the winning hand. These types of bets often add to the excitement of the event, and the information in this article can help guide your picks.
Main Event’s Winning Hand
- Pair; +250
- Two Pair; +300
- High Card of Any Other Kind; +500
- Three of a Kind; +1400
- Flush; +2000
- Full House; +5000
- Four of a Kind; +10000
- Straight Flush; +50000
- Royal Flush; +75000
Here’s one of the most popular WSOP prop bets. Every year, everyone eagerly anticipates the winning hand in the main event. In previous editions, champions have gotten the job done in several different ways.
You should know that winners of the WSOP typically have good hole cards when they claim the event. In fact, 15 prior champions held a pair with their hole cards alone. Winners tend to have at least one suited hole card as well.
In 2022, the champion had a full house as the winning hand, and the 2020 Main Event winner had a full house as well. In 2021, it was two pairs that won the event, and the 2019 champion had a single pair (with his hole cards) as the winning hand.
Recent history has proven that the WSOP Main Event champions typically don’t have the most impressive hands when they win. I think it’s safe to say that a similar hand could win the event once again. I’m picking three of a kind because the profitability is pretty solid.
- My Betting Pick: Three of a Kind; +1400
Main Event Winner’s Age
- 20s; +165
- 30s; +180
- 40s; +350
- 50+; +550
Here’s another one of the more popular WSOP 2023 prop bets worth targeting. Winners of the Main Event in the past often vary when it comes to their age. There have been champions in their 20s, and a few previous winners have exceeded the age of 60.
Poker isn’t a young or old person’s game. It has universal appeal across all age groups. In fact, when you look at the betting odds for this particular market, you won’t find a lot of separation among the different ages. This is one of the more unpredictable bets you can make.
Phil Hellmuth held the record as the youngest Main Event champion for almost 20 years before it was broken. He was 24 years old when he won, but since then, several champions in their early 20s have come along. The youngest winner ever was Joe Cada at 21 years old in 2009.
Main Event champions have been of various ages in the last 10 editions of the tournament. They include the following players (and their ages):
- Ryan Riess: 23 years old
- Martin Jacobson: 27 years old
- Joe McKeehen: 24 years old
- Qui Nguyen: 39 years old
- Scott Blumstein: 25 years old
- John Cynn: 33 years old
- Hossein Ensan: 55 years old
- Damian Salas: 45 years old
- Koray Aldemir: 31 years old
- Espen Jorstad: 34 years old
Ultimately, I think the safest option here is to bet on someone in their 30s. The winners often tend to be somewhere in the middle in terms of their age. In fact, over the past two decades, the average age of the Main Event champion has been roughly 31 years old.
- My Betting Pick: 30s; +185
Number of Players in the 2023 Main Event
- Over 8900 Players; -130
- Under 8900.5 Players; -110
This is also one of the more interesting WSOP props that you can bet on. People from all over the world travel to Las Vegas for the Main Event. Winning the tournament is like winning the lottery – the grand prize is worth an absurd amount of money.
Participation in the Main Event has been steadily increasing over the past few decades. 2022 nearly set the record for the most entrants ever, with 8663 players competing in the tournament. That’s the second-largest turnout of all time (the record is 8773 entrants set in 2006).
Players are flocking to Las Vegas for the Main Event simply because the prize pool is getting enormously lucrative. In 2022, the second-most amount of money ever in tournament history was up for grabs. The prize pool was worth over $80 million, and that number will likely go up.
I think it’s safe to say that 2023 will break the record for the most entrants ever for the WSOP Main Event. The tournament has notoriety around the world, with players traveling to Vegas for a shot at claiming all the glory. The WSOP is only going to continue building momentum.
- My Betting Pick: Over 8900.5 players; -130
Where Will the Main Event Winner Be From?
- Not the U.S.; +300
- California; +500
- Texas; +500
- New York; +600
- Florida; +600
- Pennsylvania; +800
- Illinois; +1000
- Ohio; +1200
- Georgia; +1400
- North Carolina; +1400
- Michigan; +1600
The WSOP is based in the United States, but the event has widespread popularity. People from different upbringings, backgrounds, and environments make their way to Vegas every year. You really never know where the next winner will come from.
Plenty of Americans have become Main Event champions in the past. However, more and more international players are having an impact on the tournament. In fact, the past 10 editions of the Main Event have featured five non-American winners.
I think the next champion won’t be from the U.S. An American hasn’t won the Main Event in the past four editions of the tournament. Ultimately, the popularity of the WSOP creates even more competition, and I think there’ll be a lot more international winners in the future.
