The wait is finally over! The 2025 World Series of Poker officially kicks off today with the first flight of the $1,000 Mystery Millions event and the $500 Industry Employees tournament.
While things will be relatively slow for the first few days, the action will pick up speed over the course of the week as players start flooding the floors of Paris and Horseshoe in Las Vegas.
With the largest yearly event in all of poker getting underway, we figured it was the right moment to come up with a few predictions for the 2025 WSOP.
Decreased Waiting Times Thanks to the WSOP+ App
Perhaps the biggest change for this year’s series in Las Vegas is the introduction of the WSOP+ app. The app will serve as the central hub for all things happening at and around WSOP, enabling players to register for the events they want to play, get their seating schedules, and much more.
We’ve already seen the app in action in the Bahamas, and the feedback was overwhelmingly positive, so we expect that WSOP+ will ensure a smoother and more enjoyable experience for the players, allowing them to skip waiting lines and find better uses for their time instead.
Of course, with this being a completely new thing, there could be some issues during the first few days, with not all players knowing that having an account with the app is now a requirement to participate in the series.
However, once those initial hurdles are out of the way, the WSOP+ app should prove a very valuable addition for everyone involved – players and staff alike.
Lower Attendance by Non-US Players
Over the last couple of years, the World Series of Poker has gone from strength to strength, breaking attendance records in every which way.
While it would be nice to say with confidence this trend will continue, it is likely that there will be fewer players from outside of the US descending upon Las Vegas this time around.
Recent changes to US immigration laws and a number of not-so-pleasant stories coming from travelers are not doing the WSOP any favors.
This is not to say that there will be a massive drop-off in attendance, but it is likely that the ratio of US to non-US players will be higher than in previous years.
Phil Hellmuth Will Play the Main Event
Phil Hellmuth is a staple of the World Series of Poker, and he’s never missed the Main Event in nearly four decades. However, earlier this year, he declared he would be skipping the Main in 2025, saying that the tournament has become an “endurance contest” and that he no longer has the energy.
Even at the time of that tweet, not many people believed The Poker Brat would break the tradition and actually stick to this decision, but his recent post on X pretty much removes any doubts.
Phil asked his followers to decide if he should play, saying he’d make the decision based on how they voted in a poll. We all know what the results of that poll will be, so despite his earlier hesitance, it’s now a pretty safe bet that Hellmuth will be in the Main Event, making it his 38th in a row.
Fierce Competition for the POY Title
The WSOP Player of the Year title is one of the most prestigious titles in poker, especially for professional players. Winning it requires some luck for sure, but it often boils down to heart and commitment.
This year’s competition should be quite interesting. We have players like Scott Seiver, the 2024 winner, Daniel Negreanu, Jeremy Ausmus, and others, who will be playing big schedules and have a real shot at it.
But then, there are some enthusiastic amateurs out there as well, such as Texas Mike, who announced he’d be playing as many tournaments as humanly possible during the 2025 WSOP.
Skill-wise, he may not be at the same level as these hardened pros, but he loves playing poker and has the mentality needed to see this thing through.
Pros certainly have the upper hand, but we may see a much closer race for the top this time around, and having an “outsider” challenge them for the title would certainly add to the excitement.
Big Fields for WSOP Online Events
The WSOP Online has finally brought together all of its sites under one umbrella. With Pennsylvania joining the MSIGA earlier this year, players from Michigan, Nevada, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania will now all play in the same tournaments.
This will create much bigger fields in WSOP Online bracelet events. This year, the online segment of the series features 30 tournaments, with buy-ins between $400 and $5,300.
Bigger fields will generate larger prize pools, which, in turn, should motivate even more players to join the action. Additionally, with respectable numbers of entries, online bracelet winners will get more recognition from their peers.
Fairer Environment for All Players
Ahead of the 2025 WSOP, organizers issued a rulebook, which introduced a few new rules aimed at improving the fairness of the series.
Learning from past experiences, this year’s WSOP will heavily restrict the use of electronic devices at the tables once a tournament reaches its final stages. Players will also not be allowed to receive coaching or advice from the rail.
While we are yet to see how all of this will play out in practice, these things at least sound good in theory. These changes should help amateur players feel more at home and encourage them to join the action.
Less WSOP Content Outside of Official Channels
One change that may not be so great from the fans’ perspective is that we likely won’t have as much unofficial WSOP “coverage” coming from players.
For 2025, organizers have been much stricter about who can get the media pass, so even some popular vloggers won’t be able to do their thing at the tables.
Additionally, even regular players won’t be allowed to do much filming outside of their bust hands. The aim of these rules is primarily to protect the integrity of the events, but there are some obvious drawbacks as well.
This is not to say there won’t be a bunch of WSOP content available, but we expect it to be more about players’ experiences and post-event analysis and less game footage. And, who knows, maybe it will be an interesting change of pace, challenging creators to come up with some fresh ideas that we’ll all enjoy.
