The WSOP main event

The World Series of Poker Main Event begins today. The Main Event is unquestionably the focal point of the entire World Series of Poker, which now consists of 100 separate tournaments over 7 weeks. It costs $10,000 to enter—same as it did in 19701—and somewhere around 10,000 people will give it a spin. Meaning the prize pool will be in the $93 million range after the 7% rake. First place was $10 million last year. It’s no longer the most expensive buy-in—there are now 13 “high roller” events with buy-ins ranging from $25,000 to $250,000, and numerous other $10,000 events—but it is the most prestigious. Which is the kind of human social dynamic that’s both hard to explain but easy to understand. The Main Event is also the only tournament in the world with a 5-figure buy-in that has so many amateurs participating. It’s a bucket-list item for many casual poker players—many of whom have no business playing for anything close to these stakes—and its cultural cache also attracts a fair…