Main Event Overview

Below are the past winners of the main event, together with brief information about each years main event. For more information, view the article on the WSOP for that specific year.

Year Winner / Winning Hand Prize (US$) Entrants Runner-Up / Losing Hand
2006 To be decided July 28 - August 10, 2006 10,000,000 (est.) 
2005  Joseph Hachem 7♣ 3♠ 7,500,000 5,619  Steve Dannenmann A♦ 3♣
2004  Greg Fossilman Raymer 8♠ 8♦ 5,000,000 2,576  David Williams A♥ 4♠
2003  Chris Moneymaker 5♦ 4♠ 2,500,000 839  Sam Farha J♥ T♦
2002  Robert Varkonyi Q♦ 10♠ 2,000,000 631  Julian The Kid Gardner J♣ 8♣
2001  Juan Carlos El Matador Mortensen K♣ Q♣ 1,500,000 613  Dewey Tomko A♠ A♥
2000  Chris Jesus Ferguson A♠ 9♣ 1,500,000 512  T. J. Cloutier A♦ Q♣
1999  Noel Furlong 5♣ 5♦ 1,000,000 393  Alan Goehring 6♥ 6♣
1998  Scotty Nguyen J♦ 9♣ 1,000,000 350  Kevin McBride Q♥ T♥
1997  Stu The Kid Ungar A♥ 4♣ 1,000,000 312  John Strzemp A♠ 8♣
1996  Huck Seed 9♦ 8♦ 1,000,000 295  Bruce Van Horn K♣ 8♣
1995  Action Dan Harrington 9♦ 8♦ 1,000,000 273  Howard Goldfarb A♥ 7♣
1994  Russ Hamilton K♠ 8♥ 1,000,000 268  Hugh Vincent 8♣ 5♥
1993  Jim Bechtel J♣ 6♥ 1,000,000 220  Glenn Cozen 7♠ 4♦
1992  Hamid Dastmalchi 8♥ 4♣ 1,000,000 201  Tom Jacobs J♦ 7♠
1991  Brad Daugherty K♠ J♠ 1,000,000 215  Don Holt 7♥ 3♥
1990  Mansour Matloubi 6♠ 6♥ 895,000 194  Hans Tuna Lund
1989  Phil Hellmuth Jr 9♠ 9♣ 755,000 178  Johnny Oriental Express Chan A♠ 7♠
1988  Johnny Oriental Express Chan J♣ 9♣ 700,000 167  Erik Seidel Q♣ 7♥
1987  Johnny Oriental Express Chan A♠ 9♣ 625,000 152  Frank Hollywood Henderson 4♦ 4♣
1986  Berry Johnston A♠ T♥ 570,000 141  Mike Harthcock A♦ 8♦
1985  Bill Smith 3♠ 3♥ 700,000 140  T. J. Cloutier A♦ 3♣
1984  Gentleman Jack Keller T♥ T♠ 660,000 132  Byron Cowboy Wolford 6♥ 4♥
1983  Tom McEvoy Q♦ Q♠ 580,000 108  Rod Peate K♦ J♦
1982  Jack Treetop Straus A♥ 10♠ 520,000 104  Dewey Tomko A♦ 4♦
1981  Stu The Kid Ungar A♥ Q♥ 375,000 75  Perry Green T♠ 9♦
1980  Stu The Kid Ungar 5♠ 4♠ 385,000 73  Doyle Texas Dolly Brunson A♥ 7♠
1979  Hal Fowler 7♠ 6♦ 270,000 54  Bobby The Wizard Hoff A♣ A♥
1978  Bobby Baldwin Q♦ Q♣ 210,000 42  Crandall Addington 9♦ 9♣
1977  Doyle Texas Dolly Brunson 10♠ 2♥ 340,000 34  Gary Berland 8♥ 5♣
1976  Doyle Texas Dolly Brunson 10♠ 2♠ 220,000 22  Jesse Alto A♠ J♦
1975  Brian Sailor Roberts 9♠ 9♥ 210,000 21  Bob Hooks A♣ K♦
1974  Johnny Moss 160,000 16  Crandall Addington
1973  Walter Puggy Pearson A♠ 7♠ 130,000 13  Johnny Moss K♥ J♠
1972  Thomas Amarillo Slim Preston 80,000 8  Walter Puggy Pearson
1971  Johnny Moss 30,000 6  Walter Puggy Pearson
1970  Johnny Moss * n/a 7 n/a