WSOP Main Event Winner Espen Jorstad Takes Home $10 Mill & Studded Bracelet

Espen Jorstad from Norway won the first Main Event of the World Series Of Poker (WSOP) on the Vegas Strip.

He will receive a $10 million prize and the Main Event championship bracelet. This bracelet is composed of 500 grams of 10 karats of white and yellow gold, and is embedded with 55 and a half karats or 2,767 assorted precious stones, including rubies, and black and white diamonds.

The WSOP Main Event began with a bang when celebrity Vince Vaughn, the Master of Ceremonies, was brought into the venue on the Vegas Strip. This marked the first time a celebrity initiated the WSOP Main Event. All this excitement for not too shabby a loot, considering it was less than two weeks of work.

Lisa Vanderpump, a restaurateur, initiated the WSOP event earlier this summer.

Jorstad wins the WSOP Main Event

For the first time, the WSOP Main Event with a buy-in of $10,000 occurred on the Vegas Strip. Both Bally’s and Paris Las Vegas hosted events for the WSOP.

The Main Event’s final table was held inside Bally’s casino hotel, which is currently under renovation. It will be renamed as Horseshoe Las Vegas later this year.

The 2022 WSOP Main Event concluded over the weekend, spanning nine days of poker games. Jorstad emerged as the winner, surpassing 8,662 competitors from across the globe.

Jorstad managed to outdo Adrian Attenborough and Michael Duek at the Final Table. Duek secured third place in the WSOP, earning $4 million in prize money.

Attenborough competed against Jorstad for the Main Event grand prize of $10 million, playing heads-up. In the final hand, Jorstad triumphed over Attenborough with a full house. Despite coming in second, Attenborough still walked away with a hefty $6 million for his efforts.

Of course, the first thing the Norwegian poker professional did after winning was to call his mother.

“During the call, she was overwhelmed with emotion,” Jorstad stated. “Her voice was barely audible. She’s my greatest supporter, so having the opportunity to share that moment with her was incredibly unique.”

First WSOP on the Vegas Strip is a success and marks major comeback

Ty Stewart, Senior Vice President and Executive Director of World Series of Poker, stated:

The poker community found this year’s historic WSOP particularly remarkable. Defying all odds, poker made a significant comeback, debuting on the Las Vegas Strip for the first time. Watching Espen persist through 8,662 Main Event entrants – the second highest in WSOP history, was truly astounding. We anticipate raising Espen’s banner and returning even stronger at the new Horseshoe Las Vegas next summer.

The WSOP in Las Vegas made a significant comeback in 2022 after two sluggish years caused by the Covid-19 pandemic. The WSOP recorded 8,662 entries, marking the second-highest number ever in its history.

The overwhelming majority of responses from the event held between Bally’s and Paris Las Vegas were positive. We anticipate even more positive feedback next year once Bally’s transition to Horseshoe is complete.

Bally’s to become Horseshoe Las Vegas

Currently, Caesars, the owner of Bally’s and the WSOP, is renovating the property. By the end of the year, they plan to rebrand Bally’s as Horseshoe Las Vegas.

The modifications to the property will encompass both its design and ethos. Upon unveiling the proposed alterations to Bally’s, the Senior Vice President and General Manager of the property, Jason Gregorec, stated:

Horseshoe is all about the gambler. Since 1951, Horseshoe Casinos have offered the best odds, highest limits, and largest jackpots. Therefore, it’s only appropriate that we reintroduce Horseshoe to Las Vegas, specifically on the Las Vegas Strip.

A significant transformation is expected for a casino on the Vegas Strip. This most touristic section of Las Vegas has earned a reputation over the past decade for offering unfavorable odds on casino games.

New and updated sportsbooks at Bally’s and Paris

The company recently stated that Bally’s sportsbook will be transformed into The Arcade at Horseshoe. It also seems that a new sports betting counter will be integrated into a forthcoming Guy Fieri restaurant.

Participants of the 2025 WSOP will have the chance to bet on sports at a newly renovated sportsbook in Paris Las Vegas, in addition to a new sports betting location at Bally’s/Horseshoe next year. The Paris Las Vegas venue is currently undergoing upgrades.

Jack Binion’s Steak is now operational at Bally’s. A new culinary venture from Chef Martin Yan is set to open shortly at the same location. Paris has newly inaugurated a Nobu branch, in addition to Vanderpump A Paris.

By the time cards are in the air for WSOP 2025 at Paris and Horseshoe Las Vegas, renovations and modifications to both properties should be completed.