Which US Poker States Have Produced the Most WSOP Champions this Year?
The World Series of Poker (WSOP) has been different this year. COVID-19 restrictions have made vaccine passports and face masks necessary for all attending players. They’ve also made it difficult for international poker players to ante-up in Las Vegas. Although not impossible, the US travel ban has prevented a lot of people from outside the US travelling to this year’s WSOP.
That will change on November 8 when the US travel ban is lifted. However, the lack of international players has given us a chance to review the current state of poker in America. Indeed, with almost every event so far being won by an American, PokerListings has taken a look at where the winners are coming from.
WSOP Demographics and this Year’s Champions
Based on our analysis, the majority of WSOP champions have come from California. We’ve seen a handful of winners from Florida, Connecticut, Maryland, and Ohio. We’ve also celebrated a few international wins with players from Israel, Australia, Lithuania, and Taipei.
However, what we’re most interested in is the US online poker states. Are players from states where online poker is legal performing better than their counterparts? The simple answer to that question is no because California hasn’t regulated online poker (yet). But it’s also fair to say that California is home to more people than any other state.
Therefore, based on odds alone, California will always produce a lot more WSOP champions than other states. However, if we remove California from the equation, we see that America’s online poker states are performing well this year. Although we can’t directly attribute the legalization of online poker with positive results at the WSOP, it certainly helps.
Indeed, if players have access to online games, they’re more likely to play and, in turn, hone their skills. What’s more, in states where WSOP.com is active, there are WSOP satellites and online bracelet events. In tandem, these offer another way for US poker states to outperform their peers when it comes to WSOP accolades.
Regulated US Online Poker States
Before we dive into the data, let’s quickly establish which US states currently have online poker regulations in place:
From the latest crop of WSOP bracelet winners, Nevada leads the way. This is somewhat expected because a lot of professionals call Las Vegas home. However, we’ve also seen champions from other states in recent weeks, which suggests online poker regulation could offer benefits to WSOP hopefuls.
2021 WSOP Bracelet Winners from Nevada (7)
Event #3: Covid-19 Relief No-Limit Hold'em Charity Event
- Winner: Jeremy Ausmus
- Prize Money: $48,687
- Residence: Las Vegas, Nevada
Event #9: Omaha Hi-Lo 8 or Better Championship
- Winner: Ari Engel
- Prize Money: $317,076
- Residence: Las Vegas, Nevada
Event #11: Heads Up No-Limit Hold'em Championship
- Winner: Jason Koon
- Prize Money: $243,981
- Residence: Las Vegas, Nevada
Event #21: Mixed Pot-Limit Omaha Hi-Lo 8 or Better
- Winners: Dylan Linde
- Prize Money: $170,269
- Residence: Las Vegas, Nevada
Event #23: Eight Game Mix 6-Handed
- Winner: Ryan Leng
- Prize Money: $137,969
- Residence: Las Vegas, Nevada
Event #29: Short Deck No-Limit Hold'em
- Winner: Chance Kornuth
- Prize Money: $194,670
- Residence: Las Vegas, Nevada
Event #40: H.O.R.S.E. Championship
- Winner: Kevin Gerhart
- Prize Money: $361,124
- Residence: Las Vegas, Nevada
2021 WSOP Bracelet Winners from Pennsylvania (2)
Event #2: H.O.R.S.E.
- Winner: Jesse Klein
- Prize Money: $552,182
- Residence: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Online Event #2: WSOP.com No-Limit Hold'em BIG 500
- Winner: Mark Herm
- Prize Money: $89,356
- Residence: Royersford, Pennsylvania
2021 WSOP Bracelet Winners from New Jersey (1)
Event #17: Millionaire Maker No-Limit Hold'em
- Winner: Daniel Lazrus
- Prize Money: $1,000,000
- Residence: Long Beach, New Jersey
2021 WSOP Bracelet Winners from Michigan (1)
Event #13: Freezeout No-Limit Hold'em
- Winner: Harvey Mathews
- Prize Money: $371,914
- Residence: Mount Morris, Michigan
2021 WSOP Bracelet Winners from Delaware (0)
No Winners from Delaware at the Time of Writing
Online Poker Can be a Breeding Ground for Success
The results are far from conclusive, but we can see that having access to online poker can lead to WSOP success. Delaware is the exception to the rule. However, with a population of less than a million and just one active site in the state right now (888Poker), it’s hardly surprising that Delaware hasn’t produced any championship this year.
What we can see though is that Michigan, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey have all become proving grounds for aspiring poker players. Again, the results don’t show a clear correlation between online poker and WSOP success. But the seeds have been planted. As these markets mature and more people find their way into poker through locally regulated sites, it will increase the number of players. This, in turn, means more could ante up at the WSOP and have a shot at winning.
Beyond the potential for US poker markets to become breeding grounds for future WSOP champions, regulations have a number of other benefits. From making real-money games accessible to the plethora of security protocols in place, legal US poker sites are changing the game (even if they face more challenges than European Poker rooms). If this leads to more homegrown WSOP champions, great. If not, it’s good to see more people in American playing poker.
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