What winning the WSOP Main Event means for a poker player

The WSOP main Event is the Indy 500 of the poker world. True fans know who is running hot; winning WPT and EPT events around the globe; and who won a WSOP bracelet. On the other hand, the casual poker fan -which represents the majority-only cares about one thing: Who won the Main Event.

The huge pay-day aside, winning the WSOP Main Event makes you a household name, and gives you endorsement opportunities that even the most marketable players can only dream of.

For The Superstar

For a top tier pro a main Event victory would turn them into the face of the industry. If one of the top 50 players (in skill and star-power) were to win ‘The Big One’ they would be set for life -with sponsorships and endorsement deals– and selling everything from poker tables to their memoirs. These players do not ‘need’ the money the win would produce; which is substantial (typically high seven to low eight figures). No, these already superstars would benefit more from the windfall after the tournament.

Along with the financial success, a top player would also cement his or her legacy in the poker community. A poker legend without a main Event victory is like a golfer without a Major, or a football player without a Super Bowl. Despite the fame, fortune, and acknowledgement of their skill; there will be a piece of the puzzle missing.

For The Pro

For one of the many poker professionals who ply their trade in relative anonymity, a Main Event win would not only place them in the upper tier of Poker Pros, but they would be “The Pro” for at least five years. They would no longer have to buy into tournaments, and would finally have the name-power to go along with the skill.

While not setting them up for life; the win would turn these ‘grinders’, already earning a solid living, into stars who would need little more than a semblance of money-management skills. Often the only thing separating the Phil Hellmuth’s and Daniel Negreanu’s of the world from other lesser known Poker Pros is a hot run of cards at the right time.

For The Amateur

An amateur player has the most to gain from a WSOP Main Event win. Gone are the days of working 40 hours a week, and worrying about mortgage payments and credit card bills. Besides becoming an instant multi-millionaire, the amateur player will be approached with sponsorship deals, and possible endorsements.

The deals will be paltry compared to what a top flight player would be courted with, but still substantial enough to earn a tremendous living for at least a few years -Chris Moneymaker is still a huge part of PokerStars marketing campaigns some 6 years after his WSOP main Event win.

Winning the WSOP may net you a very substantial payday, but it’s the decisions you make after the tournament that could be the toughest, and have the most consequences.