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One of the most prestigious freerolls in poker, the rich history of the Tournament of Champions contributes to the legacy of the World Series of Poker every year. On Thursday, May 15, 2025, the 7th WSOP Tournament of Champions will begin at Commerce Casino in sunny Southern California, with players competing for the first bracelet of the 2025 WSOP.

Las Vegas, Nevada (May 2, 2025) - In less than two weeks, the 7th World Series of Poker Tournament of Champions will begin at Commerce Casino in Southern California on Thursday, May 15, 2025.

The seventh installment of poker’s most prestigious freeroll, the 2025 Tournament of Champions (TOC) boasts a $1,000,000 guaranteed prize pool for WSOP event winners from all over the world.

An exclusive event for WSOP bracelet and Circuit ring winners from the past year, the WSOP Tournament of Champions captures the essence of an “all-star game” that pits poker’s best against each other at the table.

Since the first Tournament of Champions in 2004, the event has seen a number of poker legends add to their legacies by winning the tournament.

In anticipation for the 2025 WSOP Tournament of Champions, we take a look back at the history of the TOC, and every champion that has added their name to poker history.

The History of the WSOP Tournament of Champions

Following Chris Moneymaker’s impactful win in the WSOP Main Event in 2003, the game of poker, and in turn the WSOP, grew in popularity in ways never before.

Seeing record turnouts for bracelet events at the summer series, the WSOP seized the opportunity to expand by introducing not only the WSOP Circuit, but the first-ever WSOP Tournament of Champions.

At its inception in 2004, the WSOP Tournament of Champions was an invite-only tournament made up of the ten most well-known poker players at the time.

Expanding the event in 2005, the WSOP adopted a qualifier format for the Tournament of Champions, with participation exclusive to players who reached the final table of the WSOP Main Event or won a WSOP Circuit event that year. Famously, Phil Hellmuth, Johnny Chan, and Doyle Brunson were allowed to participate in the tournament despite not qualifying.

After a three-year hiatus, the WSOP Tournament of Champions returned in 2010 and was held at the Rio just off the Las Vegas Strip.

Along with 7 qualifying players that included previous TOC champions and the WSOP Main Event and WSOP Europe Main Event champions from that year, the remaining 20 entrants were voted on by the public.

Amongst the players voted to participate in the 2010 WSOP Tournament of Champions included WSOP legends Phil Ivey, Daniel Negreanu, Scotty Nguyen, and Erik Seidel.

After another hiatus, this one lasting over a decade, the WSOP Tournament of Champions returned in 2022 and was bigger than ever.

While remaining an invite-only event, the 2022 Tournament of Champions would be the first TOC to invite every WSOP bracelet and Circuit ring winner from the previous year to participate. Drawing a total field of 470 WSOP event winners, the 2022 Tournament of Champions ushered in a new era for the prestigious event.

In 2023, with 741 total entrants the largest Tournament of Champions in WSOP history took place at the Paris and Horseshoe in Las Vegas.

Starting in 2024, Commerce Casino in Southern California became the host of the WSOP Tournament of Champions, hosting 559 qualifiers in the property’s debut.

Serving as a symbolic kick-off to each WSOP, the 2025 Tournament of Champions will be the beginning of an exciting summer full of poker action!

WSOP Tournament of Champions Winners

2004 - Annie Duke

Annie Duke, known to many as The Duchess of Poker, was the winner of the first-ever WSOP Tournament of Champions in 2004.

Along with her bracelet victory in the $3,000 Omaha High-Low 8/OB event at the 2005 WSOP, Duke is most known for her 10th place finish in the 2000 WSOP Main Event, one of the deepest runs by a woman in the event’s history.

An invite-only event made up of the biggest poker players at the time, Duke took home $2 million after defeating a Tournament of Champions field that included Phil Hellmuth, Johnny Chan, Greg Raymer, Doyle Brunson, Daniel Negreanu, Phil Ivey, T.J. Cloutier, David “Chip” Reese, and her brother Howard Lederer.

Defeating all-time leader in WSOP bracelets Phil “The Poker Brat” Hellmuth heads-up, Duke achieved one of the biggest poker accomplishments of her career and secured her largest WSOP cash. 

2005 - Mike Matusow

One of poker’s most recognizable players, Mike “The Mouth” Matusow was already an accomplished poker player prior to winning the WSOP Tournament of Champions in 2005.

Winning two of his four career WSOP bracelets prior to the 2005 Tournament of Champions, Matusow’s skill as well as vocal presence at the poker table had solidified him as a household name.

Outplaying a final table that included friend Phil Hellmuth, Matusow defeated two-time WSOP bracelet winner Hoyt Corkins to win the 2005 Tournament of Champions title and $1,000,000.

2006 - Mike Sexton

A legend of the game inducted into the Poker Hall of Fame in 2009, the late Mike Sexton may have been known as The Ambassador of Poker, but that didn’t necessarily mean you wanted him seated next to you at the poker table.

A WSOP bracelet winner with additional titles across the poker tournament circuit, Sexton’s poker acumen was rivaled only by his iconic voice and ability to commentate the game.

A sponsored participant who helped make up the 27 player field of the 2006 Tournament of Champions, Sexton famously defeated Mike Matusow three-handed and Daniel Negreanu heads-up to win the title and $1,000,000 top prize.

2010 - Huck Seed

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After a four year hiatus, the WSOP Tournament of Champions returned in 2010 and tasked poker fans with voting on who they wanted to see compete in the event.

On March 15, 2010, 27 poker players including the likes of Allen Cunningham, Barry Greenstein, Dan Harrington, Joe Hachem, and Antonio Esfanderia competed in the prestigious freeroll for the $500,000 top prize.

Emerging out of the star-studded field in first place, 1996 Main Event champion and 2020 Poker Hall of Fame inductee Huck Seed further added to his poker legacy by winning the historic event.

2022 - Benjamin Kaupp

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Returning after more than a decade, the 2022 WSOP Tournament of Champions made history by being the first TOC to invite all WSOP bracelet and Circuit ring winners to take part in the $ million freeroll.

With a total field of 470 WSOP event winners, the competitive event served as an exciting conclusion to the 2022 World Series of Poker.

Winning his first career bracelet and largest career WSOP cash of $250,000, Virginia’s Benjamin Kaupp took down the TOC after qualifying through his victory in an online WSOP Circuit tournament.

2023 - Ronnie Day

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In the first WSOP Tournament of Champions to be held at the Horseshoe and Paris on the Las Vegas Strip, 741 bracelet and WSOP Circuit ring winners competed in the largest TOC of all-time.

Outlasting a competitive final table, poker pro Ronnie Day won his lone WSOP bracelet and $200,000 in the 2023 Tournament of Champions, qualifying for the event by winning a Circuit ring in Elizabeth, Indiana.

2024 - Dong Meng

Hosting the WSOP Tournament of Champions for the first-time ever, Commerce Casino in Southern California opened its doors to 559 tournament entrants.

Defeating WSOP Circuit ring winner Kevin Will heads-up at the final table, Dong Meng won his second career WSOP bracelet and $200,000 by taking down the 2024 Tournament of Champions.

Punching his ticket to the 2024 TOC by winning his first bracelet in the GGPoker $1,000 Flip & Go at the 2023 WSOP, Meng will look to defend his title and win bracelet #3 at Commerce this month.