Poker Props: Here Are Your Options for Betting on the 2014 WSOP

The 2014 World Series of Poker kicks off in less than two weeks, but betting on the event has already started.

On May 27, one of the most famous American poker rooms in Las Vegas will welcome thousands of professional poker players from all over the world to the 45th Annual World Series of Poker (WSOP). Most of them will be there until July, but only the best ones make it to the final table and the battle for the $10 million guaranteed prize is scheduled for November.

WSOP Winners

The last five editions of the poker tournament were won by:

• Ryan Riess (2013)
• Greg Merson (2012)
• Pius Heinz (2011)
• Jonathan Duhamel (2010)
• Joe Cada (2009)

This year’s WSOP will feature a total of 65 events and promises to be the biggest poker tournament so far, with the $10,000 buy-in No Limit Hold’em main event beginning on July 5.

The start of the main event is still far away, but online and mobile betting operators have already posted their WSOP betting odds. Apart from the usual wagers on who’s going to win the poker tournament, players can also bet on Top woman, Color of last flop, Players to reach final table and some interesting prop bets.

Let the betting begin

There are currently five WSOP prop bets available, and the following weeks should bring more. And the good news is winning some of these bets could actually bring you a lot of money.

Where to bet on WSOP

Looking to bet on WSOP? Here are a few online sportspooks offering odds on the tournament:

• Bovada
• Ladbrokes
• BetVictor

The prop bets launched so far include the country of birth of the 2014 WSOP Main Event Champion (with options being “USA” or “Rest of the world”), the age of the winner (with the two available options set at “27 years or older” and “26 Years 364 days or younger”) and the final hand at the Main Event (where you can opt for “2 pair or better” and “1 pair or lower”).

Bovada online sportsbook also invites users to place wagers on whether a former Main Event winner or a female poker player will make it to the final table or not. Both of these proposition bets offer great odds and huge cash prizes if the answer turns out to be “yes”.

Tips and facts

But what are the chances of winning big with prop bets this year? A few facts about the international poker tournament will make it easier for you to decide what bets to join and how much to wager. So here’s what you should know before heading to the bookies.

First of all, there hasn’t been a repeat champion in the poker tournament’s main event since 1997. The honor went to late Stu Unger, a professional poker player who won the WSOP main event three times.

As for the champion’s country of origin, going with the international field could be worth it this year. A number of talented players will surely be there. However, you should also keep in mind that Americans took the WSOP bracelet both in 2012 and in 2013. Before that, the title went to Germany’s Pius Heinz in 2011 and to Canadian player Jonathan Duhamel in 2010.

The biggest odds are offered for those who bet on a female poker player making it to the final table and win. While many would be tempted to vote “Yes” on that, history and statistics contradict them. The only female player to make it to the final table in the past 44 years was Barbara Enright, and this was back in 1995.

Betting on how old this year’s champion should be an easy one, considering that the last 6 winners have all been 25 or younger. Jerry Yang was the last player over 27 to take the title, back in 2007.

Special bets

Romanian-Canadian player Daniel Negreanu announced on Twitter that he is making a bet of his own, on whether he or Phil Ivey will win at least one bracelet in this tournament. Members of the 2+2 forums have quickly joined the debate and started to share their thoughts on whether this bet is realistic or not.

The tweet reads as follows:

WSOP Bracelet Bet Offering: me and @philivey as a team, you can bet the don’t on either of us winning a bracelet this summer at even money.

— Daniel Negreanu (@RealKidPoker) May 13, 2014

Ivey won his last bracelet in April 2013 and currently holds nine WSOP bracelets. His fellow player Negreanu has six of them, with the latest one being less than a year old. Now the bet is open to anyone who feels up to the challenge of competing against two of the world’s best poker players.