The World Series of Poker (WSOP) is the most prestigious tournament festival on the calendar. Thousands of players from all over the world make the annual pilgrimage to Las Vegas to seek fame and fortune through their victories.
Many players, both amateur and professional, leave Nevada with life-changing money in their pockets, but it’s not always about the cash.
The gold bracelet presented to every WSOP event winner is the most sought after prize in poker.
However, some of the best players in the game have yet to secure a coveted WSOP bracelet, even after sustained effort.
Here is our selection of the best poker players without a WSOP bracelet.
Steve O’Dwyer
Steve O’Dwyer is a prominent figure in the poker world and a regular in most of the high-stakes tournament series’.
With career earnings of almost $44 million, he ranks among the top tournament players globally, currently sitting at 13th on the all time winners list for live events.
O’Dwyer has had significant success outside the WSOP, including multiple high-stakes tournament victories in all other series in which he has participated.
However, despite his prowess, his last cash at the WSOP was in 2013, and he has not attended the series in recent years, focusing instead on high roller events and cash games such as the Triton Super High Roller Series.
Niklas Astedt
Often recognized by his online moniker “Lena900,” Niklas Astedt is one of the top online tournament players of all time, boasting over $47 million in cashes along with multiple WCOOP and SCOOP titles.
His live tournament earnings come in at more than $7 million, which is more than respectable considering his limited participation in live events.
Astedt’s closest run for a WSOP bracelet came only weeks ago in the 2024 WSOP Main Event, where he finished third for a $4,000,000 prize.
As he continues to expand his live tournament schedule, most believe it is only a matter of time before he secures a WSOP bracelet.
Patrik Antonius
Patrik Antonius is a true legend of the game, renowned for his skills in both cash games and tournaments.
With live tournament career earnings of $23 million, and experience stretching back all the way to the beginning of the poker boom, Antonius has made a name for himself as one of the most recognisable faces in poker.
This respect from most in the industry was backed up by his entry into the Poker Hall of Fame this year.
Despite his extensive tournament experience and several deep runs, including a third-place finish in the 2008 WSOP Main Event, he has yet to claim a bracelet.
Although it is fair to say that the Finn’s recent results in Triton events and at the EPT do indicate that his motivation to win at the top level is back.
Mike “ Timex” McDonald
Best known as “Timex,” Mike McDonald is a Canadian poker player most celebrated for his achievements at a tender young age.
Thought to be one of the smartest people in the poker industry, McDonald blew everyone away with his performances after arriving with a bang in 2007.
He became the youngest player to win a major tournament at the age of 18 and has amassed over $13 million in live tournament earnings.
McDonald has had a couple of close calls at the WSOP, with two final table appearances in 2011 and 2012.
But despite his success in other tournaments, he has not yet secured a WSOP bracelet, which is a state of affairs unlikely to change given his exit from regular competition in 2017.
Viktor Blom
Viktor Blom, also known as “Isildur1,” is famous for his aggressive play style and high-stakes cash game prowess.
He came to note in the Full Tilt Poker era where the then unknown player was seen duelling with the best on the heads-up NL and PLO tables for millions of dollars at a time.
With $5.7 million in live tournament earnings, Blom has made headlines no matter what tables he sits at.
But even with all his talent and experience, he has not yet captured a WSOP bracelet. That, though, does look certain to change following a mega performance at the 2024 WSOP where he cashed 10 times and achieved a pair of third places and one fourth.
Roland Israelashvili
Roland Israelashvili holds the record for the most WSOP cashes with an impressive 512 cashes to his name. He also has the record for the most consecutive cashes which was last chalked up in June at a whopping 230.
But although those are impressive records to hold, he also holds the record for the most cashes without winning a bracelet.
His closest calls came with a trio of third places in 2013, 2020, and 2022, including an online event.
Surely the American can get the job done one day, especially with the amount of volume we see him playing every year in Las Vegas.
Bin Weng
Bin Weng is a rising star in the poker community, coming to note last year with a long series of great results in high-stakes live tournaments.
Currently he sits on a live earnings total of $9 million which is amazing in itself, but what most people don’t realise is that his career didn’t even start fully until 2017.
Last year saw Weng break his duck with a WPT victory for $1,128,250 and his first WSOP Circuit ring.
This is a player who will definitely get the job done, and surely sooner rather than later.
There are no certainties in poker, though. This summer we witnessed Daniel Negreanu win his first bracelet in 11 years, and his first in Las Vegas since 2008.
Phil Ivey also ended a drought of a decade, but we then saw Scott Seiver win three bracelets in a month.
All that said, the players discussed above are certainly amongst the most likely to get over the line if they put the time in.
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