WSOP bracelets: how much are they worth and what do they represent?
The World Series has been awarding bracelets to the winners for decades. They are probably the most coveted trophies in the poker community.
When the World Series of Poker first kicked off in 1970, winners weren’t awarded bracelets, but a cup and a plaque.
However, six years later everything changed, as Benny Binion, an American gambling icon who came up with the WSOP concept, thought of the idea of introducing bracelets. Since then, a bracelet has been awarded to the winner of every event at the annual WSOP.
The World Series champions could wear them while playing, so their competitors could see who they were facing. When poker become more popular, the number of bracelet-awarding events increased.
How much is a bracelet worth?
Over the years the bracelets have changed and so has their value, but the first bracelet back in 1976 was worth around $500.
Nowadays, the WSOP bracelets are quite different, and the ones awarded in most events are worth around $1,500.
However, bracelets awarded to the Main Event winners are much more valuable: some of the modern Main Event bracelets are worth hundreds of thousands due to their materials and design, as they have gold and precious stones.
The 2019 Main Event bracelet, when the Series was celebrating its 50th anniversary, was made out of 10K gold and contained 77 rubies and 2,175 diamonds.
That year, a $2,500 Limit Omaha event bracelet was put up for auction on eBay. It reached the final price of $50,000, while in 2010, a Main Event bracelet was sold in an auction for $147,500.