2005
The 2005 event took place between November 6 and November 8 at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas. Prior to the event, Harrah's advertised that to qualify a player would need to win any World Series of Poker circuit events or by reaching the final table of the 2005 WSOP $10,000 no limit Texas hold 'em championship event. Controversy erupted however when Pepsi, the event's sponsor, insisted that Phil Hellmuth, Doyle Brunson, and Johnny Chan be granted Sponsor Exemptions. Despite public protests from other players that they were lied to as the event was billed as one that one had to qualify for, ESPN and Harrah's newly hired Vice President of Sports and Entertainment Marketing, Jeffrey Pollack allowed the three to participate. Hellmuth finished third, while Chan and Brunson missed the final table, coming in 13th and 10th, respectively. From 2006 onward, Harrah's reserved the right to let in up to six players via sponsor's exemptions.
| Position | Competitor | Prize |
|---|---|---|
| 1st | Mike Matusow | $1,000,000 |
| 2nd | Hoyt Corkins | $325,000 |
| 3rd | Phil Hellmuth | $250,000 |
| 4th | Tony Bloom | $150,000 |
| 5th | Steve Dannenmann | $100,000 |
| 6th | Grant Lang | $75,000 |
| 7th | David Levi | $50,000 |
| 8th | Keith Sexton | $25,000 |
| 9th | Brandon Adams | $25,000 |
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