Here are the original earnings lists for each decade followed by lists restricting buyins to $10,000 or less (thus including the Main Event) and to $9,999 and less (thus excluding the Main Event). The first three decades have only two lists (as mentioned, the first buyin over $10k was in 2006).
1970s All Events
- 10. Amarillo Slim Preston: $112,400
- 9. George Huber (TX): $114,000
- 8. Perry Green: $154,800
- 7. Billy Baxter: $155,000
- 6. Puggy Pearson: $219,200
- 5. Sailor Roberts: $245,850
- 4. Hal Fowler: $270,000
- 3. Johnny Moss: $366,150
- 2. Bobby Baldwin: $458,500
- 1. Doyle Brunson: $776,250
1970s Under $10,000 (no Main Event)
- 10. Lakewood Louie: $67,200
- 9. Dewey Tomko: $68,775
- 8. Bill Boyd: $70,000
- 7. Bobby Baldwin: $78,500
- 6. Perry Green: $86,500
- 5. Puggy Pearson: $89,200
- 4. Aubrey Day: $92,550
- 3. Gary Berland: $96,600
- 2. Johnny Moss: $145,000
- 1. Doyle Brunson: $163,750
Doyle Brunson still wins the decade, with
Johnny Moss moving into second as
Bobby Baldwin drops to seventh.
1980s All Events
- 10. Jack Straus: $580,500
- 9. Dewey Tomko: $593,580
- 8. Frank Henderson: $643,485
- 7. Tom McEvoy: $758,820
- 6. Bill Smith: $788,800
- 5. Phil Hellmuth: $806,235
- 4. Berry Johnston: $983,910
- 3. Stu Ungar: $1,039,740
- 2. Jack Keller: $1,210,520
- 1. Johnny Chan: $1,857,000
1980s Under $10,000 (no Main Event)
- 10. Johnny Moss: $287,380
- 9. Joe Petro: $292,650
- 8. Lyle Berman: $319,050
- 7. Chip Reese: $336,765
- 6. Ralph Morton: $337,980
- 5. Billy Baxter: $365,550
- 4. David Baxter: $378,690
- 3. Frank Henderson: $393,485
- 2. Don Williams: $430,020
- 1. Jack Keller: $524,270
Jack Keller wins the non-Main Event decade as
Johnny Chan falls completely off the list with most of his money coming from his 1st-1st-2nd Main Event run.
1990s All Events
- 10. Brad Daugherty: $1,112,479
- 9. T.J. Cloutier: $1,212,806
- 8. Mansour Matloubi: $1,214,062
- 7. Scotty Nguyen: $1,254,607
- 6. Phil Hellmuth: $1,257,875
- 5. Dan Harrington: $1,277,608
- 4. Erik Seidel: $1,297,146
- 3. Hamid Dastmalchi: $1,324,850
- 2. John Bonetti: $1,417,117
- 1. Huck Seed: $1,614,844
1990s Under $10,000 (no Main Event)
- 10. Max Stern: $640,860
- 9. David Chiu: $644,890
- 8. John Cernuto: $687,162
- 7. Eli Balas: $732,241
- 6. T.J. Cloutier: $775,306
- 5. Humberto Brenes: $792,761
- 4. John Bonetti: $822,367
- 3. Men Nguyen: $843,667
- 2. Erik Seidel: $1,017,646
- 1. Phil Hellmuth: $1,236,675
Phil Hellmuth jumps from sixth to first, and
Erik Seidel from fourth to second.
2000s All Events
- 10. Darvin Moon: $5,182,928
- 9. Paul Wasicka: $6,217,738
- 8. Ivan Demidov: $6,461,252
- 7. Greg Raymer: $6,487,512
- 6. Allen Cunningham: $6,709,684
- 5. Joe Hachem: $7,978,884
- 4. Jerry Yang: $8,250,000
- 3. Joe Cada: $8,575,256
- 2. Peter Eastgate: $9,221,395
- 1. Jamie Gold: $12,068,750
2000s $10,000 & Below
- 10. Darvin Moon: $5,182,928
- 9. Greg Raymer: $5,609,577
- 8. Ivan Demidov: $5,852,257
- 7. Paul Wasicka: $6,217,738
- 6. Allen Cunningham: $6,709,684
- 5. Joe Hachem: $7,978,884
- 4. Jerry Yang: $8,250,000
- 3. Joe Cada: $8,575,256
- 2. Peter Eastgate: $9,221,395
- 1. Jamie Gold: $12,014,078
2000s Under $10,000 (no Main Event)
- 10. Brandon Cantu: $1,436,098
- 9. Jeff Madsen: $1,500,611
- 8. Daniel Negreanu: $1,534,711
- 7. Johnny Chan: $1,698,536
- 6. Layne Flack: $1,903,792
- 5. Phil Ivey: $2,218,385
- 4. Chris Ferguson: $2,229,612
- 3. Erik Seidel: $2,271,293
- 2. Allen Cunningham: $2,999,395
- 1. Phil Hellmuth: $3,514,365
As expected, the $10,000 & Below list isn't that interesting as it's still dominated by the Main Event.
Phil Hellmuth comes from off the list to win the under $10,000 title again.
2010s All Events
- 10. Hossein Ensan: $10,299,221
- 9. Joe McKeehen: $10,507,381
- 8. Sam Trickett: $11,448,447
- 7. Fedor Holz: $11,917,249
- 6. Martin Jacobson: $12,078,526
- 5. Justin Bonomo: $13,050,658
- 4. Jonathan Duhamel: $14,647,089
- 3. Daniel Negreanu: $15,183,550
- 2. Dan Colman: $17,413,655
- 1. Antonio Esfandiari: $21,224,858
2010s $10,000 & Below
- 10. Qui Nguyen: $8,049,317
- 9. Scott Blumstein: $8,157,932
- 8. Ryan Riess: $8,747,125
- 7. Pius Heinz: $8,821,326
- 6. John Cynn: $9,520,306
- 5. Jonathan Duhamel: $9,594,436
- 4. Joe McKeehen: $9,677,589
- 3. Hossein Ensan: $10,017,785
- 2. Greg Merson: $10,166,273
- 1. Martin Jacobson: $10,574,799
2010s Under $10,000 (no Main Event)
- 10. Jason Mercier: $1,555,901
- 9. Michael Gathy: $1,580,753
- 8. Justin Liberto: $1,607,292
- 7. Joe McKeehen: $1,633,065
- 6. Dominik Nitsche: $1,642,153
- 5. Mark Radoja: $1,836,156
- 4. Jason DeWitt: $2,031,935
- 3. Joe Cada: $2,141,955
- 2. Asi Moshe: $2,181,593
- 1. Brian Yoon: $2,558,074
Cutting off the biggest buyin events for the 2010s basically removes the players who did well in the Big One for One Drop, letting the Main Event winners own the $10,000+ list.
Removing the Main Events as well reveals an unheralded winner as
Brian Yoon won three big first prizes: $1,094,349 in the 2017 $1,500 Monster Stack, $663,727 in the 2013 Little One for One Drop, and $633,341 in the 2014 $5,000 No-Limit Hold 'Em 8-Max.