2010 World Series of Poker: The Main Event - Let the Games Begin

July 05 2010, Elaine Chaivarlis

When the first event of the 2010 World Series of Poker kicked off on Friday, May 28, it seemed like the Main Event was ages away. After 56 events, 56 bracelet winners, and lots of money won, the 2010 WSOP Main Event is upon us. July 5 marks the first Day 1 of four. As a whole, the 2010 WSOP has seen a 20 percent increase in numbers, and organizers are expecting a Main Event field larger than last year's. We're not sure how many people will take their seats with dreams of making it to July 17 and later in November for the Final Table, but we can tell you this, they won't all survive.

In 2008, 6,844 players took their seats in the Rio's convention center to play for life-changing cash and poker history. They generated a prize pool of $64,333,600. That was the year the "November Nine" was introduced. That was also the year Peter Eastgate took over Phil Hellmuth's 19-year record as the youngest Main Event champion ever when he became champion of the field, taking home $9,152,416. His reign as youngest champ didn't last long though.

The numbers dropped slightly in 2009. Only 6,494 players arrived with final table dreams, generating a $61,043,600 prize pool. Only 648 left the Rio with a little extra cash, and one was thrust into the spotlight as champion. That was Joe Cada, who, just eight days shy of his 22nd birthday, surpassed Peter Eastgate for the title as the youngest WSOP Main Event champion ever. He took home $8,547,042 for the win.

If you can't make it to the Rio to check out the action, know that the PokerNews Team will be in the thick of it bringing every flop, turn, and river from the felt, as well as the stories that will be coming out of the Pavilion and Amazon Rooms. Keep your browser locked on PokerNews.com, follow us on Twitter, or download our brand-new iPhone app, that way you'll never be far from the action.

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Comments

manilare
07-06-2010 09:24

yee haw thanks to pokernews we can dare to dream, keep us updated wet our appettites at regular intervals and we just might get there next year through pure envy and a little bit of card play.To relay a quote borrowed from history by a good friend of TONY G's "let the games begin" (THE GREAT?? PHIL HELMUTH).