A really big deal

Monday, May 12, 1997 | 11:59 a.m.

We have two new millionaires this year -- how about three?

The 28th annual World Series of Poker concludes this week with the $10,000 buy-in no-limit Texas hold 'em game, which will produce the next world poker champion and shower the lucky gambler with a $1 million prize.

Horseshoe President Jack Binion was expected to give the ceremonial command "shuffle up and deal" sometime after noon today, when the last of the expected 300-plus entries were signed in.

The four-day event concludes Thursday with the final table under the Fremont Street Experience canopy. It will be televised by ESPN.

The world's top gamblers will put up the five-figure fee -- or earn a spot in the field at a fraction of the cost by winning a satellite tournament -- for a chance to become the tourney's 19th millionaire.

Seventeen players who already have won $1 million either in that event or through many events over the years will have a shot at becoming double millionaires, including defending world champion Huck Seed.

Two-time world champ Johnny Chan will have a shot at becoming a triple millionaire. He already has won an event title this year.

The tournament started last month with 16 millionaires, but added 1983 world champ Tom McEvoy and 1988 runner-up Erik Seidel to the prestigious fraternity during the previous 20 events.

McEvoy of Las Vegas finished third in $2,000 buy-in pot-limit Texas hold 'em to sneak over the $1 million plateau and later placed second in $3,000 buy-in pot-limit Texas hold 'em to bring his career WSOP total to $1,147,397.

He entered the tournament as its 18th all-time money winner and, prior to the weekend action, had jumped all the way to 12th position.

Seidel, a former New York commodities broker who also now calls Las Vegas home, won $155,670 in three events to bring his WSOP career earnings to $1,069,876. He started the year in 20th position on the all-time earnings list, but as of Sunday had jumped to 17th.

Chan, the 1987 and '88 world champ, and Phil Hellmuth Jr., the 1989 world titlist, are the only past champs to win preliminary events this year -- and they did it on the same night earlier this week.

Chan captured the $5,000 buy-in no-limit deuce-to-7 crown to remain the all-time WSOP money winner with $2,149,444.

Hellmuth won the $3,000 pot-limit hold 'em crown after a head-to-head showdown with McEvoy, to fall just under the $2 million plateau with $1,984,825 and remain No. 2 on the money list.

Fifteen of the top 20 all-time money winners won cash awards in tourney games this year, with two of them just failing to qualify for the million-dollar club.

Veterans Hans "Tuna" Lund and Jay Heimowitz are on the verge of reaching that plateau, and could surpass it by placing high in the event, without actually winning it. Money will be paid to the top 27 finishers.

Lund, the 1990 runner-up, won $2,964 in one event this year to bring his lifetime WSOP earnings to $982,645. Heimowitz won $17,550 in one event to bring his all-time WSOP winnings to $963,062.

However, because the first prize is the guaranteed lowest seven-figure sum, an unknown player who has never before won a cent in the World Series would, by winning just this one game, join the exclusive poker millionaire club.