Champion holds slim WSOP lead

Tuesday, July 12, 2005 | 10:56 a.m.

With 5,619 entries to this year's championship event of the World Series of Poker, the idea that last year's champion would repeat his feat this year seemed ludicrous.

Somebody forgot to tell Greg Raymer.

After day three of the $10,000 buy-in, no-limit Texas hold 'em tourney, Raymer sits in the same spot he did last year when the then-record $5 million first prize was won -- at the top.

But Raymer, with 1,064,000 tournament chips after day three play ended, must outlast the other 184 remaining players, including some of the leading names in tournament poker, to claim this year's $7.5 million first prize.

Raymer, from Stonington, Conn., has a slim lead over Rodney Pardey Jr. of Las Vegas, who has 1,041,000 tournament chips.

Play continues this afternoon and Wednesday at the Rio, with the final two days of the event taking place downtown at Binion's, its former home, on Thursday and Friday.

The final 27 players will begin play at 3 p.m. Thursday at Binion's. The event's final table will begin at 2 p.m. Friday; ESPN is filming the play for delayed broadcast.

Among the well-known pros chasing "Fossilman" Raymer are Phil Ivey, Las Vegas, with 722,500 chips; Minh Ly, Las Vegas, 530,250; Howard Lederer, Las Vegas, 496,500; Mike Matusow, Las Vegas, 454,000; Russ Hamilton, Las Vegas, 365,000; John Juanda, Marina Del Rey, Calif., 354,000; David Plastik, Las Vegas, 342,500; Ralph Perry, Las Vegas, 282,000; and Paul Darden, Hamden, Conn., 60,000.

Nani Dollison of Hernando, Miss., and JC Tran of Sacramento are the leading women pros still in the hunt, with 448,500 and 259,500 chips respectively. No woman has ever won the WSOP championship event.

Two of the top 25 chip holders are from Sweden and another two are from Wisconsin -- the same number listing Las Vegas as their homes.

All of the remaining participants are guaranteed to collect at least $39,075 for lasting until today's fourth day of play. The final 81 players -- nine tables of nine players each -- will win at least $107,950.

Players who make the final table will each collect at least $1 million from the $52.8 million prize pool, with third place earning $2.5 million and second winning $4.25 million.