World Series of Poker Main Event comes in as second largest tournament ever

Steve Marcus

A poker table is shown during the first day of the 41st annual World Series of Poker no-limit Texas Hold ‘em main event Monday, July 5, 2010. A total of 7,319 players entered this year’s Main Event.

By Case Keefer (contact)

Friday, July 9, 2010 | 2:05 a.m.

The eventual winner of the 2010 World Series of Poker Main Event will immediately become one of the top earners in poker history.

First place at the Main Event will pay $8,944,138, WSOP officials announced Thursday at the Rio. After four starting days, the Main Event boasted a starting field of 7,319 players.

That makes it the second largest tournament in the event's history, behind only the 8,773 players in 2006.

"By every measure, this was the most successful World Series of Poker in the event's illustrious 41-year history," said Ty Stewart, World Series of Poker vice president.

In total, the 57-event World Series of Poker attracted 72,966 entrants this summer. That shatters the previous record for participation, which was set last year at 60,875.

Friday alone brought 2,391 players competing in the $10,000 buy-in Main Event. Registration for this year's Main Event went significantly smoother than last year, when hundreds of players were turned away on Day 1D because of space restrictions.

"It was perfect," World Series of Poker spokesman Seth Palansky said. "We weren't overwhelmed on the last day. People did what they were supposed to, and it paid off for everyone."

For the next eight days, the 70 percent of players who survived Day 1 will battle for their share of a massive $68.7 million prize pool.

Each of the nine players who make the final table, which will be played in November, are guaranteed at least $811,823.

That's a decrease from last year when they were all promised $1 million. But Palansky said the change was enforced to make each pay jump more meaningful.

"We revised the entire payout structure," Palansky said. "We felt people who survived longer in this tournament deserved more at some levels."

The runner-up will win $5.5 million. Third takes $4.1 million, with fourth and fifth taking $3 million and $2.3 million, respectively.

Sixth is good for $1.7 million, seventh gets $1.3 million and eighth slightly surpasses the $1 million mark.

"As the WSOP Main Event progresses, we're looking forward to creating several new multi-millionaires," Stewart said.

More than 10 percent of the field — 747 players — will make the money.

Some notable pros who built large chip stacks on Day 1D through nine hours of play included last year's Bluff Magazine Player of the Year Jason Mercier, last year's fourth-place finisher Eric Buchman and top female Vanessa Rousso.

The players who made it out of Day 1D will merge with survivors from Day 1B and play their second day Saturday at the Rio. Players from Day 1A and Day 1C will compete today.

After Thursday, they know what they're playing for. It's nothing short of a fortune.

"At the end of the day, when you're walking out with close to $9 million, you won't have much to worry about," Palansky said.

Case Keefer can be reached at 948-2790 or case.keefer@lasvegassun.com. Follow Case on Twitter at twitter.com/casekeefer for live updates from the Main Event.