The Latest in the World Series of Poker

In my online travels, I came across an interesting article in recent gambling news. The World Series of Poker is the biggest and most prestigious gambling event in the entire world. Millions of dollars in prize money are at stake not to mention the prestigious gold bracelet, globally recognized as a major feather in the cap of a poker player. Featuring a comprehensive slate of tournaments in every major poker variation, the WSOP is poker's longest running tournament in the world, dating back to 1970. Since Caesars Entertainment, previously known as Harrah's Entertainment, acquired the World Series of Poker in 2004, participation at the annual tournament has grown tremendously. The prize pool has reached a whopping $861 million. This exceeds double the total prize pool of the tournament's first thirty six years but this World Series of Poker event may have a rough start.

The U.S. federal government's seizure of online poker, beginning with Black Friday, the April 15 indictments that restricted the access of players from American to three of the world's largest online casino sites, could cast a dark shadow on attendance at the 42nd annual tournament. Poker players that have cash tied up in the sites as a result of the seizure may have no choice but to stay home. The 2010 World Series of Poker has been known to draw nearly 73,000 players from 117 countries, all playing for $187 million in prize money.

The WSOP will be telecasted on VERSUS. “It was a tremendous year for the WSOP Circuit with many amazing stories and improbable outcomes,” said WSOP Executive Director Ty Stewart. “With the Stanley Cup playoffs coming to an end on VERSUS, we look forward to filling a weekly primetime slot each Thursday night in June.”

WSOP is a series of individual poker tournaments featuring multiple tour stops at a variety of Caesars-owned properties around the United States. Buy-ins can reach $10,000 and players collect points for each recorded in-the-money finish. Players with the most points or winning or placing at the final table of specific events are automatically qualified for the WSOP Circuit National Championship held in Vegas at Caesars Palace.