Interesting WSOP numbers

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MAJOR MILESTONE FOR WORLD SERIES OF POKER

Poker's greatest tournament passes $1 billion payouts landmark

The World Series of Poker achieved a major milestone Sunday, announcing that it had officially crossed the $1 billion mark in prize money awarded over its lifespan. Starting in 1970, the event has grown to become the biggest poker competition on the planet, and this year celebrated its 40th anniversary.

Official 2009 tournament figures will be released Tuesday, July 7, after the close of Main Event registration, but running tallies confirm the landmark, said World Series of Poker President and Commissioner Jeffrey Pollack.

“It’s nice to reach this milestone during the 40th annual WSOP,” he commented. “What’s most remarkable is that nearly two-thirds of this amount has been awarded in just the last four years. Poker is alive and well and here to stay.”

With registration still open for the $10 000 No-Limit Hold’em Championship – commonly referred to as the Main Event – the 40th annual WSOP already has had a remarkable summer despite the global recession.

For the fourth consecutive year, the total WSOP prize pool will exceed $155 million – compared with a total of $354 million in prize money awarded during the WSOP’s first 36 years.

The WSOP is the world’s richest competitive event. Comparisons with other prominent events include:

* The Daytona 500 has awarded its winners some $21 327 256 since 1959. In just the past three years, WSOP Main Event champions have received $29 402 416.

* Wimbledon awarded a total of GBP12 550 000, or roughly $20.5 million, in 2009, less than a quarter of what the WSOP will award this year.

* The Kentucky Derby has paid its winners a total of approximately $16.7 million since 2001 – less than the nearly $17.5 million taken home by the 2007 and 2008 WSOP Main Event champions.

Historical prize pool information for the World Series of Poker:

2009 – To be advised Tuesday.

2008 - $180 774 427

2007 - $159 796 918

2006 - $159 599 815

1970-2005 - $354 000 000

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Official main event 2009 numbers:

40th Anniversary World Series of Poker Main Event has 6 494 players, generating a prize pool of $61 043 600 and a first prize of $8 548 435, with the cash bubble extending down to the last 648 players standing.

The Main Event drew 6 844 entries last year and 6 358 players in 2007.

The Top Nine payments are likely to be as follows:

1st - $8 546 435
2nd - $5 182 601
3rd - $3 479 485
4th - $2 502 787
5th - $1 953 395
6th - $1 587 133
7th - $1 404 002
8th - $1 300 228
9th - $1 263 602

10th-12th - $896 730
13th-15th - $633 022
16th-18th - $500 557

With registrations now closed, the entry fields for the four Day Ones were 1A - 1 116; 1B - 873; 1C - 1 696 and 1D - 2 809.

Hundreds of players were turned away on this last day to register due to capacity being reached in table accommodation.