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Each of the first three open events of the 2009 World Series of Poker Presented By Jack Link's Beef Jerky has broken a record.
First, it was Event #2, which set the record for largest prize pool for a non-Main Event field, when 201 players anted up $40,000 each to create a massive $7,718,400 prize pool. The previous record prize pool was $7,104,000 (2007) - a solid $614,000 behind the new record.
Then, Event #3, the $1,500 Omaha Hi-Low, had 918 entrants, besting the old record of 833 and becoming the largest live Omaha tournament ever played.
But the most impressive feat thus far has been the sellout of Event #4 - a $1,000 buy-in No-Limit Hold'em tournament. Billed as a "stimulus special," it has blown away the then-record 3,929 entrants who participated in a $1,500 No-Limit Hold'em tournament at last year's WSOP - by selling a capacity of approximately 6,000 entries.
The new mark means the $1,000 event, which features two start days (May 30 and 31), is the largest non-WSOP Main Event tournament ever played. Registration for Event #4 is now sold out, with a maximum capacity of approximately 3,000 players per start day - or 6,000 players total.
"The demand for the Stimulus Special could be felt the moment we announced it," said World Series of Poker President and Commissioner Jeffrey Pollack. "We welcome all the first-time players to the World Series of Poker and wish everyone good luck in their pursuit of a gold bracelet."
The total prize pool for Event #4 will exceed $5 million, with the winner guaranteed to earn more than 750 times the entry fee and the coveted gold bracelet. Each of the final table participants will receive at least six-figure paydays.
The 40th annual WSOP began May 26 at the Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas and will continue until July 15. For the second consecutive year, the final nine players in the WSOP Main Event will halt play this summer and return in November to compete for the most prized trophy in all of poker, the WSOP Main Event gold bracelet.
ABOUT THE WSOP
The World Series of Poker (WSOP) is the largest, richest and most prestigious gaming event in the world awarding millions of dollars in prize money and the prestigious gold bracelet, globally recognized as the sport's top prize. 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. In 2008, the event attracted 58,720 entrants from 124 different countries to the Rio in Las Vegas and awarded over $180 million in prize money. The creation of the new delayed Main Event final table more than doubled ratings on ESPN year-over-year. In December, 2008 the WSOP was named the 7th most admired sports brand in North America by Turnkey Sports Survey, trailing only the more established NFL, MLB, NBA, NHL, NASCAR and PGA Tour among sports properties. In addition, the WSOP has formed groundbreaking alliances in broadcasting, digital media and corporate sponsorships, while successfully expanding the brand internationally with the advent in 2007 of the World Series of Poker Europe. For more information on the World Series of Poker, please visit our website at www.worldseriesofpoker.com
