PokerStars Players Still Performing Well in 2009 WSOP
The 2009 WSOP Main Event officially
burst the money bubble yesterday, with the top 648 players guaranteed
at least $21,365 in prize money. By the end of Day 4, only 407
players remained in the Main Event and PokerStars, the world's largest
online poker room, is proud to have an estimated 77 online qualifiers
and sponsored players in the event. Approximately one-fifth of the
remaining field are PokerStars players. The winner of this year's
event will collect an $8.5 million grand prize and the title of WSOP
Champion.
"I am not surprised that we have so many players left," said 2005
World Series of Poker Champion and Team PokerStars Pro member, Joe
Hachem. "PokerStars has the best online poker players in the world.
It was just a matter of time before they started to dominate the live
events as well. After having six of final nine players last year on
our side, I was expecting another dominating performance by
PokerStars."
PokerStars started the series with over 1,100 online qualifiers,
sponsored players, Team PokerStars Pro members and celebrities. Five
of the top 20 players in Day 5 made their way to the WSOP through
PokerStars, including Team PokerStars Pro member Bertrand "ElkY"
Grospellier, PokerStars-sponsored Austrian pro Bernhard Perner and
three players who qualified through PokerStars' steps system.
Entering day 5, PokerStars players represented 17 countries. The
United States lead the pack with 44 players, followed by the
Netherlands with six, United Kingdom with five and Canada, Australia
and France tied with three a piece.
Notable PokerStars players still alive in the Main Event include
Grospellier (1,253,000), Perner (1,426,000) actor Lou Diamond Phillips
(607,000), Noah Boeken (499,000), Joe Hachem (490,000), Dennis
Phillips (419,000), Peter Eastgate (397,000), Thierry van den Berg
(270,000) and Benjamin Kang (254,000).
The top 407 players at this year's WSOP are certain to walk away with
at least $27,469 in prize money. The nine players who move on to
November's final table will each earn a minimum of $1.2 million.
Those who qualified for the WSOP on PokerStars receive a
once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and experience the full Las Vegas
lifestyle while preparing to play at the most prestigious live event
of the year. The 2009 prize package offered to PokerStars' players
included the $10,000 Main Event buy-in, $1,000 for travel and
expenses, eight nights accommodation at the Palms Hotel, PokerStars
player bags, shuttle bus service to and from the Rio, and a VIP
Invitation to the July 9 PokerStars Party at the Palms club Rain
featuring hip hop star Nelly.
