Poker News

ANOTHER 1,489 players turned up the Amazon and Pavilion Rooms at the Rio All Suite Hotel and Casino today with dreams of bagging the richest prize in world sport.

The World Series of Poker Main Event is only on day 1B, but already looks certain to have more players - and prize money - than last year.

Registrations were well up from the 1,125 players who started the tournament on Monday and nearly double the 873 players who entered the main event on its second day last year.

But World Series of Poker spokesman Seth Palansky said starting the $10,000 buy-in tournament on a Monday instead of a Friday had left everyone confused.

He said: "We're kind of in uncharted territory because of the days of the week.

"I don't feel like we have enough information to know what we have ahead of us."

So far 2,614 players have entered after two days, compared with 1,989 last year. Last year's tournament had 6,494 total entries, generating a $61 million prize pool and $8.55 million for winner Joe Cada.

The final two starting days have proven to be the most popular in past years. Last year, more than 500 players were shut out of the tournament on its last day to enter because the event ran out of space.

Players who register on later days arguably have a slight advantage because they have already seen thousands of rivals play their opening hands.

Palansky said 766 players survived the tournament on Monday - less than expected - just 68 percent of its starting field.

Among those to perform well on day 1B were pros Florian Langmann, who finished with 97,500 chips, Gavin Griffin, who had just 300 less, Johnny Lodden with 71,000, Mattias De Meulder (65,500) and John Duthie (62,500).

Big name fallers included Arnaud Mattern, Darus Suharto, Julien Brecard, Ivan Demidov and Bertrand 'Elky' Grospellier.