World Series Of Poker Main Event Begins In Las Vegas

Hundreds of thousands of players have tried their luck over the years in the World Series of Poker main event, but only a select few have walked away with the top prize in poker, a WSOP main event gold bracelet.

Today, thousands of players have filed into the Rio in Las Vegas to take their shot at becoming the 2012 main event champion. The biggest annual tournament in the world began shortly after noon, and for the next ten days some of the most exciting and excruciating poker will be played by professional and amateur players alike.

The biggest names in the game will be in attendance over the next three days. This year, there will only be three first days, different from the four that players have grown accustomed to in past years. The rooms at the Rio can accommodate more tables this year, allowing event organizers to cut the start days down to three. Players are looking forward to their shot at winning the most prestigious title in poker.

"I come every year with my friends, but in the past I have only watched the main event," said Brian Darlow. "This year, I am thinking about forking over the money to play. I've played a lot at home in Nebraska over the past year, and I want to see how my game stacks up with the pros."

Some of those pros that Darlow will have to deal with should he decide to enter the main event include Phil Hellmuth, who is in the running for player of the year honors, Phil Laak, Scotty Nguyen, Mike Matusow, and Phil Ivey. For Ivey, it will be a return to the event that he made a run to the final table at just a year earlier.

Last year, Ivey boycotted the main event after Full Tilt Poker, his sponsor, was indicted in the US. Full Tilt did not pay back US players after the indictment came down, and Ivey protested by sitting out the 2011 WSOP. This year, Ivey is back, and it appears as though he has not missed a beat in his time off. Ivey has cashed several times at this years WSOP.

The tournament will run three day ones, then several day twos. After ten days of play, with a couple of off days mixed in, the final table will have been reached. Once the final table is set, play will halt for a couple of months, with the players in the November Nine reconvening to play for the bracelet and the over $8 million top prize.

July 7, 2012
Posted By Tom Jones
Staff Editor, CasinoGamblingWeb.com
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