2012 WSOP Main Event Begins Tomorrow, Culminates Exciting Summer
This year WSOP officials are expecting a similarly-sized field to last year's Main Event when 6,865 players participated, creating a total prize pool of $64,531,000. The WSOP is also estimating players from at least 85 different countries will be participating in the Main Event this year.
It's hard to believe that we're only a day away from the start of the 2012 World Series of Poker Main Event. Seems like we were only just talking about Pius Heinz outlasting Martin Staszko in that lengthy heads-up battle to become last year's champion and secure the $8,715,638 first prize.
Then again, a check of the calendar confirms it has been nearly six weeks since this year's World Series of Poker began, with a lot of exciting stories having captured the poker world's attention already.
Andy Bloch broke through early to win his first WSOP bracelet in Event #7 ($1,500 Seven-Card Stud) following a long career of high achievement and near misses at the Series, defeating Barry Greenstein to capture the win.
That first week also saw a 21-year-old win a bracelet in Aubin Cazals (Event #6, $5,000 No-Limit Hold'em Mixed-Max) as well as a 71-year-old winner in Herbert Tapscott (Event #8, $1,500 Omaha Hi-Low Split 8-or-Better). Since then Panayote "Peter" Vilandos at age 72 became the oldest to win a bracelet this summer when he won his third career WSOP title in Event #50 ($5,000 No-Limit Hold'em).
John Monnette, Brian Hastings, and Matt Matros were among the bracelet winners early on as well, with Matros earning his third in three years after taking down Event #16 ($1,500 No-Limit Hold'em, Six-Handed). And Phil Hellmuth won his record-extending 12th WSOP bracelet in Event #18 ($1,500 razz), further establishing his place in the WSOP record books.
Meanwhile, Phil Ivey managed to dominate WSOP headlines throughout the first weeks of the Series this summer by making no less than five final tables through the first 35 events. His best finish was a runner-up in Event #17 ($10,000 Pot-Limit Hold'em), but such a run was still good enough to put him in first position in the WSOP Player of the Year race, a spot he still occupies.
Allyn Jaffrey Shulman became the first woman in four years to win a non-Ladies Event at the WSOP when she topped a huge field of 4,128 to win Event #29, the $1,000 Seniors No-Limit Hold'em Championship.
Then last week Vanessa Selbst became the first woman since 2008 to win an open bracelet event (when she herself won her first bracelet in a $1,500 PLO event), taking down Event #52 ($2,500 10-Game Mix - Six-Handed).
The interim saw bracelets won by both of the highly-skilled David Bakers, with David "Bakes" Baker winning Event #32 ($10,000 H.O.R.S.E.) and David "ODB" Baker winning Event #37 ($2,500 Eight-Game Mix). And Yen Dang bested a field of 936 to win Event #51, the $1,000 Ladies No-Limit Hold'em Championship.
Michael "The Grinder" Mizrachi won his second $50,000 Poker Players Championship in three years by winning Event #45 and a $1,451,527 first prize.
Of course, Mizrachi's big payday paled in comparison to the won achieved by Antonio Esfandiari this week when he won Event #55, the $1,000,000 buy-in "Big One for One Drop" which saw Esfandiari earn an eye-popping $18,346,673 payday, the largest ever awarded at the WSOP. Sam Trickett earned over $10 million for his runner-up finish.
But now everyone's attention turns to the Main Event. WSOP officials expect a similarly-sized field to last year's Main Event when 6,865 players participated, creating a total prize pool of $64,531,000. The WSOP is also estimating players from at least 85 different countries will be participating in the Main Event this year.
Pictured above is the newly-designed Main Event bracelet, featuring over 160 grams of 14 karat gold as well as 35 carats of flawless diamonds. Talk about bling.
The Main Event will begin with three Day 1s (Saturday through Monday), followed by two Day 2s (Tuesday and Wednesday) after which the field will combine for Day 3 on Thursday and remain together for the duration. On Sunday, July 16 (Day 7), the field will play from 27 players down to nine, at which point the tournament will be paused until late October when the final table will be played out.
It has certainly been an exciting summer thus far, although if past years are any indicator, the Main Event should cause the excitement to build even more.