[Ian]

The 2010 World Series of Poker begins this Friday 5/28. Day 1 kicks off with the smallest buy-in event ($500 casino employees) and the largest event ($50K 8 game mixed). The full schedule and structures are linked here.

Other competing tournament series going on in Vegas are:
The Orleans Open: 5/22-5/30
Binion's Poker Classic: 5/26-7/11
Caesars Mega Stack: 5/26-7/15
Venetian Deep Stack Extravaganza: 5/28-7/15
Golden Nugget Poker Series: 6/5-7/4
Bellagio Cup: 6/25- 7/16
Aria Poker Classic: 6/27-7/17

[Ian]

To follow up on my OP, I'm really excited for this year's series. This is the best time of year for poker and everyone in Vegas is expecting a huge turnout. The Venetian has more than doubled their number of poker tables and is expecting 1K+ fields on their busier days. If I play any tournaments they'll definitely be at the Venetian, their tournies are superior to the WSOP's: lower juice, better dealers, shuffle machines, and equally soft opposition. I'm mainly planning on playing 2/5NL against all the tournament degens in town. This is the best time of year in Vegas for tournaments and cash games.

[Phightin' Phils]

love this time of year. im 98% sure that ill be out there in mid to late june, not a definite yet, but gl to you.

[Ian]

love this time of year. im 98% sure that ill be out there in mid to late june, not a definite yet, but gl to you.

Thanks Phils.... I definitely recommend that you try to get here before the end of the series. The action will be sick all the way until a couple days after the final days of the series... after that it's back to business as usual in Sin City.

[mrmarket]

I wish I could be there during the series for the cash games because apparently they are juicy as hell. I wouldn't really have any interest in the WSOP tournaments unless I was staked.

[BigLouie66]

[framboise]

i'm all in

[framboise]

I wish i could play the big event

[Phightin' Phils]

well im still pretty sure that im going out in june, but im gonna be playing a few ME satellites online this weekend and next weekend so hopefully i can get a bit lucky. anybody else going to be playing any of the big satellites online?

[illmatick]

which book has the best prop bets for this?

[Ian]

I just learned that Harrah's raised the rake on the WSOP again. It's now a full 10% on
all but their largest tournies. This is absolute BS... and Harrah's wonders why the WSOP keeps losing market share to smaller tourney series around town.

FWIW, Venetian added about 5-10 more tournament tables in what is usually the slot tournament area. This is the 4th addition they've made beyond their regular room (which is the largest poker room in Vegas).

[rm18]

I can't believe how lucky Cada got watched on tv today

[Phightin' Phils]

I can't believe how lucky Cada got watched on tv today

hahaha that happened like 7 months ago

[mrmarket]

I just learned that Harrah's raised the rake on the WSOP again. It's now a full 10% on
all but their largest tournies. This is absolute BS... and Harrah's wonders why the WSOP keeps losing market share to smaller tourney series around town.

FWIW, Venetian added about 5-10 more tournament tables in what is usually the slot tournament area. This is the 4th addition they've made beyond their regular room (which is the largest poker room in Vegas).

I don't like them raising the rake either but it is there prerogative as a business. They will get away with it because the fish don't understand the concept of rake, the tourney players like the dead money from the fish plus the potential bonus of exposure/prestige that a bracelet brings (although the recognition of the bracelet has been deluded with the expansion of the series over the last couple of years).

Despite having a moat Vis-à-vis the other tournaments Harrah's has eroded their market advantage quite handily since they purchased it from Binion and will continue to do so no doubt.

[rm18]

first time i watched it on tv knew what place every got already

[rm18]

why do they all have to be at the same time of year?

[Ian]

why do they all have to be at the same time of year?

The reason there are lots of tournies concentrated over the course of the World Series is because this is the time of year when the most poker players are in Vegas. If you're a poker player and you've never been to Vegas you owe it to yourself to make it here for a stretch of the series. It's almost like a gambler's convention, and the games are f-ing awesome (awesome as in easy to beat). There are other good times of the year for poker in Vegas, and there are always tournies going on, but right now is prime time.

[Ian]

I don't like them raising the rake either but it is there prerogative as a business. They will get away with it because the fish don't understand the concept of rake, the tourney players like the dead money from the fish plus the potential bonus of exposure/prestige that a bracelet brings (although the recognition of the bracelet has been deluded with the expansion of the series over the last couple of years).

Despite having a moat Vis-à-vis the other tournaments Harrah's has eroded their market advantage quite handily since they purchased it from Binion and will continue to do so no doubt.

I pretty much agree with this post. The series still does huge business for Harrah's and the Rio, but they are losing market share fast. From what I've heard, numbers are down 10% at the Rio, and the Venetian is having 800+ people turn out for their $330s on weekday afternoons. The Orleans open did quite well the first few days of the series and I'm told turnouts at Binion's have been strong. Of course, the tournies at the World Series are still the most popular tournies right now, but they don't have the monopoly they once did.

The only part of your post I disagree with is that the fish don't understand rake. I was playing all night with a bunch of hopelessly bad poker players who had sworn off the Rio specifically because they hated the Rio dropping without a flop. Even the bad players are slowly getting clued in about stuff like rake, and a fish will get pissed about the bad customer service at the Rio just as quickly as a pro. The only thing the series really has going for it is the supposed prestige of winning a bracelet. I think you're right on the money about that.

[Ian]

The 10K Stud 8 tournament is down to the final table. It's a pretty loaded lineup featuring: Jen Harman, John Juanda, Steve Zolotow, Dario Minieri, and Vlad Schmelev (who came in 2nd in the $50K mixed and final tabled the $10K stud high). Live updates are here.

[Ian]

About a half dozen men embarrassed themselves by playing in the ladies tournament at the WSOP. Link to the cardplayer story here.

[lolbear]

The biggest names have yet to win anything except men the jackass. Durrrr came the closest so far. Last year was pretty pro dominated especially with lisandro and ivey. Doesnt seem like the case this year. Btw where is allen cunningham? rooting for jc tran juanda and bloch they are ever so consistent.

[Ian]

The biggest names have yet to win anything except men the jackass. Durrrr came the closest so far. Last year was pretty pro dominated especially with lisandro and ivey. Doesnt seem like the case this year. Btw where is allen cunningham? rooting for jc tran juanda and bloch they are ever so consistent.

The trend just got reversed. Sam Farha and Dutch Boyd just both took down events.

[Cuse0323]

Nice to see Sammy get a bracelet again.

[Cappy]

I wish i could play the big event

you have to start playing satellites, that's the only way for chumps like us to get in

[rm18]

i had 20k chips in a $250 satt last night and ****ed up

[Ian]

4 left in the 10K HORSE event as of right now. Eugene Katchalov is probably the biggest name left. Live updates linked here from pokernews.

[Phightin' Phils]

yo does full tilt still give 10 million to a player who wins the main event who qualifies through their site? i know theyve done it in the past and like 3 yrs ago when lee watkinson had a chance to win it he won his seat through ftp(even though he could pay it himself). if so, thats sick.

[nosniboR11]

great thread helps , that way i can keep up on here

[Ian]

yo does full tilt still give 10 million to a player who wins the main event who qualifies through their site? i know theyve done it in the past and like 3 yrs ago when lee watkinson had a chance to win it he won his seat through ftp(even though he could pay it himself). if so, thats sick.

It wouldn't surprise me... you can probably find out by asking on the Full Tilt forums.

[Ian]

Name pros who have won an event so far:

Michael Mizrachi: 50K players championship
Men Nguyen: 10K Stud
Dutch Boyd: $2500 6 max. Limit Hold 'Em
Sam Farha: 10K Omaha 8 or better
Phil Ivey: 3K HORSE
Gavin Smith: $2500 Mixed Hold 'Em


Also of note is Frank Kasella winning two events: the 10K Stud 8 and the $2500 Razz

[Jrod124]

Ivey will win 2 more

[nosniboR11]

i agree ivey will win one more, but which one will it be

[Ian]

Ivey will win 2 more

and

i agree ivey will win one more, but which one will it be

I will gladly make a prop bet with you guys for either money or betpoints that he doesn't win another event this year. Post here or PM me if interested and we can work something out.

[Ian]

Day 1 of the main event starts tomorrow! Last year Harrah's made a mistake by starting it on the 4th and because of the holiday there was a very low turnout the first day and an overload of people on the last. Fortunately, they fixed this error and are now starting it on the 5th.

In other WSOP news Phil Gordon won the Ante Up For Africa tournament for a $130,641 score. Last year he cashed in the event and donated his entire winnings to the Ante Up For Africa charity, which provides assistance to the victims of the genocide in Darfur, Sudan. As far as I know Gordon hasn't made clear if/how much he'll donate this year.

[RazzFan]

Day 1 of the main event starts tomorrow! Last year Harrah's made a mistake by starting it on the 4th and because of the holiday there was a very low turnout the first day and an overload of people on the last. Fortunately, they fixed this error and are now starting it on the 5th.

I read this morning that up to today, attendance has been up slightly in the other bracelet events compared to last year. Be interesting to see how many enter the Main Event compared to last year.