Big names, big payoffs dominating the WSOP

[Qbins Missile Crisis]

LAS VEGAS -- The big-name pros are having plenty of success in the 39th World Series of Poker, which is attracting record-setting fields -- and payoffs -- at the Rio All-Suites Hotel and Casino.

The total prize money -- $61,435,024 -- paid out already is indicative of the tournament's appeal. Of the 28 tournaments completed, seven drew at least 1,000 players.

Look at the payouts.

* $794,112 to Nemad Medic, in the $10,000 no-limit pot-limit hold-em event that started the tournament almost three weeks ago;

* $831,462 to Grant Hinke in a $1,500 buy-in event that attracted a record (for a non-championship event) lineup of 3,929 players, who generated a prize pool of $5,363,085;

* $636,736 to Michael Banducci, in a no-limit tournament with a $1,000 buy-in; there were 2,250 rebuys and add-ons that boosted the prize pool to $2,894,094;

* $550,601 to Matt Keikoan, a $2,000 buy-in no-limit event;

* $666,777, won by Duncan Bell in a $2,500 no-limit event that had a $3.2 million prize pool;

* $537,862, pocketed by Mike Matusow in the grueling no-limit Deuce to Seven lowball event;

* $755,891, earned by Scott Sevier in the $5,000 no-limit hold-em event;

* $507,563, won by Blair Hinkle (Grant's brother) in a $2,000 no-limit tournament. It was the first time in WSOP history two brothers won in the same year;

* $539,056, paid to Kenny Tran in the $10,000 WSOP Heads-Up championship;

* $628,417, won by Vitaly Lunkin for winning a $1,500 event that attracted 2,706 players and had a prize pool of $3,685,500;

* $817,781, pocketed by Philip Galford for winning the pot-limit Omaha with rebuys and add-ons event.

That pot-limit tournament had a Who's Who in poker lineup at the final table. David Benyamine (in the Poker After Dark lineup this week) was third ... two-time WSOP champion Johnny Chan was fourth ... John Juanda was sixth ... Daniel Negreanu was seventh ... Phil Hellmuth was eighth ... Chris Ferguson was 10th.

David Williams was 16th, with Ted Lawson and Eli Elezra were 16th and 17th, respectively.

David Singer, known for his two sixth -place finishes in the $50,000 H.O.R.S.E. tournament, has a 2008 WSOP victory. So do Erick Lindgren, Vanessa Selbst, Negreanu, Max Pescatori and Barry Greenstein, along with Tran and Matusow.

Upcoming tournaments include the $1,000 buy-in WSOP Seniors Championship, which will have several players from Pahrump competing, including Rollie Batayola, Bill Baynes and Jackie Polansky, among others.

The $10,000 Omaha Hi-Low Split 8 or better tournament starts Thursday. On June 25, the $50,000 World Championship H.O.R.S.E. -- the All-Star Game of the WSOP -- begins a five-day run.

The World Championship $10,000 Pot-Limit Omaha tournament begins June 29.

The $10,000 Championship No-Limit tournament begins July 3. The final table will be contested in November, with portions to be televised live.

The Casino Employees tournament starts July 7, with a $500 buy-in.

June 19th, 2008
By DON McDERMOTT
PVT

[Short_Stack]

I swear, poker is getting bigger and bigger every year. I first saw the WSOP a few years back, and I figured that it would either die down or they'd move on to another style. After seeing the huge payouts of the last year though, it looks like it'll be alive and kicking for years to come!