With nearly fifty World Series Events in the bag, the 2010 WSOP Player Of The Year race is shaping up to be the closest contest in many years.

John Juanda and Frank Kassela are tied at the top of the leaderboard with 225 points, and Juanda has incredibly got there without winning a bracelet, courtesy of making four World Series final tables in 2010.

“[If I win Player of The Year]…it will make me feel a bit better about not winning a bracelet. But every year I go without a bracelet, it’s disappointing,” said Juanda.

Kassela on the other hand has stormed to the top of the “Player of the Year” rankings on the back of victories in the $10k Stud and $2.5k Razz and is only too aware of how tight it is at the top.

“I’ve been playing in a ton of events since I won that last one, just because I knew I had a decent chance at Player of the Year,” said Kassela following his second bracelet win.

“It’s going to be close.”

Neither player can rest on their laurels though. There are a group of players bunched just behind them who can overtake them at a single stroke should they win a bracelet.

Here are the current standings:

With just a few events left on the 2010 WSOP schedule, it’s too tight to call a Player of the Year winner and the final result may yet hinge on the Main Event outcome in November.

For the latest on how the Player of the Year race is panning out as well as other news, blogs and videos from the World Series, click through to PokerListings’ dedicated WSOP 2010 section.

Recently, PokerWorks had the opportunity to sit down with Mark Mayer, PokerStars.net The Big Game executive producer, to discuss this new entry into the televised cash game arena, as well as the state of televised poker in general.  Mr. Mayer has extensive background not only in poker production, but also in sports programming as well, where he has won multiple Emmys for his work.  We spoke to him in the middle of a busy day of editing.

PokerWorks:  One of the innovative ideas of this show is the Loose Cannon (the player who qualifies for the show online, and is staked by PokerStars to play against the professionals).  Why did you choose this concept?

Mayer:  The Loose Cannon is a person who is very relatable for the audience member who isn’t a high-stakes player.  The idea is that vicariously, through the Loose Cannon, I get to sort of live out my dream of playing against the pros.  These are people who love poker, and some of them are terrific players who would never get a chance to play this high, whereas others are much closer to what we think of as amateurs, who have qualified and done everything they can do to make the show, but aren’t quite as good as the other ones.  

PokerWorks:  The combination of Chris Rose and Joe Stapleton as announcers is one of the best teams we’ve ever seen on television.  How did you come up with them?

Mayer:  Having had a background at Fox and with PokerStars through the Million Dollar Challenge, I was very familiar with Chris Rose, and he was my first choice for this job, because I know how fun and hard-working he is, and how seriously he takes the job.  Joe is someone who came to us through PokerStars.  They’ve had their eye on him for some time, and we sort of mixed and matched and auditioned some folds, and right from the jump, Joe and Chris had chemistry together.  Joe is knowledgeable, he’s funny, and he’s credible and in the poker community there aren’t too many people who fit that bill.  We feel we’re on to someone who’s at the very beginning of what’s going to be a terrific career calling poker.

PokerWorks:  One interesting variation in the game is that the player on the button pays all the antes for the table.  Where did that idea come from?

Mayer:  Through the course of developing the show, we got a lot of input from the players, and this was something that came directly from them as an idea that they prefer, and in my mind if it made them comfortable it was cool for us.  We want this to be a player’s game, and it was something they felt strongly was what they wanted and it was easy to implement.  

PokerWorks:  What makes for a great table on the show?

Mayer:  The best tables are when you see a lot of action, and the right kind of talk.  Guys who are really enjoying one another, maybe giving each other the needle a little bit, but in general it’s about having fun at the game of poker, and so when we’re able to convey that fun, while having an action table, and then you layer in a Loose Cannon who’s not afraid to mix it up a bit, that’s what works.  We loved having Tony G. and Phil Hellmuth on the show for that reason.  Tony clearly loves playing poker, and he loves mixing it up, but you can tell he’s having fun, and what we like is guys who are having fun at the table.  When it gets mean-spirited and uncomfortable, I don’t think anybody likes that, but I don’t think we ever got there, and that allowed us to see Phil Hellmuth in a different light.  He was self-deprecating Phil, and you don’t get to see that guy too often.  He was a joy to have on the show.

PokerWorks:  The relationship of the players with Amanda Leatherman, who stays on the set while the game is played, is quite different than on other shows.  What was the idea there?

Mayer:  We have such a unique opportunity with Amanda.  The poker players really love her, and she really knows the game, so the concept is as if it’s her house, and she’s hosting her own home game.  She can come over and sweat the table (which she will be doing this week), and in another week four of the six players flock to her couch to give their opinions on what’s going on at the table.  We wanted to give her carte blanche to do whatever she wants, to make it a little less scripted and a little more real, so that we are seeing a genuine interaction between her and the players.  The players have the freedom to just leave the table and go talk to her whenever they want, and it makes for a better show.  Amanda is a joy to work with and a real pro.  We are very lucky to have her.

PokerWorks:  What do you see as the future of poker on television?

Mayer:  I think it’s heading in two different directions.  I think that there is more poker being programmed for the hard-core serious player, and this show is one more in that direction.  We’ve worked really hard to incorporate the statistical side of analysis into the show because that’s the way the younger generation is playing it online.  I think that there is no saturating the desire of poker purists to see how high-stakes players think and play.  And then, I think programming is going hard in the other direction as well, where we’re seeing poker entertainment shows designed to appeal to a much broader audience, which is the idea behind the Million Dollar Challenge.  And I think we’re going to keep seeing both, to satisfy both the existing players and to keep trying to introduce new people to the game who’ve never played.

PokerWorks:  Any last thoughts for our readers?

Mayer:  Yes, two.  First of all, your readers should know that we’ve shot and edited about half of the shows, so there is still time for you to qualify online to be a Loose Cannon.  Secondly, there are still areas of the country where the local Fox affiliate isn’t carrying the show, so we invite you to go to thebiggame.pokerstars.net to watch all the episodes, which are posted the morning after they air.

PokerWorks:  Thanks so much for your time

Mayer:  You’re very welcome.

While controversy surrounded the Ladies Only event at the World Series Of Poker this year, the online poker room at Carbon Poker, has set their own ladies tournaments in place.

Carbon Poker knows it's not just a men’s online world of poker when you choose to play poker online, because sometimes the ladies want to play amongst themselves and have a little girl fun. That is why by hosting a variety of Ladies Only tournaments, Carbon Poker gives the ladies a chance to enjoy playing alongside one another and pit skill and wit against the best of their own gender.

Even ladies who are new to the game of poker will find that when they play at Carbon Poker, they are afforded a fun and comfortable online playing experience with the added benefit of having great chat features to indulge in some girl talk. Carbon Poker is well known for developing custom tournaments, and this time they did not leave out the ladies, so they are very proud to announce they are now hosting a broad variety of Ladies Only Guaranteed online poker tournaments!

These tournaments are especially designed to offer female poker players the chance to get comfortable playing online poker tournaments and to share in some friendly competition, complete with all the trimmings of a social event. And while the ladies are having fun playing online poker and gabbing with their friends, they also have the chance to pit their poker skill and savvy against each other for a chance to pocket their share of the cash up for grabs!

So come on Ladies, grab a chair to meet and greet other female Carbon Poker players at the poker tables, with the added bonus of competing for the real money to be won while you are there! Plus you can choose from a wide range of tournament types with a variety playing formats to meet your own personal playing style. Choose from game formats including turbo tournaments, freezeouts and many more, that are available on several different days of the week. And you don't have to have a fat bankroll either because buy-ins start at just $2 + $0.20 for the $200 Guaranteed Freezeout
and the $250 Guaranteed Turbo!

Then there’s the $250 Guaranteed Freezeout for $3 + $0.30 and the $300 Guaranteed R/A for just $2 + $0.20! These are only a few examples of the tournaments running several times weekly to pamper your feminine side when you play at Carbon Poker!  For all of the Ladies Only action, check out the schedule by going to the Main Lobby and selecting the ‘Tournaments’ and ‘Special Tournaments’ tab to find your next social event!

The Carbon Poker Ladies Only tournaments are a great way to participate in a gender-specific, action-packed tournament that is challenging and fun with a unique social twist. So come on ladies, why not join in a Ladies Only tournament today to experience the excitement for yourself? If it is because you don't have a Carbon Poker player account, then get one here via our special PokerWorks link to receive a first deposit bonus of 100% up to $600 just for using the bonus code POKERWORKS!

Phil Ivey could probably retire from poker today, and his contemporaries would still consider him the best of all time based on his accomplishments in the game through 2010.

Retirement, of course, isn’t happening any time soon for Ivey, still only 34 years old and secure in his spot atop the poker world.

Ivey moved into rare territory with his bracelet win in $3k H.O.R.S.E. earlier this week, as he’s now one of only six players in history to win at least eight WSOP bracelets.

The list reads like this – Ivey, Erick Seidel, Johnny Moss, Johnny Chan, Doyle Brunson and Phil Hellmuth.

Winning WSOP bracelets wasn’t one of the highest priorities for Ivey once upon a time, but he’s won three bracelets in the past two years to climb higher and higher up perhaps the most admired list in poker.

“It’s the World Series of Poker, and I enjoy playing tournaments,” said Ivey from his $3k H.O.R.S.E. bracelet ceremony press conference.

“I enjoy winning bracelets. As I’m getting older I’m realizing my place in poker history.”

As poker’s popularity has boomed in the mainstream in the 2000s, Ivey has earned the respect of the public as poker’s best player.

Ivey is equally revered by his poker peers, perhaps even more so.

“Obviously he’s the best player in the world,” said Seidel. “He’s shown that in every category. Online, live, and tournaments.”

Seidel says he thought it was inevitable that Ivey would catch him at eight bracelets, and in his opinion Ivey is actually underrated.

“I think everybody understands that he’s the best player in the world, but I still don’t think he gets enough credit,” Seidel said.

“I don’t think people have a sense of how complex all these games are, or that he’s the best at every single one of them. It really is incredible.”

We asked Seidel how many bracelets Ivey will end up with for his career, and the all-time great gave a staggering estimate.

“(Ivey) said 30 recently,” Seidel said.

“That seems about right. If he plays for the next 30-40 years I could see that happening.”

The 2010 WSOP continues through July 17. For comprehensive coverage live from Las Vegas tune in to PokerListings’ Live Updates and News.

Thirty-one-year-old Ben Blair is the first player to win an exclusive VIP WSOP Champion Camp package through Bodog and PL.com.

The North Dakotan won the package earlier this month after he took part in a Bodog freeroll, which was exclusive to PokerListings.com players.

“Winning the WSOP package was awesome although it was a bit of a surprise,” said Blair.

Blair originally finished second in the freeroll but thanks to the initial winner being disqualified due to age restrictions he was awarded the package.

Blair is now headed to the 2010 WSOP where he will not only play in the $10,000 Main Event but also experience Las Vegas like a high roller with extras like expensive dinners, shopping sprees and helicopter tours.

A six-year poker veteran, Blair has been to Vegas several times but this will be the first time he’s going to experience the biggest tournament in the world.

“I’ve won many mid-stakes tournaments online but nothing really to brag about,” said Blair.

A total of 6,494 players entered the Main Event last year creating a prize pool of $61 million and Blair will get a shot at taking home a life-changing amount of money this year.

“If I won the Main Event I’d buy a nice house in my home town and take a nice long vacation.”

Although the 2010 Champion Camp freerolls are now complete, PokerListings is offering extensive coverage of this year’s WSOP with live updates, news and videos.

Be sure to check our coverage as we follow Blair, and thousands of other players, as they attempt to win it all and become a poker world champion.

Exactly two weeks from Day 25 will mark the start of the 2010 World Series of Poker Main Event. Those two weeks are relative, though. For players who have yet to cash or make a final table or win a bracelet, their chances to do so are dwindling, and they can feel it. Some players are tiring of the grind, though, and anxious for the Main Event. As for the poker media, we can safely say that most are feeling the exhaustion and ready to get on with the “big dance.”

Today, however, is Day 25 and brings new excitement of its own to the hallways and ballrooms of the Rio Convention Center. The noon start offers the player-favorite shootout format, where the $1,500 buy-in brings no-limit holdem tables in shootout style, so players simply win a nine-handed table to advance to the money and another to reach the final table. It sounds easier than it is, but players love their chances in it. And later in the day, the 5:00pm start hands players a seven-card razz event for a $2,500 buy-in. They love to hate razz, and they hate to love playing it, and though that doesn’t make much sense, they will show up to play it but complain while doing it. Standard fare for some games, it seems.

Also on the schedule for the day was the official second day of the weekend’s $1K NLHE tournament, along with Day 2 of the $10K PLHE championship event. The schedule only lists the $3K HORSE in its final day of play, as competitors take it to the final table and on to a winner, but Day 24 found a sort of stalemate in the $10K heads-up championship. The final best-of-three matches didn’t get underway until nearly 11:00pm, and the first match found the finalists creeping along until nearly 6:00am before finishing their first match. They wearily agreed to finish their tournament on Monday, June 21, so Day 25 got an extra final table.

The shootout took up a good portion of the Pavilion Ballroom, and the Amazon Room played host to all of the restarts. A busy day was in store for all involved, and the results of it all are listed below for easy reference.

Event 35: Day 4, $10,000 Heads-Up No-Limit Hold’em Championship

The event, as with most WSOP tournaments, was supposed to wrap up on Day 3, but when the first of the best-of-three final matches didn’t finish until the sun came up over the Rio, the players and staff decided that a rest was in order. After starting the tournament on Day 1 with 256 players with only 32 coming back for Day 2, the third day seemed rather easy with only eight starting the action. But heads-up play is a tricky beast, and the lengthy day prompted the need for a Day 4. Ayaz Mahmood took the first match, but Ernst Schmejkal was far from out of the running, as the best of three matches would win the bracelet. Upon completion of the tournament, all of the action will be chronicled in its own article.

Event 36: Day 2, $1,000 No-Limit Hold’em

The weekend $1K NLHE tournament, the fourth of its kind thus far at the 2010 Series, made its way through the two starting days, and Monday brought on Day 2 with all of the players in one place at the same level. Attendance for the event was on par with most of the others, and players were excited for their shot at a bracelet for the most reasonable buy-in available.

Getting the numbers straight was another story, however. The official reporting continued to change the registration numbers listed on the WSOP website. As of Day 1B, the total for the event was 3,105, but Day 2 got underway with that number changed to 3,102. The resulting (and hopefully final) prize pool was shown as $2,791,800, and that was going to allow payouts for the top 324 players with $481,760 reserved for the ultimate winner. As the field played down on the initial days, it was apparent that the thinning was happening faster than expected, as has been the case in most of these $1K NLHE events. Day 1A was then stopped a level and a half short of the required ten levels of play as only 15 percent of the field remained at that point, and Day 1B followed suit.

Day 2 then started with 451 players, one less than originally reported. According to live updates, Scott Montgomery was the overall chip leader with 75,200 chips. All of those hundreds of players returned to the Rio to play down to the money, though some players, like Fabrice Soulier, didn’t make it that far. The bubble did burst shortly into the action, though it happened quickly and without fanfare, and the field cheered at its guarantee of the $1,870 payout.

The day progressed with the following notable players finishing in the money: Lee Childs, Marco Traniello, Nick Brancato, Liv Boeree, Andrew Chen, Tad Jurgens, Shawn Buchanan, Neil Channing, Antoine Saout, Soheil Shamseddin, Chris Dombrowski, Tim West, and Michael Gracz. And when the chaos was done, there were only 38 players still holding chips, and it was Jonathan Clancy with the most, as 774K put him in the chip lead. Timothy Beeman followed with 549K, and the rest of the top five were Joshua Goldstein, Michael Carlson, and Daniel Carboneri.

Those 38 players were asked to return to the Rio at 2:30pm on Tuesday, June 22, to play down to the final table. The extra day allotted for the $1K events promised a short third day and final table action on Day 4.

Event 37: Day 3, $3,000 H.O.R.S.E.

HORSE tournaments usually play out at a fairly slow pace – a trot, if you will – and to finish Event 37 in three days was a challenge but not impossible. The five-game tournament brought 478 players to the tables and created a $1,319,280 prize pool, which was set up to pay the last 48 players and save $329,480 for the ultimate winner. Day 1 of the $3,000 HORSE event took the field from 478 to 219 players, and Day 2 whittled the field even further as the money bubble burst and the night ended with approximately 25 players. (Official reports varied.) With John Juanda in the chip lead and the schedule looking to play to and through the final table, Day 3 was going to be a long but undoubtedly exciting one. All of the action will be reported in a separate article upon the tournament’s completion.

Event 38: Day 2, $10,000 Pot-Limit Hold’em Championship

A championship event always brings the big names to the tables and gives the fans extra reasons to watch the updates from afar or hover around the ropes of the tournament in person. This $10K buy-in event was one that concentrated solely on pot-limit holdem, and there was no shortage of players looking to participate. Though there were a few new names in the crowd, most of the faces were recognizable ones.

The exciting event brought 268 players to the tables, just a tad under the 275-player field of 2009. The current year then saw its prize pool set at $2,519,200, an amount that could pay the top 27 players and reserve $617,214 for the ultimate winner. Action got underway on Sunday, June 20, and whittled the field down to only 135 players. With Tom Marchese in the lead holding 334,600 chips, players ended Day 1 to rest up for another long day, or so each of them hoped.

Day 2 started with those 135 players but quickly found many of them hitting the rails, including Alex Kravchenko, Humberto Brenes, Shaun Deeb, Jonathan Little, Andy Bloch, Phil Hellmuth, Annie Duke, Daniel Negreanu, Phil Ivey, David Ulliott, and Andrew Lichtenberger. Late into the night, after Jason Lester was eliminated in 29th place, hand-for-hand play began, and the key hand took place when Mike Matusow moved all-in with A♣-K♠, Ilya Bulychev did the same with K♣-Q♣, and Konstantin Bucherl covered them both with A♥-Q♣. The board of 9♥-8♦-7♥-10♦-8♣ gave Matusow the triple-up, Bucherl took the side pot, and Bulychev left in 28th place on the money bubble.

The night ended with Marco Traniello busting in 27th place and Mike Matusow following in 26th. The official end-of-day chip counts then showed 25 players remaining, with Peter Jetten holding down the lead with 684K chips, followed by Clement Thumy with 616K. The other names in the top five were Tom Marchese, Sam Stein, and James Calderaro.

Those 25 players were asked to come back to the Amazon Ballroom at 3:00pm on Tuesday to play down to the final table and on toward the winner’s circle.

Event 39: Day 1, $1,500 No-Limit Hold’em Shootout

The shootout is a tournament that most players won’t miss, especially the younger players who have mastered – or so they believe – the art of sit n goes online and believe the live shootout to be simply a version of that SNG. And the reasonable $1,500 price tag allows many players to give it a shot, ensuring a big field. The playdown is also simple, as the first day allows players to compete at one table, the survivors of which return to play another table on Day 2 and make the money. Those winners take seats at the final table and compete for the bracelet. Sounds easy, but is it?

There were many players willing to find out, as a total of 1,400 players turned out. The cap was set at 2,000 but didn’t get there, though the 1,400 number far exceeded the 999 players who came out for the 2009 event. The 2010 prize pool was then set at $1,890,000 and would allow payouts to the last 140 players, meaning that all of the players who made it to Day 2 were guaranteed $5,632, but the 14 who moved on to Day 3 would find progressive payouts with the top prize being $382,725.

Some of the players who won their tables early in the first day were Peter Nguyen, Steve Sallot, Victor Ramdin, Vincent Dulac, Yaman Nakdali, Alex Millar, Cory Carroll, Chau Giang, and JC Tran. Finally, at the end of the night, the last table ended when Mark Schmid won his heads-up match. Altogether, there were 140 players who won and advanced to Day 2 and the money. All will start with 45K in chips and will need to win their tables to move on to Day 3.

Day 2 was scheduled to begin at 2:30pm at the Rio.

Event 40: Day 1, $2,500 Seven-Card Razz

Players claim to hate it. They proclaim it to be the most frustrating variation in poker. But they continue to play it. There is never a shortage of players in a razz tournament, and some of the best players in the world will put up big money to play it, as evidenced by some of the event’s past bracelet winners. Razz is the game that players love to hate, but they may really secretly love it more than they’ll ever admit.

When registration closed for the 5:00pm start tournament, there were 365 players in the game, quite a few more than the 315 who played in the event of 2009, the one that found Jeffrey Lisandro as its champion. The 2010 prize pool was set at $839,500, and the final 40 players standing in the tournament were guaranteed a payout of $4,550 with the winner looking to receive $214,085.

The initial day of the event started with some early eliminations, including Bernard Lee, Christopher George, Tom Dwan, Carlos Mortensen, and Paul “Eskimo” Clark. After eight levels were completed, the official website noted 160 players still left in the field but the live reporting showed 147. Regardless, the chip counts showed Shannon Shorr in the lead with 90,900 chips, followed by Scott Packer with 76,500. The rest of the top five was rounded out with Thomas Tiller, Eric Conti, and David Chiu.

The remaining players, no matter how many there were, could be expected to return to the Amazon Room on Tuesday, June 22 at 3:00pm to continue the action as they played into the money and on toward the final table.

The winner of the 2010 WSOP Ladies Event is Vanessa Hellebuyck. Hellebuyck is a 35 year old freelance web designer. She won $192,132 for first place. She is the 5th French bracelet winner in WSOP history. She also won a bracelet designed by Steve Soffa. customized for the event with pink diamonds. A woman’s victory was important to many players this year as ten men also played in the event. This was Hellebuyck’s first World Series of Poker event. She is eager to return home to Paris where here two children wait for her.

The World Series Of Poker Main Event is only a couple of weeks away and if you don't have your seat yet, then you better get ready to celebrate Father's Day this Sunday, June 20th by playing for your WSOP prize package! Yes, you still have time to win your way to Las Vegas for the biggest event of the year by playing in WSOP online satellite qualifiers this Sunday at these poker rooms!

Betfair Poker

Betfair Poker is guaranteeing two WSOP prize packages worth $14,000 each in their last WSOP Monthly Final with a $550 buy-in, which will be held Sunday at 20:30 GMT. Prize packages include; $10,000 Main Event entry (with your choice of Day 1A, 1B, 1C & 1D), $2,500 for 15 nights at the Wynn Hotel and casino, plus $1500 credit into your Betfair Poker account for flights and spending money.

Bet365 Poker

Bet365 Poker’s Main Event Mega Satellite will take place at 18:00 GMT with 30 WSOP prize packages guaranteed, the prize pool for this tournament will be at least $390,000! Satellites to this event will be running eight times a day throughout Saturday, June 19th starting with rebuy events that have a buy-in of just $1 + $0.10! WSOP prize packages have a value of $13,000 and include: $10,000 for buy-in to the Main Event and $3,000 to cover accommodations at the Wynn, travel expenses and spending money.

Cake Poker

Cake Poker will be holding their last WSOP Series 2010 Final at 4 PM GMT.  The buy-in for this event is $350+$24 and will award the winner a WSOP prize package worth $12,500.  Series Semi-Final Satellites to the WSOP Series Final are still running three times that day at; 8:40 AM, 2:40 PM and 8:40 PM with buy-ins of only $25+$2 where one player will advance to the Series 2010 $12,500 Final for every $374 in the prize pool. Winners of the Final will receive a flexible $12,500 WSOP prize package that they can use either to buy in to the Main Event, or they can choose to buy in to smaller buy-in WSOP events.

Chili Poker

The final Chili Poker $500+ $35 buy-in Super Satellite will take place at 20:00 GMT and will award a WSOP all inclusive prize package worth $13,000 that includes: $10,000 buy-in to the WSOP Main Event on Day 1D on July 8th 2010 at 12:00 PM, $875 for seven nights’ accommodation at the Wynn Las Vegas from July 6th through July 13th, $250 for registration fees and $1,875 for travel and spending money.

Full Tilt Poker

Full Tilt Poker will be hosting their 150 Seat Main Event Guarantee at 18:00 ET where a minimum of at least 150 WSOP prize packages will be awarded.  That’s $1.8 million in guaranteed prize money to play for with a direct buy-in for $600 + $40 or you can still satellite your way in, for as little as $1 or 50 Full Tilt Points. Each prize package is worth $12,000 and includes: $10K Main Event buy-in, $2,000 in spending money, dinner with Full Tilt Poker pros and free access to the Full Tilt Poker hospitality suite at the Rio. Winners also will have the option of free accommodations at the Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas during the Main Event. And if a player qualifies for their 2010 Main Event seat at Full Tilt Poker and goes on to win the event, Full Tilt Poker will award them a $10,000,000 bonus in addition to their first-place prize money! Plus any Full Tilt Poker player who finishes in the money will receive a free seat at the 2011 Main Event!

Party Poker

The PartyPoker $50,000 guaranteed WSOP For Life Qualifier will take place at 15:35 ET with a buy-in of $300 + $20. Daily $32 + $3 buy-in qualifiers are still running at 14:40 ET where 1 in 10 players will win a seat in the WSOP For Life Grand Final. The winner of the Grand Final will receive a WSOP For Life package, 2nd – 4th places will receive a WSOP Main Event package and 5th – 50th places will share a cash prizepool on a sliding scale. The WSOP For Life prize package includes a Main Event buy-in every year for the next 20 years.

PokerStars

PokerStars Mega Satellite event will replace the Sunday Million tournament at 16:30 ET and is guaranteed to award 200 Main Event packages worth $12,000 each. The direct buy-in is $370 but satellites are still running starting at only $1.10 or 100 Frequent Player Points. WSOP prize packages will include; $10,000 buy-in to the Main Event, accommodations at the luxurious Palms Hotel and Casino, and cash for travel and other expenses.

UB and Absolute Poker

Absolute Poker and UB Poker will be awarding at least 50 Main Event seats in their World Series of Poker 50 Package Super Satellite at 16:00 ET with a buy-in of $500+30.

Both poker rooms are guaranteeing to send at least 50 online poker players to the WSOP with a $12,000 prize package that includes their $10,000 buy-in to the Main Event, and $2,000 spending money. Daily satellite feeders are running now for as little as $3 and there are a variety of satellites with buy-in amounts of just $55 and $60 that will all get you to the 50 Package Guaranteed event. Also, the 100-seat guaranteed satellite for a buy-in of $60+6 is a last-minute option at 13:00 ET which can also get you into the 50 Package Guaranteed Super Satellite taking place just three hours later.

Titan Poker

Titan Poker will hold their Mega Satellite at 18:00 GMT where 30 Main Event seats are guaranteed to be awarded. For a $500 + 35 buy in, you could be going to Las Vegas with a WSOP prize package that includes; $10,000 buy-in to the Main Event, $875 for seven nights' accommodation at the Wynn Las Vegas from July 6th to July 13th, $250 for Registration fees and $1,875 for flights/spending money. Satellites to the Sunday Mega Satellite will be running throughout Saturday June 19th with buy-ins starting at just $10+1.

Grab a chair and get in the game and get ready to experience the World Series Of Poker Main Event in fabulous Las Vegas!

Players who missed out on the first PokerListings.com Champion Camp freeroll on bet365 are in luck because the site has scheduled another for June 16.

As with every PokerListings VIP Champion Camp package the winner has a shot at taking home up to $20,000 including a $10,000 2010 WSOP Main Event seat and up to $10,000 more in bonuses like accommodations, shopping sprees, fine dining and helicopter tours.

In addition the longer a player survives in the Main Event the more bonuses he will receive from PokerListings including designer sunglasses, plane tickets and high end clothing.

The free tournament is open to any players who generate 250 bet365 Merit Points before midnight on June 15.

Bet365 is also running a variety of non-Champion Camp WSOP satellites this year including 30 packages in its Main Event Mega Satellite on June 20.

All freeroll winners must play the 2010 WSOP and wear PokerListings and bet365 logos to take part in VIP activities.

Check our WSOP How to Qualify page for more information and for full terms and conditions click here.

Sometimes, it only takes a peek at the 2010 World Series of Poker schedule to know what day of the week it is and that a weekend is near. That was the case on Thursday, June 10, as the two new tournaments on the schedule – PLO and stud – indicated action and more substantial fields of players. After a few slow days midweek, the media, fans, and players were ready to kick it up a notch.

Day 14 of the long haul, as it is affectionately called, that is the WSOP brought two new tournaments. The first was the noon start of the $1,500 pot-limit Omaha event, the inaugural one of the 2010 Series. One of the biggest action games in poker, and the one that has grown in popularity in the past years into a player favorite, started the day with a solid field. And coming in at 5:00pm was the $1,500 stud event, allowing those with more modest bankrolls, those who couldn’t play in the previous days’ $10K stud championships, to play a little seven-card stud instead of the usual NLHE. Sometimes, change is good.

Also on tap for the day, though, was the second day of the $2K limit holdem tournament, which was set to try to play to a final table. And Day 2 of the deuce to 7 draw lowball event was also in the works, and it boasted of some of the biggest names in poker. The rail was thick for the 2-7 event, as they clamored to catch glimpses of players like Chris Ferguson and Doyle Brunson. Both of those restarts brought some excitement into the Amazon Room, as did the playdown and final table of the $5K NLHE tournament, one that contained several popular online poker names and played itself out on the ESPN stage.

All in all, the excitement returned to the Rio Convention Center in Las Vegas for the 14th day of action, and it is all chronicled below for your convenience and casual reading pleasure.

Event 17: Day 3, $5,000 No-Limit Hold’em

The no-limit holdem tournament that began with 792 players ponying up the $5,000 buy-in to compete for the $3,722,400 prize pool was finally on schedule to end on its third day. But 18 players remained at the start of Day 3, and with so much money on the line – $818,959 for first place – not to mention the gold WSOP bracelet, it was a long day. The playdown to the final table and ultimately the winner’s circle will be chronicled in a separate article upon its completion.

Event 18: Day 2, $2,000 Limit Hold’em

The limit holdem event, the first of the $2K buy-in variety, started on Wednesday, June 9, in the Pavilion Ballroom with 476 players and an $866,320 prize pool. The numbers were greater than in the same 2009 event, though not by much, and they allowed 45 players to cash in but the winner to take home $203,607. LHE may not always be the most exciting of games, but when there are hundreds of thousands of dollars and a WSOP gold bracelet on the line, those capped bets become more intriguing.

Day 1 took that field of 476 and thinned it to only 144, still quite far from the money and just barely at half the starting field. And when they returned for Day 2 action, the goal of reaching the final table seemed a lofty one. Early in the day, names like Lex Veldhuis, Liz Lieu, Svetlana Gromenkova, Ylon Schwartz, Dutch Boyd, and Sorel Mizzi were among the players to hit the rail long before the money bubble.

It wasn’t until just after the dinner break that hand-for-hand play started on the money bubble, and it was over quickly after Bob Lauria pushed his last 2,500 chips all-in with Q♥-5♥. Jeff Siegal called from the small blind with 8♠-3♣, but the flop came 8♦-4♣-2♣ to give Siegal the sudden advantage. The 2♥ came on the turn and the A♥ on the river, and Bob Lauria was the bubble player, leaving in 46th place with only a bad memory of the bustout hand. The rest of the players were guaranteed a minimum payout of $4,097, and Wesley Huff was the first to take advantage of that in 45th place. Other notables who cashed out as the night progressed included Lisa Wagoner in 44th place, Ralph Porter in 40th, Joe Serock in 28th, Gabriel Nassif in 23rd, Shannon Shorr in 17th, and Jeff Shulman in 13th.

The night ultimately ended just short of the official final table. With 11 players left, Duke Lee pushed all-in with K♦-Q♣ on a 10♥-9♣-7♠ flop, but Brent Courson called with 3♣-3♦. The 4♣ turn and 5♦ river left Lee out in 11th place with $12,561, and the final ten players were soon done for the night. The starting chip counts and seating assignment for Day 3 was as follows:

Those ten players were set to resume play at 2:30pm on Friday, June 11, to bust one player to find the official final table, then proceed to play down to a winner.

Event 19: Day 2, $10,000 2-7 Draw Lowball No-Limit Championship

It was another star-studded tournament at the 2010 WSOP. Not only was it a deuce to 7 draw lowball tournament, but it was of the no-limit variety, it required a $10K buy-in, and it was a championship title. All of those things put together drew some of the biggest names in poker to the game, even prompting Doyle Brunson to comment on a social network site that it was his best game and he was looking forward to playing it.

There were 101 interested players on Day 1, which created a $949,400 prize pool, which would pay out 14 players and give $294,321 to the first place finisher. The event was one that only gave the players 7,500 chips to start play, but they all had the opportunity to take their three add-ons at any time during the first four levels of play, giving a different feel to the chip stacks and strategies. At the end of the late night on the first day, there were only 72 players remaining.

Day 2 started with those 72 and quickly reduced that number with the eliminations of such players as Tom Schneider, Robert Mizrachi, Dan Heimiller, David Grey, Brandon Adams, Mike Matusow, Daniel Alaei, Nicholas Brancato, Brandon Cantu, and Michael Mizrachi. When hand-for-hand play started late into the evening, it went on for quite a few hands until Par Hilderbrand finally decided to make a move with his short stack. Booth called and showed a pat wheel of 7-5-4-3-2, and Hildebrand couldn’t beat it, thus the 15th place finish and the bursting of the bubble.

Play continued, and Peter Gould became the first player to cash in the tournament, taking home $19,272 for the 14th place finish. He was followed by Chad Brown in 13th place, Yan Chen in 12th, and Vince Musso in 11th.  The night did end with ten players in place, and they were as follows:

 
Those players, and likely a large contingent of fans, will return at 3:00pm on Friday to play Day 3 down to the official final table and on to the declaration of a winner.

Event 20: Day 1, $1,500 Pot-Limit Omaha

With Omaha as one of the most popular games with players, it was odd to see that the first PLO event wasn’t scheduled until the end of the second week of the 2010 WSOP. But the anticipation of the event was enough to bring a very solid crowd to the Pavilion Ballroom on Thursday, June 10. The action-packed game attracted everyone from the relative amateurs to the pros, all of whom thrive on the ups and downs, the big pots, and the unique strategy that pot-limit Omaha can offer. Also a part of this tournament would be the second chance aspect, which allows players to start with only 1,500 chips but take advantage of any of three add-ons of 1,000 chips each during the first few levels.

The first PLO tournament of 2009 was Event 5, much earlier in the Series than this one, and it drew 809 players for a $1,104,285 prize pool. That event was won by Jason Mercier. But the numbers increased in 2010, as the field was comprised of 885 players and the prize pool of $1,194,750. The top 81 players were set to be paid, with $256,919 reserved for first place.

Some of the players without a chance of seeing that money due to their early eliminations on Day 1 included Tom Dwan, Jon Turner, Noah Boeken, and Carlos Mortensen. And as the day turned to night and the requisite number of levels were played, action stopped with only 95 players left. Among them was defending champion Mercier, but atop the leaderboard was Jonathan Little with 129,600 chips, followed by Christian Harder with 116,100 chips. The others in the top five were Matt Zoorob, John Barch, and Nenad Medic.

Action was set to resume at 2:30pm on Friday in the Amazon Ballroom to play into the money and on toward the final table setup.

Event 21: Day 1, $1,500 Seven-Card Stud

The only stud events at the 2010 WSOP thus far had been $10,000 buy-in championship events, precluding many of the game’s newer players or those with smaller bankrolls from competing in the long-time player favorite game. But with Event 21, the buy-in was only $1,500 and the seven-card stud served straight up, with no splits, and that allowed the masses – or at least those with a penchant for this game – to step up to the plate and go for the gold.

Registration was up this year. In 2009, there were 359 players and a $490,034 prize pool, and many will remember it because of the win by Jeff Lisandro that propelled him on to more bracelets and a Player of the Year victory. But in 2010, with his focus on Event 19, the field was open to a new winner. The 2010 number reflected an increase in stud interest, as 408 players signed up to create a prize pool of $550,800. The top 40 players would make some money for their efforts in the tournament, though the top prize of $140,467 was reserved for the winner.

Some of the early exits of the day were made by players like David Singer, Mel Judah, Jimmy Fricke, Scott Clements, David Williams, and Annette Obrestad. And at the end of the night, after more departures, there were 128 players left in the game. The one with the most chips was Scott Seiver, who bagged up 63,800 chips, and he was followed by James Kadlec with 40,500 chips. The rest of the top five included Christine Pietsch, Carlos Mortensen, and Darren Shebell.

Play was set to resume on Friday, June 11, at 3:00pm, when they would reduce the field into the money and on toward the final table.