Main event of World Series of Poker is underway in Las Vegas

7/6/2010 8:00:33 AM

A group of 1,125 card players were in Las Vegas for the start of the World Series of Poker main event Monday, most of them gambling $10,000 on hopes of winning millions at the game's richest no-limit Texas Hold'em tournament.

LAS VEGAS â€” A group of 1,125 card players were in Las Vegas for the start of the World Series of Poker main event Monday, most of them gambling $10,000 on hopes of winning millions at the game's richest no-limit Texas Hold'em tournament.

The field size beat last year's opening day by nine entrants. The 2009 event attracted 6,494 players, creating a prize pool of more than $61 million and a top prize of $8.55 million for winner Joe Cada of Chesterfield Township, Mich.

The tournament has three more starting days, Tuesday through Thursday.

Greg Raymer, the tournament's winner in 2004, delivered the traditional "shuffle-up-and-deal" order as Monday's session began â€” and was eliminated during the first level of play.

Raymer lost the bulk of his chip stack within the first 10 hands.

Stuart Nitzkin of Northfield, Ill., was the first player eliminated; it happened roughly 35 minutes into play, abnormally long for this tournament because of its size. Nitzkin left without speaking to media.

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/ot…

July 5, 2010