The 2009 World Series of Poker is underway! The Rio Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas will be hosting the seven-week-long event as thousands of competitors put their poker skills to the test. Millions of dollars in prizes are on the line, not to mention the coveted World Series of Poker golden bracelets (57 in total), which are given exclusively to WSOP winners.

The 2009 WSOP will end with its world-renowned $10,000 No-Limit Texas Hold'em Main Event, which will determine the World Series of Poker champion. Last year’s champion, Peter Eastgate, opened the 2009 series with the “Shuffle Up and Deal” address.

The first of thousands of hands of poker took place on Wednesday, May 27th when a tournament for casino employees was held. In this particular event there were 201 entrants, with 27 players to be paid at least $71,858. The total prize pool for the tournament was $7.72 million and the overall winner was paid $1.89 million.

(The World Series of Poker also has an annual mixed-game H.O.R.S.E. event that costs $50,000 to enter.)

The vast majority of the poker world, however, is looking to the main event. This final stretch - which begins July 3 and continues until July 15 - will see the field of thousands reduced to the top nine players.

As it did for the first time last year, the tournament will take a nearly four-month break until November 7, when the nine remaining players will meet once again at the final table and play off for poker's biggest prize.

 

We'll be watching intently - along with the rest of the poker world - over the next several weeks.