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2007 World Series of Poker Breaks Records Three Days In
Since kicking off Friday, the World Series of Poker has seen two of its own records shattered, one for high numbers, and another a low one.
The WSOP broke its own record with the largest number of poker players ever to enter a non-main event. The No-Limit Hold'em championship boasted 2,998 participants (approximately 2,600 entries and 400 alternates), destroying the previous record by 107 players. The three-day event began Saturday at noon and ran until Ciaran O'Leary, the Irish-native Seattle dweller, cashed in for the first time in his six years of play at the WSOP with $727,012. Each player paid a $1,500 entry fee. Overall, 308 players received prize money.
The largest poker tournament in history remains the 2006 WSOP $10,000 buy-in championship event, with 8,773 players. The second-largest of all-time is the 2005 WSOP championship event, with 5,619 players. This event, then, ranks at the third largest poker tournament of all-time.
The other WSOP record was cracked when the youngest player ever to win a bracelet beat out 450 other entrants in the first event, Mixed Hold'em. Chicago-native Steve Billirakis beat the age record set by Jeff Madsen last year, being a few days less than a month younger.
Former professional hockey player Greg Mueller came in second in the same $5,000 buy-in tournament. Mueller, who played hockey in Europe and attended training camp for the NHL's Vancouver Canucks, was the chip leader after day one, but each time he got ahead, Billirakis would win a critical pot and retake the lead.
Billirakis said he plans to enter a few more tournaments, possibly endangering Madsens's record of two gold bracelets by the age of 21 years, one month and 18 days.