The first major disappointment has been reported from this year’s World Series of Poker in Las Vegas with the news that despite six starter flights and an increased winner’s reward the much-publicised Colossus II event failed to beat last year’s entry of 22,374.
After starting two heats every day for three days the organisers report that unique entries totalled 11,713, with 9,900 re-entries, with the total buy-ins of 21,613 falling short of last year’s record.
This years’ total created a prize pool of $10,806,500 which will be distributed over 3,245 places, surpassing the $7 million guarantee with ease.
Among those to benefit will be the final table survivors, who will claim $3 million from the pool, with whoever wins collecting a cool million dollars….significantly more than the $638,880 taken home by last year’s winner, Cord Garcia (see previous report).
When we went to press 830 players were still battling it out from a field that originally included such poker luminaries as Phil Laak, Antonio Esfandiari, Vanessa Rousso, Jeff Gross, Phil Hellmuth and Rainer Kempe.
Organisers expect the event to reach a conclusion on Tuesday.
In related WSOP news, reporters attending the event reported the reappearance after five years of self-imposed seclusion of former and much maligned Full Tilt director Chris “Jesus” Ferguson.
Ferguson dropped out of sight and hearing following the implosion of Full Tilt post-Black Friday, along with fellow FT director Howard “The Professor” Lederer, who recently apologised publicly for his lack of diligence in the debacle.
Whilst there has been no sign of Lederer at WSOP so far, a reportedly rather taciturn Ferguson entered, played and busted in the $10,000 Seven-Card Stud event and is currently entered in the $1,000 Top-Up Turbo.
Asked for comment, Ferguson used the phrase “I’m just here to play poker” repeatedly and had little else to say. He was treated with courtesy at the tables at which he has so far appeared.