The 2011 WSOP Main Event

This year 6,865 people entered the main event in the World Series of Poker - a number well off the peak in 2006 when 8,773 player battled it out for pokers' most prized championship but still large enough that the future of the spectacle seems solid enough. Today is a day off before play resumes tomorrow in what is officially called "Day 3" even though this event has been going on for six days already. With such a massive field the "first day" was run on four different dates (1A, 1B, 1C and 1D) with a quarter of the entrants playing on each day. Day two was similarly divided into two different days, so tomorrow will be the first time that all the remaining players (there are 1,864 left) will be playing simultaneously.

The vast majority of those remaining are relative unknowns, but a few notables to watch include:

• Ben Lamb, the current leader, is a professional poker player who has already won a WSOP bracelet this year in Pot-Limit Omaha.



• Patrick Antonius, a certified poker super-star, is currently in 7th. He is the best chance for a "big name" player to take down the title.



• Sol Bergren is the top Canadian right now, in 16th place. Bergen is from my hometown of Saskatoon, so I gotta root for this guy. With a fourth place finish in a 2007 APPT tour event in Australia, which netted him just under a quarter million Aussie dollars, Bergen has experience in big money situations.



• Tony Hachem, in the 50th spot, is a PokerStars pro who happens to be the brother of the 2005 main event winner, Joe Hachem.



• Jeff Madsen, who has two WSOP bracelets, might be the most feared competitor remaining. In 61st position right now, I would not be surprised to see him make the final table.



• John Racener, who came in second place in last years' main event, is well positioned at 143rd spot.



• Past champions still in the running this year include Carlos Mortensen and Huck Seed.