Normally in times of economic despair, people cut out all of the fills and luxuries such satellite TV, jet skis, and trips to Florida. And since poker is a gambling-based game, you would think that people might consider this a frill and cut it out as well. However, the numbers suggest something entirely different.
The WSOP Main Event alone is a good indication that the World Series of Poker is pretty recession proof. 7,319 players paid the hefty $10,000 Main Event buy-in fee while the winner will get $8.94 million – the second highest payout to a WSOP winner since Jamie Gold lucked his way into the title back in 06′.
The total number of people entering the WSOP in 2010 – 72,966 – shattered the previous record of 60,875 set last year. With enough people descending on Las Vegas to comprise a small city, it’s worth taking a look at who makes up this field of players.
And I couldn’t put it any better myself than to use the words of Phil Hellmuth who said, “Celebrities love to play. Athletes love to play. And the American public, the worldwide public, loves to play. I’m kind of proud of where the World Series has gone, and I’m kind of proud of the fact that people really want to even play in the event.”
Some of the celebrities we’ve seen in the WSOP so far include NFL greats Emmit Smith and Jerome Bettis, actors Ray Romano and Matt Damon, and NBA star Tracy McGrady. Of course, this is just a short list because lots of other celebrities have shown up to play at the WSOP as well. This just goes to show that poker is no longer a game only played by serious rounders who make a living out of it.
