The World Series of Poker, which began nearly four decades ago with less than a dozen players, has grown into the biggest and richest poker game in the world, an event so large in size and stature that gamblers now can bet on the poker betting. Last year, nearly 55,000 card players fought it out for some $180 million in prize money, numbers that could be aced this year.
The 2009 World Series of Poker, a mammoth 57-event spectacle, deals out its first game at the Rio Casino and Hotel in Las Vegas, May 27. ESPN provides delayed coverage.
The highlight of the marathon competition is the $10,000 buy-in, No-Limit Texas Hold' Em game which runs July 3-15, then takes a four-month break until the remaining 10 players reassemble for Final Table play, v. 7-10. The survivor of this game wins $9-13 million, depending on the size of the field, and is considered poker's world champion.
Of course, in the world of sports betting, you can't have a world championship without wagering, so bookmakers dutifully have posted a future book on the event. Given that the 2006 event attracted 8,772 players, this is no small undertaking.
Phil Ivey, Tom Dwan, Daniel Negreanu and Gus Hansen, familiar names to those who regularly view a seemingly never-ending series of poker shows on television, each are listed at 150/1. That's right, 150/1 on the favorite.
Jamie Gold, who earned a record $12 million when he won the WSOP title in 2006, is held at 200/1, the same price as Ivan Demidov, last year's runner-up. Phil Hellmuth, the winner in 1989 and the holder of a record 11 WSOP championships, is offered at odds of 250/1, the same price as two other former champions, 2000 winner Chris Ferguson, and defending title-holder Peter Eastgate.
Two-time (1987-88) WSOP champion Johnny Chan, who was featured in the motion picture, Rounders, is quoted at odds of 300/1, the same price at Joe Hachem, the champion in 2005.
Greg Raymer, the 2004 champion, is listed at 350/1 while former champions Scotty Nguyen (1998) and Chris Moneymaker (2003) are held at 400/1 apiece. Jerry Yang, who took home over $8 million with the title in 2007, is 500/1 to earn a second world championship.
Straight betting, which given the size of the field may be a fool's errand, isn't the only way for non-players to play the World Series of Poker Texas Hold ‘Em championship. Gamblers also can wager on the nationality of the winning player. It's 5/6 that an American takes the title, with prices escalating from 14/1 to 100/1 on players from Canada, Sweden, Australia, Norway, Denmark, Finland, France, Russia, Poland, Spain, Netherlands, Italy, Hungary, Bulgaria and the Czech Republic. Don't like any of those? Try 2/1 on "any other nationality."
Women compete with men at the WSOP but some books are offering odds on with lady will finish highest in the Texas Hold ‘Em game. Annie Duke, who recently competed on "The Celebrity Apprentice," is a 16/1 co-favorite with Jennifer Harmon, another familiar face on the poker circuit. Actresses turned poker players Jennifer Tilly and Shannon Elizabeth each are held at odds of 33/1.
Of former WSOP winners, Hellmuth is the 8/1 favorite to have the best championship finish. Nguyen, Eastgate and Carlos Mortenson (2001), each are 10/1 to go the farthest while Huck Seed, the 1996 winner, is 12/1. Chan, Hachem, Ferguson and Dan Harrington (1995) head the contingent at 14/1. Poker legend Doyle Brunson (1976-77) checks in at 16/1.
If you'd rather bet on cards than people, at least one book has a proposition on what the final, winning hand will be in November:
2 pair3/2
1 pair5/2
Straight or flush19/4
3 of a kind11/2
Full house, 4 of a kind or straight flush10/1
High card12/1
And, finally, like the brain-dead Super Bowl prop which asks bettors to choose heads or tails for the game's coin flip, psychics can take 19/20 that the final card played is either red or black.
Shuffle up and deal and let the poker betting begin.
