WSOP records

With the fourth and final Day 1 of the 2008 World Series of Poker concluded, the numbers are in and the organisers have confirmed that this edition of the globe’s most famous poker series is a record breaker.

Among the superlatives are the following:

Most total registrants
Final numbers are not yet available, but the 55 events at this year’s WSOP already have generated more player registrations than the previous record (54,288 in 2007)

Largest total prize pool
While registration in the $10,000 No-Limit Texas Hold’em World Championship – commonly referred to as the Main Event – remains open, the total prize pool for the 2008 WSOP already exceeds the previous record of $159,796,918 set in 2007.

Most countries/territories represented
Not including Main Event participants, players from 104 different countries/territories have competed in 2008 WSOP events – more than in the 2006 Winter Olympics. A final number of countries will be available following the close of Main Event registration on Sunday, 6 July. The previous record number of countries represented at the WSOP was 87, set in 2007.

Largest non-Main Event field
3,929 players each put up $1,500 to compete in the 2008 WSOP’s first no-limit hold’em tournament that began May 31.

First Family
The Hinkle brothers, from Kansas City, became the first-ever set of brothers to win bracelets in the same year. Grant won Event #2 and $831,432; Blair won Event #23 and $507,563. The Hinkles become only the second set of brothers to win bracelets at the WSOP, joining the Pearsons: Puggy (1973) and J.C. (1994).

“This has been an incredible season and we’re not done yet,” said World Series of Poker Commissioner Jeffrey Pollack.

“So far, players from 56 countries, every state in the U.S. and every Canadian province have cashed at this year’s WSOP. When all is said and done, we’re going to award more prize money to more players than at any other point in our illustrious 39-year history.”