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BACH IN THE SEAT AGAIN: DAVID BACH LEADS, 142 REMAIN ALIVE STARTING DAY 6

A Look at the 142 Survivors Remaining in the 2011 WSOP Main Event Championship.

Jul 17 2011 05:54 PM ESTNolan Dalla

BACH IN THE SEAT AGAIN: DAVID BACH LEADS, 142 REMAIN ALIVE STARTING DAY 6

MAIN EVENT HEADLINES – END OF DAY FIVE

High Five!

Day Five Finished! 142 Players Remain Alive

2011 World Series of Poker Main Event Championship Continues

Former “Poker Players Champion” David Bach Enters Day Six with Chip Lead

Day Five Ends, Day Six Set to Begin on Sunday

Poker History in the Making: ESPN Live Broadcast Runs through July 19^th

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OVERVIEW

Hidden beneath the glamour and excitement of the World Series of Poker Main Event Championship is the gangplank awaiting all but one providential player, who becomes the new world champion.

The WSOP gangplank can either be a quick splash or a long and painful fall. Aside from one winner, all finishers are forced to make a long and painful walk from the poker table to the exit. This year, 6,864 players will make an unwelcome departure from the richest and most exciting poker game of the entire year. The fallen will return to their homes, families, jobs, problems, uncertainties and all that constitutes daily life. For them, the dream is over -- at least until next year.

Every gangplank is accompanied by a gambit of mixed emotions, accompanied by a mistress named envy. For some players who go bust, their initial reaction is anger. For others, the earliest emotion is disappointment. But for most players that will depart Las Vegas, sorrow is inevitably replaced by contentment and, in most cases, slow and steady self-satisfaction. In a way, everyone who plays in the WSOP is a winner. Just getting into the tournament and taking a seat in the biggest game in the world constitutes a victory. And those fortunate enough to play deep or cash in the Main Event can take great personal pride in accomplishing what most players only dream.

And so, on what is widely considered ‘Moving Day,” the Rio in Las Vegas is filled with a whirlwind of anger, disappointment, jubilation and intensity that can only be seen on so many levels by so many different people at the WSOP. Indeed, just as “Moving Day” in golf refers to the critical third stage of the tournament when players jockey for position coming into the final round, Day Five of the Main Event is the time when contenders and pretenders tend to part ways.

At the conclusion of Day Five, only 142 players and dreams remain alive in the Main Event. Some of those dreams are more realistic than others. In fact, some are better described as fantasies. First, there are the chip leaders who must now be thinking there's a realistic chance to make a very deep run in the Main Event, which could be life changing. Then, there are players with far shorter stacks, who have quite a different dream at this stage of the tournament. Right now, their dream is simply to remain alive and survive another hand, another round, another hour and another day.

Day Five of the 2011 WSOP Main Event began with 378 players, which represented about 5 percent of the door-busting number of participants that started what was the third-largest live poker tournament in history, with 6,865 players.

Among the more well-known players who have been eliminated in the initial four hours of play on Day Five were -- Peter Jetten (Toronto, Canada), David Levi (Las Vegas, NV), Richard Lee (San Antonio, TX), "Miami John" Cernuto (Miami, FL), Freddy Deeb (Las Vegas, NV), Darus Suharto (Toronto, Canada), Mike Ellis (London, UK), Garry Gates, Matt Stout, Jon Friedberg, Jeff Siegel, Daniel Negreanu and many others.

Manoj Viswanathan (New York, NY) began the day as chip leader. He was one of only two players who started play with more than 3 million in chips. The other was former gold bracelet winner (and reigning WSOP Circuit champion) Sam Barnhart (Little Rock, AR), who survived and ended the day in 12^th place.

Viswanathan suffered a brutally disappointing day. He fell from first place to about 25th place in the standings, after losing a significant portion of his giant stack within the first few hours of play. By end of the day, he was out of the tournament in 191^st place in what can only be described as a stunning reversal of fortune. His gangplank walk promises to be one of much reflection and plenty of second-guessing.

The current chip leader is former gold bracelet winner David Bach (Athens, GA). He won the 2009 Poker Players Championship (which was then called the $50,000 buy-in H.O.R.S.E. Championship). He enjoyed a nearly perfect day and appears to be in a huge rush after finishing second in Event #57, which was the last gold bracelet tournament before the Main Event. He began the day ranked among the chip leaders and increased his stack up to 4,706,000 in chips. Bach knows he still has a long way to go. But for now, he’ll be the main focus as play enters Day Six on Sunday.

MEET CHIP LEADER – DAVID BACH

The Bach name is best known for composing classical music. If so, then David Bach is in the midst of conducting a full orchestra that is performing poker masterpiece.

Bach is the current chip leader in the World Series of Poker Main Event. Even though he’s won a gold bracelet before, which came in one of the toughest and most revered poker tournaments of the year, Bach is still not as widely known as he should be. All that is about to change as Bach steps into what will be the brightest spotlight ever shined on any poker player -- ever. Indeed, with ESPN’s constant live coverage the rest of the way, in addition to regular tape-delay programming appearing later -- just about everything Bach does over the next few days will be seen by millions of people.

Like just about everyone who becomes the Main Event chip leader, Bach is in unfamiliar territory. If there was a downside to Bach's previous gold bracelet victory, it was that when it happened -- no one seemed to be around to take notice.

For his victory two years ago, Bach collected a whopping $1,276,806 in prize money. Unfortunately, Bach’s triumph occurred during the only year the event wasn’t nationally televised by ESPN -- which was a shame since his thrilling final table match was a back and forth battle that was the third-longest in WSOP history. When Bach's final hand took place at 10 am, following an all-night marathon, all that could be heard around the Rio was the hum of vacuum cleaners preparing for the day that was to come.

Nevertheless, Bach didn’t seem to mind one bit. From the look of a smiling Bach, he might as well have been posing at center court inside a jam-packed Madison Square Garden. The cheers he heard in his mind weren't those of star-gazers and dazed and confused celebrity worshipers. Bach's cheers were of a very different kind, coming from a deep inner reservoir of self-confidence and humility. That pretty much sums up David Bach, as a player and a person.

When it happened, Bach's victory brought up the old question about a tree falling in the woods. The query went, “If a tree falls in the forest, and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound?”

To two-time WSOP gold bracelet champion David Bach, the answer is yes. And, it was music to his ears.

That self-assurance will most certainly serve Bach well in the coming hours and, perhaps, days ahead in the Main Event.

For comprehensive updates of Event #58 and a list of all remaining players with chips counts, please visit the WSOP.com tournament portal page HERE.

MEET THE (REMAINING) PLAYERS

When Day Six Begins on Sunday, 142 players will take seats and compete in pursuit of the 2011 world poker championship. Here’s a short look at each player based on what is currently known:

BY TABLE/SEAT NUMBER (STARTING DAY SIX)

312-1 Phil Collins (Las Vegas, NV – USA) 4,109,000

Collins is a 26-year-old pro poker player. He was previously a college student. He attended the University of South Carolina. He met his wife Katie while in school. She lived across the hall from him. They were married last year. He plays/played a lot of online poker until the developments of April 2011.

312-2 Robin Colbin (Lidkoping – SWEDEN) 381,000

Colbin, a.k.a. Jens-Colbin is 21 years old and single.

312-3 Joseph Cheong (Las Vegas, NV – USA) 1,988,000

Cheong is a 24-year-old professional poker player. He was born in Korea. He is best known for finishing third in last year’s Main Event Championship. His career tournament winnings now total $4.3 million.

312-4 Guiseppe Pastura (Guidizzo – ITALY) 2,095,000

Pastura is a 42-year-old professional poker player. He used to be an information technology manager. He hopes to become the second player in history from Italy to make it to the final table, after Filippo Candio’s breakthrough last year. His only previous live cash was in a small tournament held at the Venetian.

312-5 Matthew Wantman (Stoneham, MA -- USA) 916,000

Wantman is a 22-year-old college student. He was born in Boston. Wantman is used to some fluctuations as a poker player. Early on when he began playing online, he ran his account up to more than $100,000, and then lost it all. He has a few small cashes in live tournaments, including a 65^th-place finish earlier at this year’s WSOP.

312-6 Harold Wasson (Corona, CA -- USA) 736,000

Wasson is a 64-year-old real estate broker from Southern California. He only started playing poker about three years ago and says it is a hobby. He is a regular player at the Lake Elsinore Casino, near his home. Wasson has a few major cashes, which total about $75,000.

312-7 Lance Steinberg (Jericho, NY -- USA) 900,000

Steinberg is a 44-year-old real estate professional. He was born in New York City. Steinberg is married and has two children.

312-8 Mario Silvestri, III (Fort Worth, TX -- USA) 1,089,000

Silvestri is a 24-year-old poker pro (who is in limbo over the events of April 2011). He is originally from Danbury, CT. He is single.

312-9 Christian Harder (Annapolis, MD – USA) 1,624,000

Harder is a 23-year-old professional poker player who is in the midst of stunning back-to-back Main Event performances. He took 100^th place in the Main Event last year and seems primed to at least match that feat in 2011. He has two EPT final table appearances, as well as one WPT final table appearances.

314-1 Andrew Brokos (Catonsville, MD – USA) 1,572,000

Brokos is a 28-year-old poker pro who was previously the executive director of a non-profit organization. He founded the Boston Debate League, which launched debate programs in Boston area high schools. He is dedicating 10 percent of his WSOP winnings to the organization, which serves thousands of students.

314-2 James Ruszkiewicz (Mukwonago, WI – USA) 193,000

Ruszkiewicz is a 30-year-old Wisconsin man. He is single.

314-3 Carl Olson (Seattle, WA – USA) 531,000

Olson is a 29-year-old professional poker player. He is single.

314-4 John Esposito (Las Vegas, NV – USA) 860,000

Esposito (a.k.a. “Espo”) is making his seventh Main Event cash, which places him in the top 10 all-time. He is originally from Chicago. Esposito is a 57-year-old professional gambler (poker and sports betting). He is married and has three children. Prior to gambling, he used to own a nightclub.

314-5 Matthew Kay (Waterloo, Ontario – CANADA) 1,880,000

Kay is a 23-year-old student and stock trader. He is single. Kay ranked second as Card Player magazine’s “Online Player of the Year,” in 2007.

314-6 Chris Bonita (Las Vegas, NV – USA) 939,000

Bonita is a 44-year-old professional poker player. He is originally from Boston, MA. He used to work in sales and says he learned to play poker from watching it on television. He is single.

314-7 Stefan Huber (Schlieren, SWITZERLAND) 1,789,000

Huber has accumulated more than $500,000 in live tournament winnings. He won an event at the Caribbean Adventure a few years ago, which was his biggest win. He is a 25-year-old poker pro and student.

314-8 Ruben Visser (Rotterdam, THE NETHERLANDS) 1,127,000

Visser is a 22-year-old poker pro and student. He recently received his college degree in business.

314-9 Feming Chan (West Windsor, NJ – USA) 631,000

Chan is a 30-year-old from New Jersey.

316-1 Marton Czuczor (Budapest – HUNGARY) 1,426,000

Czuczor is a 21-year-old professional poker player and student. This marks his first time to play at the WSOP.

316-2 Erika Moutinho (Easton, CT – USA) 878,000

Mountinho is a 25-year-old poker player and a lifestyle management consultant. She has also previously worked as a casting coordinator for television shows. She is the girlfriend of David Sands, who is also still playing in the Main Event.

316-3 James Lenaghan (Mobile, AL – USA) 2,383,000

Lenaghan is 26-year-old from Alabama.

316-4 Guillaume Darcourt (Paris – FRANCE) 1,587,000

Darcourt is a 38-year-old professional poker player. He is married and has three children. He hopes to become the fifth French gold bracelet winner at the 2011 WSOP.

316-5 Thomas Oldcroft (O’Fallon, MO – USA) 470,000

Oldcroft is a 60-year-old bill collector, which means he is probably on a first-name basis with many poker players. He was born in New York City. Oldcroft is one of the Main Event’s best stories, so far. He qualified for a seat by playing blackjack at on online site at a cost of a few dollars. He came to the WSOP for the first time and rode the city bus between his hotel and the casino. He calls the WSOP part of his “bucket list.” Oldcroft is married. He has 4 children, 7 grandchildren and 1 great-grandchild.

316-6 Thomas Pedersen (Varde – DENMARK) 565,000

Pedersen is a 26-year-old university student. He recently finished his college degree in financial management.

316-7 Sam Barnhart (Little Rock, R – USA) 3,065,000

Barnhart is a 50-year-old data analyst for a software specialist. He won the first-ever WSOP Circuit National Championship this May, which gave him his first WSOP gold bracelet. Barnhart is enjoying a huge year, with a WSOP Circuit win in Tunica, MS, a national championship, a gold bracelet and now a deep run in the Main Event.

316-8 David Barter (Compton, Quebec – CANADA) 2,017,000

Barter is a 24-year-old student.

316-9 Rupert Elder (Bury St. Edmunds, UK) 933,000

Elder is a 24-year-old poker pro who was previously a student. He says he has a pet tortoise.

318-1 Blake Bohn (Burnsville, MN – USA) 539,000

Bohn is a 39-year-old from Minnesota.

318-2 Kenny Shih (Taipei – TAIWAN) 928,000

Shih is originally from Taiwan but also resides in Azusa, CA. He is a 30-year-old poker pro who used to be a stock broker. He arrived at this year’s WSOP with about $5,000 and hoped to play in a few tournaments. He won another tournament in town and decided to use that money to play in the Main Event for the first time. He is primarily an online poker player, who has played up to 20 tables at one time.

318-3 Vladimir Geshkenbein (Zurich – SWITZERLAND) 2,536,000

Geshkenbein now lives in Switzerland. But he was born in Russia and wishes to be identified as a Russian poker player. He is a 22-year-old poker pro.

318-4 Frank Sinopoli (Hollywood, FL – USA) 1,191,000

Sinopoli is a 38-year-old from Florida.

318-5 Timothy Adams (Burlington, Ontario – CANADA) 358,000

Adams is a 25-year-old unemployed man who dropped out of college and now plays a lot of poker.

318-6 Jonathan Seelbach (Gregory, MI – USA) 1,107,000

Seelbach is a 21-year-old professional poker player. He is the youngest of five children. He enjoys sports and outdoor activities. This marks the first time Seelbach has played at the WSOP.

318-7 David Sands (Las Vegas, NV – USA) 1,620,000

Sands is having a big year, as this is his eighth major cash. He has more than $800,000 in live tournament earnings. He also took third place in a Pot-Limit Omaha tournament at this year’s WSOP.

318-8 Stuart Tuvey (Los Altos, CA – USA) 1,667,000

Tuvey is a 22-year-old poker pro. He was previously a student. Oddly enough, Tuvey built up his poker bankroll from playing a fair amount of free online poker. As he accumulated points, he sold his shares to other players for real money. He is single.

318-9 Jody Howe (Delta, BC – CANADA) 1,062,000

Howe is a 32-year-old unemployed man. He used to work in inventory. He is the oldest of five children. This marks his second time to play in the Main Event.

320-1 Andy Hinrichsen (Melbourne – AUSTRALIA) 374,000

Hinrichsen is a 23-year-old student. He plays a fair amount of poker, mostly online. He enjoys training dolphins.

320-2 Patrick-James McNamara (Sherbrooke, Quebec – CANADA) 1,319,000

McNamara is a 26-year-old part-time school bus driver.

320-3 Eli Elezra (Las Vegas, NV -- USA) 707,000

Elezra is a former WSOP gold bracelet winner. He is one of the most recognized players in the world, due largely to his multiple appearances on various poker TV shows. Prior to moving to the US and playing poker for a living, Elezra served in the Israeli Army, in his native Israel.

320-4 Paul Splitzberg (Tenafly, NJ – USA) 1,170,000

Spitzberg is a 65-year-old corporate executive and aspiring poker pro. He is married and has three children. He is promoting a new poker game called POSITION POKER. Spitzberg finished deep in the Main Event back in 2007.

320-5 Pius Heinz (Cologne – GERMANY) 4,699,000

Heinz is a 22-year-old student and poker player. He is playing at his first WSOP this year. He finished seventh on one of the $1,500 NLHE events. He currently ranks in the top 10 in chips. If he makes it to the November Nine, he would become the first player from Germany ever to do so.

320-6 Jean-Robert Bellande (Las Vegas, NV – USA) 1,230,000

Bellande is a 40-year-old poker pro. He is originally from New York City. He used to be a night club operator, before playing poker full-time. Bellande is one of the game’s most colorful personalities. He is known for his table chatter and entertaining antics, which have been featured a number of times on television.

320-7 Tri Huynh (Vancouver, BC – CANADA) 3,173,000

Huynh is a 33-year-old venture capitalist and investment consultant. He was born in Vietnam. He says he watched poker on television.

320-8 Hilton Laborda (Manaus – BRAZIL) 1,816,000

Laborda is from the Amazon region of Brazil. He is playing at the WSOP for the first time. He hopes to become the third Brazilian gold bracelet winner and first Main Event champion from South America.

320-9 Amanda Musumeci (Philadelphia, PA – USA) 738,000

Musumeci is one of the three remaining women in the Main Event. She is a 26-year-old poker pro who used to be a college student before playing full time.

…...NOTE: ADDITIONAL PLAYER PROFILES TO COME

……………………………………………………………………….

INFORMATION AND DATA FROM PREVIOUS REPORTS:

ESPN LIVE COVERAGE

ESPN is trying a bold new experiment this year that is likely to be viewed as a historic occasion for the WSOP, and for the game of poker. Television coverage is more than doubling in size and scope, including – for the first time in history – comprehensive daily/nightly overage of the majority of the tournament. Daily coverage runs through July 19^th, when the “November Nine” finalists will be determined.

For the first time ever, the WSOP enjoyed semi-live coverage on ESPN (there’s a 30-minute delay). No poker tournament has ever been covered to the extent of this Main Event Championship. In addition to the original 32 broadcast hours that will appear as scheduled every Tuesday night on ESPN, an additional 34 hours of semi-live coverage will air, which means players and fans will see more poker played than ever before. Content is spread across ESPN, ESPN2 and ESPN3.com and runs Day Three through Day Eight.WSOP.com will stream ESPN3.com content in countries/territories not served by ESPN.

Here’s a look at ESPN’s upcoming WSOP Main Event schedule (all times are listed PST):

Sunday, July 17 (Day Six)

• Noon-5 p.m. — ESPN3.com

• 7 p.m.-11:30 p.m. — ESPN2/ESPN3.com

Monday, July 18 (Day Seven)

• Noon-4 p.m. — ESPN3.com

• 4-7 p.m. — ESPN2/ESPN3.com

• 9 p.m.-11:30 p.m. — ESPN2/ESPN3.com

Tuesday, July 19 (Day Eight – “Get Down” Day)

• Noon-5 p.m. — ESPN3.com

• 5-7 p.m. — ESPN/ESPN3.com

• 9 p.m.-1:30 a.m. — ESPN2/ESPN3.com

TOURNAMENT PLAY

Play on Day Five started at 12:05. Play ended about 10:55 p.m. There was a 1:50 dinner break. This means eight total hours were played. This unusual playing schedule (short breaks and longer dinner time) was implemented in order to accommodate the strict time windows of live television coverage.

Day Four started with 378 entries and ended with 142 players. Play is considerably further along than what was anticipated. However, players should bust more slowly at this point, since there are so many chips in play and many short stacks have been eliminated.

At this point in the tournament, participants have completed 22 full levels of play, meaning 44 total tournament hours have been played.

Coming next, Day Six will be played on Sunday, July 17th. The restart will be at noon. There are 142 players remaining in the field.

The Main Event continues through July 19^th when the final table players will ultimately be determined, otherwise known as the “November Nine.”

THE NATIONS

When play began on Day Five, there were 33 nations which still had players alive in the Main Event:

Australia - 3

Austria - 2

Belgium - 1

Brazil - 5

Bulgaria - 1

Canada - 42

Chile - 1

China - 2

Columbia - 1

Czech Republic - 1

Denmark - 1

Finland - 2

France - 8

Germany - 16

Guatemala - 1

Honk Kong - 1

Hungary - 2

Ireland - 1

Israel - 1

Italy - 5

Japan - 1

Lithuania - 1

Netherlands - 3

Panama - 1

Portugal - 1

Romania - 2

Russia - 11

South Africa - 3

Spain - 1

Sweden - 3

Switzerland - 4

United Kingdom - 20

United States - 230

An updated list of survivors/countries making it to Day Six, and beyond, will be available in the next report.

FORMER WORLD CHAMPIONS

There are 35 players in history who have won the WSOP Main Event Championship. Of this number, 27 champions are still living. Of the 27 eligible former world champions, 18 participated in this year’s Main Event.

Seven former world champions started Day Three. Only three survived – Robert Varkonyi, Phil Hellmuth and Berry Johnson.

Three former world champions started Day Four. None survived. All former champions have now been eliminated. The top finisher amongst the former champs was Robert Varkonyi, who ended up in 514^th place. He was also the only former winner to cash this year.

Current Status of Former WSOP Main Event Champions (all eliminated):

2002: Robert Varkonyi – Eliminated on Day Four – cashed in 514^th place

1989: Phil Hellmuth – Eliminated on Day Four

1986: Berry Johnston – Eliminated on Day Four

1983: Tom McEvoy – Eliminated on Day Three

2009: Joe Cada – Eliminated on Day Three

1996: Huck Seed – Eliminated on Day Three

2001: Carlos Mortensen – Eliminated on Day Two

2006: Jamie Gold – Eliminated on Day Two

2005: Joe Hachem – Eliminated on Day Two

1978: Bobby “the Owl” Baldwin – Eliminated on Day Two

2010: Jonathan Duhamel – Eliminated on Day Two

1987/1988: Johnny Chan – Eliminated on Day Two

1995: Dan Harrington – Eliminated on Day Two

1998: Scotty Nguyen -- Eliminated on Day Two

1975/1976: Doyle Brunson – Eliminated on Day One

2003: Chris Moneymaker – Eliminated on Day One

2007: Jerry Yang – Eliminated on Day One

2004: Greg “Fossilman” Raymer – Eliminated on Day One

CELEBRITIES AND NOTABLE PLAYERS

The World Series of Poker has attracted celebrities and notable personalities since its inception. This year is no exception.

Current Status of Poker Hall of Fame members (all eliminated):

Berry Johnston – Eliminated on Day Four

Lyle Berman – Eliminated on Day Three

Mike Sexton – Eliminated on Day Two

Bobby Baldwin – Eliminated on Day Two

Dewey Tomko – Eliminated on Day Two

Dan Harrington – Eliminated on Day Two

Billy Baxter – Eliminated on Day Two

Doyle Brunson – Eliminated on Day One

T.J. Cloutier – Eliminated on Day One

Erik Seidel – Eliminated on Day One

Current Status of former WSOP “Players of the Year” (two players remaining):

2005 -- Allen Cunningham – Playing on Day Six (below average chips)

2008 -- Erick Lindgren – Playing on Day Six (below average chips)

2004 -- Daniel Negreanu – Eliminated on Day Five – cashed in 211^th place

2009 -- Jeffrey Lisandro – Eliminated on Day Four

2006 -- Jeff Madsen – Eliminated on Day Four

2010 -- Frank Kassela – Eliminated on Day One

2007 -- Tom Schneider – Eliminated on Day One

Current Status of Non-Poker Celebrities (one player remaining):

Mars Callahan (actor-director) – Playing Day Six (below average chips)

Robert Iler (actor – “The Sopranos”) – Eliminated on Day Five – cashed in 275^th place

Sam Simon (creator of “The Simpsons”) – Eliminated on Day Four

Mark Loftouse (former NHL hockey player, Washington Capitals) – Eliminated on Day Four

Brad Garrett (actor and comedian) – Eliminated on Day Three

Jason Alexander (actor and comedian) – Eliminated on Day Three

Shannon Elizabeth (actress) – Eliminated on Day Two

Petter Northug (Two-time Olympic gold medalist/skier from Norway) – Eliminated on Day Two

Patrick Bruel (French singer and actor and former gold bracelet winner) – Eliminated on Day Two

Teddy Sheringham (UK football star) – Eliminated on Day Two

Rene Angelil (music manager – Celine Dion’s husband) – Eliminated on Day Two

David Einhorn (prospective owner – New York Mets) – Eliminated on Day Two

Paul Pierce (NBA’s Boston Celtics) – Eliminated on Day Two

Nelly (singer-performer) – Eliminated on Day One

Ray Romano (actor and comedian) – Eliminated on Day One

Shane Warne (cricketer) – Eliminated on Day One

Jennifer Tilly (actress and former WSOP gold bracelet winner) – Eliminated on Day One

At end of Day Five, the only 2011 gold bracelet winners that survived were the following three players:

Sam Barnhart (above average chips)

Tyler Bonkowski (above average chips)

Ben Lamb (above average chips)

Chris Bjorin continues to defy the notion that poker has become a young person’s game. The silver fox from the U.K. (he’s originally from Sweden) cashed again this year, finishing in 460^th place. This was his fourth straight Main Event in-the-money finish, a new record for the longest streak in history for cashes in the Main Event. In between WSOP Main Event cashes, Bjorin also cashed in the WSOP Europe Main Event two years ago. Between the two big events, he has more cashes than any other player from 2008 to present.

DAY FIVE ODDS AND ENDS

This is the 58^th and final event on the 2011 WSOP schedule which is played in Las Vegas. Seven more gold bracelet events will take place in Cannes, France, to be held in October 7th through 20^th as part of the 5^th Annual World Series of Poker Europe.

This marks the seventh consecutive year the WSOP has been held at the Rio All-Suites Hotel and Casino. Prior to 2005, the WSOP was held at Binion’s Horseshoe in downtown Las Vegas. As a testament to the expansion of the WSOP since Caesars Entertainment assumed ownership and control of the world most prestigious poker event, more than twice the money has been awarded to winners within the Rio during the past six years than during the entire proceeding 35-year period at the Horseshoe.

The total number of entrants in the WSOP Main Event (all 42 years combined) is 58,657.

Over the past five years, the average attendance for the WSOP Main Event has been 6,776 entrants. Hence, this year’s figure (6,865 entrants) was slightly ahead of the post-UIGEA average.

The field included a total of 242 female players. This figure represents 3.5 percent of the field.

An official count of remaining female players at the end of Day Five showed three remaining (three were also eliminated on this day). The survivors are – Claudia Crawford, Amanda Musumeci and Erika Moutinho.

The average age of all players who participated in the Main Event was 37.2 years.

This is the 950^th gold bracelet tournament event in World Series of Poker history. This figure includes every official WSOP event ever played, including tournaments during the early years when there were no actual gold bracelets awarded. It also includes the 16 gold bracelets awarded to date at WSOP Europe (2007-2010). Moreover for the first time ever, one gold bracelet was awarded for this year’s winner of the WSOP Circuit National Championship.

STARTING THE MAIN EVENT – BY COUNTRY

There were 105 different nations represented at the 2011 WSOP in all gold bracelet events.

There were 85 different nations represented in the Main Event Championship.

Based on the total number of entries, non-U.S. players made up 33 percent of the total field. This is the largest percentage of internationally-based players in WSOP history.

If just the international contingent of participants were separated from the total field size, there would be an estimated 2,265 players. The size of this group alone would constitute a larger field than any other live tournament ever held, outside the WSOP.

The breakdown of players – alphabetized by country along with number of entrants – was as follows:

1 -- American Samoa

3 -- Andorra

21 -- Argentina

80 -- Australia

37 -- Austria

2 -- Azerbaijan

1 -- Bahamas

1 -- Bahrain

1 -- Barbados

25 -- Belgium

2 -- Belize

2 -- Bolivia

1 -- Botswana

83 -- Brazil

4 -- Bulgaria

486 -- Canada

7 -- Chile

10 -- China

9 -- Columbia

3 -- Costa Rica

1 -- Croatia

4 -- Cyprus

9 -- Czech Republic

46 -- Denmark

5 -- Estonia

21 -- Finland

213 -- France

1 -- French Polynesia

156 -- Germany

5 -- Greece

1 -- Guam

4 -- Guatemala

8 -- Hong Kong

24 -- Hungary

2 -- Iceland

2 -- India

1 -- Indonesia

35 -- Ireland

18 -- Israel

106 -- Italy

24 -- Japan

2 -- Kazakhstan

7 -- Latvia

4 -- Lebanon

8 -- Lithuania

2 -- Macedonia

1 -- Malaysia

2 -- Malta

1 -- Marshall Islands

12 -- Mexico

3 -- Monaco

1 -- Mongolia

1 -- Montserrat

1 -- Morocco

59 -- Netherlands

5 -- New Zealand

34 -- Norway

1 -- Oman

2 -- Panama

3 -- Peru

3 -- Philippines

1 -- Poland

18 -- Portugal

4 -- Romania

108 -- Russia

7 -- Saint Lucia

1 -- Saudi Arabia

1 -- Senegal

4 -- Singapore

6 -- Slovakia

17 -- South Africa

6 -- South Korea

42 -- Spain

79 -- Sweden

26 -- Switzerland

2 -- Taiwan

2 -- Trinidad and Tobago

4 -- Turkey

1 -- Turks and Caicos

1 -- Turks and Caicos Islands

3 -- Ukraine

288 -- United Kingdom

4,604 -- United States

3 -- Uruguay

20 – Venezuela

TOURNAMENT NUMBERS

This is the third-largest live poker tournament in history. Only the 2006 WSOP Main Event (at 8,773 entrants) and the 2010 WSOP Main Event (at 7,319 entrants) were bigger. Prior to this year, the third-largest live tournament was the 2008 WSOP Main Event -- with 6,844 players.

Here are the six largest live poker tournaments in history:

2006 WSOP Main Event – 8,773 players

2010 WSOP Main Event – 7,319 players

2011 WSOP Main Event – 6,865 players

2008 WSOP Main Event – 6,844 players

2009 WSOP Main Event – 6,494 players

2007 WSOP Main Event – 6,358 players

WSOP MAIN EVENT ALL-TIME RECORDS

Most Main Event Wins (Career):

3 – Johnny Moss (*first win was by vote)

3 – Stu Ungar

2 – Doyle Brunson

2 – Johnny Chan

Most Main Event Cashes (Career):

10 – Berry Johnston

8 – Humberto Brenes

7 – Bobby Baldwin

7 – Doyle Brunson

7 – Jay Heimowitz

8 – Phil Hellmuth – cashed this year (updated)

7 – Mike Sexton

7 – John Esposito – cashed this year (updated)

6 – John Bonetti

6 – Johnny Moss

6 – Jason Lester

6 – Steve Lott

6 – Chris Bjorin

6 – Johnny Chan

5 – 14 players tied with 5 cashes each

Most Main Event Final Tables (Career):

5 – Doyle Brunson

5 – Jesse Alto

4 – Johnny Chan

4 – T.J. Cloutier

4 – Dan Harrington

4 – Berry Johnston

4 – Johnny Moss

4 – Stu Ungar

3 – 6 players tied with 3 final tables each

Youngest Winner:

Joe Cada (2009) -- 21 years, 11 months, 22 days

Oldest Winner:

Johnny Moss (1974) – 66 years, 11 months, 24 days

Oldest Participant:

97 years -- Jack Ury (2010)

Most Consecutive Years Played:

38 – Howard “Tahoe” Andrew (1974 to present)

Most Main Events Played (Career):

38 – Tie: Doyle Brunson (did not play 1999 through 2001); Howard “Tahoe” Andrew

WSOP -- FOR THE AGES

The youngest player to enter the 2011 WSOP Main Event Championship was Logan Deen, from Cocoa, FL. He turned 21 on the day he took his seat in the Main Event. This means he now holds a record than can only be tied, but never broken (unless age restriction laws are changed in the future). He was cheered on by his family, who call themselves the “Deen Team.” Unfortunately, he was eliminated on Day Two.

The oldest player to enter the 2011 WSOP Main Event Championship was Ellen “Gram” Deeb, from Troy, NY. She became the oldest female participant in Main Event history at the age of 91. Mrs. Deeb was introduced to the huge crowd, which gave her one of the day’s biggest ovations. After she stood to wave to the crowd, she grabbed the microphone from a tournament official and snapped, “I just have one thing to say! You are all playing for second!” The crowd went wild. Unfortunately, Mrs. Deeb was eliminated on Day One. The WSOP looks forward to welcoming her again in 2012.

OVERALL 2011 WSOP STATISTICS

Through Event #58 (all gold bracelet events), the 2011 WSOP has attracted 75,672 combined total entries. $191,999,010 in prize money has been awarded.

Through the conclusion of Event #57, the breakdown of nationality of gold bracelet winners has been:

United States (35)

Canada (5)

Ukraine (4)

France (4)

Great Britain (3)

Russia (3)

Brazil (1)

Pakistan (1)

Sweden (1)

Through the conclusion of Event #57, the national origin (birthplace) of winners has been:

United States (31)

Canada (5)

Ukraine (4)

France (4)

Great Britain (3)

Russia (3)

Israel (1)

Honduras (1)

Indonesia (1)

Germany (1)

Brazil (1)

Pakistan (1)

Sweden (1)

Through the conclusion of Event #57, the home-states of (American) winners have been:

California (7)

New York (6)

Nevada (6)

Texas (3)

Florida (2)

Illinois (2)

Connecticut (2)

New Jersey (1)

Tennessee (1)

Indiana (1)

Maryland (1)

Virginia (1)

Michigan (1)

North Dakota (1)

Washington (1)

Ohio (1)

Through the conclusion of Event #57, the breakdown of professional poker players to semi-pros and amateurs who won gold bracelets has been:

Professional Players (44): Jake Cody, Cheech Barbaro, Eugene Katchalov, Allen Bari, Harrison Wilder, Matt Perrins, Sean Getzwiller, Viacheslav Zhukov, David Diaz, Andrew Badecker, Tyler Bonkowski, Brian Rast (2 wins), John Juanda, Aaron Steury, Darren Woods, Jason Somerville, Bertrand Grospellier, John Monnette, Elie Payan, Mark Radoja, Chris Viox, Dan Idema, Andy Frankenberger, Chris Lee, Sam Stein, Mark Schmid, Jason Mercier, Mikhail Lakhitov, Fabrice Soulier, Mitch Schock, Matt Jarvis, Justin Pechie, Ben Lamb, Rep Porter, Andre Akkari, Joe Ebanks, Lenny Martin, Athanasios Polychronopoulos, Antonin Teisseire, Matt Matros, Marsha Wolak. Maxim Lykov, Nick Binger

Semi-Pros (6): Sean R. Drake, Amir Lehavot, Oleksii Kovalchuk, Eric Rosawig, Arkadiy Tsinis, Alexander Anter

Amateurs (7): Geffrey Klein, Foster Hays, James Hess, Kirk Caldwell, Ken Griffin, Owais Ahmed, David Singontiko

Since tracking first started in 2005, this year’s WSOP has the greatest disparity of professionals winning over semi-pros and amateurs than any year recorded, so far – with 50 out of 57 events being won by pros or semi-pros.

Through the conclusion of this tournament, the victories of 12 of the 57 winners (21 percent) marked the first time the new champion had ever cashed at the WSOP.

Every WSOP held over the past 11 years has included at least one multiple gold bracelet champion (meaning two or more wins within the same year). The last year the WSOP was comprised exclusively of single-event winners was back in 1999. The record for most multiple gold bracelet winners within a single year was in 2009, when five players managed to win two or more titles. Brian Rast’s victory in two tournaments – Events #15 and #55 -- means the multi-gold bracelet streak will continue for at least another year.

The streak of consecutive male WSOP gold bracelet winners is currently at 213 consecutive events. Aside from the annual Ladies Poker Championship, the last female player to win a WSOP tournament open to both sexes was Vanessa Selbst, in 2008. The longest “cold” streak for female players occurred between years 1982 and 1996, when 221 consecutive open events passed without a female champion.

The highest finish by any female (open events) at this year’s WSOP was accomplished by two players. Maria Ho finished second ($5,000 buy-in No-Limit Hold’em). Kim Nguyen also finished as the runner up ($1,500 buy-in Six-Handed Limit Hold’em).

The highest finish by any defending champion at this year’s WSOP was by David Baker, who after winning the previous $10,000 buy-in No-Limit Deuce-to-Seven Draw Lowball World Championship finished in sixth place in defense of his title.

Reigning world poker champions rarely perform well the following year after their victory. Chris “Jesus” Ferguson was the last world champion to win a gold bracelet the next year, which happened in 2001. Perhaps it’s due to the increasing size of the fields. But there’s also great pressure on the champions to do well. What follows is a list of the only world champions in history to win a gold bracelet after winning the championship during the previous year:

Johnny Moss (1975)

Doyle Brunson (1977)

Bobby Baldwin (1979)

Stu Ungar (1981)

Johnny Chan (1988)

Hamid Dastmalchi (1993)

Chris “Jesus” Ferguson (2001)

By contrast, players who make it to the final table of the Main Event Championship (November Nine) one year tend to do quite well in subsequent WSOP years. Consider that last year, three former Main Event finalists won gold bracelets – Eric Buchman, Tex Barch and Scott Montgomery. This year, Matt Jarvis won his first gold bracelet one year after making it to the November Nine in 2010.

New tournament records set at the 2011 WSOP (to date):

Biggest Heads-Up tournament prize pool in history ($3,040,000) – Event #2

Largest live Omaha High-Low Split Tournament in history (925 entries) – Event #3

Largest live Six-Handed tournament in poker history (1,920 entries) – Event #10

Biggest Deuce-to-Seven tournament prize pool in history ($1,184,400) – Event #16

Largest live $1,500 buy-in No-Limit Hold’em tournament in history with single day start (3389 entries) – Event #56

Largest live $1,000 buy-in No-Limit Hold’em tournament in history with single day start (3175 entries) – Event #20

Largest consecutive-days starting field sizes in poker history (combined 6,332 entries) – Event #18 and Event #20

Largest live Pot-Limit Omaha tournament in poker history (1,071 entries) – Event #22

Largest Mixed-Game (Eight-Game Mix) in poker history (489 entries) – Event #23

Largest Seniors tournament in poker history (3,752 entries) – Event #30

Biggest Seniors No-Limit Hold’em championship prize pool in history ($3,376,800) – Event #30

Largest single-day live tournament start in poker history (3,752 entries) – Event #30

Largest consecutive-days starting field sizes in poker history (combined 6,580 entries) – Event #30/Event #32 (broke Event #18/Event #20 record from earlier in 2011 WSOP)

Largest four-consecutive days field sizes in poker history (2,500+3,752+2,828+3,144 =12,224 entries) -- Events 28, 30, 32, 34, June 16-19, 2011

Largest Mixed Pot-Limit tournament in history (606 entries) – Event #39

Biggest Pot-Limit Omaha prize pool in live poker history ($3,393,400) – Event #42

New player records set at the 2011 WSOP (to date):

The 35-year span between Artie Cobb’s first cash in this event (1976) and most recent cash in the same event (2011) represents the longest time span in WSOP history. He accomplished this in Seven-Card Stud High-Low Split (Event #25).

Phil Hellmuth added to his record as the individual all-time leader in cashes (84) and final table appearances (43).

Howard “Tahoe” Andrew added to his record as the player with the longest consecutive streak of WSOP appearances (entering at least one event), currently at 38 years and counting (1974 to present).

First player in history with three second-place finishes within a single year – Phil Hellmuth

Tony “Top Cat” Cousineau added to his record as the player with the most WSOP cashes, but no wins (49).

Chris Bjorin cashed in the Main Event for the fourth straight year – a new record.

RAISING AWARENESS: BAD BEAT ON CANCER AND THE WSOP

Bad Beat on Cancer was created in 2003 by Phil Gordon and Rafe Furst as an easy and fun way for poker players to donate to the Prevent Cancer Foundation. It all began when Chris Moneymaker pledged 1 percent of his 2003 Main Event winnings and went on to capture the championship, contributing $25,000 when he was awarded the $2.500,000 first- place prize. By taking the pledge, wearing the patch, and joining ‘Team 1%’, players can feel good supporting a cause that only benefits when they win. As the official charity of the WSOP, pledges simply indicate to the payouts staff that they are donating 1 percent of their winnings, and the funds are automatically withheld. A tax receipt is generated and sent to their mailing address. Several high profile professionals have made ‘life pledges’ of 1 percent of all their winnings -- including Annie Duke, Phil Hellmuth Jr., Lee Childs, Paul Wasicka, Andy Bloch, Dennis Phillips, and others. Since 2003, the initiative has raised over $3,500,000 for cancer prevention research, education, and community outreach programs. Players can pick up a patch and join Team 1% by stopping by the Bad Beat on Cancer booth, located at the 2011 WSOP opposite the Amazon Room in the concourse. The Nevada Cancer Institute based in Las Vegas is a benefiting charity from the Bad Beat on Cancer.

Note: Various categories and statistics will be updated with each gold bracelet event as they are completed.

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