NOTABLES ALL OVER DAY 2A LEADERBOARD: CHAN, FARHA, MIZRACHI, ANTONIUS, DUKE, BANSI & MONEYMAKER ALL STRONG

July 5th to November 9th, 2010

HEADLINES

2010 World Series of Poker Main Event Championship Continues

Boulos Estafanous (Darien, IL) is the Chip Leader at End of Day 2-A

Johnny Chan Currently Ranked in Top Ten

2,412 Players Begin Day 2-A – Only 1,200 Survive

Friday’s Survivors Return on Monday, July 12th for Day Three

Out of 7,319 Total Starters – 3,936 Dreams Remain Alive

Note:  For the tournament portal page for this event, including the day’s chip counts, click HERE.

OVERVIEW
 
The 2010 World Series of Poker Main Event continued on Friday with the play and conclusion of Day 2-A.  This session included the first of two flights of players who survived past the first round of competition.  The first round of competition consisted of four starting days, classified as 1-A through 1-D.

Day 2-A began with 2,412 players.  After four levels of play (8 hours), 1,200 players survived.  They will combine with all Day 2-B survivors for Day Three, which is to be played on Monday, July 12th.

The end of Day 2-A chip leader is Boulos Estafanous, from Darien, IL.  He has two previous WSOP cashes.  Estafanous has performed quite well in many poker tournaments, which were mostly played in the Midwest.  He won the first two poker tournaments where he cashed – including the first Bayou Poker Challenge (Harrah’s New Orleans) in 2004.  He also won the Chicago Poker Open in 2005.  However, Estafanous has yet to cash in the WSOP Main Event and will be in unfamiliar territory in the days ahead.  Then again, names from the past like Cada, Eastgate, Yang, and so forth were in unfamiliar territory at one time, and managed to do quite well.  

Also of note were the fine performances of two former gold bracelet champions who are among the top ten.  Two-time world champion and poker legend Johnny Chan ended the day ranked in tenth place.  Two-time gold bracelet winner Jesper Hougaard, from Denmark, enjoyed an even better day and is currently ranked in third place.

The Main Event continues through July 17th when the final table players will ultimately be determined, otherwise known as the “November Nine.”  

THE PLAYERS

Former world champions who participated on Day 2-A included:
 
Joe Cada (2009)
Johnny Chan (1987/1988)
Tom McEvoy (1983)
Berry Johnston (1986)
Jim Bechtel (1993)
Scotty Nguyen (1998)
Chris Moneymaker (2003)
Carlos Mortensen (2001)

Carlos Mortensen was the first former champ to bust out on this day.  He came into the second day of competition on life support, with only about a quarter of the average stack size.  He was eliminated about midway through play.  Ironically, he walked just beneath his movie-screen size banner showing a photo of his 2001 Main Event victory, as he exited the tournament.

Joe Cada put up another strong performance and will continue his title defense on Day Three.  Cada ended the day with an above-average stack size (see interview with Cada in this report).

Johnny Chan appears ready to make a deep run in the Main Event.  He ended Day One ranked second among his group of Day 1-C starters.  He posted another strong day, ending up with 281,000.  This places him in tenth place out of the 1,200 players still alive from this flight.

Tom McEvoy played on this day, but he was eliminated.  The four-time gold bracelet winner hung around for a few levels with a short-stack, before hitting the rail.

Berry Johnston arrived on Day Two with a healthy stack, but busted out on a tough beat.  He took pocket aces up against pocket queens on what turned out to be his final hand of 2010.  A queen flopped, eliminating the former champion some fondly and rightly call “The First Gentleman of Poker.”

Jim Bechtel is arguably the quietest and least noticeable of any former Main Event champion.  In fact, he is often not recognized at tables where he plays.  This suits the calm rancher from Arizona quite well.  One humorous moment took place during a break when a younger player was standing near his table and saw someone ask Bechtel for an autograph.  “Who is that old guy?” the younger man asked.  “That’s Jim Bechtel, who won the event back in 1993.”  A few seconds passed and the young man snapped, “What?  Why didn’t you tell me earlier?  If I had known that, I would not have tried to blow him out of pots and I’d now have more chips in my stack.”  Bechtel remains alive in the Main Event and will play on Day Three.

Scotty Nguyen played on this day and survived to Day Three.  Nguyen was once burdened with flashbacks of a brutal meltdown in the 2007 Main Event, when he disintegrated from being the chip leader to an 11th-place finish.  He came back the next year and won the $50,000 H.O.R.S.E. championship, and is now determined to make another strong showing in this year’s competition.

Chris Moneymaker endured a roller coaster ride most of the day.  He began play ranked in the top ten percent, then slid back to an average stack when he lost a race.  Unshaken by the defeat, Moneymaker played aggressively during the final hour and will return on Day Three with a slightly above-average stack (see interview with Moneymaker in this report).

Notable non-pros who played on Day 2-A included:

Rene Angelil (Celine Dion’s husband/entertainment executive)
Shane Warne (world famous cricketer)
Gabe Kaplan (actor and comedian famous for being TV’s “Kotter”)
Sarah Underwood (Playboy model)

Poker Hall of Fame members who played on Day 2-A included:

    Johnny Chan
    Mike Sexton
    Dewey Tomko

Mike Sexton (Class of 2009) hit the rail about an hour into play.  He arrived short-stacked and pushed with pocket nines, which ran into pocket queens.  Sexton will continue to rest in a second-place tie for most career cashes in the Main Event (with 7), at least for another year.

Dewey Tomko (Class of 2008) survived and will play Day Three, with a slightly below average stack size.   

The ESPN Main Stage hosts the feature table.  The star of Day 2-A was Daniel Negreanu, who had a relatively unremarkable day.  He survived the day, but comes back on Day Three with a short stack.

Current Status of Former WSOP Main Event Champions:

1975/1976:  Doyle Brunson – Playing Day 2-B….still alive
1978:  Bobby “the Owl” Baldwin – Eliminated Day 2-A  
1983:  Tom McEvoy – Eliminated Day 2-A
1986:  Berry Johnston – Eliminated Day 2-A
1987/1988:  Johnny Chan – Survived Day 2-A, 10th in chips….still alive
1989:  Phil Hellmuth – Eliminated Day 1-C
1993:  Jim Bechtel – Survived Day 2-A….still alive
1995:  Dan Harrington – Playing Day 2-B….still alive
1996:  Huck Seed – Eliminated Day 1-C
1998:  Scotty Nguyen – Survived Day 2-A….still alive
2001:  Carlos Mortensen – Eliminated Day 2-A
2002:  Robert Varkonyi – Playing Day 2-B….still alive
2003:  Chris Moneymaker – Survived Day 2-A….still alive
2004:  Greg “Fossilman” Raymer – Eliminated Day 1-A
2005:  Joe Hachem – Eliminated Day 1-D
2006:  Jamie Gold – Eliminated Day 1-B
2007:  Jerry Yang – Eliminated Day 1-C   
2009:  Joe Cada – Survived Day 2-A….still alive

Current Status of Last Year’s November Nine:

Joe Cada – Survived Day 2-A….still alive
Darvin Moon – Playing Day 2-B….still alive
Antoine Saout – Playing Day 2-B….still alive
Eric Buchman – Playing Day 2-B….still alive
Jeff Shulman – Playing Day 2-B….still alive
Steven Begleiter – Eliminated on Day 1-C
Phil Ivey – Playing Day 2-B….still alive
Kevin Schaffel – Eliminated on Day 1-B
James Akenhead – Eliminated on Day 2-A

Six of last year’s November Nine remain alive in the Main Event.  Joe Cada is in above-average chip position.  Eric Buchman is in the best chip position of last year's finalists.  However, Darvin Moon is also nursing a healthy stack size and sits in the upper third of the field.
 
Current Status of former WSOP “Players of the Year”:

Daniel Negreanu – Survived Day 2-A….still alive (low on chips)
Allen Cunningham – Playing Day 2-B….still alive
Jeff Madsen – Eliminated on Day 1-C
Tom Schneider – Playing Day 2-B….still alive
Erick Lindgren – Eliminated on Day 1-B
Jeffrey Lisandro – Eliminated on Day 1-D

Current Status of Non-Poker Celebrities:

Ray Romano – Eliminated on Day 1-A
Rene Angelil – Survived Day 2-A….still alive
Orel Hershiser – Playing Day 2-B….still alive
Shanna Moakler – Eliminated on Day 1-C  
J-Kwon, a.k.a. Jay Kwon – Eliminated on Day 1-C
Scott Ian – Eliminated on Day 1-C
Anthony Rapp – Eliminated on Day 1-C
Shane Warne – Eliminated on Day 2-A
Emmitt Smith – Eliminated Day 1-D
Jason Alexander -- Playing Day 2-B….still alive
Bruce Buffer -- Playing Day 2-B….still alive
Gabe Kaplan – Survived Day 2-A….still alive (low on chips)
Sara Underwood – Eliminated Day 2-A

Historical Footnote:  The highest Main Event finish (and cash) by a celebrity was actor and comedian Gabe Kaplan, who finished 13th in the 1991 championship.  The highest Main Event finish for a (non-poker) celebrity was actor Telly Savalas, who finished 21st in the 1992 championship.

DEFENDING CHAMPION – JOE CADA

Defending world champion Joe Cada is the youngest WSOP Main Event winner in history.  Cada stunned the world by winning $8,547,044 and the most coveted title in poker.  Yet, Cada has not done so well in his sophomore year.  He played more than a dozen events in 2010, failing to cash a single time.  Cada insists he is now focused in the Main Event.  He is ranked 259th among the 1,200 players still alive from this group – which is top quarter of the field.  Cada was interviewed following play on Day 2-A

Question:  How did it go today?
Cada:  It went well.  I chipped up nice and slow.  I went from 73,000 early up to 122,000.

Question:  How are things differently for you this year since you are the defending champ, versus last year when you were relatively anonymous?
Cada:  Things are a little different this year, versus last.  People play back at me a little more (now).  But it all depends on how I play.  Not everyone does that.  But the fact is, poker is the same game.  It does not matter who you are.  You have to adjust to the situation.  

Question:  So, is it better to be known or unknown when it comes to a tournament like this?
Cada:  I don’t think it really matters.  There are different variables and what matters is how you adjust to your table and how your table is playing.  So, there is no difference.

Question:  What are your plans and expectations for Day Three?
Cada:  I just hope to avoid playing in big pots.  I want to chip up slowly.  Play small pots and position.  

Question:  You played at the ESPN feature table on the first day.  You were in the middle of the room on day two.  Which do you prefer?
Cada:  It does not matter much.  I guess if I have to pick, I would prefer a non-TV table.  That way you get more hands in.  You get to see more hands.  So, I would prefer being off the TV table.

2003 WORLD CHAMPION – CHRIS MONEYMAKER

Chris Moneymaker was the sonic boom who lit the fuse of poker’s modern era.  But since his epic 2003 triumph, he has posted less than stellar WSOP results.  Moneymaker has cashed only three more times since.  His last in-the-money showing at the WSOP was three years ago.  However, he is now positioned to become a factor in this year’s championship.  He is ranked 359th among the 1,200 players still alive from this group – which is the top third of the field.  Moneymaker was interviewed following play on Day 2-A:

Question:  How did it go today?
Moneymaker:  It went terrible.  I played A-level poker.  I played really, really well.  But I lost every race.  I did make a mistake with aces.  I lost the maximum with them when I should have lost less.  But other than that, I played really well.  I lost one really big race, but I have to move on.

Question:  Let’s talk about races.  How important is it to win them in a huge tournament like this?
Moneymaker:  You have to win the races.  But you do not have to win a lot of them.  I had at least two races, and one was a big one.  I’ve lost them all, and I do have chips – so maybe it is not that important at the earlier stages.  I think you have to win them later, for sure.  You do not have to win the races on Day One and Day Two so much.  But later on, you have to win them.

Question:  Some people are already starting to associate the word “comeback” with you.  Does that bother you at all?  Or, are you not concerned about public perceptions of your life and what you do in tournaments?
Moneymaker:  (Laughing) Comeback?  Hey wait a minute, where did I go?  Did I get lost somewhere?  The truth is, when I won the WSOP in 2003, I was an amateur player.  I got very fortunate in a lot of spots.  I played decent, but I also won all of my races.  The stars aligned for me that year.  Then, after that – I did not take the game seriously for the next few years.  I did not put in the time like so many others did.  And, I fell behind to be quite honest.  I did not play very good poker.  Then, I started taking the game more seriously and started studying again.  So, if you want to call it a ‘comeback,’ then you have to go back to when I started to think differently about this and take the game more seriously and start to learn again.  I would go up to people and ask them what I was doing wrong.  I had to swallow my pride to improve my game.  I think it has gone a long way towards helping me and I hope it will continue.

Question:  You are playing on Day Three, with an above-average stack.  What are your thoughts about that and your expectations?
Moneymaker:  I just approach it like any other day.  This tournament is so good because you are so deep stacked.  There is no need to push anything at this point.  In the past, when I had a larger stack I used to try and play more and force every hand and bully the table and play crazy.  I ended up blowing a lot of chips that way.  Now, I play a little more solid and let things come to me, instead of forcing things.  I’m going to go in, take my seat, watch how everyone else plays and then pick my spots.

THE TOURNAMENT

All players began the tournament with 30,000 in chips.

Tables began ten-handed.  The reason play was ten-handed instead of nine-handed was primarily to be able to accommodate a large number of registrants if need be.  Once Day Two began, play went to nine-handed, which is expected to remain in effect until play reaches the final ten players, and then one player is eliminated – thus making the “November Nine.”

Day 2-A played four full levels.  Each level is 2 hours long.  Play ended at 11:00 pm.

The average stack size is currently about 90,000 in chips (Day 2-B pending, for players entering Day Three).

When players return for Day Three, blinds will be 600-1,200 -- with a 200 ante.  There is one hour remaining in Level 9.

Day 2-A began with 2,412 players.  There were 1,200 survivors.  This means 49.8 percent of Day Two starters survived round two.

With this day now complete, there are 3,934 total players are still alive in the Main Event.  This is the sum of Day 2-A survivors (1,200) combined with 2-B starters (2,734), playing tomorrow.

Players who survived Day 2-A will return to continue their quest for the 2010 world poker championship on Monday, July 12th, at 12 noon.  On Monday, every player still alive in the tournament will be in the tournament facility as the same time, for the first time.

THE LEADERBOARD

This chip leader from this day is Boulos Estafanous, from Darien, IL.  He has two previous WSOP cashes.  However, Estafanous has performed quite well in many poker tournaments played mostly in the Midwest.  He won the first two poker tournaments he cashed – which were the first Bayou Poker Challenge (Harrah’s New Orleans) in 2004.  He also won the Chicago Poker Open in 2005.  However, Estafanous has yet to cash in the WSOP Main Event and will be in unfamiliar territory in the days ahead.  Estafanous currently has 340,100 in chips.

Ranking second in chips from this day is Randy Dorfman, from Miami, FL.

Only seven of 1,200 players from this group have in excess of 300,000 in chips.

Only 46 of 1,200 players from this group have in excess of 200,000 in chips.

Here is how the chip leaders from each day have fared, thus far:

1-A:  Corwin Cole, from Las Vegas, NV – Survived Day 2-A (currently at 186,000 – 75th place)
1-B:  James Danielson, from LaPlata, MD – Playing Day 2-B
1-C:  Mathieu Sauriol, from Laval, Quebec (Canada) – Survived Day 2-A (175,100 – 97th place)
1-D:  Steve Billirakis, from Bourbonnais, IL – Playing Day 2-B
2-A:  Boulos Estafanous – To Be Determined

THE NATIONS

There are 92 nations and territories represented among all players who entered this year’s WSOP Main Event. (The 2010 WSOP attracted participants from 117 different locales).

This year’s Main Event is comprised of 67.9 percent Americans.  In other words, 32.1 percent of all participants are from other nations and territories.

The top-ten nations by participation in the Main Event are:

United States – 4,973 players
Canada – 482
Great Britain – 292
France – 176
Germany – 176
Australia – 110
Sweden – 99
Russia – 89
Italy – 81
Netherlands – 78

THE DAYS

In 2009, at the conclusion of Day Two, the eventual champion Joe Cada ranked in 2nd place.

In 2008, at the conclusion of Day 2, the eventual champion Peter Eastgate ranked in 484th place.

In 2007, at the conclusion of Day 2, the eventual champion Jerry Yang ranked in 26th place.

In 2006, at the conclusion of Day 2, the eventual champion Jamie Gold ranked in 155th place.

Based on WSOP figures (2006 to present), seven of the eight Day Two chip leaders have cashed.  The previous results are as follows:

2009 2-A – Amir Lehavot finished in 226th place
2009 2-B – Peter DeBaene finished in 398th place

2008 2-A – Brian Schaedlich finished in 456th place
2008 2-B – Peter Biebel finished in 273rd place

2007 2-A – Jeff Banghart finished in 41st place
2007 2-B – Gus Hansen finished in 61st place

2006 2-A – Yuriy Kozinskiy did not cash
2006 2-B – Dmitri Nobles finished in 76th place

During the mega-era (2003 to present), the eventual WSOP champions and their chip positions at the conclusion of Day Two were:

2003 – Chris Moneymaker, 60,475 in chips (ranked 11th)*
2004 – Greg “Fossilman” Raymer, 74,400 in chips (ranked 7th)
2005 – Joe Hachem, 67,350 in chips (not in top 25)
2006 – Jamie Gold, 100,125 in chips (ranked 23rd)
2007 – Jerry Yang, 99,700 in chips (not in top 25)
2008 – Peter Eastgate, 62,325 in chips (not in top 25)
2009 – Joe Cada 187,225 in chips (ranked 99th)

*NOTE:  2003-2005 started with 10,000 in chips.  2006-2008 started with 20,000 in chips.  2009 starts with 30,000 in chips.

ODDS AND ENDS

Based on the birthdates of all 7,319 players, the average age of all participants in the Main Event is 37 years and 4 months.  

Husbands/Wives Still Playing in the Main Event:

Chip Jett/Karina Jett – Both playing Day 2-B

The most common phrase heard on Day 2-A?  “All-In and a Call, Table X!”  Any all-in bet which is called in the Main Event elicits a vocal auto-response from dealers who are instructed to call attention to the table, both for tournament staff to monitor more closely and for ESPN television cameras to (possibly) film.

The second most common phrase heard on Day 2-A?  “Seat Open, Table X!”  As players are eliminated, tables are consolidated one by one, and the tournament gradually becomes smaller.  Dealers call attention to open seats to tournament staff can re-fill the seat as quickly as possible.

Irony of Ironies:  Three of the most famous poker commentators on television were seen playing in one section on this day.  Mike Sexton (WPT), Vince Van Patten (WPT), and Gabe Kaplan (High Stakes Poker) all played on Day 2-A.

Mark Marcellus, from Jacksonville, FL played on this day.  He brought along 14 of his supporters who watched most of the day from the rail.  Marcellus’ “Crew” wore identical blue t-shirts to support their friend in the tournament.  He did not survive Day Two.

Dennis Phillips enjoyed staggering success as the third-place finisher in 2008 and roared back in 2009, ending up in 45th place.  This year, there will be no deep-run trifecta from the jovial everyman from St. Louis.  Phillips was eliminated late in the day.

In what has to be one of the most bizarre ironies of any poker ruling ever, former WSOP Tournament Director (2002-2004) Matt Savage was issued a penalty on this day.  He was forced to sit out for one full round.  Savage, who has played in several WSOP events this year including the Main Event, enjoyed a strong run on Day One.  He returned for Day Two and was seen walking towards the rail very early in the competition.  Seeing Savage walking across the floor, a WSOP staffer went over and asked him what was going on.  Savage appeared somewhat dejected, but also flashed a slight grin.  “I just got my first penalty, ever!” Savage barked.  When pressed for more details, Savage explained that he had exposed his hand during the middle of play (somewhat innocently), enticing the other player to fold.  Since showing cards is not permitted, Savage was issued the standard penalty.  “I can’t believe it,” Savage quipped.  “It’s ironic, because I’m the one who made that rule.”  Savage is one of the founders of the Tournament Directors Association (TDA).

This is the 57th and final event on the 2010 WSOP schedule which is played in Las Vegas.  Five more gold bracelet events will take place in London, England at the Empire Casino, to be held in September 14 through 28th as part of the Fourth Annual World Series of Poker Europe.    

This marks the sixth consecutive year the WSOP has been held at the Rio All-Suite Hotel & 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 Harrah’s Entertainment assumed ownership and control of the world most prestigious poker event, more than three quarters of the $1.2 billion in prize money has been awarded to winners within the Rio – three times the amount awarded during the entire 35-year period at the Horseshoe.

This is the 885th gold bracelet event in World Series of Poker history.  Note:  This figure includes every official WSOP event played, including tournaments during the early years when there were no actual gold bracelets awarded.  It also includes the 11 gold bracelets awarded to date at WSOP Europe.

In the 41-year history of the WSOP, the total combined amount of prize money that has been awarded amounts to $1,228,375,121.

The total number of entrants in the WSOP Main Event (all years combined) is 50,756.

The WSOP title sponsor the last two years has been Jack Link’s Beef Jerky.  As part of a fun promotion, Jack Links gives away large quantities of their product to Main Event players who make big hands.  This year’s key hand is four jacks.  About six hours into play on Day 1-B Brian Kim was the first to hit the magical hand – making four jacks with one hook in his hand to go along with the three on board.  34 players have made the hand in the first four days.

THE WOMEN IN THE MAIN EVENT

Special Note:  The WSOP recognizes that player characteristics such as gender, race, etc. do not typically warrant special mention.  However, since many members of the media wish to know details about female participation and status, the staff is providing this information for media use.

The unofficial total number of females who participated in this year’s Main Event was 216.  There is no official record since entrants are not designated by their gender.  However, it has been customary to count every player at the start of Day One and take an unofficial head-count of female players.  This figure represents about 3 percent of the field.

Here are the highest-female finishers (by year) in the WSOP Main Event (Note:  Only players who finished in-the-money were recorded):

No female cashed in the Main Event between the years 1970-1985.

1986 – Wendeen Eolis (25th)
1987 – None
1988 – None
1989 – None
1990 – None
1991 – None
1992 – None
1993 – Marsha Waggoner (19th)
1994 – Barbara Samuelson (10th)
1995 – Barbara Enright (5th)
1996 – Lucy Rokach (26th)
1997 – Marsha Waggoner (12th)
1998 – Susie Isaacs (10th)
1999 – None
2000 – Annie Duke (10th)
2001 – None
2002 – None
2003 – Annie Duke (47th)
2004 – Rose Richie (98th)
2005 – Tiffany Williamson (15th)
2006 – Sabyl Cohen-Landrum (56th)
2007 – Maria Ho (38th)
2008 – Tiffany Michelle (17th)
2009 – Leo Margets, a.k.a. Leonor Margets (27th)  

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
7 – Bobby Baldwin
7 – Humberto Brenes
7 – Doyle Brunson
7 – Jay Heimowitz
7 – Phil Hellmuth
7 – Mike Sexton
6 – John Bonetti
6 – Johnny Moss
6 – Jason Lester
6 – Steve Lott
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

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

Most Main Events Played (Career)

38 – Doyle Brunson (did not play 1999 through 2001)

Most Consecutive Years to Cash (Main Event)

4 – Theodore Park (2005 – 2008)
4 – Bo Sehlstedt (2004 – 2007)
4 – Robert Turner (1991 – 1994)

2010 WSOP STATISTICS (INCLUDING MAIN EVENT)

Tournament attendance is up significantly from last year when there were 60,875 entries (then, a record).  This year, there were 72,966 total entries -- an increase of 20 percent.  Hence, this is the biggest WSOP of all time, measured by total participation.  

Prize money increased from 2008, when the total money awarded was a record $180,774,427.  This year, the total amount of prize money awarded was $187,109,850 – an increase of 3.5 percent.

This year, there were 57 gold bracelet events – which is the same number as last year.

Through the conclusion of Event #56, the nationalities of gold bracelet winners have been:

United States (38)
Great Britain (5)
Canada (5)
Hungary (2)
New Zealand (1)
France (1)
Russia (1)
Norway (1)
Holland (1)
Israel (1)

Through the conclusion of Event #56, the national origin (birthplace) of winners has been:

United States (31)
Great Britain (5)
Canada (5)
Vietnam (2)
China (2)
Hungary (2)
New Zealand (1)
France (1)
Lebanon (1)
Russia (1)
Mexico (1)
Bangladesh (1)
Norway (1)
Holland (1)
Israel (1)

Through the conclusion of Event #56, the breakdown of professional poker players to semi-pros and amateurs who won gold bracelets is as follows:

Professional Players (39): Michael Chow, Michael Mizrachi, Praz Bansi, Josh Tieman, Peter Gelencser, James Dempsey, Men “the Master” Nguyen, Matt Matros, Yan R. Chen, Steve Gee, Carter Phillips, Jason DeWitt; Eric Buchman, David Baker, Richard Ashby, Dutch Boyd, Sammy Farha, David Warga, Will Haydon, Matt Keikoan, Mike Ellis, Luis Velador, Ayaz Mahmood, Phil Ivey, Luigi Kwaysser, Scott Montgomery, Steven Kelly, Steve Jelinek, Dean Hamrick, Ian Gordon, Gavin Smith, Jesse Rockowitz, Chris Bell, Shawn Busse, Sigurd Eskeland, Chance Kornuth, Ryan Welch, Brendan Taylor, Daniel Alaei

Semi-Pros (8): Frank Kassela, Tex Barch, Miguel Proulx, Jeffrey Papola, Frank Kassela, Mike Linn, Dan Kelly, Tomer Berda

Amateurs (9): Duc Pham, Aadam Daya, Pascal LeFrancois, Simon Watt, Vanessa Hellebuyck, Jeff Tebben, Konstantin Puchkov, Harold Angle, Marcel Vonk

Through the conclusion of Event #56, here is the list of repeat WSOP gold bracelet winners:

Praz Bansi
Men “the Master” Nguyen
Russ “Dutch” Boyd
Sammy Farha
David Warga (* his first WSOP win was in a non-open event)
Matt Keikoan
Luis Velador
Phil Ivey
Frank Kassela (two wins this year)
Daniel Alaei

Through the conclusion of 2010 World Series of Poker -- Event #56:

Youngest Winner – Steven Kelly (21), Dan Kelly (21)
Oldest Winner – Harold Angle (78)
Female Winners (open events) – None
Multiple-Event Winners (this year) – Frank Kassela