WSOP 2011 is set to break records

There are a record number of participants at the 2011 WSOP in what looks to be a record year

There were big fears in the poker world surrounding the 2011 World Series of Poker (WSOP). In the wake of the crackdown on online gaming in the United States pundits were positive that attendance at the WSOP would drop dramatically. After all, they reasoned, if players can’t win themselves a bankroll online then how will they be able to play? Those American players who were using Full Tilt Poker still haven’t had their money returned to them.
What has in fact happened is that the WSOP 2011 is all set to be the biggest series that the Las Vegas has ever seen. Last year’s record number of 72,000 people travelling to Las Vegas to take part in the tournament looks like it’s going to be well and truly beaten this year. Already attendance is up a staggering 10% on last year and that looks set continue.
Now the pundits are explaining the rise in numbers as owing to the fact that poker pros simply don’t have anywhere else to play. Without the online game players in the United States have been forced to pack a bag and head to Las Vegas for six weeks of intense poker action to see if they can cash enough times to sort themselves out with a major bankroll.
Whatever the reason, the organisers of the most prestigious poker series in the world are ecstatic about the numbers of people flocking to the event. Ty Stewart, the Executive Director of the World Series of Poker says of last year’s 72,000 attendees "We're looking to crush that number this year…We have 400 poker tables in here, and they're all at capacity."
There is no real doubt that the numbers are going to be at least somewhere around the same as last year’s record breaking figures. The question is can they keep it up? The poker websites are fantastic for providing players with packages to play at the WSOP, now that the major source of income for poker players has disappeared poker professionals are wondering where they will be able to make enough money to play year after year. This year’s boom is helped by the fact that many of the poker players have brought their families and friends with them for support.