DAY 6 - Darvin Moon

Tournament Notes:

Tournament Highlights:

Day 6 Headlines

1. World Series of Poker Continues - Down to 64 in the Main Event

2. Darvin Moon (Oakland, MD) is the New Chip Leader Going into Day Seven

3. Many Well-Known Poker Players Still Alive - including Tom Schneider, Phil Ivey, Fabrice Soulier, Jeff Shulman, Antonio Esfandiari, Dennis Phillips, Joe Sebok, Blair Rodman, and Prahlad Friedman

4. Defending World Champion Peter Eastgate Eliminated in 78th Place - Last of former Champions Finally Out

5. Two November Nine Finalists Face-Off at Same Table on Day 6 - Peter Eastgate and Dennis Phillips Tangle in Re-Match, Phillips Survives

6. Seven-Time Gold Bracelet Winner Phil Ivey (Las Vegas, NV) Currently in Third Place

The Main Event Continues

-- The 2009 WSOP Main Event continued with the play and conclusion of Day 6. The day included a deep run into the money, as the tournament field size was reduced by nearly two-thirds. All 185 players who started play were already guaranteed $36,626 in prize money. Now, after 11 days and 50 hours of tournament play, all finishers are guaranteed at least $90,344 in prize money.

-- Day 6 began with 185 players. The day ended with 64 survivors.

-- Prize money payouts increase at various intervals. Every player still alive in the tournament (64th place and higher) is now guaranteed at least $90,344 in prize money. After one more player busts out, survivors are guaranteed at least $108,047.

-- This was the 46th day of the 2009 WSOP. Play continues for two more days, plus the finale to be played in November. There will also be four gold bracelet events played at WSOP-Europe, to be held in London in September.

-- Tomorrow (Tuesday) begins at noon and is expected to include five levels of play.

-- Play on Day 5 began on July 13, 2009 at 12:05 pm.

Playing on Day 1 - A, B, C, or D - Does it Matter?

Which of the four Main Event starting days is the most advantageous? The data has been run and the numbers are now in. Statistics from the past two years of Main Events show there is almost no correlation between the starting day and the odds of finishing in-the-money. Here are the numbers:

2009:

Day 1A: 121 cashes out of 1116 entrants --10.8 percent
Day 1B: 84 cashes out of 873 entrants -- 9.6 percent
Day 1C: 162 cashes out of 1696 entrants -- 9.5 percent
Day 1D: 281 cashes out of 2809 entrants -- 10 percent

2008:

Day 1A: 122 cashes out of 1299 entries -- 9.4 percent
Day 1B: 117 cashes out of 1158 entries -- 10.1 percent
Day 1C: 187 cashes out of 1936 entries -- 9.7 percent
Day 1D: 240 cashes out of 2461 entries -- 9.7 percent

Play on Day 6

-- Defending champion Peter Eastgate was eliminated late in the day, in the middle of Level 25. He ended up as the 78th-place finisher. He busted out with A-J against Billy Kopp's 8-8. Eastgate initially connected with a pair of aces. But Kopp ended up making a heart flush, which eliminated the Danish poker champion. It was an impressive run for the Danish poker pro. Eastgate made the deepest run by a defending champion since Greg "Fossilman" Raymer's remarkable 25-place finish in the 2005 Main Event.

-- Eastgate was the final former Main Event champion left standing in this year's championship. 2005 WSOP champion Joe Hachem, who also started the day in contention, was eliminated in 104th place.

-- Players competed for five complete levels. Play ended after Level 25. When play resumes tomorrow at Level 26, blinds will be 25,000-50,000 with a 5,000 ante. The average stack size is currently 3,044,063.

-- Day 5 started with a field of 185 players and ended with 64 survivors. This means only about 1 percent of the original 6,494 starters survived past the fifth day.

-- One of the most interesting tables on Day 6 contained two final table players from last year's Main Event. Peter Eastgate (1st place) faced Dennis Phillips (3rd place). The irony of déjà vu in this year's Main Event was obvious to both players as they exchanged several comments about being back at center stage almost a year to the day of last year's success.

-- Two females started the day. They were Nichoel Peppe (Long Beach, CA) who began in 35th place. Leo Margets (Barcelona, Spain) started in 135th place. However, their roles were reversed as Margets survived. Peppe busted out in 75th place. Leo Margets is now the only female player left in the field of 64. She is currently in 18th place.

-- The 2005 WSOP Main Event champion Joe Hachem was eliminated in 104th place. He busted out after missing a flush draw and received a rousing ovation from the crowd as he exited the ESPN main stage. Prior to busting out, Hachem was interviewed during the middle play on Day 6. He was asked about his goals for this event. "The only reason I keep playing is to make history," Hachem said. "The money is extra. I want to be part of World Series of Poker history."

-- Sarne Lightman, who presently lives in San Jose, Costa Rica, ended up as the 112th-place finisher. Lightman overseas operations of the Latin American Poker Tour, which will be entering its third season later this year.

-- Two-time WSOP gold bracelet winner Chris Bjorin (London, UK) was eliminated on this day and finished in 156th place.

-- Bob Riley (St. Charles, MO) was one of the most senior players still in contention coming into Day 6. The 70-year-old poker player finished in 168th place.

-- Players who survived Day 6 will return to continue their quest for the 2009 world poker championship gold bracelet and $8.5 million in prize money on July 14th, starting at noon.

-- Play on Day 6 ended at 12:45 am.

Day 6 Chip Leader (Darvin Moon)

Darvin Moon is the new chip leader after six days of play. He lives in the small eastern Maryland town of Oakland. Moon owns and operates a small logging company with other family members. Most of his days are spent in pine forests scattered throughout the Maryland panhandle. He is married and was cheered on by his wife, who was sitting in the crowd. This is Moon's first time to play in the WSOP. It was also his first time to visit Las Vegas.

A Short Interview with Darvin Moon

Question: How did you get to the WSOP?

Moon: I won my seat at the casino in Wheeling (WV). We started going out there last year. I came in ninth one time last year. This time, I played three times (trying to qualify for a seat to play in the Main Event). I finished third the first time, and then busted out the next time. The third time, I won my seat.

Question: How long have you been playing poker?

Moon: About three years. I watch poker on TV a lot. And I pay attention to it.

Question: What is your usual poker game?

Moon: there are about 70 of us around who play around. We do benefits at places like the Elks Club, American Legion, and the fire departments. I also play in Wheeling (WV).

Question: You really came out of nowhere to seize the chip lead. How did you do it?

Moon: It's easy to play when you get hands like I was getting. It's just unbelievable. It's like a dream. I got pocket aces and flopped trips, and someone was betting into me. But I had pocket kings one time and the other guy pushed all in over the top of me. I just mucked my hand pre-flop. I mean, he has to have aces. What else can he have? That's just my style. I play tight. When I get them I bet and when I don't, I fold.

Question: You must feel like a kid in a candy store here at the WSOP.

Moon: Oh yeah. I'm nervous. I mean, this is my first time in Las Vegas. It was my first time on a big plane.

Question: How did it feel to play on the main ESPN stage under the spotlight of television cameras?

Moon: It didn't bother me at all. I mean, I am nervous. But I am more nervous out there than I am here. I focus on the cards and I am comfortable playing. I walk down that hall and everybody that's won and everybody is big time and a name. And they walk right by you and you say, ‘wow, here I am playing with these guys. It's a dream come true.

Question: Why are you wearing a New Orleans Saints (NFL) cap?

Moon: I like cheering for the underdog. They were underdogs for a long time. But now they are doing good and I am sticking with them. We are located right between Pittsburgh and Baltimore. It is mostly Steeler fans where I live. And I wear this hat to mess with them.

Question: Let's say you get offered ninth place right now. You can make a deal and you will get $1 million for ninth, plus you get to be part of the November Nine. Would you take the imaginary deal?

Moon: No. No. Ninth place? I got my goals set. It's not first. But it's not ninth, either. I'll be happy. I don't care if I go out the first hand tomorrow. I've had fun. It's been worth every minute of it. I just like to play and it's unreal. It's something I can't even dream of doing, and here I am.

-- Here is how the previous end-of-day chip leaders have fared:

Day 1-A: Redmond Lee (London, UK) - eliminated, did not cash
Day 1-B: Brandon Demes (Tempe, AZ) - eliminated, did not cash
Day 1-C: Joseph Cada (Shelby Township, MI) - currently in 15th place
Day 1-D: Troy Weber (West Terre Haute, IN) - eliminated, did not cash
Day 2-A: Andrew Gaw (Philippines) - eliminated, did not cash
Day 2-B: Amir Lehavot (Weston, FL) - CASHED IN 226th PLACE
Day 3: Bertrand Grospellier (Nancy, France) - CASHED IN 122nd PLACE
Day 4: Matt Affleck (Seattle, WA) - CASHED IN 80th PLACE
Day 5: Waren Zackey (Johannesburg, South Africa) - currently in 51st place
Day 6: Darvin Moon (Oakland, MD) -- TBD

ESPN WSOP Broadcasts

-- ESPN has been broadcasting its WSOP coverage since 2003. This year, four events will be featured. These events include the $40,000 buy-in 40th Anniversary No-Limit Hold'em Championship, the World Champions Invitational, the third-annual Ante-Up for Africa charity tournament, and the Main Event.

-- Although the number of WSOP events receiving broad coverage has been reduced to four, the total number of broadcast hours is actually the same as last year. More coverage will be given to the Main Event, since the world championship receives the greatest amount of viewer interest.

-- The total amount of time the WSOP will be broadcast this year is 32 new and original hours of coverage.

-- Debut WSOP broadcasts on ESPN will remain in their customary Tuesday night time slot.

-- The 2009 WSOP broadcasts will begin on July 28th.

WSOP Main Event (Cashing Records)

MOST CAREER CASHES IN MAIN EVENT:

10 - Berry Johnston
7 - Doyle Brunson
7 - Humberto Brenes
7 - Jay Heimowitz
7 - Phil Hellmuth (updated to include this year's cash)
7 - Mike Sexton (updated to include this year's cash)
7 - Bobby Baldwin (updated to include this year's cash)

MORE ON BERRY JOHNSTON:

BERRY JOHNSTON ALL-TIME ME CASHES (10)

JOHNSTON BERRY $10000 No Limit Hold'em World Championship 1982 3 $104,000.00
JOHNSTON BERRY $10000 No Limit Hold'em World Championship 1985 3 $140,000.00
JOHNSTON BERRY $10000 No Limit Hold'em World Championship 1986 1 $570,000.00
JOHNSTON BERRY $10000 No Limit Hold'em World Championship 1987 32 $7,500.00
JOHNSTON BERRY $10000 No Limit Hold'em World Championship 1989 29 $7,500.00
JOHNSTON BERRY $10000 No Limit Hold'em World Championship 1990 5 $75,150.00
JOHNSTON BERRY $10000 No Limit Hold'em World Championship 1992 17 $10,100.00
JOHNSTON BERRY $10000 No Limit Hold'em World Championship 1995 21 $17,300.00
JOHNSTON BERRY $10000 No Limit Hold'em World Championship 1996 16 $23,400.00
JOHNSTON BERRY $10000 No Limit Hold'em World Championship 2007 113 $58,570.00

MOST CONSECUTIVE CASHES IN MAIN EVENT:

Theodore Park, 4 cashes - 2005-2008
Bo Sehlstedt, 4 cashes- 2004-2007
Robert Turner, 4 cashes- 1991-1994

13 others tied at three including:
Mike Sexton ('91-'93), Johnny Chan ('87-'89) Jay Heimowitz ('87-'89) Hans "Tuna" Lund ('90-'92) Berry Johnston ('85-'87) Andrew Brokos (06'-08') and Stefan Mattsson ('06-'08)

CURRENT STREAK - CONSEUTIVE CASHES:

Theodore Park 2005- 2008 (2009???)
Stefan Mattsson 2006-2008 (2009??)
Andrew Brokos 2006-2008 (2009??)

Players to Watch

-- Here is the current status of all former WSOP world champions who played in this year's Main Event. Six former champions remain still alive:

1972: "Amarillo Slim" Preston - eliminated on Day 2
1975/1976: Doyle Brunson - eliminated on Day 1
1978: Bobby Baldwin - CASHED IN 352nd PLACE
1983: Tom McEvoy - eliminated on Day 1
1986: Berry Johnston - eliminated on Day 2
1987/1988: Johnny Chan - eliminated on Day 2
1989: Phil Hellmuth - CASHED IN 436th PLACE
1993: Jim Bechtel - eliminated on Day 3
1995: Dan Harrington - CASHED IN 252th PLACE
1996: Huck Seed - eliminated on Day 1
1998: Scotty Nguyen - eliminated on Day 2
2000: Chris "Jesus" Ferguson - CASHED IN 561st PLACE
2001: Carlos "the Matador" Mortensen - eliminated on Day 3
2002: Robert Varkonyi - eliminated on Day 2
2003: Chris Moneymaker - eliminated on Day 1
2004: Greg "Fossilman" Raymer - eliminated on Day 3
2005: Joe Hachem - CASHED IN 104th PLACE
2006: Jamie Gold - eliminated in Day 1
2007: Jerry Yang - eliminated on Day 1
2008: Peter Eastgate - CASHED IN 78th PLACE

-- Here is the current status of all current and former WSOP "Player of the Year" champions who played in this year's Main Event:

2005: Daniel Negreanu - eliminated on Day 1
2006: Allen Cunningham - eliminated on Day 2
2007: Tom Schneider - STILL ALIVE (currently in 34th place)
2008: Erick Lindgren - eliminated on Day 2
2009: Jeffrey Lisandro - eliminated on Day 3

-- Here is the current status of those players with notable results from this year's WSOP:

David Bach (HORSE World Championship winner) - eliminated on Day 2

Alex Bolotin ("Ante-Up for Africa" championship winner) - eliminated on Day 3

Darryll Fish (cashed 7 times at this year's WSOP) - eliminated on Day 2

Jeffrey Lisandro (won three gold bracelets this year) - eliminated on Day 3

Ville Wahlbeck (finished 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 6th in four events) - eliminated on Day 3

Vitaly Lunkin (finished 1st, 2nd, and 4th in three events) -

STILL ALIVE (268,000 place, below average stack)

Greg Mueller (won two gold bracelets this year) - eliminated on Day 4

Phil Ivey (won two gold bracelets this year) - STILL ALIVE (currently in third place)

-- Here is the current status of notable non-pro celebrities from this year's Main Event:

Chuck Pachenco (movie producer) - CASHED IN 612th PLACE

Jason Alexander (actor) - eliminated on Day 3

Scott Ian (musician with band "Anthrax") - eliminated on Day 3

Shane Warne (world famous cricket player) - eliminated on Day 3

Torrie Wilson (female wrestler) - eliminated on Day 1

John Salley (former NBA basketball player) - eliminated on Day 1

Patrick Bruel (French actor and singer) - CASHED IN 428th PLACE

Lou Diamond Phillips (actor and singer) - CASHED IN 186th PLACE

Marlon Wayans (actor) - eliminated on Day 2

Jordan Farmar (NBA basketball player) - eliminated on Day 3

Sam Simon (Hollywood writer and producer) - eliminated on Day 3

Joseph Kahn (music video producer) - eliminated on Day 1

Ray Romano (actor) - eliminated on Day 1

Sully Erna (musician) - eliminated on Day 1

Shannon Elizabeth (actor) - eliminated on Day 1

Brad Garrett (actor) -- eliminated on Day 1

Jennifer Tilly (actor) - eliminated on Day 1

Orel Hershiser (former major league baseball player - eliminated on Day 1

Historical Footnote: The highest Main Event finish for a (non-poker) celebrity was actor Telly Savalas, who finished 21st in the 1992 championship.

-- Here is the current status of last year's "November Nine" (2009 Main Event Final Table participants):

Ivan Demidov - eliminated on Day 2

Peter Eastgate - CASHED IN 78th PLACE

Kelly Kim - CASHED IN 423rd PLACE

Craig Marquis - eliminated in Day 1

Scott Montgomery - eliminated on Day 2

Dennis Phillips - STILL ALIVE IN 43rd PLACE

David "Chino" Rheem - eliminated on Day 1 Ylon Schwartz - eliminated on Day 2

Darus Suharto - eliminated on Day 3

-- Of the remaining players who are still alive going into Day Six, 18 are international (non-American) players. This represents 28 percent of the field.

(US - 46 players remain UK - 3 players remain Canada - 4 players remain Australia - 1 players remain France - 3 players remain Germany - 1 player remains Italy - 1 player remains Finland - 1 player remains Denmark - 1 player remains Spain - 1 player remains St. Kitts - 1 player remains South Africa - 1 player remains)

-- Daily elimination percentages are as follows:

DAY ONE: 68 percent of the original starters in this tournament survived the first day / 32 percent were eliminated.

DAY TWO: 31 percent of the original starters survived the second day / 27 percent were eliminated from the start of day amount.

DAY THREE: 12 percent of the original starters survived the third day / 60 percent were eliminated from the start of day amount.

DAY FOUR: 6.2 percent of the original starters survived the fourth day / 48.2 percent were eliminated from the start of day amount

DAY FIVE: 2.8 percent of the original starters survived the fifth day / 55 percent were eliminated from the start of day amount

DAY SIX: 1 percent of the original starters survived the sixth day / 65.4 percent were eliminated from the start of day amount

Female Participants in the 2009 Main Event

(Note: The WSOP recognizes that player characteristics such as gender, race, etc. do not 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 number of female participants in this year's Main Event is estimated to be 187, which amounts to 2.8 percent of the field. 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.

-- An estimated eight female players remain alive in the Main Event at the conclusion of Day 3 (precise number is not known, this is an estiamte). This list includes:

Kara Scott Tobin (UK)
Emma Grace (Australia)
Marla Schwartz (USA)
Kristy Gazes (USA)
Melanie Banfield (South Africa)
"Oklahoma" Sarah Hale (USA)
Denise Malloy (USA)
Christina Renz (USA)

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 (TBD)

World Series of Poker Statistics --

The 2009 WSOP Main Event now ranks as the third-largest live poker tournament in history. Only the 2006 and 2008 Main Event championships drew larger numbers. It should be noted that if the Rio had greater seating capacity (Day 1-D sold out), this year's tournament would have unquestionably surpassed last year's attendance figures.

-- The total prize pool for this year's Main Event totals $61,043,600. However, this figure is not final. Since interest is added to payouts for players who will constitute the November Nine, the final figure will actually be slightly higher.

-- The number of female participants in this year's Main Event is estimated to be 187, which amounts to 2.8 percent of the field. There is no official record since entrants are not designated by sex. However, it has been customary in recent years to count every player at the start of Day One (actually all flights A-D) and take a head count of female players. Oddly enough, despite the low percentage of female players, there were three different tables with three females in the tournament.

-- All players who make it to the final table this year (the November Nine) will earn at least $1 million. The 2009 world champion will collect $8,546,435 for first place (plus slightly more money in added interest).

-- With registration for this year's Main Event, the World Series of Poker crossed the $1,000,000,000 threshold in total prize money awarded to players. During its 40-year history, the WSOP has paid out $1,041,265,271. Incredibly, more than $600,000,000 has been paid out just in the last five years alone, since Harrah's Entertainment assumed control of the tournament. Here is the historical prize pool information for the World Series of Poker.

2009 -- $174,011,894
2008 -- $180,774,427
2007 -- $159,796,918
2006 -- $159,599,815
1970-2005 -- $354,000,000

-- This is the 57th and final event on the 2009 WSOP schedule which is played in Las Vegas. Four more gold bracelet events will take place later this year in London, England at the Empire Casino, to be held from September 19th through October 1st.

-- Players have come to the WSOP from at least 115 different nations and territories. By contrast, only 80 nations were represented at the most recent Winter Olympic Games.

-- This marks the fifth 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. More money has been awarded to winners within the Rio during the past five years than during the entire proceeding 35-year period at the Horseshoe. This is a testament to the expansion of the WSOP since Harrah's Entertainment assumed ownership and control of the world most prestigious poker event.

New Records Set at the 2009 WSOP

MOST WSOP SELL OUTS

Ten tournaments reached maximum capacity at this year's WSOP. This is the most gold bracelet events ever to sell out within a single year. A complete "sell out" means every seat at every available table is sold and additional players are/were turned away at registration. Sell-outs are based on various numbers, which include the total tables and seats available for tournament use. Events which sold out this year included: 4, 7, 22, 24, 28, 29, 39, 43, 51, and 54. Note that the Main Event also partially sold out, since Day 1-D reached full capacity - which means 11 events reached the maximum, in part.

MOST MILLION-DOLLAR TOURNAMENTS IN HISTORY

This year's WSOP had more tournaments with more than $1 million in prize money than any other. There were 39 events out of 57 which crossed the million-dollar mark.

MOST TOURNAMENT ENTRANTS IN A SINGLE YEAR

The 2009 WSOP attracted 60,875 tournament entries overall. This mark eclipses the previous record set last year which was 58,720. These figures do not include WSOP-Europe.

FIRST NON-MAIN EVENT, NON-MEGA BUY-IN EVENT PRODUCES A $1 MILLION FIRST PRIZE

Every single gold bracelet winner won at least $165,000. Most winners won in excess of $300,000. However, for the first time ever - the winner of a non-Main Event/non-mega buy-in tournament won more than $1 million. Matthew Hawrilenko's victory in the $5,000 buy-in No-Limit Hold'em tournament (Event #56) netted him a cash prize totaling $1,003,218.

LARGEST NON-WSOP MAIN EVENT TOURNAMENT IN HISTORY - FIFTH-BIGGEST OVERALL

The $1,000 buy-in No-Limit Hold'em tournament (Event 4) is the largest non-WSOP Main Event tournament in poker history. The previous record was set at the 2008 WSOP when the first No-Limit Hold'em competition ($1,500 buy-in Event #2) attracted 3,929 entrants. The number of players in the $1,000 buy-in "Stimulus Special" - 6,012! - demolished the previous mark and represented a whopping 53 percent increase in attendance over the previous record many initially thought might not be broken for some time! Note: LARGEST WSOP EVENTS IN HISTORY: Here is a ranking of the six largest live poker tournaments in history:

8,773 players -- 2006 WSOP Main Event
6,844 players -- 2008 WSOP Main Event
6,358 players -- 2007 WSOP Main Event
6,494 players - 2009 WSOP Main Event
6,012 players -- 2009 WSOP Event 4

YOUNGEST FINAL TABLE IN HISTORY

The $5,000 No-Limit Hold'em Shootout (Event 41) was the youngest final table composition in WSOP history, with player ages ranging from 21 (youngest) to 24 (oldest).

SECOND-LONGEST FINAL TABLE IN POKER HISTORY

The $50,000 buy-in H.O.R.S.E. World Championship (Event 49) was the second-longest finale in poker history - both by time and number of hands: Longest WSOP Final Tables (Time Duration)

19 hours/9 minutes -- 2008 WSOP-Europe Championship
18 hours/44 minutes - 2009 H.O.R.S.E. Championship
16 hours (estimated) -- 2005 $1,500 Razz Championship
14 hours/30 minutes - 2005 WSOP Main Event
14 hours - 2006 H.O.R.S.E. Championship

Longest WSOP Final Tables (Number of Hands)

484 - 2008 WSOP-Europe Championship
480 - 2009 H.O.R.S.E. Championship
354 - 2006 H.O.R.S.E. Championship
341 - 2007 H.O.R.S.E. Championship
314 - 2008 H.O.R.S.E. Championship

(Note: Number of hands was not recorded for WSOP events prior to 2003)

FIRST-EVER BINION'S CUP ATTRACTS MOST FORMER WORLD CHAMPIONS EVER TO PLAY IN ONE EVENT

The winner of the inaugural "Binion's Cup Champions Invitational was designated "The Champion of Champions." The honors belongs to Atom McEvoy, the winner. It was the largest collection of WSOP current and former world champions ever in history. There were 19 former champions entered in last year's Main Event, but this tournament had twenty.

LARGEST SEVEN-CARD STUD HIGH-LOW SPLIT PRIZE IN HISTORY

Event 37 was the richest Seven-Card Stud High-Low Split prize pool in poker history at $1,541,600. It eclipsed last year's previous record by more than $300,000. This was only the second million-dollar prize pool ever for any Seven-Card Stud High-Low Split tournament.

LARGEST SENIORS POKER EVENT IN HISTORY

The Seniors Championship was the largest such event in poker history. The turnout of 2,707 this year shattered last year's record of 2,218 (then, a record high). The 2009 figure represents a 22 percent increase over 2008. Records were also smashed for largest prize pool and biggest cash prize ever paid in a seniors' poker event.

LARGEST OMAHA-HIGH LOW SPLIT TOURNAMENT IN HISTORY

This was the largest live Omaha High-Low Split tournament in history. The previous record was set at the 2008 WSOP when the same event attracted 833 players. The number of entrants this year - 918 - smashed the previous mark and represented a nine percent increase in attendance over the same tournament held last year.

LARGEST 2-7 LOWBALL TOURNAMENT IN HISTORY

Last year's event attracted 238 entries. Entries increased by 8 percent to 258 players in 2009. Event 55 was the largest Limit Deuce-to-Seven Triple Draw Lowball tournament in poker history.

LARGEST POT-LIMIT OMAHA TOURNAMENT IN HISTORY

The $1,500 buy-in Pot-Limit Omaha event (Event 5) attracted 809 entrants. This is the largest live Pot-Limit Omaha tournament in poker history.

LARGEST LIVE SIX-HANDED POKER TOURNAMENT IN HISTORY

Event #9 was the largest live Six-Handed tournament in history - with 1,459 players.

MOST CASHES IN WSOP HISTORY

Phil Hellmuth added to his status as the all-time leader in WSOP cashes, now with 74 career in-the-money finishes.

MOST CONSECUTIVE YEARS TO CASH AT WSOP

Berry Johnston's in-the-money finish in a gold bracelet tournament this year gives the 1986 World Champion cashes for 27 Straight WSOP Years -- the most in history.

MOST GOLD BRACELET WINS IN A SINGLE YEAR

Jeffrey Lisandro tied the mark for most wins in a single year, with three. He is the fifth player to accomplish this feat.

FIRST HUNGARIAN WSOP WINNER IN HISTORY

Peter Traply became the first Hungarian WSOP champion in history. The best previous finish by a Hungarian player was Richard Toth, who finished second in 2006.

IVEY MOVES INTO TIE FOR SIXTH-PLACE IN WSOP WINS

With his two victories this year, Phil Ivey joins Billy Baxter with seven WSOP titles, which ranks sixth on the all-time wins list. Still remaining ahead of Ivey are Phil Hellmuth (11 wins), Doyle Brunson (10 wins), Johnny Moss (10 wins), Johnny Moss (9 wins), and Erik Seidel (8 wins).