WSOP update through 81 events

The WSOP Main Event continues to whittle down the field and some interesting things are happening as a result. Here’s the latest from the record-breaking 50th Annual World Series of Poker.

Entering Day 6 play today, there are 106 players remaining. Play is expected to go from 12 noon to 2 a.m. today and the field is expected to end with the final three tables of players, each vying for the $10 million first place prize.

The Patriots Keep Winning: Three-time Super Bowl champion Richard Seymour has a track record of winning, claiming three Super Bowl titles as a member of the New England Patriots during his terrific career that included seven Pro Bowls as one of the best defensive tackles in the game. He has recently taken up poker and is competing in the “Super Bowl of Poker Tournaments” in the World Series of Poker Main Event. And just like his football career, he is succeeding on the green felt of the poker table. Seymour has now become the major professional athlete with the best finish ever in this tournament’s 50-year history. By finishing in 131st place and winning $59,295, Seymour surpasses NASCAR driver Jason White’s 348th place finish in 2014. Prior to that, NHL goaltender Roberto Luongo’s 634th place finish in 2012 held the record. The WSOP Main Event is a $10,000 buy-in poker tournament, this year with 8,569 entries creating a $80,548,600 prize pool. The top 15% of the field divvy up the prize money with the winner’s share $10 million.

Girl Power: Kudos to the women’s U.S. soccer team on capturing the World Cup this week. It seems like women’s soccer has never been more popular. The same can be said for women’s poker. The Ladies Championship this year featured 968 entrants, an eight-year high and up 39% over 2018. The WSOP Main Event has seen a 39 % increase in female participants over the last five years, and was up 16% this year alone.