WSOP 2010 XLI is here, held at the Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino, Las Vegas. The wonderful poker showcase kicks off with the inaugural Casino employees $500 No-Limit Hold' em tournament. Surely, the richest sporting event in the whole world with over $1 Billion in prize money handed out since its launch in 1970. The WSOP is also the longest tournament by some distance, running for over 52 days culminating with the Main Event Final during November 2010.

The 2006 Main Event attracted a record field in the history of poker 8,772 players. The eventual winner Jamie Gold who pocketed a cool $12 Million for his efforts, making it the largest single pay-out to any tournament champion in history of sport. Probably the most notable winner is Chris Moneymaker, who won $2.5 million in 2003. Nothing remarkable in that you may add, but this likeable guy was an amateur player who had bought his way into the game through a series of satellite tournaments. The whole world witnessed this outstanding achievement through global coverage and the poker "Boom" was born.

Now everyone can take their chance with the high-rollers for just a few bucks, and FREE satellite tournaments are still running for the main event on numerous poker sites. Only 57 talented and sometimes lucky players will walk off with the much coveted WSOP gold bracelet in 2010. Among the front runners again this time around will be all the big name players such as Daniel Negreanu, Phil Hellmuth, Phil Ivey and the legend Doyle Brunson hoping to win his 11th bracelet. This year’s tournament will also see the introduction of a new limited edition bracelet to celebrate its 40th anniversary, with each winner receiving a unique one and no two bracelets will be the same.

As I write, the words "Shuffle up and deal!" will be echoing around the halls of the Rio casino. The highlight of the first few days will undoubtedly be the Poker Player's Championship. The $50,000 buy-in event will attract all the biggest names in the poker world and is not a game for light-hearted or indeed the poker novice. The event is made up from several different formats of the game, including Limit Hold'em, Seven Card Razz, Seven Card Stud and other games, which many new poker players will not even have heard of, let alone played.

ESPN is again covering the tournament around the clock, the traditional sporting events of Baseball, Football, Ice Hockey will be put on the back burner whilst we over indulge ourselves in poker mastery. Of course, the best way to view any tournament is to actually be there but if you cannot make it, be sure to tune in. Actually, you could be there right now by qualifying through one of the many satellite tournaments, take your seat. You never know; you could be the next poker millionaire.

My tip for a player to watch in this year’s tournament is Annette Obrestad. A young lady from Norway who has just turned 21 is destined for huge success, as she has already racked up some impressive results and won the WSOP Europe in 2007.

by Chris Hayward