WSOP breaks all-time prize pool record

The US$ 191,999,010 will break a mark that was set in 2010 by 2.6%. The 2010 WSOP had a prize pool of US$ 187,109,850. Last year, the total number of entrants in WSOP tournaments eclipsed 72,900. This year, that record was broken as well, with 75,672 players entered. The players have been a steady mix of celebrities and amateurs.

Several smaller records were broken along the way in 2011 as well. In event thirty, the largest single-day entry list of 3,752 was achieved in the US$ 1,000 buy-in No-Limit tourney. The US$ 1,500 buy-in No-Limit tournament also set a record for single day attendance in event fifty-six, with a player pool of 3,389.

The records may be exciting to some, but others have been centered on the main event, which began on Thursday. Early action has seen some of the top names in the game get eliminated, and some unknowns jump to the top of the chip leader board.

One of the latest casualties has been a fan favorite in years past. Antonio Esfandiari bowed out of the main event in level four. Ivan Demidov and John Juanda also saw their WSOP main event runs come to an end on their first day in action.

On the other side of the coin are Jeff Madsen and Freddy Deeb, who are both holding over 80,000 chips. Eddy Sabat is the current short stack on the last of four day ones, with 3,275. Maynard Little is the chip leader for the day with 170,000, 30,000 more than the next closest stack.

Many professional players like to take a shot early in the tournament with the hope of gaining a decent chip stack to play with over the next few days. That strategy is not always successful, as Jennifer Tilly, Bertrand Grospellier, Tom Dwan, and Mark Smith found out, busting out on day one.

Monday will see the players from days 1A and 1C come together and play day 2A. Tuesday, the survivors from 1B and 1D will compete. Wednesday will be an off day, and all the remaining participants will then play on day three on Thursday.