LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — The World Series of Poker saw a record-breaking crowd last year at the main event with 10,043 entries.
This year, there is a strong chance the bar is set even higher at the 55th annual WSOP.
"It's the Olympics of poker. There's nothing like it," WSOP Vice President Jack Effel said. "You never know who you're going to be playing with, maybe a doctor, a lawyer, maybe a professional poker player. Anyone can enter and anyone can win."
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Over the course of the seven-week series at the Paris casino, 500 tournaments will be played across a record number of 700 tables, seating people from more than 100 different countries.
"This is our lives," local poker player David Baker said. "It's really turned into a global game, a global sport and the world series is the mecca."
The tournament goes through July 17th with the main event starting on July 3rd.
