Latest Poker News:Records fall on massive cross-pond poker weekend
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In North America, the first event of the 2009-2010 World Series of Poker Circuit season smashed attendance records.
A total of 1,412 players entered the 5 buy-in No-Limit Hold’em event at the Horseshoe Casino in Hammond, Indiana, just 20 minutes from downtown Chicago.
“Chicagoland has become one of the WSOP Circuit’s most popular destinations for poker players,” said WSOP media director Nolan Dalla. “Attendance eclipsed last year’s near-record for the same event, which was 1,187 entries.”
23-year-old poker pro Josh Shmerl, from Wauconda, Illinois just outside of Chicago, took the title and ,107 first-place prize in Hammond.
The previous all-time record for attendance at a WSOP Circuit event was 1,345 players at the Tunica Grand Resort and Casino in Mississippi in January 2006.
Meanwhile, across the pond in Ireland, the 2009 Boylepoker International Poker Open set the record for the largest tournament field ever assembled outside of the United States.
The 0 buy-in No-limit Hold’em event drew 1,440 players from more than 18 countries creating prize pool of 0,000, including ,000 added by the sponsor.
The previous non-U.S. attendance record was set at the 2009 PokerStars Caribbean Adventure in the Bahamas at 1,347.
Several big names from the ((UK poker scene)) were in attendance at the Regency Airport Hotel in Dublin, including Neil Channing, Padraig Parkinson, Andy Black, Marty Smyth, Surinder Sunar, Fintan Gavin, Simon Trumper and the voice of European poker, Jesse May.
German Markus Sippe took the title and ,250 first-place prize.
“This year’s International Poker Open was another great success, breaking last year’s record by a further 140 players,” said Boylepoker’s Paul Spillane. “The event is proving more and more popular every year, among all levels of players.
“The IPO has become an unmissable event on any poker lover’s calendar, and we are already excited about the next one.”