Poker Pages' 2008 World Series of Poker Coverage Preview

by Aaron Angerman

The 39th installment of the World Series of Poker is just around the corner. The first of 55 bracelet events kicks off on Friday, May 30th, and the series will conclude with the rescheduled Main Event final table on November 10th. Poker Pages will have reporters on the tournament floor, bringing you live coverage of the world's most prestigious poker series.

The announcement of the Main Event final table delay shocked the poker world. Now, after the final table bubble has busted, players will have a four month break in action, before returning to the Rio All-Suite Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas to play for the bracelet on November 9th and 10th. This will allow ESPN to run its regular WSOP programming as a lead in to the crowning of the Main Event champion on November 11th, just hours after play has commenced.

The price of poker is going up. The 2008 WSOP boasts of nine events on the schedule with buy-ins of at least $10,000. In addition to the $50K H.O.R.S.E. Championship and the Main Event, seven new $10K World Championship bracelets are up for grabs, including the World Championships of Seven Card Stud, Heads-up NL Hold'em and Pot Limit Hold'em, which is Event #1.

Last year, Jerry Yang of Temecula, CA, emerged from a field of 6,358 players to capture the main event crown and a cool $8.25 million. But Yang's improbable win wasn't the only highlight of the series.

Steve Billirakis kicked off the WSOP with a win in Event 1. Just 11 days removed from his 21st birthday, Billirakis bounced Jeff Madsen from the record books as the youngest WSOP bracelet winner. Freddy Deeb captured the bracelet most coveted among pros, the $50K H.O.R.S.E. World Championship, good for a $2.25 million payday. Tom Schneider captured two bracelets, on his way to the Player of the Year. And who can forget Phil's 11th? Hellmuth outclassed a tournament field some 2,600 strong, pulling away from Johnny Chan and Doyle Brunson at 10 bracelets in the process.

Media restrictions limit each media organization to three credentials, so the Poker Pages WSOP Team will be three-strong. The team, which consists of Kaelaine Minton, Aaron Angerman and Elissa Harwood, will take every opportunity to get on the tournament floor and present you with the monster pots, colorful moments and championship action that defines the WSOP. With an event schedule lasting six plus weeks and four or more concurrent tournaments are the norm, the task before the Poker Pages' tournament team is one we look to meet with enthusiasm and dedication. In short, we look forward to bringing you the best coverage available of this year's WSOP.

All pertinent WSOP information will then be made readily available in the PokerPages.com WSOP Viewer, which places live blogs, tournament photos, official chip counts and other tournament information at your fingertips. Easily navigate through live coverage for all 55 bracelet events. Check the photo box for images of current chip leaders and the latest gold bracelet winners. Blind structures, payouts and results are all just one click away, so you're always caught up on the action. The WSOP Viewer makes searching through the weeks of WSOP action an enjoyable process.

Many records were broken at the memorable 2007 WSOP. With rescheduling expected to boost the hype surrounding the Main Event final table and the addition of seven $10K World Championship events, this is shaping up to be the most anticipated WSOP of all time. Don't miss out on any of the action. Follow the WSOP in its entirety on PokerPages.com.

Click here to access Poker Pages' live coverage blogs from the 2008 WSOP.

Registration for the 2008 World Series of Poker is available online. You can find the necessary tournament forms and scheduling information at http://www.worldseriesofpoker.com/registration/.