Welcome to World Series Life

World Series Life is a poker information site dedicated, in particular, to the World Series of Poker. While we keep an eye on what’s going on in other key poker tournament series’ such as the World Poker Tour, European Poker Tour, Aussie Millions and so on, WSOP is our specialty and our passion.

The annual World Series of Poker

Each year, we await the next WSOP with eager anticipation. Who’s going to make the final table in the Main Event? Will there be a record-breaking bracelet win? Which exciting new talents will challenge the heavy weights to make a name for themselves on the pro circuit? And who will be crowned The World Champion of Poker? One thing’s for sure, the WSOP is always full of surprises and we’re going to be on the front line to catch all of the action.

The Moneymaker effect

Ever since Chris Moneymaker turned $40 into $2.5million by winning the 2003 WSOP Main Event having qualified online through a PokerStars satellite, the WSOP has seen an increase in entrants from amateur players trying their luck. Moneymaker was all but unknown before shooting to fame and bagging the top prize which, while riling some of the hardened pros, inspired the online poker playing masses to venture out from behind their computers and into the live tournament environment. Subsequently there are now more and more avenues for online players to qualify for the WSOP without having to pay the thousands of dollars required to secure a seat in the series. In our pages, we’ll tell you about some of the routes you can take to get involved and let you know which poker rooms are running satellites for the following year’s WSOP.

WSOP pro players and prop bets

At every WSOP event there is a whole host of betting action going on away from the tables as well as on them. One of the most talked about prop bets made in lieu of 2010’s WSOP was from Howard Lederer who bet Phil Ivey he wouldn’t win two more bracelets between 2010 and 2011’s WSOP events. Given that Ivey is still on form, adding two more bracelets in 2009’s event to make 7 bracelets in total, this is a pretty crazy bet by Lederer. But Lederer is so convinced Ivey’s over the hill that he’s put $5 million on it. Doubtless to say, this is enough incentive for Ivey to bring out the big guns and he’s already rumored to be entering over 80 tournaments in the next two WSOPs. Already generating great publicity for Full Tilt Poker, where both players are part of the pro team, there are a lot of people who can’t wait to see the outcome of this bet. So, while Joe Cada psyches himself up to defend his 2009 title, Phil Ivey will be hot on his heels to scoop the big prize and prove he’s still got what it takes.

Poker for a good cause

With all this money flying around, it’s good to know that some of it will be going towards a good cause. Now a regular feature of the WSOP, the Ante Up for Africa Celebrity-Charity tournament will be running again in 2010, to be held on July 3rd at the Rio All-Suite Hotel and Casino. Founded by film star Don Cheadle and pro player Annie Duke, the tournament attracts celeb regulars like Ben Affleck, Matt Damon, Hank Azaria, Ray Romano and more, not to mention characters from the pro circuit such as Phil Hellmuth, Erik Seidel, Andy Bloch and Chris Ferguson. New players are being confirmed all the time and it is also possible for anyone over 21 to get involved by registering at the Rio All-Suite or online at wsop.com/registration. So if you’ve ever wanted to run shoulders with the rich and famous, why not go one better and play a game of poker with them.

So, as always, this year’s WSOP promises to be star-studded and action-packed. Predictions also suggest that we’ll see the emergence of a new breed of poker player - a younger generation who’ve been nurtured online. Only time will tell if they have what it takes to topple the greats, but one thing’s for sure, we can’t wait to find out.