2010 attendance shatters records; Hellmuth arrives Wednesday

With 56 of the planned events completed, the World Series of Poker has seen attendance rise 22 percent.

And, it seems certain the $10,000 buy-in No-limit Hold’em World Championship event, which completed its first two sessions of Day 1 qualifying yesterday, will top last year’s number of entries.

Through 56 events, the World Series of Poker has attracted 65,647 total entries to the Rio, compared with 53,808 entries last year.

This year’s prize money currently stands at $118.3 million, an increase of about 6 percent.

Meanwhile, Day 1B of the four-day qualifying ended with 1,021 players remaining from the 1,489 who entered. Day 1A attracted 1,125 entries.

Among the players eliminated on Tuesday included 2006 Main Event champion Jamie Gold, and noted professionals Dan Shak, Mark Seif, Liv Boeree, Bertrand Grospellier, Erick Lindgren, 2008 Main Event runner-up Ivan Demidov, and Robert Williamson III.

Some of the players moving on to Day 2 included former world poker champion Dan Harrington, former Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher and current ESPN broadcaster Orel Hershiser, and noted poker professional Phil Laak.

Laak’s girlfriend, actress-turned poker professional Jennifer Tilly, was eliminated.

Day 1C, which gets underway at noon, will mark the arrival and grand entrance by 11-time bracelet winner and 1989 World Poker champion Phil Hellmuth Jr.

Known for his past colorful Day 1 entrances, which included dressing up as Gen. George Patton and Caesar, Hellmuth tweeted his plans last night on Twitter.

“Coming to WSOP main (Rio Hotel) as (mixed martial arts) fighter (Wednesday) at 2:15 p.m.,” Hellmuth said. He’s expected to be introduced by UFC announcer Bruce Buffer while he walks in with another UFC fighter.