Las Vegas, NV - The 2006 World Series of Poker opened with a bang. The world's largest and most prestigious poker spectacle began with the first open event on the schedule - the $1,500 buy-in no-limit hold'em competition. A record 2,776 players entered the event, making it one of the largest poker tournaments ever in history. Only the 2005 WSOP main event attracted more participants (5,619). The total prize pool amounts to $3,789,240.

The tournament was a complete sell-out. Every poker seat in the Amazon Ballroom at the Rio Convention Center (2,288 seats) was filled. In fact, WSOP tournament officials pulled-off what can only be described as a miracle. Additional players beyond those who initially bought-in were listed as alternates, and were seated instantly based upon availability. In all, 488 alternates -- a number alone which would normally comprise a major poker tournament --were added to the total pool of players. Incredibly, it took only two hours to add in all of the additional players, in a tournament that is expected to run over the course of three-days.
This year's World Series of Poker is already on pace to shatter every previous poker mark ever recorded. Through the first three events of the 2006 WSOP, attendance is up 26 percent over last year's colossal number. Total prize money for the first three events has already reached nearly $6 million.