PokerWorks

The first week of the World Series of Poker was by all accounts a huge success as records were set and false rumors that poker is dying have been crushed. Let's take a look at the highlights from the first week:

•    The Casino Employee's event kicked things off with Andrew Cohen, a local, taking home the first bracelet of the year.

•    201 of the best No Limit Hold Em players in the world forked out an amazing $40,000 apiece to take part in the 40th anniversary commemorative $40,000 NLHE tournament. Most of the big names fell by the way side, with some top internet professionals dominating the action. It was relative unknown (despite having won a NLHE bracelet last year) Vitaly Lunkin that would emerge victorious though as he bested Isaac Haxton to take home nearly 1.9 million dollars.

•    In Event #3, the $1,500 Omaha High Low, Thang Luu capped off one of the most remarkable runs in WSOP history when he won the event. Luu was also the winner of this same event in 2008. That's not all though. In 2007, Luu also took 2nd in an Omaha High Low event at the WSOP. To say that Luu knows how to play Omaha 8 would appear to be an understatement.

•    Event #4 was dubbed the “Stimulus” tournament as it was a reduced buy in of $1,000. Over 6,000 eager poker players took part in an event that had two day ones in order to fit all the players. The tournament still has not concluded as the final nine will return to play at 2 p.m. with the action being broadcast on ESPN360. Dan Heimiller is the only notable name remaining.

•    A special Champions Event was held in which former Main Event bracelet winners gathered to take part in a special freeroll tournament that will be televised by ESPN.  Twenty former champions gathered in an event that was dubbed by Jeffrey Pollack, WSOP Commissioner, as the greatest poker moment in his lifetime. Tom McEvoy would take home the silver cup, appropriately called the “Binion Cup” and a classic cherry red Corvette Stingray.

•    The $1,500 Pot Limit Omaha tournament got underway with a new concept. Gone are the days of crazy poker players re-buying and spending tens of thousands of dollars. Now players are given two red chips that they could use at any time to give themselves additional chips. They could either start with 4,500 in chips or replenish their stack if they lost their initial 1,500.

All in all, it was a relatively drama free first week at the World Series of Poker,  which is a bit of a departure from past years. No big name professionals have taken home a bracelet yet, but it's early and that's likely to change. Coming up this week we have the $10,000 Stud final table, the $10,000 Mixed event, and a $10,000 Omaha 8 event. Those three events alone should guarantee that some one notable will be taking home a bracelet soon.