WHO WANTS TO BE A WSOP MILLIONAIRE?
WSOP “Millionaire Maker” Debuts Saturday

Every poker player's chance to turn a toothpick into a lumberyard

If the hit television show “Who Want's to Be a Millionaire?” has a close cousin in the poker world, it's the one-of-a-kind gold bracelet event set to debut this Saturday.

The WSOP's “Millionaire Maker” will do exactly what it promises.   One fortunate poker player among many expected to participate will walk away with a cool $1 million top prize for first place.  Considering the initial investment is only $1,500, this is a tournament that would have undoubtedly generated a great quip from the old-timers, the hands-down favorite being – “the opportunity to turn a toothpick into a lumber yard.”

Indeed, someone's life is going to be made financially speaking when cards fly in the air on June 1st, at 11 am.  That's the first of two starting flights.  The second session begins at 5 pm.  This is a re-entry event, meaning that players who are eliminated from the first session may re-enter and play in session two.  The idea of shooting two bullets is not always appealing, but given the chance to win a seven-figure score, many players are expected to come and chase a dream.

No other tournament in history with a buy-in at this level has posted a “one million dollar guarantee” for first place.  It's yet another reason why the WSOP is truly unique in size, scope, and the opportunity to earn prize money unmatched anywhere else.

Since two starting flights are offered, the tournament should draw several thousand entrants.  There's even speculation the total number of entries could rival the numbers generated for the Main Event Championship, which tend to run in the 6,000 to 6,500 range in recent years.  We shall see.

Players can register for either flight, designated as 6A and 6B.  Registration for both sessions remains open four hours after “Shuffle Up and Deal.”

All survivors from Saturday's action will combine into a single field, to be played on Sunday.  The total prize pool and number of places paid will not be known until registration closes for 6B, but one thing's for sure.  First place will pay at least a million.

That's a lot of toothpicks.