Ireland’s largest bookmaker offers “To Make Final Table”, “Top Irish Player” & “Number of Entrants” markets

Paddy Power Poker today launches a variety of betting markets for the biggest and most anticipated poker tournament of 2009, the World Series of Poker* Main Event in Las Vegas. Markets include “To Make Final Table”, “Number of Entrants”, “Top Irish Player”, and “Age of Winner”.

In the “To Make Final Table” market, defending champion Peter Eastgate is available at 66/1, with players such as Chris Ferguson, Brian Townsend, Barry Greenstein and Gavin Smith part of a group of top professionals available at 80/1.

WSOP $10,000 Main Event – Outright Winner** – selected odds

Allen Cunningham 66/1

Daniel Negreanu 66/1

Gus Hansen 66/1

Patrick Antonius 66/1

Tony G 100/1

Dan Harrington 100/1

Jennifer Tilly 175/1

The “Number of Entrants” market offers punters an opportunity to bet on the size of this year’s Main Event (a total of 6,844 runners made up last year’s field, with a record 8,773 taking part in the 2006 Main Event). Will the current economic climate have an impact on the number of players willing to pay the $10,000 buy-in?

WSOP $10,000 Main Event – Number of Entrants** – selected odds
4,500 – 4,999 8/1

5,000 – 5,499 6/1

5,500 – 5.999 4/1

6,000 – 6,499 3/1

6,500 – 6,999 5/1

7,000 – 7,400 7/1

In the “Top Irish Player” market, some of the country’s best-known players are offered at 20/1 to finish ahead of all other Irishmen in the Main Event. Members of this group include Andy Black and bracelet-winners Marty Smyth and Ciaran ‘Big C’ O’Leary.

WSOP $10,000 Main Event – Top Irish Player** – selected odds

Donnacha O’Dea 20/1

Rory Rees Brennan 20/1

Jude Ainsworth 25/1

Padraig Parkinson 28/1

Alan Smurfit 33/1

Tom Hanlon 33/1

*World Series of Poker and WSOP are trademarks of Harrah’s License Company, LLC (”Harrah’s”). Harrah’s does not sponsor or endorse, and is not associated or affiliated with, Paddy Power Poker or its products, services, promotions or tournaments.

**Odds are subject to change. The full list of 2009 World Series of Poker Bets can be found at Paddy Power Poker. Click on poker on the left hand side of the page.

For Online Poker visit Paddy Power Poker.

Season five of High Stakes Poker will debut on GSN Sunday March, 1st. The show will be part of GSN”s new “Poker Night.” GSN also will be airing episodes of the World Poker Tour this season. The WPT is currently in its 6th season.

Filming is currently underway in downtown Las Vegas at the Golden Nugget casino. This season, the minimum buy-in has been increased to $200,000. Some of the players that will appear during this season of High Stakes Poker include David Benyamine, Daniel Negreanu. Erick Lindgren, Barry Greenstein, Phil Ivey, and Victor Ramdin, Paul Wasicka, David Williams, Doyle Brunson, Phil Laak, and Antonio Esfandiari. The current World Champion of Poker, Peter Eastgate, will also appear during the fifth season of High Stakes Poker.

High Stakes Poker is known for not only it’s high stakes cash game format but also for bringing out some of the biggest names in the world to play high stakes poker. Unlike a tournament, players put up their own money to play in the event. Players are compensated by the network for their appearance, but the fee is very small in comparison to the stakes that they play at.

The cash game format on High Stakes Poker mimics actual cash game action, complete with little neiances such as straddles, running hands twice, and even prop betting. Many of these things are banned in tournament play but are used to spice up cash games.

Hosts A.J. Benza and Gabe Kaplan return this season to provide their insight. Kaplan is a regular player on both the tournament circuit and high stakes cash game action.

High Stakes Poker will kick off its 5th season Sunday March 1st at 9 P.M. EST.