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.

If you want to see your favorite PokerStars pro in action, don’t bother to watch Poker After Dark. PokerStars has recently told their sponsored players that their players can no longer play on the NBC hit show. The main reason behind the decision is the way that the show is marketed internationally. Full Tilt Poker underwrites the show and the program is heavily marketed as a Full Tilt product.

WickedChops Poker released contents on an email they received. It stated, “While U.S. American broadcasts aren’t overtly distinguishable as a Full Tilt production, foreign markets receive a more branded version of the program.”

This will affect some of the players that have played on the show in the past. Daniel Negreanu, Barry Greenstein, Greg Raymer, Chris Moneymaker, Joseph Hachem, and Peter Eastgate are all sponsored players by PokerStars. This ban also extends to the celebrity players as well, so don’t expect to see Jason Alexander or Orel Hersheiser on the show.

Poker After Dark is NBC’s hit show where players put up 20,000 in a winner takes all shootout tournament. The format has changed some over the last couple of years and more cash games and alternate formats such as heads-up play are also now incorporated. The show airs six times a week. The tournament or cash game is played Monday through Friday and Saturday is a “Director’s Cut” of the show with player interviews and highlights.