Team PokerStars take command of World Series of Poker main event

The 2009 WSOP Main Event officially burst the money bubble yesterday, with the top 648 players guaranteed at least $21,365 in prize money. By the end of Day 4, only 407 players remained in the Main
  Event and PokerStars, the world's largest online poker room, is proud to have an estimated 77 online qualifiers and sponsored players in the event. Approximately one-fifth of the remaining field are PokerStars players. The winner of this year's event will collect an $8.5 million grand prize and the title of WSOP Champion.

"I am not surprised that we have so many players left," said 2005 World Series of Poker Champion and Team PokerStars Pro member, Joe Hachem. "PokerStars has the best online poker players in the world. It was just a matter of time before they started to dominate the live events as well. After having six of final nine players last year on our side, I was expecting another dominating performance by PokerStars."

PokerStars started the series with over 1,100 online qualifiers, sponsored players, Team PokerStars Pro members and celebrities. Five of the top 20 players in Day 5 made their way to the WSOP through PokerStars, including Team PokerStars Pro member Bertrand "ElkY" Grospellier, PokerStars-sponsored Austrian pro Bernhard Perner and three players who qualified through PokerStars' steps system.

Entering day 5, PokerStars players represented 17 countries. The United States lead the pack with 44 players, followed by the Netherlands with six, United Kingdom with five and Canada, Australia and France tied with three a piece.

Notable PokerStars players still alive in the Main Event include Grospellier (1,253,000), Perner (1,426,000) actor Lou Diamond Phillips (607,000), Noah Boeken (499,000), Joe Hachem (490,000), Dennis Phillips (419,000), Peter Eastgate (397,000), Thierry van den Berg (270,000) and Benjamin Kang (254,000).

The top 407 players at this year's WSOP are certain to walk away with at least $27,469 in prize money. The nine players who move on to November's final table will each earn a minimum of $1.2 million.

Those who qualified for the WSOP on PokerStars receive a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and experience the full Las Vegas lifestyle while preparing to play at the most prestigious live event of the year. The 2009 prize package offered to PokerStars' players included the $10,000 Main Event buy-in, $1,000 for travel and expenses, eight nights accommodation at the Palms Hotel, PokerStars player bags, shuttle bus service to and from the Rio, and a VIP Invitation to the July 9 PokerStars Party at the Palms club Rain featuring hip hop star Nelly.