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By the time the final entrant had been counted on Thursday, the 2010 WSOP had received a total of 72,966 players over 57 events.

When the Main Event is complete, the 2010 WSOP will have awarded a record-setting $187,109,850 to poker players from around the globe.

"By every measure, this was the most successful World Series of Poker in the event's illustrious 41-year history," said World Series of Poker Vice President Ty Stewart.

"From the lowest buy-in events to the highest, we saw enormous player demand translate into lengthy registration lists and massive prize pools. As the WSOP Main Event progresses, we're looking forward to creating several new multi-millionaires."

Dutch Boyd, who's been playing poker tournaments for more than a decade, mentioned the WSOP remains the premier destination for poker players.

"The WPT, NAPT and EPT are all good series but they are nothing like the WSOP," he said. "The Main Event is THE tournament to play. If you're going to play one tournament a year this is it."

The huge numbers are coming in a year where tours like the World Poker Tour saw declining numbers thanks to a stagnant economy in the U.S.

The 2010 WSOP marked the third consecutive year the overall series had generated more than $100 million in prize money and drew players from 100 countries.

After a record-setting summer it's apparent that as long as the WSOP continues to thrive, it will continue to attract players like Boyd.

"This is what it's really about," he said. "I've been watching the WSOP on TV since I was a teenager and my goal was always to win a WSOP bracelet."

The 2010 WSOP continues through July 17. For comprehensive coverage of the WSOP tune in to PokerListings' Live Updates and News.

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After many years of trying, Smith has finally laid his WSOP ghosts to rest after triumphing in the $2.5k Mixed Hold'em Event at the 2010 World Series Of Poker.

"I always thought I was going to come back and I always thought I was going to win," said a beaming Smith following his victory for $268,238.

Canadian Smith has accumulated an impressive $5 million in poker winnings during his 16 year poker career, including 4 WPT final tables and an outright WPT victory at the 2005 Mirage Poker Showdown.

However, despite this success, two previous runner-up spots on WSOP final tables may have left Smith wondering if he would ever be able to seal the deal at poker's primetime series.

His early form in the 2010 WSOP looked unlikely to see him break his World Series duck - but then everything fell into place.

"This year, I thought I'm gonna try my best and you know what, I kept coming in and getting my teeth kicked in," said Smith.

"I wasn't seeing the results, then the last three days, everything's just clicked and I felt like I played really well, I ran really well and it felt really special."

When asked if the bracelet would change him in any way, Smith's answer was emphatic.

"The bracelet doesn't really change anything," he said. "I'm going to come back tomorrow the same guy. It's just now I'm part of that club I've always wanted to be a part of."

Part of Smith's enduring popularity is his down-to-earth attitude toward his many successes and he showed humility following his hard-fought victory.

"I'm an old guy from Ontario who used to drive taxis - now I'm sitting here with hundreds of people coming out to watch me play poker while I win $200,000," said Smith.

"There's nothing in my life that can be considered a curse....every single minute of it is a blessing."

Smith's win brought Canada level with the United Kingdom on the 2010 WSOP bracelet leaderboard - both countries holding five bracelets apiece now.

(With files from Jackie Witt)

To read more about how this exciting tournament played out, as well as see other news from the World Series, visit PokerListings WSOP 2010 page to keep up to date.

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The North Dakotan won the package earlier this month after he took part in a Bodog freeroll, which was exclusive to PokerListings.com players.

"Winning the WSOP package was awesome although it was a bit of a surprise," said Blair.

Blair originally finished second in the freeroll but thanks to the initial winner being disqualified due to age restrictions he was awarded the package.

Blair is now headed to the 2010 WSOP where he will not only play in the $10,000 Main Event but also experience Las Vegas like a high roller with extras like expensive dinners, shopping sprees and helicopter tours.

A six-year poker veteran, Blair has been to Vegas several times but this will be the first time he's going to experience the biggest tournament in the world.

"I've won many mid-stakes tournaments online but nothing really to brag about," said Blair.

A total of 6,494 players entered the Main Event last year creating a prize pool of $61 million and Blair will get a shot at taking home a life-changing amount of money this year.

"If I won the Main Event I'd buy a nice house in my home town and take a nice long vacation."

Although the 2010 Champion Camp freerolls are now complete, PokerListings is offering extensive coverage of this year's WSOP with live updates, news and videos.

Be sure to check our coverage as we follow Blair, and thousands of other players, as they attempt to win it all and become a poker world champion.

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Why pay to play poker, when we pay you for playing in freerolls - We bring you the best freerolls in the world - Have fun and make a fortune for the cost of nothing!

Out of five picks, our very own blogger Jason Mercier managed to win his first of what is sure to be many bracelets to come.

However, our other four choices were shut out. This year, after deciding one isn't nearly enough, we have chosen a line-up sure to be bringing home the bling from Las Vegas this summer.

Our first pick was none other than Team PokerStars Pro Daniel Negreanu. Then, after three major runner-up finishes on tour this year and a WPT final table appearance, we went with Sam Stein.

Erica Schoenberg has been working on her game, so we made her our third pick and this Thursday we will reveal our final 2010 WSOP Best Bet before letting Negreanu tell you his picks to win WSOP gold right before the 2010 World Series of Poker kicks off.

But today, considering he's made a WPT and two WSOP Circuit final tables over the past 12 months, were giving another one of our pro bloggers the chance to carry the Best Bets torch into the WSOP this year:

When Matt "Allinat420" Stout began blogging for PokerListings, he was a young poker pro on the rise.

Now, the 25-year-old from Bayonne, New Jersey is a veteran of the tournament circuit coming off the biggest year of his career and is poised for something great.

"Going into the World Series, I'm feeling really relaxed," he said. "I just feel more comfortable now. I understand tournaments better year by year. I feel like it's all building up and something big should happen this year."

Nothing relaxes a poker player more than success and over the past year, Stout has had a ton of it.

He started out 2009 making third at the WSOP Circuit event in Tunica and spent the spring running deep in several Las Vegas and California based events.

Stout had just three cashes at the 2009 WSOP, but the best was yet to come.

The online results continued to pour in and in October, he ran all the way to 13th in the World Poker Tour Festa al Lago main event.

He got over the hump right away in November, making the final table at WPT Foxwoods and although he finished third there, his big year was hardly finished.

Stout finished off 2009 with a deep run in the WPT Five Diamond, then opened 2010 with a repeat final table performance at WSOPC Tunica and another deep run in the WPT Championship.

He doubled his career earnings in 2009 alone and having pushed over the $1 million mark at the beginning of this year, Stout feels like this WSOP will be his time to shine.

"I'll likely play 20 to 25 events," he explained. "I'll keep a pretty busy schedule. There are times I'll bust out of one event and play another the same day and I'm planning on playing pretty much every No-Limit event out there."

Stout says he'll likely play Pot-Limit Omaha events at the $2,500 buy-in level and under and those who think he's a one or two trick pony should be in for a shock this year.

"I've actually been working on my 8-Game skills a bit, so you will see me in the mixed tournaments," he said. "Probably up to $2,500 - Maybe even $5k."

Attempting to win a WSOP bracelet means committing yourself to the grind and Stout seems to understand that as much as anyone.

"Right before the series I'll be playing FTOPS and SCOOP so I'll be playing a lot online," he said. "But at the same time I'm trying to rest up as much as I can before the series so I can be prepared for the grind."

And once the series kicks off, he will be all business.

"There are not that many special things that I do during the day," he said. "I just worry about going in, getting chips and doing my job.

"I've always been more of homebody who spends his time with smaller groups of friends, so partying too much was never really an issue for me.

"I won't alter anything really. I'll have my girlfriend Amy in town the whole time to take care of everything at home for me - roll everything up for me for the day and whatnot - She's great girl."

But preparation and experience aside, what might give Stout an even bigger edge heading into the 2010 WSOP, is just how much he wants to win.

"I would consider giving up a testical," he laughed. "I'd have to think a little more if it was somehow offered to me, but I think I might do it."

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When World Poker Tour Enterprises sold its well-known poker tour and all of its poker-related assets to Party Gaming, the dissolved company was left with nothing but $28 million in cash and a desire to start a