LAS VEGAS -- The 48th Annual World Series of Poker kicked off 54 days of play Tuesday, enticing tens of thousands of players from around the world to Las Vegas with an estimated prize pool of more than $200 million.
Participants in this year's edition of the poker extravaganza will see two changes: no firm "shot clock" and the return of the tradition of crowning the tournament's main event champion in July. Buy-ins for the 74-event tournament, which runs through July 22 at the Rio All-Suite Hotel and Casino, range from $333 to $111,111.
The series expects participation through the nearly eight weeks of play to be at or around the record 107,833 who played during last year's tournament, said Seth Palansky, the tournament's spokesman.