Bodog Beat

Bodog poker pros David Williams and Justin Bonomo are two of the reasons that Team Bodog has been so successful already at the 2008 WSOP. (Bodog Beat Image)

Team Bodog already has 1.5 million reasons to celebrate the 2008 World Series of Poker so far because $1.5 million is what Team Bodog poker players have already taken home in prize money from the biggest poker tournament in the world.

The success started early for Team Bodog when Grant Hinkle emerged victorious in Event No. 2 - $1,500 No Limit Holdem - taking down his first bracelet and the astounding $831,462 first-place prize. On his way to the title, Hinkle had to battle his way through a record-setting field of 3,929 players, the largest ever for a non-Main Event.

Just two events later, the deep runs continued as Bodog poker pros David Williams and Justin Bonomo both reached the final table of Event No. 4 - $5,000 Mixed Holdem. Bonomo would go on to face Erick Lindgren heads-up for the bracelet and finish second for $230,159 with Williams earning $58,515 for his seventh-place finish.

Bonomo and Williams would once again both cash in the same event just a week later in Event No. 25 - $10,000 Heads Up No Limit Holdem World Championship. Bonomo made it through two heads-up matches to finish tied for seventh, earning $14,438 and Williams made it through to the next round, tied for fifth and took home $36,096.

Williams added yet another WSOP cash to his resume in Event No. 28 - $5,000 Pot Limit Omaha. He played against an incredibly stacked field of 152 of the best poker players in the world and finished in 16th place for $54,003.

On top of this, Bodog poker pros Evelyn Ng and Jean-Robert Bellande both came away from events with cashes of their own. Ng played in Event No. 15 - $1,000 Ladies Event No Limit Holdem World Championship - and placed 48th out of 1,190 entrants to walk away with $3,357. Bellande fought through a field of 2,706 players to finish 37th in Event No. 27 - $1,500 No Limit Holdem - and earn $10,712.

Most recently, Team Bodog poker player Aaron Kanter reached the final table of Event No. 36 - $1,500 No Limit Holdem - and battled back from having the shortest stack at the final table to finishing third and walking away with $258,862.

With the biggest poker tournament of the year still left, the WSOP Main Event, there is still plenty of prize money out there waiting to be claimed by Team Bodog members. If you want to don the black and red and head to Vegas to claim some for yourself, then head over to Bodog Poker and check out the WSOP online satellites for your chance to win a $12,000 WSOP VIP Prize package and experience Vegas as only Team Bodog does.