In an interview with the Las Vegas Sun yesterday, WSOP Communications czar Seth Palansky sat down to talk about the 2010 WSOP and what changes players can expect to see in the schedule and from the tournament overall.

Despite the economic downturn, the WSOP has continued to grow year after year since Chris Moneymaker brought about the poker boom with his win at the 2003 WSOP. Based on Palansky's comments to the Sun, they are every bit as ambitious about continuing to grow the brand as they were before the departure of WSOP Commissioner Jeffrey Pollack.

One of the major downfalls of the 2009 WSOP was the disappointing turn out on Day 1B which led to a sell-out situation on Day 1D, a very controversial situation that still resonates throughout the poker community. The reason for the small crowd on Day 1B was that it fell on July 4th, something that will now not be happening as the WSOP plans to either start after the holiday of take the day off for the holiday. They will also be expanding the footprint of the WSOP at the Rio (into the Pavilion Center) which will also help to cut down on any potential sell-out situation in the future.

Another learning they took from this past summer was the popularity of the smaller buy-in events like the $1,000 buy-in Stimulus Special. So, in recognition of this, the WSOP is looking at upping the number of lower buy-in events in order to draw in more players during these rougher economic times.

To read the full Las Vegas Sun article, go here, and to warm up your poker tournament skills and get ready for the 2010 WSOP check out the Bodog online poker tournament schedule and keep your eyes peeled for information about upcoming live tournaments and eventually the 2010 WSOP.

While Bill Belichick was making the worst clock-management and strategy decisions evar in the New England Patriots miraculous loss to the Indianapolis Colts last night, online poker player "he11raiser" was making much better decisions on his way to winning Bodog Poker's Sunday $100k Guaranteed online poker tournament. Beating out 514 other entrants to win the tournament, "he11raiser" beat "elena m" in fierce heads-up battle to win the $25,000 first-place prize.

This is the first tournament win of any kind for "he11raiser" in the Bodog Poker room so we'll just attribute it to beginner's luck… just kidding. A field that large is always a minefield and tough to navigate. Congrats to "he11raiser" for the big win and we're sure we'll see him around the virtual tables much more often now with this huge infusion to his bankroll.

Here are the full final table results and payouts:

1. he11raiser – $25,000
2. elena m – $15,000
3. Zwaffelaar – $9,500
4. AWander – $7,000
5. StinkyBritches – $5,500
6. bigtone52 – $4,500
7. thrtyftj – $3,500
8. skeptix – $2,200
9. perry_04 – $1,700

If you are brand new to poker or a veteran of the online poker tables, the Sunday $100k Guaranteed offers great value to players of all stripes and you can qualify to play in this event for as little as $1. So, get started today and the next thing you know, you could be $25,000 richer.

Completely overshadowed by the 2009 WSOP Main Event final table taking place in Vegas over the past few days, the 2009 WPT Foxwoods World Poker Open nonetheless pushed on, managing to draw 353 entrants and generate a total prizepool of $3,321,377. Emerging victorious from this field to take down the $910,058 first-place prize was poker pro Cornel Andrew Cimpan.

Despite the remote location and draw of Vegas this past weekend, the event still drew out a large number of recognizable poker pros (hey, you gotta make that money right), including Prahlad Friedman, Gavin Smith, Amnon Filippi, Gavin Griffin, Victor Ramdin, Theo Tran, Liv Boeree, Nenad Medic, Kathy Liebert and Chad Batista. Unfortunately, none of that list survived to the money bubble, but there were those who did like Jason Mercier, Terrence Chan, Michael "The Grinder" Mizrachi, Adam Levy and Kenna James.

However, just when you thought this final table was set to be a bust, much like many have been in recent memory, the list of players at the final table was actually impressive in its own right. Cimpan and eventual sixth-place finisher Lee Markholt are both previous WPT champions, Soheil Shamseddin and Curt Kohlberg have both reached WPT final tables and Matt "AllInat420″ Stout and Eric Froelich are well-known and widely-respected online poker pros. Only one could take home the top prize though, and Cimpan accomplished that for his second career WPT title.

Here are the full final table results:

1. Cornel Andrew Cimpan – $910,058
2. Soheil Shamseddin – $463,332
3. Matt Stout – $265,710
4. Eric Froehlich – $232,496
5. Curt Kohlberg – $199,283
6. Lee Markholt – $166,069

Get in on some poker tournament action of your own with the Bodog $100k Guaranteed online poker tournament. Qualifiers start for as little as $1 and the winner is guaranteed at least $25,000. So, download Bodog Poker today and get started on your way to a huge payday.

A huge week of online poker tournament action wrapped up last night with the Bodog Poker Open IV Championship event. Capping a successful week-long series that saw hundreds of online poker players turn out to play for thousands in prize money, the BPO IV Championship event was won by poker's newest superstar "MrElPaso," who walked away with $36,447.50 for first-place and a guaranteed spread in an international poker publication.

The BPO IV Championship drew out a field of 257 players, generating a $120,790 prizepool to which bodog.com added $25,000 for a total purse of $145,790. Part of the crowd that came out to take advantage of this incredible value were Bodog Poker Pros David Williams and Evelyn Ng, and online poker pros "nevertilt22," "UFpokerStar" and "ari," who reached the final table of the event.

Here are the full final table results and payouts:

1. MrElPaso
2. dvbronco
3. Ari
4. JazzyFace
5. bklynzto81
6. naskoxx
7. ello
8. ShuMoneyTonite
9. LIVIN LOUD

The Contender Series Finale also took place last night in the Bodog Poker room, featured $2,500 in added prize money and drew 204 players out to take advantage of that value. Online poker player "hitchchops" was able to best that field to walk away with the $3,268.10 first-place prize. Here are the full final table results from that event.

1. hitchchops – $3,268.10
2. Hoff26 – $2,079.70
3. mainendz – $1,378.54
4. olycrawford – $950.72
5. Jack0fAllTrades – $713.04
6. jason0802 – $534.78
7. larryblizzy – $415.94
8. selachii777 – $308.98
9. RezinLife – $202.02

All told, the Bodog Poker Open IV saw 2,646 total players come out to compete in the 11 events of the Championship and Contender Series and $368,000 in cash prizes with another $65,000 added by bodog.com.

The conculsion of the Bodog Poker Open IV does not end the online poker tournament action in the Bodog Poker room. Bodog.com’s Sunday $100,000 Guaranteed online poker tournament. Qualifiers for the $100,000 Guaranteed event start for as low as $1 and run daily.

Another day of the Bodog Poker Open IV wrapped last night with Event #5 of both the Championship and Contender Series. In total, 199 players came out between the two events – 93 in the Championship and 106 in the Contender – and a total of $21,070 was paid out, including the $5,000 that bodog.com added to the Championship event prize pool. The big winners were online poker players 'Weslo18′ and 'papastacks.'

The BPO IV Championship Event #5 had 93 players with a $13,950 prize pool with $5,000 added by bodog.com making the total prize pool $18,950. First place also received T$500 for a chance to play in BPO IV Championship on Sunday, Nov 8th. Here is the final table breakdown:

1. Weslo18 – $5,685.00
2. DrDankRx23 – $3,790.00
3. gobirds – $2,274.00
4. Frank_Shades – $1,895.00
5. rjrat84 – $1,516.00
6. Troy111 – $1,231.75
7. The Maven – $1,042.25
8. VAFLZ - $852.75
9. vinnyb9 – $663.25

We'd also like to congratulate "vinnyb9″ for reaching multiple final tables so far in the BPO IV. So, congrats, and we hope to see you at the final table of the Championship.

The Contender Series Event #5 had 106 players with a total prize pool of $2,120. First place also received T$500 for a chance to play in the BPO IV Championship on Sunday, Nov. 8th, and places 2nd – 9th received T$50 for a chance to play in the Contender Series Finale on Nov. 8. Here is the final table breakdown:

1. papastacks – $636.00
2. lunarphase – $424.00
3. dukedaddiee – $252.28
4. iliketoplay – $169.60
5. perry_04 – $137.80
6. JHaas07 – $106.00
7. Jack0fAllTrades – $74.20
8. BOSTONRNDR – $55.12
9. Paldon – $36.00

The BPO IV continues tonight at 8:30pm ET with a $150 + $12 Limit Holdem event in the Championship Series that features $2,500 in added prize money. Next up for the Contender Series is a $15 + $1.50 Limit Holdem event at 9:15pm ET. For more details, visit the Bodog Poker Open overview page.

In preparation for the Bodog Poker Open IV Championship Event, Bodog Poker is offering a staggering number of ways for online poker players to qualify on the cheap for the tournament. Aside from awarding a T$500 seat to the winners of the Championship and Contender Series events all week, bodog.com will also be dedicating an entire day – Saturday, Nov. 7 – to qualify people into the BPO IV Championship.

Starting at the lowest level of buy-in available on Saturday ($1), the BPO IV Main Event Cheap Seat takes place at 1:40am and will award one seat to a Semifinal event, worth T$29. The next step up is the $5 + $.50 BPO IV Main Event Qualifier scheduled for 5:25pm and 10:05pm, both which offer two guaranteed T$29 seats into the BPO IV Main Event Semifinal. That Semifinal event is then set to take place at 8:05pm and guarantees one seat into the BPO IV Championship worth T$500.

On top of this ladder schedule, hopefuls will also have multiple chances to play in higher buy-in events that guarantee multiple seats to the BPO IV Championship. At 1:15pm, 4:15pm, 7:15pm and 10:15pm (all times Eastern) there will be a $69+$6 BPO IV 3 Seats to Main Event, which guarantees three T$500 seats into the Championship. For even more value, the $50 + $5 BPO IV 10 Seats to Main Event takes place at 6:15pm ET and guarantees ten T$500 seats for the BPO IV Championship.

Moving on into Sunday, Nov. 8, before the Championship event, Bodog will be hosting 12 different last chance qualifiers all with a $100+$9 buy-in, ranging from regular structure to turbo and super turbo. These events run between 11:15am ET – 3:02pm ET and guarantee at least one $T500 seat for the Championship per qualifier.

For more details, visit the Bodog Poker Open qualifying schedule and we'll see you at the BPO IV Championship Final Table on Sunday.

The first three days of the Bodog Poker Open IV are in the books and have already awarded $153,220 in prize money. The first three events of the parallel Championship and Contender Series drew in 1,449 online poker players vying to get a headstart on becoming the next poker superstar as the winner of the Bodog Poker Open IV Championship Event on Sunday, Nov. 8.

The first event of the BPO IV Championship Series was a $100+$9 No Limit Holdem event that pulled in 454 entrants. In addition to the $45,400 generated by these buy-ins, Bodog Poker added $15,000 to the prizepool to create a total purse of $60,400

Here is the final table breakdown:

1. 1ManCrew – $15,100.00
2. chiquita – $9,060.00
3. GeneHunter – $5,738.00
4. Dsalt – $4,228.00
5. slapdash – $3,322.00
6. elnino4444 – $2,718.00
7. nevertilt22 – $2,114.00
8. metalman66 – $1,328.80
9. troutman101 – $1,026.80

Contender Series Event #1 pulled in 413 players with a $7,500 guaranteed prizepool. Here are the results:

1. I_Have_AA_ – $1,875.00
2 . bwalk – $1,125.00
3. N8SK8S – $712.50
4. Southuga03 – $525.00
5. Jarrsts – $412.50
6. poker2606 – $337.50
7. SuperSlacker1 – $262.50
8. JHdaDoMiNaToR – $165.00
9. mrdodomr – $127.50

The BPO IV Event #2 had 137 players with a $34,250 prize pool plus $5,000 added by Bodog resulting in a $39,250 prize pool. Here is the final table breakdown:

1. jhkues – $11,775.00
2. mapsfly – $7,850.00
3. daisyxoxo – $4,670.75
4. vinnyb9 – $3,140.00
5. horningt12 – $2,551.25
6. Birdie34 – $1,962.50
7. streetsweeperX – $1,373.75
8. benthrb4 – $1,020.50
9. 011jp – $667.25

The Contender Series Event #2 had 162 players with a $4,050 prize pool. 1st place also received T$500 for a seat in the BPO IV ME and placed 2nd – 9th received T$50 each to play in the Contender Series ME. Here is the final table breakdown:

1. iliketoplay – $1,215.00
2. ILIVEOFFPOKER – $810
3. ninjas22 – $481.95
4. Dannenmann – $324
5. FullHouseMD – $263.25
6. amberbock05 – $202.5
7. vinnyb9 – $141.75
8. VegasMan11 – $105.3
9. lowrider85 – $68.85

BPO IV Championship Series Event #3 had 115 players with a $34,500 prize pool plus $5,000 added by Bodog making for a total prize pool of $39,500. Results:

1. graytambar -  $11,850.00
2. Sweet Cakes - $7,900.00
3. UWOkid87 - $4,700.50
4. horningt12 - $3,160.00
5. northkato - $2,567.50
6. Troy111 - $1,975.00
7. Kevin Blackwood - $1,382.50
8. Babalicious - $1,027.00
9. Balla686 - $671.50

The BPO IV Contender Series Event #3 had 168 participants with a prize pool of $2,520. Final table payouts:

1. account99 - $756
2. FLUSH634 - $504
3. darksword119 - $299.87
4. ulose145  - $201.6
5. mikes007 - $163.8
6. Joatmon928 - $126
7. fsugolf - $88.2
8. saint83  - $65.51
9. TheDespot - $42.84

Winners of each event also receive T$500 for a chance to play in the Bodog Poker Open Championship Event on Sunday, Nov. 8th. In the Contender Series, those who finish 2nd – 9th place are awarded T$50 to play in the Contender Series Championship, also scheduled for Sunday, Nov. 8. Check out the Bodog Poker Open schedule for more details and don't forget that all day Saturday will feature a full slate of BPO qualifiers for the Championship Event.

After eight levels of play during Day 1, which took place yesterday, there are now only 84 players remaining, including Bodog Poker pros David Williams and Justin Bonomo. Bonomo has found himself near the top of the leaderboard with, according to his Twitter (@JustinBonomo), 87,900 in chips, while Williams is just above average with 48,000 in chips, also according to his Twitter (@dwbodogpro). Also among those still in the field are Jimmy Fricke, Theo Tran, Dutch Boyd, Kelly Kim, Toto Leonidas, Brandon Cantu, John Phan, Alan Smurfit, Lee Markholt and a bunch more.

Play resumes at Noon today Vegas time and will continue until the final table is set. Players will all be chasing the $246,928 first-place prize as well as the 2009 Caesars Palace Classic trophy. Stay tuned for more updates and download Bodog Poker to get in on some poker tournament action of your own, or play against either Bonomo or Williams at their own online poker tables.

Vedes beat out Jason Lavallee in a 51-hand heads-up duel to capture the $1.2 million first-place, giving Lavallee $795,150 for second place. This is the first WPT final table for Vedes and caps a profitable summer for the American. He ran deep at the 2009 WSOP Main Event (19th for $352k), final tabled the $1,500 Pot Limit Omaha event (5th for $47k) and then cashed at both the WPT Cyprus event and EPT London. Not a bad year at all, one that may make him one of the "well-known" players if he keeps it up.

Here are the full final table placings and payouts for the WPT Festa al Lago:

1. Tommy Vedes – $1,218,225
2. Jason Lavallee – $795,150
3. Craig Crivello – $477,090
4. Freddy Deeb – $278,300
5. Jason Burt – $208,725
6. Shawn Cunix – $168,970

Download Bodog Poker now to get in on some online poker tournament action of your won. Take advantage of the generous overlays and guaranteeds that are part of the daily Bodog online poker tournament schedule.

So, with 245 players registering during Day 1 and 30 during Day 2, there was a grand total of 275 players all coughing up $15,000 to play and thereby generating a $4,001,250 prizepool and a $1,218,225 first-place prize. With Day 3 about to kick off at the Bellagio there are 98 players remaining and among those players is Bodog Poker Justin Bonomo. This is how he ended up the day according to his Twitter (and verified by the official chip counts):

197,500 end of day 2. Avg is 160k.

A man of few words that Bonomo. However, there is a video blog that contains more words that will be going up later today.

Anyway, among the top ten in chip counts as the day begins will be Mark Seif (2nd – 473k), Dutch Boyd (3rd – 453k), Chad 'lilholdem954′ Batista (4th – 425k) and David "The Dragon" Pham (7th – 365k). There are many other notable players still in the hunt but we'll wait until the field narrows down some more before listing them all out.

Stay tuned for more impossibly lazy updates from the WPT Festa al Lago and if you want a chance to play in a major international poker tournament, then check out the Bodog Flight Club promotion and it's generous prize packages.