Poker players compete at WSOP Big 50 for $1M top prize

Las Vegas Review-Journal

5 years ago

Richie Smith, of Edgewater, Md., is massaged by Heidi White with Professional Massage Inc. duri ... — Richie Smith, of Edgewater, Md., is massaged by Heidi White with Professional Massage Inc. during the The Big 50, a $500 buy-in, no-limit WSOP Hold’em tournament at the Rio on Saturday, June 1, 2019, in Las Vegas. (L.E. Baskow/Las Vegas Review-Journal) @Left_Eye_Images

WSOP poker players compete at the $500 buy-in, no-limit Hold’em tournament dubbed The Big 50 at the Rio on Saturday, June 1, 2019, in Las Vegas. (L.E. Baskow/Las Vegas Review-Journal) @Left_Eye_Images

Jeff "Nicholas" Camp, of Richmond, Va., is dressed as Santa and is pleased to be at the "good" table during the The Big 50, a $500 buy-in, no-limit WSOP Hold’em tournament at the Rio on Saturday, June 1, 2019, in Las Vegas. (L.E. Baskow/Las Vegas Review-Journal) @Left_Eye_Images

A joker card is mistakenly dealt during the The Big 50, a $500 buy-in, no-limit WSOP Hold’em tournament at the Rio on Saturday, June 1, 2019, in Las Vegas. (L.E. Baskow/Las Vegas Review-Journal) @Left_Eye_Images

Assistant tournament shift manager Patrick McAnulty helps to sort out and continue play after a joker card was mistakenly dealt during the The Big 50, a $500 buy-in, no-limit WSOP Hold’em tournament at the Rio on Saturday, June 1, 2019, in Las Vegas. (L.E. Baskow/Las Vegas Review-Journal) @Left_Eye_Images

Mark Hayes has the table and cards reflected in his shades during the The Big 50, a $500 buy-in, no-limit WSOP Hold’em tournament at the Rio on Saturday, June 1, 2019, in Las Vegas. (L.E. Baskow/Las Vegas Review-Journal) @Left_Eye_Images

Kim Emmett, of Chicago, reacts as stakes get high during the The Big 50, a $500 buy-in, no-limit WSOP Hold’em tournament at the Rio on Saturday, June 1, 2019, in Las Vegas. (L.E. Baskow/Las Vegas Review-Journal) @Left_Eye_Images

Thousands of WSOP poker players compete at the $500 buy-in, no-limit Hold’em tournament dubbed The Big 50 at the Rio on Saturday, June 1, 2019, in Las Vegas. (L.E. Baskow/Las Vegas Review-Journal) @Left_Eye_Images

Kwok Chun Kong, of Hong Kong, attempts to keep all tells hidden at the table during the The Big 50, a $500 buy-in, no-limit WSOP Hold’em tournament at the Rio on Saturday, June 1, 2019, in Las Vegas. (L.E. Baskow/Las Vegas Review-Journal) @Left_Eye_Images

Ian "Aces" Sweden, of Kirkcady, Scotland, wears a dragon hat during the The Big 50, a $500 buy-in, no-limit WSOP Hold’em tournament at the Rio on Saturday, June 1, 2019, in Las Vegas. (L.E. Baskow/Las Vegas Review-Journal) @Left_Eye_Images

Mirek Rurka with Professional Massage Inc., works the feet of poker player Darren Hicks, of Corpus Christi, Texas, during a break in the The Big 50, a $500 buy-in, no-limit WSOP Hold’em tournament at the Rio on Saturday, June 1, 2019, in Las Vegas. (L.E. Baskow/Las Vegas Review-Journal) @Left_Eye_Images

A poker player has the ace of spades tattooed on his neck during the The Big 50, a $500 buy-in, no-limit WSOP Hold’em tournament at the Rio on Saturday, June 1, 2019, in Las Vegas. (L.E. Baskow/Las Vegas Review-Journal) @Left_Eye_Images

Professional poker player John Hesp, of Bridlington, U.K., left, poses for a photo with another player during the The Big 50, a $500 buy-in, no-limit WSOP Hold’em tournament at the Rio on Saturday, June 1, 2019, in Las Vegas. (L.E. Baskow/Las Vegas Review-Journal) @Left_Eye_Images

Jeff "Nicholas" Camp, of Richmond, VA., is dressed as Santa and is pleased to be at the "good" table during the The Big 50, a $500 buy-in, no-limit WSOP Hold’em tournament at the Rio on Saturday, June 1, 2019, in Las Vegas. (L.E. Baskow/Las Vegas Review-Journal) @Left_Eye_Images

Jeremy Wien, of Westchester, N.Y., has his daughter’s Cookie Monster toy as a lucky charm during the The Big 50, a $500 buy-in, no-limit WSOP Hold’em tournament at the Rio on Saturday, June 1, 2019, in Las Vegas. (L.E. Baskow/Las Vegas Review-Journal) @Left_Eye_Images

Thousands of players filled tables Saturday during the World Series of Poker’s Big 50 no-limit Texas Hold’em event at the Rio.

An estimated 18,000 players are expected to compete in The Big 50, which carries a $1 million top prize and will crown a winner on Friday, a WSOP spokesman said.

More than 100,000 people from more than 100 countries are expected to compete in the world series’ 89 events, with $200 million up for grabs, a news release said.

The Main Event, to crown the world champion of poker for 2019, celebrates its 50th anniversary this year. The marquee event, expected to draw more than 6,000 entrants, kicks off July 3 and lasts through July 16.