One of the many record statistics flowing from the recently completed
multi-million dollar 2006 World Series of Poker championship is the
impact that online players have had on the world's greatest poker
tournament.
PokerStars.com in particular sponsored 1623 players at the 2006 WSOP,
accounting for just under 19 percent of the total entrants, who between
them brought back $21 million from the 46 open events at poker’s
most prestigious tournament.
Three PokerStars.com players managed to battle their way to the final
table, with Doug Kim, Erik Friberg and Dan Nassif counting themselves
unlucky not to be challenging for the $12 million first prize, but
still checking out of Las Vegas with a combined $5.9 million.
Prior to the WSOP PokerStars.com had bolstered its team of All-Star
players with the additions of Barry Greenstein, Victor Ramdin, Katja
Thater, Humberto Brenes and William Chen, plus comedians Norm MacDonald,
Louie Anderson and PGA tour member and golf commentator Paul Azinger.
2005 WSOP champion and PokerStars.com team member Joe Hachem also
fared well in the competition, and pointed to the ‘increasing
number of online players’ as the catalyst behind poker’s
continuing growth.