The World Series of Poker (WSOP) is held each year in Las Vegas. The popularity of this event has grown remarkably since the online poker boom. In 2011, there will be an estimated 70,000 entries and $180 million in prize money. If that doesn’t get your attention, then no poker tournament will including the games at Bodog.com.

The main event at the WSOP is the $10,000 buy-in no limit Texas Hold ‘Em event. This game alone drew over 7,000 participants in 2010 for a prize pool of over $68 million. $8.9 million went to the winner. Going back in time, you can see how much this tournament has grown. Only ten years ago, in 2001, there were 613 people in the main event with a prize pool of just over $6 million. Twenty years ago, this tournament saw only a touch more than 200 individuals were entered. As you can see, the game has grown exponentially in popularity—this is thanks in part to the ease with which people can play now that there is virtual poker on the internet. No more do people need to drive or fly to a casino to play since they have 24 hour access on the internet.

The 2011 WSOP promises to be the biggest one yet. As more people begin to play poker at PartyPoker.com, interest in this championship event has become more and more popular. Home games are only gaining in popularity, thus leading to more people thinking that they can compete with the best players in the world. Even if these players do not perform well in the WSOP, there is always the thrill of playing against some of the biggest names in poker.