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WSOP Colossus shatters record for largest live poker tournament

31 May 2015

LAS VEGAS — The final two starting flights of the World Series of Poker's $565 Colossus event were filled to capacity on Saturday at the Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino, ensuring that the event wouldn't just break the record for largest live poker tournament, but shatter it.

There were more than 24,000 paid entries in the tournament, though the final number will be smaller as some players will be refunded for flights they paid for but didn't end up playing. Regardless, the total number will be more than twice the previous record of 8,773, set in the 2006 WSOP Main Event.

Editor's note: The total Colossus field ended up being 22,374 entries and 14,284 unique players.

Players who tried to register on Saturday could only get into late waves in both flights, meaning they could start after the first break with 25 big blinds, or after the second break with just 10. Incredibly, nearly 2,000 players opted to take their chances in the third starting wave.

The atmosphere at the Rio was electric from the beginning of the day. Taxicabs were backed up on Flamingo Drive all the way over the overpass, trying to turn into the Rio, at 9:30 a.m. The line at Starbucks was several dozen people long. The men's restrooms — even the ones outside Buzio's seafood restaurant, where about 20 tables were set up for overflow — had a short line 30 minutes before the start of the tournament.

Approximately 3,200 players will return when play resumes at 5 p.m. PT on Sunday. The chip leader through the first three flights was Ian Ohara from Boca Raton, Florida, with 184,000.

The payout structure will be announced once the final number of entries is officially determined.
Aaron Todd

Home-game hotshot Aaron Todd was an editor/writer at Casino City for nearly eight years, and is currently the Assistant Director of Athletics for Communications and Marketing at St. Lawrence University, his alma mater. While he is happy to play Texas Hold'em, he'd rather mix it up and play Omaha Hi/Lo, Razz, Deuce-to-Seven Triple Draw, and Badugi.

Aaron Todd

Home-game hotshot Aaron Todd was an editor/writer at Casino City for nearly eight years, and is currently the Assistant Director of Athletics for Communications and Marketing at St. Lawrence University, his alma mater. While he is happy to play Texas Hold'em, he'd rather mix it up and play Omaha Hi/Lo, Razz, Deuce-to-Seven Triple Draw, and Badugi.