One Million Dollar Buy-In Poker Tournament to Become a Reality

Just days after a report surfaced on Gambling911.com that organizers in Macau were looking to hold the richest poker tournament ever, with a $100 million prize pool, World Series of Poker officials on Monday announced that 22 individuals have committed to putting up $1 million each.  At 22 players, the top prize is $8.89 million.

WSOP spokesman Seth Palansky told The Associated Press on Monday that seven more players would make the tournament's top prize the richest ever, beyond the $12 million Jamie Gold won for beating out 8,772 opponents in the no-limit Texas Hold 'em main event in 2006.

The 22 players include the likes of Daniel Negreanu, Tom Dwan, Johnny Chan and Jonathan Duhamel.

MGM Resorts International executive Bobby Baldwin, a four-time gold bracelet winner who won the main event in 1978, and billionaire Treasure Island casino owner Phil Ruffin also have said they'll play.

If the tournament's top prize passes the amount generated at the 2006 main event, its winner likely will shoot instantly to the top of the series' all-time money list.

The one million dollar buy-in poker tournament would become an official bracelet tournament that counts toward series earnings and title records.

- Ace King, Gambling911.com.  The Associated Press was referenced for this article