Viva Las Vegas: Get ready for the World Series of Poker.

The big one may still be over three weeks away but the order to shuffle up and deal has already been given at the undisputed annual highlight of the poker world - the World Series of Poker.

A $500 buy event for casino employees on April 22 started the series of tournaments in downtown Las Vegas and then it was straight in to a two-day $2000 buy in No-Limit Hold’em tournament.

In total this year’s World Series will consist of 33 tournaments – finishing with the World Championship $10,000 buy in event which starts on May 22.

The early signs indicate the number of players in this year’s series of tournaments will shatter last year’s – itself a record – with some predicting the total prize pool for the 33 tournaments could top $30 million!

Organisers are certainly preparing for a massive increase in entrants to the $10,000 big one. The tournament is now scheduled to last for a whole week – finishing on May 28. Observers are predicting the winner alone will walk away with more than $3 million. Not bad for a week’s work!

After the uncertainty surrounding the future of Binion’s Horseshoe casino, the spiritual home of the World Series, the new owners took the popular decision to stage the event at the reopened casino.

The legendary downtown landmark, a fixture on Freemont Street since 1951, was shut down by Federal Agents in January when they burst into the building to seize $2 million in unpaid workers’ benefits.

The casino reopened on April 1 in true Las Vegas style following a refurbishment. Showgirls danced, choirs sang and the free champagne flowed. Even mayor Oscar Goodman got in on the action claiming a reopened Horseshoe was “critical to the success of the future of Las Vegas”. Politicians eh?

Poker fans throughout the world will be able to keep bang up to date with the latest news from the main event at the World Series. ESPN will again be providing comprehensive television coverage so players everywhere can watch the pros in action.

A number of websites have also sprung up all promising wide-ranging coverage of the main event including news reports, interviews and daily standings. Some are even planning to cover the action from the final table hand by hand meaning anyone can follow the game live as it unfolds.

Well, sorry to say that we won’t be doing that, but we will keep you up to date with the lucky guys and gals who qualified online through Victor Chandler Poker. Here’s wishing you every success, and fingers crossed that you can emulate Chris Moneymaker’s feat of last year!