Betfair guarantees 1 million pounds for WSOP event

LONDON, England -- (PRESS RELEASE) -- Betfair.com, presenting sponsor of the World Series of Poker Europe, added 57,000 pounds sterling to the 3,626,000 pounds sterling Main Event prize pool to ensure a 1 million pounds sterling first-place payday.

"Top prize in our European Main Event is now a cool 1 million pounds sterling," said WSOP Commissioner Jeffrey Pollack. "We have Betfair to thank for that."

Earlier this year the WSOP payout structure was flattened to ensure that more players who finish in the money receive a higher percent of the prize pool than ever before. That structure would have resulted in a top prize of 943,010 pounds sterling for this week's 10,000 pounds sterling buy-in No-Limit Hold'Em Championship -- had Betfair not added nearly 57,000 pounds sterling to the prize pool.

"Nearly all of the world's top poker players entered the World Series of Poker Europe, making it one of the most competitive poker tournaments in European history," Pollack said. "Anyone who plays well enough to make it to the top 10 percent of the field deserves -- and will get -- an excellent return on their investment."

In addition to the 1 million pounds sterling top prize, second place in the WSOP Europe Main Event is worth 570,150 pounds sterling, third 381,910 pounds sterling, fourth 257,020 pounds sterling, fifth 191,860 pounds sterling, sixth 152,040 pounds sterling, seventh 114,030 pounds sterling, eighth 85,070 pounds sterling and ninth 61,540 pounds sterling.

The remaining 27 finishers will receive from 41,630 pounds sterling to 27,150 pounds sterling, depending on their final position.

The final table of the WSOP Europe Main Event begins at 2 p.m. GMT September 16 at The Casino at the Empire on Leicester Square.