WSOP Europe final table decided

The exciting Grand Finale of the World Series of Poker Europe Main Event will soon be decided as 9 players assemble later today (Sunday) at The Casino at the Empire on Leicester Square - just a short walk away from Buckingham Palace in London.

The competition, which has taken four days of hard, professional poker playing to reach this stage is making history in that it is the youngest final table ever assembled for an event of this magnitude. Female Norwegian player Annette Obrestad is only 18 while Johannes Korsar is 20 years old. If either of these players wins the bracelet, they will be the youngest bracelet holders in WSOP history. And the average age at the final table is only 25.

Not one of the world's most recognisable poker pros were among the final nine players who advanced to do battle for a GBP 1 million first-place prize at the inaugural World Series of Poker Europe presented by Betfair.com.

Continuing a theme set in the first two WSOP Europe events, the emergence of aggressive and accomplished young European players heralded a new reality for poker's elite: It's a global game and it is no longer dominated by a handful of professional poker players.

"The stage has been set for European poker players to continue to shine," said WSOP Commissioner Jeffrey Pollack. "Clearly, the inaugural World Series of Poker Europe has lived up to its name and promise in every respect."

The final table of nine players - which starts early afternoon on 16th September - have made it through a field of the most distinguished players ever assembled in Europe. There were more than 100 WSOP bracelets between all the participants in the four days of play to date.

Phil Hellmuth - who has amassed a record eleven World Series bracelets - said yesterday: "You have nineteen of the top twenty players in the world here in London for this event."

Betfair's Head of Poker Ben Fried said, "Betfair has four online qualifiers at the final table. This just goes to show that it is possible to build up from relatively small stakes to play for a million pounds and the World Series Bracelet. It's a talent meritocracy."

The last high-profile pro eliminated was Gus "The Great Dane" Hansen, who added GBP 41 620, or more than $83 000, to his $3.7 million in official prize money for his 10th place finish.

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

The 10th through 36th place finishers received from GBP 41 630 to GBP 27 150, depending on their final position.