The Main Event of the 2008 World Series of Poker began over the weekend. Thousands of poker lovers from more than 104 countries around the globe have already competed in initial WSOP events. With the Main Event now in full swing, the total number of players competing in this year's 55 WSOP events is more than 58,500, breaking the record of the last year.

The total prize pool for all 2008 WSOP events now stands at more than $180 million, also far surpassing the previous record of nearly $160 million set in 2007.