The Poker Lab Rat

The $10,000 buy-in World Series of Poker Main Event is either one of the most prestigious tournaments in poker or an insufferable donkfest, depending on who’s doing the talking.

No matter which way you think, the speculation over who could take down the largest prize in poker or what kind of player might win runs rampant for months before the event kicks off. To this end, Bodog has released a series of prop bets covering this subject, giving action junkies the chance to put their money where their mouths are and wager on how different types of poker players will fare in the 2009 WSOP, which kicks off on July 3.

One of the biggest areas of speculation surrounding the Main Event always involves the performance of previous Main Event champions.

Will one of them repeat their feat and win again (Yes +2500)?
Or will one of them reach the final table (Yes +900)?

The champions listed as the favorites to last the longest this year are Phil Hellmuth, Chris “Jesus” Ferguson and Peter Eastgate at 9 to 2 with Chris Moneymaker and Jerry Yang not getting much respect at 16 to 1.

The performance of any poker pro is always of considerable interest and this year the Bodog oddsmakers have pegged Phil Ivey as the favorite to last the longest at 5 to 1. He is followed by Phil Hellmuth and Bodog poker pros David Williams and Justin Bonomo all at 6 to 1.

Female poker pros also get a lot of attention (as they should) and Bodog is asking if a woman will win the Main Event (Yes +1800), reach the final table (Yes +400, No -800) and which will last longer, the favorites being Jennifer Harman and Kathy Liebert at 5/1.

To view the full list of 2009 WSOP prop bets, head over to the Bodog Sportsbook and place your wagers now.