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An all-time record was established at the 2006 World Series of Poker when an impressive 8,773 players registered to compete in the $10,000 buy-in Texas hold 'em event. At the end of four days of intensive play, the field had been cut to nine remaining players who made it to the final table and would vie for the WSOP Championship. Who were these players? They were not the high profile players that were expected to be at that final table. In fact, four time bracelet winner Allen Cunningham of Las Vegas was probably the most recognizable face.

The eventual winner was a comparative neophyte, Jaime Gold, a former theatrical agent from Malibu, California. What happened to the battle-hardened old pros, the Doyle Brunson's, David Negreanu, Greg Raymer, Huck Seed and Joseph Hachem among so many others? None of them even came close to the final table this year.

Obviously, the face of tournament play is changing. At one time internet poker players and inexperienced face-to-face tournament players tended to become reckless and were quickly eliminated, not fully understanding the strategies and disciplines involved in so-called 'deep stack poker,' which in effect means playing in a tournament that involves a lot of chips.

It now seems obvious that a new breed of newcomer to the world of tournament poker is emerging to challenge the seasoned professionals. Nolan Dalla, World Series of Poker Media Director, who co-authored a biography of the late and legendary poker star Stu Unger, is of the opinion that these new competitors with surprisingly high skill levels and sophistication of play are the result of professional poker 'wannabes' taking full advantage of the countless poker teaching tools available in books, on the internet and various tutorials on DVD that can be purchased by mail. Besides, players can hone their skills playing for small stakes, or even with play money at the numerous online poker sites, gradually improving their skills without the pressures encountered in big-time poker tournaments.

If any further proof is needed that the playing level of these newcomers is strong, and that they have the know-how to compete at the highest rung of the tournament poker ladder, dealing with the pressures and exhibiting the discipline needed to win at 'deep stack' play, take note of what the chip amounts were per player on the final table's next to last day.

' Seat #1 ' Richard Lee $11,820,000
' Seat #2 ' Erik Friberg $ 9,605,000
' Seat #3 ' Paul Wasicka $7,970,000
' Seat #4 ' Dan Nassif $2,600.000
' Seat #5 - Allen Cunningham $17,770,000
' Seat #6 - Michael Binger $3,140,000
' Seat #7 - Doug Kim $6,770,000
' Seat #8 - Jaime Gold $26,650,000
' Seat #9 - Rhett Butler $4,815,000