Poker aspirant uses new way to raise cash for WSOP tourney

It costs $10,000 US to enter the main event at the World Series of Poker, which is more than Mike Kurtyak or any of his poker buddies can afford on their own. So, they had an ingenious idea: Hold a year-long tournament, one event a month, with the winner earning a trip to the main event.

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Ten guys chipped in $100 every time they played. They accumulated points for finishing first, second, third and so on. The guy with the most points at the end got the entire pot of $11,000 -- $10,000 for the entry fee and $1,000 for travel. Mike won it, and now he finds himself in a much different game -- the world's biggest poker tournament.

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Oshkosh man a leader World Series of Poker

Jon Lane, 23 of Oshkosh, has $405,000 worth of chips and before play Wednesday, stood as the chip leader in the 2006 World Series of Poker main event. His mother, Diann Lane of Lake Tomahawk, is hoping for the best and likes her son's chances at big-time payout.

Lane makes a living playing poker on the Internet. And he's pretty well known by screen name "G6Dragon" among those who play on-line. He's shown competitors that he's no slouch on the real-life green felt tables, either. It's Lane's second impressive World Series of Poker performance in two years. Last year, Lane finished in 88th place and took home $91,950. The 2005 tournament field included 5,619 players.

World Series of Poker Breaks Prize Records

With 8,773 competitors this year, the World Series of Poker (WSOP) has already broken the record for the greatest number of participants in one live poker event. Now, they are set to break the prize record to, with the eventual winner taking home a massive $12 million. Players who finish as low as 12th will win 1 million. The total prize pool for the event is a colossal $82.5 million.

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'This World Series of Poker stands out as the best in the tournament's illustrious 37-year history,' said World Series of Poker Commissioner Jeffrey Pollack. 'Never before have so many people from around the world competed for so much prize money and the honor of winning the most coveted prize in all of poker -- the World Series of Poker champion's bracelet.'

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