Going into Day 2A Tuesday, 660 players -- out of 6,358 -- remained in the 38th World Series of Poker, being contested at the Rio All-Suites Hotel and Casino here.

The loss of internet dot-com players unquestionably reduced the number of players -- from a record high of 8,773 in 2006 -- this season. It is the first decline in the number of entrants at the $10,000 buy-in championship tournament since 1992 and was the result of a U.S. law that in essence prohibited online gambling.

The legislation outlawed banks and other payment processors from handling cash transactions from U.S.-based players to and from online poker sites, which prevented many players from qualifying.

The 660 survivors did not include 2006 champion Jamie Gold, who was eliminated Monday when he lost to an ace kicker.

There were 1,287 players Friday, when the 55th and last WSOP bracelet tournament of the season got underway. Another 1,545 played Saturday, with 1,743 at the tables Sunday and 1,783 in action Monday. Day 2A was Tuesday, with Day 2B today. Monday will be an off-day, with the final table Tuesday.

The prize pool is $59,784,954, with $8.5 million going to the winner and $4.8 million to the runnerup. Each of the top five will earn at least $1,255,069, with 621 players scheduled to cash. The lowest payout will be $20,320. Play route 66 poker.

In 2006, Gold earned $12 million from a prize pool of $83 million; the top 12 players received at least $1 million.

Going into Day 2A, the chip leaders included Timten Olivier, with $260,000; Dag Mikkelson, $253,000; Josh Evans,$240,000; Tom Bernhard, $220,000; Carl Olson, $205,000; Bill Edler, $168,000; Ted Forrest $150,000; Darrell Dicken, $150,000; Julian Gardner, $143,000; Chip Jett, $123,000; Chris Gregorian, $96,000; Barry Greenstein, $91,000, and Jeff Madsen, $80,000. Play $500 match poker bonus.

Among the players eliminated were former champions Phil Hellmuth Jr., Greg Raymer, Johnny Chan, Doyle Brunson, and Amarillo Slim Preston, as well as Mike Matusow, T.J. Cloutier, Phil Ivey, Josh Arieh, Marcel Luske, Vanessa Rousso, Kenna James, Cyndi Violette, Antonio Esfandiari, Michael Gracz, Erick Lindgren, Chip Reese, and Clonie Gowan.

Carlos Mortenson, Gus Hansen, woman poker pro Susie Isaacs, Daniel Negreanu, Todd Brunson, Chris Ferguson, Allen Cunningham, Robert Varkonyi, Chris Moneymaker, Toto Leonidas, Joseph Hachem and Paul Wasicka also survived the stressful play of facing unknown players -- the so-called 'dead money' of championship tournament poker -- and 16-hour days at the tables.

In the first 54 poker tournaments, a total of 45,554 players competed for $97,095,763 in prize money.

NOTES -- Times Sports Editor Don McDermott finished sixth in the WSOP Media Championship tournament, earning $200 for the Pahrump Valley High School athletics department ... There were 137 players in the tournament, contested Thursday at the Rio, including editors and writers from every major poker magazine (Card Player, Bluff, All In), representatives of newspapers and magazines from several European countries, and many television and radio outlets.

Poker News Source: Pahrump Valley Times