Poker's current popularity, is reflected in the  fact that the top 12 players of 2006 main event all became millionaires and in the first prize in the main event of $12 million (won by Jamie Gold), the richest prize for any sports or event in history. Benny Binnion the creator of the series and proprietor of the Horseshoe Casino (where the main event final was held  for the last time in 2005), would hardly believe the attention that the finals now receive.   In 1970 when the inaugural event took place there where only 7 entrants, by 2006 it grew exponentially to 8773. The growth no doubt was fuelled by television coverage, online poker rooms and the belief that anyone can now win the big prize, as the $10,000 buy-in fee is often covered by online poker rooms as a prize to the winners of their satellite tournaments. In 2004  around 1,000 of the 2,576 final entrants, won their seats through online poker rooms. 

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