Total Pro Sports – So I had to check this up and no, it is not yet an event at the annual World Series of Poker which is currently taking place in Las Vegas, Nevada, but if there was a bracelet awarded for card stacking, then it would not be very hard finding a winner.

During the 2009 WSOP, Bryan Berg, the world record holder for card stacking, was on hand to build the London skyline for Betfair Poker using several decks of cards.  How long did it actually take?  We are not sure, but thankfully it was cut down to 1 minute 37 seconds for our viewing pleasure.  Luckily Brad Garrett‘s girlfriend was not around to provide any distractions.

As for the actual competition, Phil Ivey currently looks to be in good shape to add to his 2009 WSOP win totals as he sits in third place with only 64 participants remaining.  Also in the mix is Antonio Esfandiari, sitting in 6th.  These tow pros are in good shape, headlining the top 10, and intimidation may become a factor allowing for a familiar face to take home over $8.5 million first place prize and the main event bracelet.

Here is Bryan Berg’s card stacking.

That may sound odd, with the winning prize being only $96,361, but for Phil it wasn’t about the prize money.  It was all about the side bets.  Ivey is known for his knack to increase the stakes, and that was exactly what he was faced with at the final table of this tournament, one of the many offered at the World Series of Poker.  No one (besides Phil) is clear on the exact amount of money he won as a result of his earning this bracelet, but one reliable source indicated that they heard him say his possible payout would be $12 million.

“You may have heard that Ivey bet a lot of money on himself to win a bracelet at last year’s WSOP, and he came up short. (His best finish was 9th.) Rumors swirled that he increased the action on himself this year in a wider variety of bets. There were the standard bets on whether or not he would win a bracelet, and he also has several head-to-head bets with players like Erick Lindgren to see who could win more bracelets. (So those players still have a chance to tie Ivey by winning a bracelet of their own this year — which could save them hundreds of thousands of dollars or more.)”

So much for just the simple joy of taking home the bracelet and prize money that often comes with victories at the WSOP.  Many of the pros are known for adding a little more bread to the basket, but in Phil’s case, he added a whole five course meal.  Now with the added incentive brought about by these side bets, look out for Phil Ivey in the main event.  He may very well have some business to take care of on the side.

Hat Tip – [Tao of Poker] via [BustedCoverage]