With the field cut down to 272, almost all of the players left going into Monday will end up taking home at least $12,500. Of the 5,619 entrants who began play, most walked away empty handed. Only the top 560 players make money, and out of the those 560 most will only make enough to cover their $10,000 buy in and some expenses.

However, those that earn a spot at the final nine person table will take home no less than $1 million. The winning player will collect a record $7.5 million.

In the running was patent lawyer Greg "Fossilman" Raymer, the 2004 champ, who was sitting on about $700,000 in chips and second place as the field was narrowed to 272 late Monday night. Raymer, of Stonington, Connecticut, is one of two former champions of the World Series of Poker's main event still standing out of the 15 who started in the tournament. Russ Hamilton, the 1994 champion, is also still alive.

The late chip leader was Rod Pardey Jr. of Las Vegas with about $702,000 in chips. But lurking among the remaining players were some top-notch pros, such as Phil Ivey, Mike Matusow, John Juanda, Paul Darden, Layne Flack, and Howard Lederer.

Several women are trying to make history by winning the 36-year-old event. The 1995 fifth-place finisher and the only woman to make it to a final table, Barbara Enright, busted out late Monday. Olga Varkonyi, wife of 2002 winner Robert Varkonyi, was still in the game, one of seven women left.

ESPN will begin televising this year's World Series of Poker main event on Tuesday July 19th.