Four players have made major news at the 2007 World Series of Poker, being played at the Rio All-Suites Hotel-Casino. They include Phil Ivey, above ... Eli Elezra ... Humberto Brenes ... and Phil Hellmuth, who won his record 11th WSOP bracelet last week. Photos by DON McDERMOTT / PVT. Advertisement

LAS VEGAS -- Rollie Batayola is scheduled to play in Event 38 -- a $1,500 buy-in no-limit Texas hold'em tournament -- Saturday in the 38th World Series of Poker at the Rio All-Suites Hotel and Casino, ending a two-week break for Pahrump Valley competitors.

Rob Lisull, Jim Robertson, and Blake Lozo, the last of three valley players who earned $1,500 seats in the WSOP, have yet to compete in the tournament, which after 26 events, had attracted 22,976 players who generated a prize pool of $43,703,992. Lisull is slated to play in a $1,500 buy-in tournament June 30.

A $1,500 no-limit tournament, which started Saturday and ended Monday, was won by David Stucke, who beat 2,314 opponents to earn $603,069 out a prize pool of $3,159,975.

Tuesday, the World Championship Heads-Up tournament, with a $5,000 buy-in, started a three-day run Tuesday. Thursday, a $5,000 Omaha Hi-Low Split-8 or better tournament will get underway.

The World Series' premiere tournament, the $50,000 buy-in H.O.R.S.E. event, will start Sunday and will end June 28. In 2006, Chip Reese outdueled Andy Bloch for the title, with the final round lasting more than 12 hours.

The $1,000 buy-in WSOP Seniors Championship (for players 50 years old and up) will start Monday.

On July 1 is the $10,000 buy-in pot-limit Omaha championship and on the Fourth of July is the $5,000 No-Limit 2-7 Draw Lowball with re-buys tournament.

The main event, the $10,000 World Championship, starts July 6, with the tournament to end July 17. The schedule includes two days off -- July 9 and July 16. Jamie Gold won the 2006 title, earning $12 million out of an $82 million prize pool paid by a record 8,773 entries. Tournament officials estimate that between 6,500 and 7,500 will enter the 2007 event, but they are preparing for 3,000 to play each of the first three days.

Eleven players have placed in the top 10 in at least two events through Sunday. Tom Schneider and William Durkee V each have won a title and placed fourth. Phil Ivey is at 2-4; Humberto Brenes is 7-8-3; Walter Browne 7-2; Alexander Kravechenko 1-9; Greg Raymer 4-6; Robert Mizrachi 5-6; Scotty Nguyen 2-10, and Michael Gracz 9-6. Marco Traniello is at 8-9.

NOTES -- In Pahrump, there have been two major changes in poker room managers ... At the Nugget, Jeff Von Alst will direct that four-table room, while at the three-table Terrible's Town Casino, Blake Lozo will replace Von Alst ... Kim Taylor continues as manager at the newly-open Terrible's Lakeside Casino poker room ... Expect the schedules to change at both downtown Pahrump rooms for two reasons ... First, both Von Alst and Lozo will need time to inform their players of those changes, then make the adjustments. Second, the Nugget will open its new facility in July; that location will be at the former site of the food court ... At the present, Terrible's Town schedule includes $20 buy-in no-limit, single-table sit-and-gos Sundays and Tuesdays at 10:30 a.m.; $15 buy-in Tuesday and Thursday night Omaha hi-low split tournaments at 6 p.m. each day, and $30 buy-in limit hold'em tournaments at noon Saturdays ... The Nugget has $60 buy-in no-limit hold'em tournaments at 3 p.m. Sundays and 4 p.m. Wednesdays and $20 buy-in no-limit events every day at noon ... Von Alst said the Nugget will host a Omaha hi-low tournament Thursday at 6 p.m. ... The best advice to players is contact the managers and be prepared for changes at all three poker locations, once all the personnel changes have been completed, and the new Nugget room is ready for action.