DON McDERMOTT / PVT The Amazon Room in the Rio All-Suites Hotel and Casino will be the major center of activity at the 40th World Series of Poker, which runs May 27 through July 15; the final table will be Nov. 7-10. RELATED STORY 2009 World Series of Poker Schedule Advertisement

LAS VEGAS -- The 40th annual World Series of Poker will begin May 27 with the first of 57 gold bracelet events at the Rio All-Suites Hotel and Casino here.

The next day, a special $40,000 buy-in No Limit Hold'em tournament will commemorate the gaming industry's most illustrious event.

The annual poker extravaganza, which dates back to 1970, is televised exclusively on ESPN and consists of a comprehensive slate of the game's most popular variations.

The 40th annual tournament will conclude with the $10,000 buy-in World Championship no-limit hold'em Main Event which begins July 3 and reaches its final table (nine players) July 15, at which time play will be halted.

The "November Nine" return for final table action Nov. 7-10 before a live audience with special primetime coverage from ESPN.

The 2008 World Series generated the most entries ever (58,720) who generated a record prize pool of $180,774,427. Players from 124 countries -- another record -- competed in 55 tournaments. Peter Eastgate won the 2008 title, earning $9 million.

Among the highlights of the 2009 schedule:

* 57 gold bracelet events over 50 days.

* A "stimulus special" $1,000 buy-in no-limit hold'em tournament May 30-31, which is anticipated to draw the largest-ever tournament field outside the main event and offer a prize pool approaching $5,000,000.

* Ten $10,000 world championship events

* The fourth annual $50,000 buy-in H.O.R.S.E. tournament, with an enhanced gold bracelet and the Chip Reese Memorial Trophy awarded to the winner. Reese, Freddie Deeb and Scotty Ngyuen won the first three titles.

* Seven $1,500 buy-in no limit hold'em tournaments, the most popular events in poker.

* The third annual Ante Up For Africa $5,000 buy-in no-limit hold'em celebrity and charity tournament July 2, featuring the opportunity for anyone age 21 or older to enter and be seated at the same table as A-list celebrities and top poker pros.

* The Ladies World Championship June 7, featuring a $1,000 buy-in and helping to raise awareness for the Nevada Cancer Institute, the official community relations partner of the World Series of Poker.

* The Seniors World Championship June 22, for players 50 years of age or older.

"Whether you play poker around the kitchen table or consider yourself a professional, you will find a comfortable seat at the 2009 World Series of Poker," said Jeffrey Pollack, commissioner of the World Series of Poker. "This year's schedule offers more variety than ever before and we look forward to welcoming players from around the world to the Rio for our 40th annual extravaganza this summer."

The Amazon Room in the Rio Convention Center once again will be the major site for the tournaments. Gold bracelet tournaments will begin at noon or 5 p.m. (PDT), with a maximum of 10 one-hour levels being played for the noon starts, while the 5 p.m. events will play a maximum of eight one-hour levels.

For those fortunate enough to advance past the first day, re-starts for noon bracelet events will begin at 2 p.m., and 5 p.m. tournaments will restart at 3 p.m. with a maximum of 10 levels being played each day until a champion is crowned.

Pre-registration for the 2009 WSOP will begin in late February on-site at the main cage of the Rio in Las Vegas and online through www.worldseriesofpoker.com. Players will be encouraged to register through a streamlined online process in advance of coming to Las Vegas to avoid being shutout of their favorite events. Any foreign entrants who wire transfer monies will receive the exchange rate into U.S. dollars at the time of the wire transfer, thus locking in their exchange rate in advance.

A complete array of satellites, from single-table to mega, will be offered beginning from May 26-July 5. Nightly no-limit hold'em tournaments will be offered from May 26-July 14 at 7 p.m. and 11 p.m.

All winners will be required to provide a valid picture ID. Tax forms will be completed for those with winnings in excess of $5,000 net of event buy-in.

Players without a Tax Identification Number and foreign players from non-tax treaty countries are subject to up to 30 percent tax withholding.