PR NEWSWIRE Jerry Yang won the 2007 World Series of Poker.

Even though most recreational gamblers either don’t have the funds or the stomach to wager thousands of dollars just for the sake of entering a poker tournament, that doesn’t mean they have to miss out on the action.

The 39th edition of the annual World Series of Poker kicks off May 30 at the Rio Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas with the first of 55 events scheduled to shuffle up and deal.

This year’s World Series promises to make history in at least one capacity. The Main Event is scheduled to begin on July 3 and will get down to the final nine players on July 14.

Once the final table is set, the tournament will, in “Godfather” style, go to the mattresses until Nov. 9. In an effort to both increase interest in the tournament and generously spike ESPN TV ratings like the punch at a high school prom, tournament officials want to broadcast the final stages of the tournament semi-live instead of the standard three-month window between final-table play and the broadcast of it.

But that isn’t to say that all of the drama at the World Series is vested in the main event, despite the estimated $10 million check that will be made out to the winner.

In 2006, more than 50,000 players bought a seat in the entire World Series tournament offering, generating a prize pool of more than $105 million for the players to battle over.

 Thanks to Al Gore and his personal invention of the Internet, the tournament action is easy to keep on top of. Sites such as card%player.com, worldseriesofpoker.com and pokernews.com (among others) will offer live chip counts of all the tournaments and cash results for all the players fortunate enough to make it into the money.

If you want the take of a truly talented blogging smartass, check out Dan Michalski’s site, pokerati.com. Michalski isn’t above mocking everyone and everything related to poker, which, at times, do plenty to warrant such treatment. But he’s at least fair.

However, the option remains open to see the World Series of Poker up close and personal. The Rio’s spacious “Amazon Room,” which hosts the events, is open to the public. Any Joe Schmo in Vegas who happens to be there for the next two months can stroll through the action at the casino and take photos of their favorite poker players and annoy them on their bathroom breaks for an autograph.

Chuck Blount | 210SA contributor