The World Series of Poker is in the rudest of health after the official announcement of total playing numbers. but also the all-important field size for the blue ribband event, the $10,000 $10,000 No-Limit Texas Hold’em World Championship, also known as the Main Event.

The total for all 55 events which have been played out over the last six weeks is a staggering 54,288, the most in World Series of Poker history.

And Main Event is now underway at the Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino, and features 6,358 entries, this year’s Main Event is the second-largest live poker tournament ever played.

“Poker is alive and well, and the 2007 World Series of Poker has been a tremendous success,” said World Series of Poker Commissioner Jeffrey Pollack.

In all, the 2007 WSOP generated a total prize pool of $159,796,918. The Main Event prize pool is $59,784,954, with the winner receiving $8.25 million. A total of 621 Main Event players will finish in the money and will receive at least $20,320, more than double their original buy-in.

Among the highlights of this year’s World Series of Poker were record turnouts for the Ladies Championship, the Seniors Championship and the $50,000 H.O.R.S.E. Championship. This year also saw the single busiest day in World Series of Poker history, when 3,151 players participated in a $1,500 No-Limit Texas Hold’em Championship on June 30.

Due to the size of the Main Event playing field, the tournament’s start was spread over four days. Beginning tomorrow, the next stage of the tournament will be split over two days, after which the fields will merge for a single Day 3 on July 11. The Main Event final table will begin at noon on July 17.