PartyBets.com has closed its market on the 2008 World Series of Poker Main Event making Phil Ivey the 22/1 well backed favourite to make the final table.

A PartyBets.com spokesman said: “Betting patterns for the Main Event have been very similar to previous years. If a big name makes the final table it will probably be expensive!”

“Structuring a market on the Main Event is always hard as it is difficult to predict the number of runners and you will never have confirmed entry details. The best a bookmaker can do is give a large sample of players. Even then you have a massive field and it is hard to get enough money in any book to balance it out.”

In other markets, actor James Woods is favourite to be the top celebrity player, Julian Gardner is 18/1 favourite to be top British Isles player and Gus Hansen favourite to be top European player.

TO MAKE THE FINAL TABLE OF THE 2008 WSOP ® MAIN EVENT (selected odds, market now closed)

22/1 Phil Ivey
33/1 Allen Cunningham
50/1 Daniel Negreanu
50/1 Phil Hellmuth
66/1 Gus Hansen
66/1 JC Tran
80/1 Patrik Antonius
100/1 Dave “Devilfish” Ulliott
100/1 Tony G
125/1 Roland de Wolfe
150/1 Neil Channing
150/1 Andy Black
150/1 Kirk Morrison
175/1 Mike Sexton
250/1 Kathy Liebert
250/1 Pascal Perrault