Las Vegas - Tucsonan Adelstein in 3rd place at World Series of Poker

But consider the 2010 World Series of Poker most important event began more than a week ago with 7,319 entrants, that the playing field is down to 574 is attractive significant. Even additional thrilling for Tucson-area poker fans: one of their own is among the chip leaders.

Garrett Adelstein sits third taken as a whole heading into Day 5 of the $10,000 no-limit holder tournament being play at the Rio in Las Vegas. He is guaranteed at least $24,000 at this point — the top 747 obtain paid - but that's only semi as much as he won in a 2008 tournament in the Caribbean.

Garrett Adelstein, a 2008 UA graduate who went to the Mountain View High School, noted on his Face book page he has much loftier ambition for this tournament. "Although the initial four days have gone very fine, the next four will want to go equally fantastic for me to formulate any life-changing money."

Such life - changing money await the top finishers in this tournament, which has a reward pool of nearly $69 million and award at least $1 million to the top eight spot and six-figure paydays to the top 72. Garrett Adelstein will be the overpowering chip leader at his table when play resume at 12 p.m. Wednesday. In fact, his stack of 1.44 million chips is extra than any other two players next to his table.

Garrett Adelstein, who lists his profession as a 'training consultant' for online poker training site DuecesCracked.com, wants to finish in the top 171 players to post the most excellent performance by a local player since the poker thunder occurred in 2003. Debbie Blair win $51,000 for 176th place in 2007.