OSKAR GARCIA
Associated Press

The World Series of Poker main event has drawn nearly 6,700 entries and generated nearly $63 million in prize money.

Series officials said Monday night that 6,683 players ponied up $10,000 to enter the no-limit Texas Hold ’em tournament in Las Vegas. That’s 5 percent more entries than last year, when Ryan Riess took home an $8.4 million top prize.

The tournament is changing its prize structure this year so the winner gets a guaranteed $10 million.

Nearly 3,800 people entered the tournament Monday, the last of three starting days, including poker professional Phil Ivey and NBA free agent Paul Pierce. Some players waited until the last minute to cobble together the funds or win entry through smaller tournaments.

The 2014 field is the fifth largest in main event history.

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