FullTiltPoker.com Poker Million IX underway - 25/07/2010

The opening heat of the FullTiltPoker.com Poker Million IX gets underway at 11am on Monday July 26 from Sky Sports studios in London, and you can follow the action at MatchroomPoker.com through our live reporting service - where you can now get involved in the action with our "Shoutbox".

Click on the Live Reporting link to view the latest news from heat one of the FullTiltPoker.com Poker Million IX.

A star-studded line-up take to the felt as the race for the title and the new pay structure which sees the winner walk away with a cool one million dollars. Full Tilt Poker pro and two-time WSOP bracelet winner Howard Lederer is joined by fellow Full Tilt Poker pros Ross Boatman and Chris Ferguson, recent WSOP bracelet winners Richard Ashby and James Dempsey and fellow high-profile WSOP performer Stuart Rutter also opening the tournament - with another two-time WSOP bracelet winner Greg Mueller and Full Tilt Poker online qualifier Thomas Maxwell

The second and third heats take place on Tuesday (26) and Wednesday (27) with Full Tilt Poker pros Patrik Antonius, Annette Obrestad, recent WSOP bracelet winner Gavin Smith, Mike Matusow, Erik Seidel and Huck Seed joined by Tony G and Neil Channing in what Matchroom Sport managing director Eddie Hearn called “the strongest line-up in the nine year history of the event.”

The ninth edition of Poker Million sees the competition go triple stack for the first time and each heat will see an online qualifier mixing it with the big names after getting through one of a number of online satellites running at FullTiltPoker.com. A player will also be parachuted straight into the final through freerolls on FullTiltPoker.com, starting with 150k in chips - with the seven other players (six heat winners and winner of the runners-up heat) starting with 300k. Qualifying for the second round of heats in October is still open at FullTiltPoker.com

Each heat winner receives $90,000, as does the victor of the runners-up heat, with Full Tilt Poker adding $190,000 to the total prize pool of $1,630,000.