WSOP 2012: October 9 Bracelet Odds, Chip Count and Final Table Preview

Since being founded in the 1970s, the World Series of Poker has been the world's premier poker event and features some of the top players around. 

Whereas televised card playing may have been a laughable thought at one time, last year's event alone brought in 415,000 viewers, who combined to view 23 million minutes of coverage (according to CardPlayer.com)

Once again, a large audience is expected to tune in and witness the nine finalists—known as the "October Nine"—compete in the main event for the 2012 prize, which is worth over $8.5 million (according to the Las Vegas Review-Journal).

To get into the action, read on for a preview of the event, as well as information on how to watch. 

What: World Series of Poker 2012, Main Event Final Table

Where: Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino (Las Vegas, NV)

When: October 29-30

Watch: ESPN

Live Streaming: ESPN Watch, WSOP Website

Player Odds (According to Bovada)

Jesse Sylvia (3/1)

Andras Koroknai (9/2)

Greg Merson (9/2)

Russell Thomas (13/2)

Jacob Balsiger (10/1)

Michael Esposito (10/1)

Robert Salaburu (10/1)

Steven Gee (10/1)

Jeremy Ausmus (11/1)

Winning Hand Odds (According to Bovada)

Two pair or better (-130)

One pair or lower (-110)

Chip Count 

Jesse Sylvia (48,715,638)

Andras Koroknai (29,375,638)

Greg Merson (28,725,000)

Russell Thomas (24,800,000)

Steven Gee (16,860,000)

Michael Esposito (16,260,000)

Robert Salaburu (15,155,000)

Jacob Balsiger (13,115,000)

Jeremy Ausmus (9,805,000)

Preview

The 26-year-old Jesse Sylvia leads in chip count at 48,715,638 and has been labeled as this year's favorite. 

Sylvia lacks the experience of the more veteran players, which could hurt him at some point, but he has already displayed an ability to make a comeback, as he was once ranked near the bottom in chip count before bouncing back and securing a spot in the top nine. 

But if he does win, at least he has some interesting plans for the prize money. 

"

What would @jesse_sylvia888 do with the money from the WSOP Main Event? Buy an island among other things. tinyurl.com/95q47dd

—PokerNews (@PokerNews) October 27, 2012"

Jacob Balsiger is a long shot in the odds, but the 21-year-old is hoping to become the youngest winner in the main event's history. 

Andras Koroknai has the second-highest chip count and the 30-year-old is the only non-American to be participating in the main event. 

Jeremy Ausmus is the underdog of the event with the smallest chip count, but with eight years of poker experience he has the tools to chip away at the competition and complete a comeback.