5 Predictions for the 2015 WSOP - Seidel to win 9th Bracelet

The 2015 WSOP is now underway and some exciting storylines have occurred already. However, there are still dozens of bracelet events left, which means we're going to see more great poker moments happen. This being said, let's discuss five interesting 2015 WSOP predictions from our RakeTheRake staff.

1. Erik Seidel will finally win his Ninth Bracelet
Of all the elite poker players out there who haven't won a gold bracelet in a while, the one who really sticks out is Erik Seidel. In fact, he hasn't won a WSOP event since 2007, which is a long time for somebody who's as good and active as Seidel. But the thing is that he's been so good in EPT and WPT events that we believe his drought has to end in the near future. He's already won the EPT Grand Final Super High Roller (€2 million) and final tabled two Aussie Millions high rollers in 2015; so don't be surprised if he takes home a gold bracelet this summer as well.

2. The WSOP.com Online Event won't live up to Expectations
One of the most-interesting events at this year's WSOP is definitely the $1k online bracelet event. For the first time ever, somebody is going to earn WSOP gold through an online poker room (WSOP.com). Some people expect around 1,000 players to turn out for this event, which would create a huge $10 million prize pool. However, the problem here is that only those in Nevada can play in the WSOP.com online tourney. And even with the amount of pros who descend on Vegas for the summer, it's hard to see anywhere near 1,000 players anteing up $1k for this tourney.

3. Main Event Entries should beat Last Year's Total of 6,683
Will the 2015 WSOP Main Event be bigger than last year's tournament, which guaranteed a $10 million first-place prize? Our guess is yes, by a slim margin of 50-100 players. The move to guarantee 1,000 payouts should entice players who favor a better chance at cashing over gaudy top prizes. Of course, players won't be turned off by the WSOP's plan to guarantee at least $1 million to each final table player - if entries do indeed exceed last year's total of 6,683.

4. Phil Ivey won't play Many Tournaments
It was definitely exciting to see Ivey win his 10th career gold bracelet and move into a second-place tie (w/ Doyle Brunson, Johnny Chan) on the all-time list. But those anticipating an encore performance may be severely disappointed with how many tournaments Ivey plays this year. DO expect him to be present for some of the big events like the $50k Player's Championship and the $111k One Drop High Roller. DON'T expect him to make a strong run at bracelet #11, because he'll be in Macau for part of the WSOP, and he doesn't have any (publicly known) big bracelet bets.

5. Maria Ho will win Her First Bracelet
No female player has been as consistent at the WSOP as Maria Ho over the past three years. She's managed to cash 19 times in the last three years, which is definitely not an easy feat to accomplish. Last year alone saw Ho net eight total cashes, including the 77th-place finish in the Main Event ($85.8k) that earned her "Last Woman Standing" honors once again. Despite all of this great play, a gold bracelet still eludes her; but you can expect that to finally end at the 2015 WSOP.