No surprise that the high-rolling User: shakman is in first place with 25,775 chessbucks. I had to consult the ChessBookie Hall of Fame to learn that it wasn't quite a record for a non-championship leg, but pretty darn close.

One year of premium membership has been added to his account.

What did come as a surprise is that rocketing up through the middle tiers was User: Winter who amassed 11,248 overnight. That's what a 1000 chessbuck pick three will do for you if you get lucky :)

The complete list of the top-10 all are now qualified for the Championship Leg which starts at the end of the year after the Christmas festivities die down:

(1) shakman 25,775
(2) Winter 11,248
(3) ChessWriter 4,703
(4) torillt 4,556
(5) Stonehenge 4,444
(6) Ragh 4,422
(7) gunsan 4,181
(8) wordfunph 4,071
(9) drakkenboy 4,025
(10) Natalia Pogonina 4,024

We'll add these names and scores to the Hall of Fame shortly.

For those who don't know how the game is played, if you qualify by being in the top-10 list for any non-Championship leg you are automatically given not 1000 but 10,000 chessbucks during the Championship Leg in winter. That's the time when the high-rollers really get to strut their stuff.

We are delighted to see User: Natalia Pogonina has qualified--by far the highest Elo qualifier to date.

Not that I'd have gone top 10, or even top 50, anyway..

grats also to the bridesmaids of <shakman> who made it to the fantastic 10 especially to the come-from-behind victors and fellow Filipino Winter, ChessWriter, gunsan, drakkenboy, and probably the only lady <Natalia Pogonina>! Also to consistent frontrunners torillt, Stonehenge and Ragh. And to all bookie players who made this contest exciting as ever.

thanks to Chess Bookie master <Switch> for the guidance to play on with only $3,900 in my pocket :)

...and muchas gracias to <Chessgames Bookie>!

For me, it was close, but not close enough. Lost out in the last round (buy $89) to GM Natalia Pogonina, and ended up 11th. At least I've earned a bragging right: "My loss came against a GM" :-)

<What are minimum bets? Maximum bets?

Each event has a minimum bet selected by the bookie. For most events, the minimum is 5 chessbucks, but for event with lots of lines to bet on, lower amounts are sometimes permitted.

There is also a maximum bet or "betting cap" which is applied to your account. When you start the game, your betting cap will be 200 chessbucks. The bookie will not accept more than this amount on any single ticket. As your net worth grows, and as your "rating" with the bookie increases (i.e., you place more bets), he will allow larger wagers from you.

At the beginning (when you have only 1000 chessbucks and no prior betting history) you are severely limited but as your bankroll grows, and as you provide the bookie with more action, you earn the right to wager a larger percentage of your net worth. Eventually, you may be able to bet everything you have on any single ticket.>

Chessgames Bookie All-Time Bigwigs!!!

# 1 <SwitchingQuylthulg> 1-Time World Champion ; 3-Time Leg Winner ; 5-Time Leg Runner-Up

# 2 <Barok Espinosa> 1-Time World Champion ; 1-Time Leg Winner ; 1-Time World Runner-Up ; 2-Time Leg Runner-Up

# 3-5 <percyblakeney> <holland oats> <AnimusEtOblivio> 1-Time World Champion ; 2-Time Leg Runner-Up

# 6 <iron maiden> 1-Time World Champion ; 1-Time Leg Runner-Up

# 7 <Chnebelgrind> 2-Time Leg Winner ; 1-Time World Runner-Up ; 5-Time Leg Runner-Up

# 8 <Robin01> 1-Time Leg Winner ; 4-Time World Runner-Up ; 4-Time Leg Runner-Up

# 9 <Sneaky> 1-Time Leg Winner ; 3-Time World Runner-Up ; 4-Time Leg Runner-Up

# 10 <Fredrik> 1-Time Leg Winner ; 2-Time World Runner-Up ; 2-Time Leg Runner-Up

# 11 <wallytherhino> 1-Time Leg Winner ; 2-Time Leg Runner-Up

# 12-13 <TrueBlue> <Winter> 1-Time Leg Winner ; 1-Time Leg Runner-Up

# 14-20 <Brittle> <you vs yourself> <imag> <capatal> <leoloren> <WinKing> <shakman> 1-Time Leg Winner

# 21 <4tmac> 4-Time World Runner-Up ; 4-Time Leg Runner-Up

# 22-23 <Touch of Knight> <gunsan> 2-Time World Runner-Up ; 4-Time Leg Runner-Up

# 24-27 <gus inn> <moronovich> <technical draw> <ChessWriter> 2-Time World Runner-Up ; 2-Time Leg Runner-Up

# 28-30 <refutor> <Bob726> <Micawbr> 2-Time World Runner-Up ; 1-Time Leg Runner-Up

# 31-32 <Andoy> <Selkirk> 2-Time World Runner-Up

# 33-34 <NaKoSonorense> <SloVice> 1-Time World Runner-Up ; 4-Time Leg Runner-Up

# 35-36 <acirce> <Midas Touch> 1-Time World Runner-Up ; 2-Time Leg Runner-Up

# 47-53 <hairmajorchair> <DCP23> <ronaldducalang> <protean> <Messiah> <Shajmaty> <kellmano> 1-Time World Runner-Up

# 54 <wordfunph> 4-Time Leg Runner-Up

# 55 <malthrope> 3-Time Leg Runner-Up

# 56-68 <Blue in Ohio> <feripe> <redribbon3700> <grobler> <kspiteri> <hcbsb> <Boratco> <SugarDom> <TITIKIZA> <Pyke> <DrStrangemove> <Stonehenge> <Ragh> 2-Time Leg Runner-Up

All-Time Number of Top Ten Finishes!!!

9 times = <SwitchingQuylthulg> <Robin01>

8 times = <Sneaky> <Chnebelgrind> <4tmac>

6 times = <Touch of Knight> <gunsan>

5 times = <Fredrik> <NaKoSonorense> <Barok Espinosa> <SloVice>

4 times = <gus inn> <moronovich> <technical draw> <ChessWriter> <wordfunph>

2 times = <iron maiden> <True Blue> <Andoy> <selkirk> <Akavall> <ycsidney> <Hot Logic> <Rimrock> <Barbababa> <edsauced> <Calcium> <Blue in Ohio> <feripe> <redribbon3700> <grobler> <kspiteri> <hcbsb> <Boratco> <SugarDom> <TITIKIZA> <Pyke> <DrStrangemove> <ddaniell> <moulicules> <dakgootje> <Winter> <Stonehenge> <Ragh>

1 time = <Brittle> <you vs yourself> <imag> <capatal> <leoloren> <hairmajorchair> <DCP23> <ronaldducalang> <protean> <Messiah> <Shajmaty> <kellmano> <Kenkaku> <dmilosev> <Holden> <statisticsman> <voronin> <chessmind> <fersonatu> <MatedStan> <soughzin> <jokinas> <tsyer> <TheoreticalNovelty> <unsound> <suenteus po 147> <AdrianP> <Chuga> <Avion> <Phoenix> <plimko> <JOHNNY YORK> <Annie K.> <Deathloks> <okuzucu> <krtecci> <lostemperor> <Morphystyle> <OrlandoRocha> <dewergo79> <pawnofdoom> <jbean> <Davolni> <tal lover> <MrMelad> <NimzoCapa> <arunbiswas> <slomarko> <danielpi> <camachoe> <Vicao> <Kreifi> <BlackDahlia> <dalbertz> <Inertia> <angeloram> <Shadowmancer> <ROADDOG> <Mate Hunter> <Bradah> <jameskobe> <SkeletonKing> <Chess Gambler> <Graf Zeppelin> <banane> <Mdog> <CRISMELDRE> <TIMER> <WinKing> <number 23 NBer> <shakman> <torillt> <drakkenboy> <Natalia Pogonina>