Posted by Andrew Feldman
Welcome back to the main event. A couple minutes after noon Vegas time, George Wallace kicked off the main event with poker's most famous words, "Shuffle up and deal!" Walking through the Amazon room, hearing the shuffling of chips really brought me back to realize just what the next two weeks had in store.
Will one of these players that started today win the main event? Will a pro make the final table? What kinds of characters will we meet this year? Walking through the tables, there was one small problem as I looked to small talk with the big names. I didn't know anybody. I know that you're either wondering one of two things:
(1) I would hope not. There are going to be thousands and thousands of players out there, you can't know them all.
(2) Why not? You should know who you're covering. This is the biggest poker event in the world … pay attention!
It's really a double-edged sword. A lot of the pros have chosen to play either Saturday or Sunday, which will make those two days very very difficult to get through. The pros playing today, although not official by any means, totaled maybe 20. In the far-right corner of the room, the biggest name in the 50 tables was Huck Seed. After him … I honestly have no idea. There was nobody. Yes, players are still straggling in late to their seats after the event started, but the fact of the matter is, this might be the lightest pro day we're going to see.
Some of the players arriving late, however, were no surprise and probably a disappointment to the other players at their table. Doyle Brunson, Johnny Chan, Mike Sexton, Barry Greenstein, and Michael Mizrachi are just a few to name, but still, out of the entire field, where is everybody?
In relation to players still reaching their seats, I also saw some tables with four players at them. Yes, I said four. Talk about playing fast to steal the blinds at the early stages. Players arriving late have become a tradition, so let's see who fills those seats and just how many chips they have left when they get there. With the starting stacks at $10,000, there's a ton of play, so stealing blinds may be worth it, but they'll only get you so far.
I ran into Jeffrey Pollack and Gary Thompson as I walked out of the room and I asked them for their first impressions. Pollack was optimistic as always, "Things look good. The room is packed and that's what we like to see."
Registration will continue until Monday when Day 1D takes place, and I asked WSOP Media Director Nolan Dalla if he knew the number of players playing today.
"It doesn't really matter right now," Dalla said because of the open registration. "But if I had to guess, I'd say 1,200 to 1,300."
Talk about contrasting ideas. The room may be filled, but apparently not to the extent that it was last year. Upon further investigation, I walked around the room again and noticed two interesting things. First, there were cash games still running at probably 10 or 20 tables. This would never happen last year. Then, I saw some empty tables … OK, two. I don't know if they're being saved for alternates or something else, but it seems as if there are still plenty of open seats to go around on this first Day 1.
Hellmuth, Enright inducted into the Poker Hall of Fame
During the press conference yesterday, the annual Hall of Fame induction ceremony and speeches took place. OK, Vegas isn't Cooperstown, N.Y., but the prestige is still there. To be part of the elite group of players and people that shaped the poker world into what it is today was a dream for both Phil Hellmuth and Barbara Enright.
Enright's speech was short and sweet. Proclaiming that she deserved to be in the Hall of Fame and nobody would dare argue. Since 1976, she has won three WSOP bracelets, over $750,000 in tournament winnings, and is the only female to have made it to the main event's final table.
Hellmuth's speech was done in pure Hellmuth fashion. He spoke about his successes and everyone that has supported him since he first dropped out of college to play poker. How his 11 bracelets were just the start and how he's looking to win 20 more. Yes, he did say 20. Then he dropped this bomb &#!33;
""I also want to thank Russ Hamilton," Hellmuth said. "He started the Ultimate Blackjack Tour which is another company I think I've put a million dollars of my own money into that hasn't done very well."
The very candid Hellmuth then spoke of other investments that he's profited on and how he really is the greatest player in the world.
Two more thoughts from yesterday
Jeffrey Pollack, the commissioner of the WSOP, was very poised throughout the entire press conference yesterday even when some hardballs were being thrown his way. He also praised Jamie Gold by saying even though he wasn't a vocal main event champion, he still represented the game and industry well and commended him on his efforts both in the past and what we'll see from him in the future.
The lifestyle show is strange. I think that's the best way to put it. Last year the room was filled with vendors, online sites, and good products. This year, it's filled with strip clubs and people selling dealer buttons and large chips. It's really strange. Since online sites cannot advertise within the Harrah's property, thinking out of the box to promote their product became extremely important. Bodog offered rides in a tricked-out bus to all those who want a taste of the company's lifestyle. Last year they had pillow fights in the lifestyle show, this year they've got a bus filled with Bodog girls. Not bad.
Small blinds:
The Darfur fundraiser event was great. Congrats to Annie Duke and Don Cheadle for putting up such a fantastic event … Erik Seidel won won his eighth bracelet Thursday night in the Lowball event … Jamie Gold proclaimed at the press conference that what happened last year was a combination of misunderstandings … I busted out of the media event after the break which is the longest I've lasted in the WSOP this year. I'll take the top-40 finish for no money. … ESPN Poker Club winner Leroy Martin starts his WSOP quest on Saturday … The media room needs to be expanded for the amount of members that have come to cover the event … The tent is holding satellites to the main event while it is being played … Check out today's chat live from the WSOP …
Poker
