ESPN Poker Blog

Posted by Andrew Feldman

Here we go. Wayne Newton walked in for the famous opening words escorted by 10 ladies from the show "Jubilee!" and, in typical Las Vegas form, put on a show with his two minutes in front of the poker players in the Amazon Room. If that wasn't enough, the UNLV band made its second appearance this year and played "Viva Las Vegas," while everyone stood around and wondered when the action would begin. Today starts the journeys of an estimated 6,000 or 7,000 players to poker greatness.

Before I get into who is starting today, let me say that I currently am wearing noise-canceling headphones due to the playing of the soundtrack from "All In: The Musical." The action began slightly after its scheduled start time of noon, and before the players were let in, the soundtrack was being played over the loudspeaker in the Amazon Room. As I mentioned a couple of days ago, the Rio is putting on the poker musical, but seriously, I can't listen to lyrics that say, "I can dodge bullets, but I can't dodge you."

Miserable, but forget the music -- we're here for poker and a ton of it over the next 12 days.

The Players

While my preliminary list of notable players shows the best starting day to be Day 1D, many fan favorites start Day 1A. Here's my list of the top five players to watch as the action progresses today:

Scotty Nguyen: Starting at the feature table today, all eyes will be on Nguyen. After last year's blow up with 11 players left, Nguyen spent some time off kilter.

"Last year, I didn't win because I made a mistake. I got personal," Nguyen told ESPN.com's Gary Wise. "You can't make it personal when you play the game. You have to enjoy it. You have to be happy and enjoy playing the game. Last year, I let one of the players [Philip Hilm] get to me, and I wanted to knock him out so bad. This year, I said, 'No more personal, I don't care who it is.'"

Living with Nguyen was difficult, his wife, Julie, remembered.

"For three months, he didn't do anything," she said. "He didn't wash his car like he used to, he didn't eat … he lost 15 pounds. I had to take him to the doctor because he was throwing up blood. … He was so stressed. At home he was a beast. He never watches himself on TV, but he kept watching that show and just ate himself up. I was like, 'What are you doing? The past is over!'"

However, Nguyen doesn't have a lot to prove anymore after his victory in the $50,000 HORSE tournament. He's won the main event. He's won the HORSE. He truly is one of the best to ever play the game.

"Scotty is the hottest player right now," said Paul McGuire from the Tao of Poker blog. "He's going to want to forget his performance in the main event last year and move on."

WSOP/Nolan Dalla

Allen Cunningham moved up to third place after the first level of Day 4.

Allen Cunningham: Through 53 events, Cunningham has not won a bracelet. I can say that about some thousands of players, but with Cunningham, it's a little different. Cunningham had won bracelets in the three previous WSOPs, but he's been cold this year, making only one final table. Can I actually say that? Cold with one final table? Guess so. Cunningham is used to WSOP dominance, and although he has four cashes this year, he's going to have to have a dominant main event to make this year memorable.

Tom Dwan: Poker's next big thing has had a good WSOP, but with the cameras on him, how will he perform in the main event? Dwan's two cashes this year both were final table appearances, and the 21-year-old took home $100,000 for his efforts.

Everyone was wondering how he'd do this year, and they have their answer so far. But against one of the biggest fields in tournament history, Dwan will have to do something incredible to be remembered in 2008.

David Benyamine: A new member of the WSOP bracelet club, Benyamine's three final tables tied for the most with Jacobo Fernandez and Barry Greenstein. Benyamine was in contention in the player of the year race, but after failing to make the money in the $50,000 HORSE, he'll have to watch Erick Lindgren take home the crown. Benyamine won nearly $1 million over the past 50 days, one of the largest amounts of the series.

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Shelly Castellano/Icon SMI

Barry Greenstein was eliminated during Level 6 on Day 2AB.

Barry Greenstein: The player of the year runner-up won his third bracelet this year and made the final tables of the $50,000 HORSE event and the $5,000 2-7 lowball event. With six cashes to represent his success, Greenstein has made some money to bring to the Big Game when the WSOP ends.

Other notable players starting today include Jason Alexander, Billy Gazes, Chau Giang, Dan Harrington, Freddy Deeb, Joe Sebok, Gavin Smith, Shannon Shorr, Paul Wasicka, Phil Laak, Josh Arieh and a ton of others. The field size hasn't been announced yet, but as soon as it has been, I'll bring you the update.

Small blinds

The Ante Up For Africa charity tournament was a huge success. Congrats to Annie Duke and Don Cheadle on their accomplishment. You can hear what celebrities like Charles Barkley, Jason Alexander and others had to say about the event on the daily Poker Edge podcast . … Spectators began to line up outside at 10 a.m. for the noonish start. … The gaming and lifestyle show begins Thursday and will run until Sunday with everyone in the poker business promoting the industry. … Ray Romano and Mekhi Phifer are starting on Day 1A. … The start of the tournament was delayed because the dealers and staff had to put out the Everest Poker seat cushions on every seat. … Those blackjack tables from yesterday? No action. They're gone as we start the main event. … Joe Sebok wasn't feeling optimistic before the start of the main event, noting that he has been the victim of a ton of bad beats recently. …