Welcome to the World Series of Poker Main Event! One of the 6,683 players that took their seat over the past three starting days will win $10,000,000.
Dealers in the Amazon Room are getting their tables ready to receive players as the anticipation grows in the hallways of the Rio.
Many people liken Day 1 of the Main Event to Christmas morning. If that's the case, then this dealer is counting the stacks and checking them twice as the festivities are about to begin.
Entertaining the crowds prior to the start of play for each day was the Official DJ of the UFC: Albert Lineses who spinned some tunes to add to the already electric environment.
Jack Effel, Director of the WSOP, greets the players and welcomes them to the 2014 World Series of Poker Main Event.
Executive Director of The WSOP, Ty Stewart takes to the microphone and says few words. He then introduces the day's special guest who will deliver the most famous words in poker.
Joe Hachem addresses the players of the Main Event on Day 1a. And after a few words and good luck wishes he delivers the customary, "shuffle up and deal" and play for the 2014 WSOP Main Event is underway.
What were empty tables just a few minutes prior, are now filled with aspiring amateur and professional poker players, all dreaming of becoming a member of the illlustrious November Nine and ultimately The World Series of Poker Main Event Champion.
All of the tables are initially established through a random seat draw process after which a table from the field is selected to become the feature table. It is pretty ironic that 2012 WSOP Main Event Champion Greg Merson and 2013 WSOP Main Event Champion Ryan Riess ended up at the same table on Day 1a. Both champions made it through to Day 2 and it is safe to say they would probably prefer to be sitting with less skilled players.
Every player who entered the Main Event received an orange disc at their seat. The disc is actually a stress ball in hockey-puck form provided to the players from dough.com. Instead of chip towers, Andy Bloch creatively created disc towers that was used at one point as a chin rest.
Sweden's Martin Jacobson Sits On Top of the Day 1a leader board with 200,100 in chips. With two cashes this summer including a 7th place in Event #32: $10,000 Six-Handed No-Limit Hold'em Championship, you can be sure Jacobson will be looking to put those chips to good use come Day 2.
Ray Romano with his son provided the "shuffle up and deal" for Day 1b. Romano entertained the crowd by joking, "This year is special for me because I brought my son who just turned 21. Like a good father I brought him to Vegas. I've got a last longer bet with him, so if anyone knocks him out I'll buy you a drink." And with that, Day 1b was underway.
Day 1a saw the new crop of Main Event Champions seated at the same table while through another crazy random draw on Day 1b saw two veterans at the feature table. Dan Harrington, the 1995 Main Event Champion and Huck Seed, the 1996 Main Event Champion were seated right next to each other.
Trey Luxemburger ended Day 1b as the chip leader with 193,450, coming in just shy of Day 1a's chip leader Martin Jacobson with 200,100. Luxemburger doesn't have any tournament cashes recorded, so he will be looking to parlay his chips into his first WSOP cash.
The 2013 WSOP Player of the Year, Daniel Negreanu gave the "shuffle up and deal" on Day 1c after being presented with his prize, a Main Event ticket, for earning that title. This is the second year that Negreanu played consistently enough during the entire series to earn Player of the Year, the first being in 2004.
Seeing Aaron Paul on the rail, one might think he was "Breaking Bad." In actuality, he was just railing the Main Event not having entered the massive field.
NBA player Paul Pierce took to the felt today and made it through to Day 2. Amber Fukuda caught up with Pierce on a break from play and you can hear what Pierce had to say by clicking the video tab on the PokerNews site.
FC Barcelona centre-back and Shakira's other half, Gerard Pique took his seat in Pavilion surrounded by the international media. Unfortunately no sighting of Shakira on the rail, who would be sure to class up the joint.
Nothing gets poker players and fans excited more than watching Phil Ivey stack chips. Ending Day 1c with 187,025, Ivey is one of the big stacks heading into Day 2. Ivey has yet to win a bracelet in a no-limit hold'em event and you can be sure he has his eyes on the big prize.
Eric Tracy ended Day 1c as the chip leader bagging a whopping 206,175. This was good enough to beat out Day 1a chip leader Martin Jacobson as well as Day 1b's Trey Luxemburger, to become the big stack going into Day 2.
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