2011 WSOP Main Event Commences + Hellmuth misses out on number 12 again

So, its all kicked off... The big one has begun and day 1a is over.

I will one day play in this event, hopefully next year.

897 players started the first day with 341 biting the dust and failing to make day 2. The next 3days will be day 1b, day 1c and day 1d. In total it is a 13 day event.

The forecast entrants figure is likely to be around the 5500 mark. This is more than 3000 below the peak of 2006 when 8773 players entered and the final was won by Jamie Gold for a cool $12,000,000.

Some familiar players started day 1a, they included Doyle Brunson, Johnny Chan, Greg Raymer, Annette Obrestad, Lex Veldhuis, Fatima Moreira, Jerry Yang, Vanessa Selbst, Randy Lew and Isaac Haxton.

I wonder who will end up winning the final table and a life changing chunk of change. Last year Canadian Jonathan Duhamel scoop $8,944,310 after defeating the field of 7319 players.

In other news Phil Hellmuth narrowly missed out on a record breaking 12th bracelet when he finished 2nd the the $50,000 Poker Player's Championship. At one stage Phil had a 5:1 chip lead over eventual winner Brian Rast.

In the final hand Phil picked up a flush draw on a flop of JT9dd while holding 82dd. Rast was holding KQ for the nuts as Hellmuth pushed all in. Rast held and Hellmuth was unable to break his own record of 11 Bracelets.

GL to all in the main event.