Doyle Brunson Kicks Off World Series of Poker Main Event

With Doyle Brunson’s legendary words of “Shuffle Up and Deal,” the 2011 World Series of Poker main event officially kicked off on Thursday.

Nearly 1,000 players were in attendance for the first of four starting days in the Amazon Room at the Rio, though that number is sure to climb as registration remains open for the first four hours of play.

As of noon, a total of 3,209 players had registered for the main event. Tournament officials have stated that they expect the final number to eclipse last year’s mark of 7,319 thanks to an overall increase in field sizes over the course of the summer, but no one knows for sure how Black Friday will affect the main event.

Before play began, WSOP Tournament Director Jack Effel took the stage to thank the players for playing in the most prestigious poker tournament in the world. He then invited them to join him in Cannes, France later this October for the World Series of Poker Europe events.

Before handing the mic over to Brunson, Effel took the time to go over the rules. After all, despite the hefty buy-in of $10,000, for some this is the first WSOP event they have ever played in.

Take for example, Victor Ayala, from Canutillo, Texas. Ayala is making his first trip to Las Vegas to play in the summer series, but hasn’t even had time to check in to his hotel and unpack, sitting at his table with his luggage right behind him.

The 26-year-old part-time player won his seat in a $150 satellite at the Sandia Resort and Casino in New Mexico. Ayala beat out 150 other players to earn his main event seat.

“I’m really excited,” Ayala said. “This is like a dream. I came here to play with the best and I’m hoping that someone like Tom Dwan or Patrik Antonius sits down at my table.” Be careful what you wish for Victor.

Much like Ayala, Tim Basile is also playing in his first WSOP event. The 40-year-old amateur from Lafayette, Louisiana has been playing poker for the better part of 25 years, but somehow hasn’t made his way out to Las Vegas for the series.

Basile routinely plays in a poker club back home, which awarded points for strong finishes throughout the year. Right before the main event, the top four scores got together to play for the right to represent the club in the WSOP. Basile came out on top and now has 50 percent of himself in the main event.

Unlike Ayala, Basile is hoping to avoid any notable players at his table. “I was here last night to watch Hellmuth in the $50,000 Player’s Championship,” he said. “It’s exciting to meet all of the pros, but I can do that in the hallways. I’m just happy to be here.”

The players aren’t the only thing that has turned out in full force. According to WSOP Media Director Seth Palansky, a total of 468 members of the media applied for credentials, representing 61 different countries from around the world. For the first time this summer, the media room at the Rio is chock full of journalists looking for the inside scoop on poker’s next superstar.

For complete coverage of the 2011 World Series of Poker, be sure to check out Card Player’s official series landing page.

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