There are more players than ever before in the World Poker Tour Championship event.
But there is only one big story.
Anna Wroblewski, poker's newest rags-to-riches hero, turned a $300 satellite into $337,000 when she won a $3,000 Five-Star Poker preliminary event.
The 21-year old has parlayed that victory into even more success at the Bellagio, bluffing and betting her way to the overall day-one-championship-tournament lead. Her day-one run included busting Jeff Madsen and calling a huge bluff with only ace-high.
Her 211,000 chips are slightly better than Sam Farha. Farha has 210,000 chips in his quest to capture his first WPT title.
The WPT's largest event is always a star-magnet thanks to the Las Vegas venue and the massive prize pool. The $3.9 million first prize represents the largest non-WSOP poker pool, with 639 players paying $25,000 a piece to create the record.
The field has 439 players remaining – including some of the best in the game -- with four days to go.
Jamie Gold, the reigning WSOP Main Event Champion has a mountain of chips as do former Main Event champions Joe Hachem, Carlos Mortensen, Scotty Nguyen, Dan Harrington, Phil Hellmuth, Johnny Chan, Tom McEvoy, and of course, Doyle Brunson.
The 2006 WSOP Main Event final table, supposedly packed with amateurs, is also well represented. Gold is leading this pack, but close behind are 2006 runner-up Paul Wasicka, Allen Cunningham, Fred Goldberg, and Erik Fridberg.
Joe Bartholdi, the 2006 WPT Champion, is still alive with more than double his starting chips. Joining him are former WPT champions Daniel Negreanu, Gavin Smith, Freddy Deeb, J.C Tran, Barry Greenstein, Gus Hansen, Hoyt Corkins and Erik Lindgren.
Day-two action begins again this afternoon with the final table scheduled to start on Friday.
