The first day of the first event of the 2007 World Series of Poker has come to an end. Fewer than 100 players will return tomorrow at 2 p.m. to continue play in level eleven. Play will continue tomorrow until there are only nine players remaining.

In the last round, notables David "Devilfish" Ulliot, Freddy Deeb, Chad Brown, Phil Ivey, Mike Matusow and Phil Gordon were all eliminated. Many players fought to survive to day two, including Humberto Brenes. Down to one small stack of $100 chips, Brenes was all in preflop during the limit portion of level ten. Perry Friedman raised to isolate, and he and Humberto were going to see a flop heads up. Before the flop came down, Brenes revealed the 2 and announced that he had a "free card."  When Friedman exposed his J9, Brenes realized that both his cards were live and flipped over his other holecard, the A.   The flop of AJ5 gave Brenes top pair but Friedman picked up a pair and flush draw. The turn brought the 4, leaving Friedman in need of a spade, jack or nine on the river.  The 5 gave Brenes aces up and and the pot, which will keep him alive.  With around $3,000, Brenes is in need of a few double-ups if he wants to survive much longer in this event.

Event number three, $1,500 No Limit Hold 'Em will begin tomorrow at 12 p.m. Last years winner, Brandon Cantu, overcame a field of 2,776. The registration line for tomorrow's event has stretched down the hallway of the Rio all day and hasn't shown any sign of getting smaller. Players are waiting hours to get their chance at World Series of Poker gold and there is no telling how large tomorrow's field may be. Stay tuned to CardPlayer.com for continuing coverage of the 2007 World Series of Poker.

Like a bear waking from a winter-long hibernation, the remaining players awoke from their limit-induced slumbers and furious action ensued when the game switched to no-limit for the beginning of level nine. Within minutes Erick Lindgren, Chau Giang, Rafe Furst, Mickey Appleman and a number of other players were elimated from the tournament.  Todd Brunson went all in preflop and was called by an opponent, who showed  the 88. Brunson's JJ was in the lead, and he doubled up when the board improved neither player.

Among the list of notables eliminated in the no-limit portion of this level was Jennifer Harman. Joe Tehan, Jennifer Harman and Sirious Baghchehsaraie saw a flop of A66. Tehan bet out and Harman raised. Baghchehsaraie smooth called and Tehan folded. The turn was the 8 and Baghchehsaraie bet out $9,000. Harman came over the top for $23,500 and Baghchehsaraie made the call. Harman showed K6 and her opponent turned over 76. The river was the 2 and Harman was eliminated.

Phil Hellmuth made quite a stir toward the end of the no-limit portion of the level.  After losing the majority of his stack to a new player at the tablewith jacks aganist queens, Hellmuth began to vent his anger in trademark Hellmuth fashion.  Phil Gordon warned Hellmuth that he would call a floorman over if Hellmuth didn't stop berrating him.  His opponent responded that, "He's not berating me, he;'s beratin himself."  Within a few minutes, Hellmuth found himself all in after the flop with tens against an opponent who flopped three jacks, with a board of JJ8.  The turn and river did not improve Hellmuth and he was elimated, attracting the attention of the surrounding tables as he verbally expressed his frustration.

The limit portion elicited a similar response from the players as it had in previous levels.  Perry Friedman announced to his table that he was, "not playing any limit hands."   Other lingering sentiments include the player's disdain for the new cards used earlier in the day.  Mike Matusow continues to share his opinion about the cards, and express his desire to meet whoever conceived their design.

As tables break and all the players have moved into one section of the Amazon room, numerous tables have become saturated with prominent pros.  Vanessa Rousso, Josh Arieh, Mickey Appleman, Jeff Madsen and Freddy Deeb are all fighting it out at table 63.  With Layne Flack, Phil Hellmuth, and Humberto Brenes gathered at table 67,  antics are sure to follow.  During the no-limit portion of the level a shortstacked Flack moved all in preflop and was called by Hellmuth, who tabled the AQ. Flack showed the A7, and the board of 1054A2 brought no help for Flack and he was eliminated.

As the 180 remaining players entered the limit portion of the level play slowed considerably. Hellmuth was seen checking his holecards, then folding and saying, "I'm going back to sleep."  This sentiment seemed pervasive among the players, and the ebb and flow of action related to the switching between games has been considerable.   Some players have also encountered trouble switching between games.  One player checked a full house on the river in the hope of inducing a big bluff, only to realize that the game had switched and that his opponent was far less likely to bluff with one bet on the river during a limit hand.  As players prepare to enter level nine, one cannot help but feel that players are waiting in anticipation for the next level's no-limit portion.

Players returned from the dinner break at 9 p.m. to finish the few remaining minutes of level six.   With Humberto Brenes being moved into seat six, table 54 became undeniably stacked. Erik Seidel, Layne Flack, and Doyle Brunson occupied seats two, three and four, representing more than 20 World Series of Poker bracelets.

The field has narrowed to 210 players and play is relatively slow. Notable players Sam Grizzle, Kathy Liebert, Daniel Negreanu and Doyle Brunson have all been eliminated during level seven. Doyle Brunson busted when his two pair failed to improve against his opponent's set of kings. Liebert got all her money in on a  flop of A97 with KK against her opponent's AK and failed to improve. Barry Greenstein on the other hand has had better fortune. After finishing in seventh place in the Mandalay Bay Poker Championship earlier today, Greenstein arrived at approximately 5 p.m. and started collecting chips in his usual fashion. In just a few short hours he has built his stack to over $33,000.

In a slight change to previous years, play for day one will have a set ending time. Play will conclude tonight at 2 a.m. regardless of remaing player or remaining time in a level. This ending time will stay consistent for all events beginning at 12 p.m. for the remainder of the 2007 World Series of Poker.

Tournament officials announced that the dinner break will take place at 7:30 for the rest of the series.  Players didn't express much of an opinion on the change for the duration of the series, but some, such as T.J. Cloutier, did show their disappointment in the time being changed from 8 p.m. at the last minute, possibly creating dinner reservation problems.

Level six has come to an end with 270 players remaining. As the field shrinks many players are finding themselves at increasingly difficult tables. Table 68 was home to three of the most notable names left in the field, Johnny Chan, Daniel Negreanu, and Phil Ivey. A short-stacked Annie Duke was moved to table 59, where David "Devilfish" Ulliot, Thomas Wahlroos, and Mike Matusow were waiting.  Wasting no time, Duke moved her short stack of $2,000 in from middle position and received a call from Matusow in the big blind.  Duke's AJ was in the lead against Matusow's 87 going into the flop and the board only helped her cause, bringing the AJ6310, and doubling Duke up.   The very next hand Duke raised $900 preflop and was called by the player in seat nine and Wahlroos from the cutoff. After a flop of AQ7, Duke once again moved in all of her chips.  Both players folded, but in the process of mucking Wahlroos expressed a desire to call.  Annie needled Matusow, saying, "Give your hand to Mike," insinuating that Matusow would call her with anything.  After these hands Duke chipped up to $8,000, while Matusow dropped down to around $5,000.

In response to the earlier concerns regarding the new cards, a number of more typical setups were introduced into the tournament.   Discussion of the cards continued, with Matusow saying that he, "Would like to have lunch with the guy who came up with these cards, ya know, pick his brain."  The registration lines are still flowing out the doors and snaking through the Rio's crowded halls.  As a result, many players aren't bothering to wait in line. 

Along with the many changes from previous years, the 2007 World Series of Poker is now adopting a much more lenient policy regarding the infamous 'F-bomb.' In years past, the 'F-bomb' has had disastrous consequences for many players, often resulting in a ten minute penalty in which the player's chips are blinded off. This year's policy is much more player friendly, with penalties only administered if "malicious intent" can be established. Directing an 'F-bomb' at another player or the dealer will result in a penalty, but use of the word is no longer strictly off limits. This change is felt to be necessary by many of the players, most notably Matusow.

If at first you don't succeed, try, try again. At least that is how Ryan Daut is approaching the day. Daut was eliminated from the final table at the WPT Mandalay Bay Poker Championship in ninth place earlier today. He then came straight to the Rio to play in the mixed hold'em world championship.

TJ Cloutier got involved in a hand with less than stellar hole cars at one point, but used aggression to take down the pot. Cloutier reraised $1200 total after his opponent bet $600 on a board of QQ29. His opponent folded and Cloutier said, "I'm not used to playing these, but I can play them, " as he turned over Q-4. Jeff Shulman has almost doubled his starting stack and picked up a pot off of Phil Gordon with ace-high.

Table 43 has been stock-piling poker talent as the field breaks down, and it now has Steve Sung, John "The Razor" Phan, Liz Lieu, Scott Fischman, William Jensen, and Bill Gazes. Doyle Brunson has built his stack up to $30,000 and looks like he is enjoying the tournament while chatting with Layne Flack between hands.

The tournament recently went on a break to color up the green $25 chips. It was also announced that their will be new playing cards after the break.  This was met by cheers from the majority of the players in the tournament. There were 36 tables left during this tournament-wide celebration.

As play continues toward the evening many players continue to stay upbeat.  The new playing cards are not the only things providing confusion on the tournament floor.  Many of the players in the field are not used to playing a mixed format, and are seeing varying results in limit versus no limit.  Some just seem to be having better results in one rather than the other.  Sandwiched between John Juanda and Robert Williamson III, Jason Strasser had a very solid run during the most recent level of limit.  Another table mate Greg Raymer remarked, "when you win this tournament, you will have +$6 million in the limit levels and -$2 million in the no-limit levels."

The chatter between tables has been hearty as well.  Soon after he made his level five entrance, Phil Hellmuth was treated to a massage from David "Devilfish" Ulliott.  "Big Game" players Eli Elezra and David Benyamine have been seated next to each other all day (with Benymaine consistently getting the best of Elezra) and they were visited earlier in the day by other "Big Game" regulars Doyle Brunson and the recent Mandalay Bay tenth-place finisher Chau Giang. 

Eric Cajelas and Tuan Le have emerged as the early chip leaders, but the field is still filled with plenty of sharks with healthy chip stacks. This mixed format allows for an interesting dynamic:  Limit poker is seen as requiring more skill over a long run, as one bad beat can't cripple you (at least in the early levels), yet several well-played limit hands can be erased by a costly bad beat in one of the no-limit levels. 

As play nears the dinner break, look for some players to break ahead of the pack.

The excitement of the first day refuses to wear off as crowds flood the Amazon room and the lines for satellite tournaments continue to draw comparisons to Disneyland. "This reminds me of 2004," said Steve Wong about the lines. While this is good news for the tournament fields, it's bad news for logistics. The main cage and final table are on the same side of the room, which will make for some very clogged walkways when things get busy.

Away from the crowds, and at the felt, the players are digging into tournament play. Tuan Le has already amassed three times his starting chips. He has $35,000 in front of him after he killed two birds with one stone and sent two opponents to the rail. Gabe Kaplan has also jumped out to an early lead in the tournament.

The official number of participants was announced at 451. Forty-five places will be paid, starting with $11,658 for the person who busts on the favorable side of the bubble. First-place will take home $536,287 and the first bracelet of the 2007 WSOP.

The race to eleven bracelets got off to an early start today as well. Doyle Brunson, Johnny Chan, and  Phil Hellmuth are all playing and they all remain in the field. Another player who may have eleven bracelets when his career is all said and done was present as well. Phil Ivey has almost doubled up his chip count, and now holds $19,000.

Robert Mizrachi made his exit a half hour ago when he was all in for his last $1,875. The flop read 954 when he pushed and his opponent quickly called. Mizrachi flipped over pocket tens, but his opponent showed pocket jacks. Things only got worse for Mizrachi when another jack was dealt on the turn. The 8 on the river was no help, but Mizrachi was not expecting any considering he had already left the table.

Table 59 featured some international flair with the collection of Gus Hansen, Thomas Wahlroos, and David "Devilfish"  Ulliot. Max Pescatori also sat directly behind these players at the next table. We will see if European and international players stake a strong presence in the 2007 edition of the WSOP.

A quick update on the big story of day one. The small suits on the playing cards have continued to play tricks on the eyes of many players. A number of misreads have been reported.

The Amazon room at the Rio has been transformed for the 2007 World Series of Poker. Their is a stage with bleachers set up in oner corner of the room for the final table and the brand new No Limit Lounge is set up opposite the bleachers. This lounge looks out over the vast tournament field and it was from this makeshift stage that the 2006 WSOP Champion, Jamie Gold, announced "Shuffle Up and Deal." Action today is taking place in two events. Event #1 is the $5,000 World Championship mixed hold'em tournament. Event #2 is the Casino Employees no-limit hold'em  event.

The most striking difference from last year is a large reproduction of the Wall of Champions that adorns the walls of the room. Every world champion from Johnny Moss to Jamie Gold has a huge portrait on the wall. This gives the room a darker appearance than the year before and sets an intimate mood. Many of the players featured on the wall are playing in the mixed hold'em tournament, including Johhny Chan, Huck Seed, and Greg Raymer.

Just shy of 50 tables started the day in the mixed hold'em world championship, yet no official number has been released. One sentiment was shared by every player during the early part of the day. The cards were not going to work for the summer, and perhaps not even the day. "There's no chance of changing these cards before the end," asked Harry Demetriou. Never one to keep his opinion to himself, Mike "The Mouth" Matusow exclaimed,  "Who's the genius that came up with these cards."

At some tables the players were even confused as to which game they would start out playing. "Are we starting [with] limit or no-limit? We could just play some badugi," said Joe Sebok as his table started the day. He was joined at that table by Raymer, Doug Lee, Joe Tehan, Andy Black, and John Hennigan. Needless to say, this was a favorite spot of the ESPN camera crews who are present in much larger numbers this year. The resourceful Raymer commandeered a structure sheet from the crowd to clarify the issue.
 
One of the most intriguing tables at this early point is number 75, which features Mark Newhouse, Kirk Morrison, J.J. Liu, Mark Seif, Rene Angelil, Thomas Schreiber, and WSOP legend Berry Johnston. Johnston has won five bracelets, and he won the main event in 1986. Also, at table 62 a microcosm of what could become one of the major themes at this year's WSOP was strikingly clear. Young players Steve Sung and Anna Wroblewski were seated with two of the games old guard, Dewey Tomkho and David Grey. Action will continue to unfold throughout the afternoon  and we will keep you posted on CardPlayer.com.