The 2014 World Series of Poker started with a bang on Tuesday, as a $25,000 Mixed-Max NLHE tournament attracted 131 entrants. The winner, who will be crowned on Friday, will pocket $871,000 and the top 16 will finish in the money. Leading the remaining 60-player field is a familiar name in the poker world: Vanessa Selbst (pictured), who is #1 on tournament poker’s all-time money list, according to the Hendon Mob.

As PokerNews detailed, Selbst flopped quad jacks in a hand against 2014 PokerStarsCaribbean Adventure High Roller winner Jake Schindler on Tuesday to assume a massive stack. As coverage detailed, “The money went in the middle when Schindler turned a pair of tens to go with his open-ended straight draw, but Selbst held an unbeatable hand and raked in the 450,000-chip pot.”

Selbst has 562,000 in chips to start Day 2, which will be played six-handed at the Rio in Las Vegas, the site of the annual WSOP for the last 10 years. Trailing Selbst by 5,000 in chips is Brian tsarrastRast, who won the 2012 WSOP Poker Player’s Championship. Rast was the executioner of two high-profile players on Tuesday in the event: nosebleed-stakes cash game player Phil Galfond and 2012 Main Event winner Greg Merson.

Selbst and Rast have a commanding lead over the third place player on the leaderboard, three-time bracelet winner Michael Mizrachi, who has 399,000 in chips.

Jason treysfull21Mercier (pictured), who told PocketFives in recent weeks that he is hell-bent on getting another bracelet in 2014, doubled up late on Tuesday in the Six-Max event to survive to Day 2. The chips hit the middle pre-flop in a race situation, with Mercier holding A-K against Barry Hutter‘s 9-9. Mercier flopped an ace to pull ahead for good and ended the day with 117,000.

Also doubling up as the final seconds ticked away on Day 1 was Justin ZeeJustin Bonomo, who got his money in well behind with 7-7 against A-A. However, he hit a runner-runner straight to double up to over 200,000 in chips and ended the day at 178,000.

No WSOP reporting would be complete without checking in on Phil Hellmuth (pictured). The outspoken Main Event winner has a stack of 181,000 entering Day 2. Hellmuth’s big pot involved the money going in on a 10-8-7 two-diamond flop, with Hellmuth showing 8-8 for middle set and John Juanda showing 6-5 of diamonds for flush and straight draws. The 5h and Ks on the turn and river were no help to Juanda, however, and Hellmuth doubled through.

Here are the top 10 stacks in the $25,000 Mixed-Max NLHE event (#2):

1. Vanessa Selbst – 562,800
2. Brian tsarrastRast – 557,400
3. Michael Mizrachi – 399,300
4. Jason Mo – 393,000
5. Fabrice Touil – 327,600
6. Dan Cates – 317,000
7. Ravi govshark2 Raghavan – 275,000
8. John Juanda – 264,800
9. Stephen stevie444 Chidwick – 260,600
10. Aaron aejones Jones – 235,800

There’s one new event slated to start on Wednesday in Las Vegas, a $1,000 Pot Limit Omahatournament that kicks off at Noon Pacific Time. Keep it dialed to PocketFives for the latest WSOP coverage.

Want the latest poker headlines and interviews? Follow PocketFives on Twitterand Like PocketFives on Facebook. You can also subscribe to our RSS feed.