Heading into the 2011 World Series of Poker (WSOP), one of the looming questions on everyone’s mind surrounded the attendance in the Main Event. Given Black Friday on April 15th and the temporary suspension of Full Tilt Poker’s operating license last week, would the number of registrants in poker’s most prestigious tournament nosedive? On Thursday, we got our answer, at least in part, as 897 players turned out for Day 1A of the Main Event, down 20% from 2010.

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If the same percentage difference, 20%, were to hold true for the other three starting days, then this year’s WSOP Main Event would boast a field of about 5,800, likely above many industry insiders’ expectations. After all, this author has several prop bets about the Main Event’s attendance, several of which involve an over/under considerably less than 5,800.

WSOP officials were quick to point out that Day 1A typically boasts the smallest headcount. In fact, it historically makes up just 17% of the total Main Event attendance, meaning that the number of players this year is on pace for about 5,300.

Day 1B is on the books for Friday at the Rio All-Suite Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas. At the end of Thursday’s play, Las Vegas resident Fred Berger held the lead in the $10,000 buy-in tournament with a stack of 209,000. Former University of Notre Dame golfer Shane Sigsbee is in second place at 189,000.

Doyle Brunson (pictured) issued the “Shuffle up and deal” command to begin play on Thursday despite initially saying that he wasn’t participating in the Main Event this year. Brunson was seated at the feature table and entered after a little encouragement (not to mention a buy-in) from fellow Poker Hall of Famer Dewey Tomko.

Brunson Tweeted on Thursday, “I officially am playing the ME. Do I feel good? No. Do I want to play? No. Am I playing my best? No. Am I gonna try my best? Damn right!” Appropriately, Brunson didn’t survive to see Day 2A after coming out on the short end of a race with pocket fives against Steve Costello‘s A-Q. Costello flopped top two pair to put Brunson’s tournament life in danger and a running 6-2 sent “Texas Dolly” to the rail.

Joining Brunson on the outside looking in on Thursday was PocketFives.com member Faraz The-Toilet Jaka. He Tweeted his final hand of the Main Event: “Busted UTG. Raise1K, I 3bet to 2.7K w/ A-A, he calls w/ K-10o. Flop 6-8-9, he check-calls, Turn K. I bet 7K, he raises 15K, I shove 14K more, he calls. River K. Bye.” Ouch.

Jaka added, “Busted Main Event in a nasty way for 70K pot, but played very well all day, so feel good about the fact that I put myself in the best pos I cud.”

Matt mcmattoAffleck (pictured), who took 80th in the 2009 WSOP Main Event and 15th last year, won’t get a chance to three-peat in 2011. McMatto ran tens into jacks on his final hand and failed to catch up. Coverage found on WSOP.com reminded us, “Last year, he finished 15th, losing to eventual champion Jonathan Duhamel in one of the most talked about hands in recent years.”

Also making a deep run last year in the Main Event was Adam Roothlus Levy, who took 12th place. Lest we forget that in 2008, Levy drove to a 48th place exit. On Thursday, however, Levy’s short stack hit the middle with pocket jacks against an opponent’s K-Q. The flop came queen-high and Levy was eliminated.

Poker coachJeff yellowsub Williams (pictured) ended Day 1A with 20,000 in chips, dropping a portion of his stack late in the day. After betting on the flop, Williams and his opponent checked the turn and river on an A-J-7-4-3 board. Williams insta-mucked and his opponent ultimately showed 7-5 for a pair of sevens. Williams Tweeted to end play, “20,075 to end Day 1A. A rough last couple hours, looking forward to a few days off then back at it Monday.”

Former WSOP Europe Main Event champ Annette Annette_15 Obrestad made a heart flush on the river to scoop a pot worth 12,000, building her stack to 45,000. She finished the day on a tear and wound up with 68,000 when the final gong sounded.

Several members of the online poker community reported chip counts on our WSOP Twitterpage, powered by 24hPoker. Josh brikdog24 Brikis was among them, chirping, “Wow no phone all day, that was tough! I was up to 92K with 1 level left and they broke our table and I lost every pot, bagged 68K tho.”

Also checking in was PocketFives Traininginstructor Mike Gags30 Gagliano: “30K going to 250/500. Back at it on Monday at 12 Noon PT. Gonna relax the next few days.”

Day 1B of the Main Event begins on Friday at Noon PT. James P0KERPR033 Campbell was among those at the Rio for the second of four starting days, Tweeting, “I am playing the Main Event today. I feel like a kid at Christmas. We start play in about 3 hours. Stay tuned.”

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