Bodog Beat

Poker pro Gavin Smith is one of the many name pros out in the field today at the 2009 WSOP. (Bodog Beat Image)

While the smell of Ben Gay and Old Spice waft their way toward media row and the high-pitched whine of electric scooters echoes through hallways of the Rio, a younger and noticeably talented field has joined the Senior event participants in the Amazon Room. The $10,000 World Championship Pot Limit Holdem event has kicked off today and the field is littered with familiar faces and names.

Among the players who have turned out to play are Alex Jacob, Amnon Filippi, Barry Greenstein, Gavin Smith, Erick Lindgren, Joe Sebok, Lex Veldhuis, Rafe Furst, Scotty Nguyen, Vanessa Rousso and, you know what, just a whole lot more. This should be a very interesting event to watch, so stay tuned for more updates.

Elsewhere at the 2009 WSOP, the $5,000 No Limit Holdem Shootout is wrapping up, but you wouldn't recognize any of the names still standing…. so, next.

In the $2,500 Mixed event, there are still many notable players left among the 14 remaining players, including Bodog Poker room regular and online poker pro Jon "PearlJammer" Turner, who is currently in second. Also still playing are Jimmy "gobboboy" Fricke, Layne Flack, Dario Alioto and Blair Rodman. First place pays out and impressive $241,637.

We'll get you some more 2009 WSOP updates as soon as we can head back out to the tournament floor and get some photos and deatils, so keep coming back here for more.