Bodog Beat

Bodog poker pro Justin Bonomo is playing in the $40,000 buy-in 2009 WSOP event. (Bodog Beat Image)

With the unveiling of 2008 WSOP Main Event champion Peter Eastgate's banner in the Amazon Room of the Rio and the traditional "shuffle up and deal," the first open event of the 2009 World Series of Poker is underway. The special $40,000 buy-in 40th Anniversary (notice a trend with numbers here) event has officially drawn 164 players out to the tables.

Many of the biggest names in poker turned out for this event, including Phil Ivey, Daniel Negreanu, Mike Matusow, Doyle Brunson, Gavin Smith, Erick Lindgren and Bodog poker pro Justin Bonomo, who is seated at a table with the magic that is Antonio Esfandiari.

The action is an interesting mix of fast and slow. With such a steep buy-in you would expect the play to be tight and slow, but we've definitely already lost a few players within the first hour or so of play. The ESPN cameras have been racing across the floor to the calls of "all in and a call," which lends a hectic air to the proceedings, but at times it seems very sedate and pedantic as players settle in for the long haul.

We'll keep you posted on the proceedings as we go, so make sure to stay tuned here for 2009 WSOP updates and don't forget that you can qualify online for the 2009 WSOP through Bodog Poker with a chance to win a $12,000 WSOP prize package and a shot at poker immortality.