Today's Special Guest: WSOP Communications Director Seth Palansky

To PokerNews readers: PokerNews is proud to present a "Special Guest" blog appearing throughout the 2009 World Series of Poker and featuring a broad spectrum of poker players and dignitaries. This blog kicks off with a welcoming message from the WSOP's Communications Director, Seth Palansky:

What a start to the 2009 World Series of Poker! It truly is a spectacle to see the Amazon Room at the Rio go from empty to packed with nearly 2,000 players. And when I say empty, it really is just a gigantic
ballroom. But then they hang trusses, banners, lights, bring in the tables, surveillance for all tables, etc. And then you add 2,000 poker players and all the tournament staff, cocktail servers, media and spectators and the buzz is electric. Of course, for the next 50 days the chirping of chips is a constant sound too. Nothing like having cards in the air and the Rio full of poker's biggest names and tomorrow's new stars.

The 40th Annual WSOP is off to a terrific start by all standards. We had a casino restaurant bartender with big ambitions capture a bracelet by winning the opening event, for Casino Employees. Then poker's biggest stars captivated the room after they shelled out $40,000 each in an attempt to capture the first open event bracelet of the 40th running of the World Series of Poker. A record field for the Omaha, the largest prize pool for an event other than the Main Event, and more than 6,000 hopefuls turning out for the $1,000 buy-in 'stimulus special' on opening weekend made this one of the most memorable weeks of the WSOP ever.

The next two days offer a unique event - the Champions Invitational - all the previous Main Event winners who could make it, returning to the Amazon Room to decide the Champion of Champions. It's a free roll
tournament where one lucky winner will walk away with the Binion Cup and a shiny little Red Corvette. But it's not just any Corvette. It's from 1970, the inaugural year of the WSOP. The car is completely restored and the odometer reads zero. Quite a treat for the winner.

ESPN is here filming, Poker News is here providing live updates and the spectators are out in masses. Please come join us. We will be here through July 15!

Poker is alive and well and as healthy as ever. We want to wish everyone the best of luck at the WSOP and let us know if we can do anything to make your trip to the granddaddy of poker tournaments even better.

And oh yeah, don't forget to follow us on Twitter: @wsop

Seth