Rung in boomingly by the bass drum of the fabulous UNLV marching band, the spectacle that is the 2008 World Series of Poker officially kicked off inside the friendly confines of the Amazon Room at the Rio this afternoon.

Moments before the cards hit the air for the first of 55 events planned for the next 46 days in Sin City, WSOP Commissioner Jeffrey Pollack took a few minutes to welcome players and fans with an announcement that every single WSOP bracelet winner since 1974, and those lucky or skillful enough to pull off the feat this year and in future, will enjoy the benefits of Diamond status in the Harrah's Total Rewards program.

Kid PokerStars!

But while free show tickets, a birthday gift and the ability to skip the line at the Sao Paulo Café for those who hold the gold is nice, the real fun and excitement began just a few minutes later with the call to shuffle up and deal in the $10,000 Pot-Limit Hold'em World Championship.

In the days leading up to Day 1, in between all-night drinking binges and pwning low-stakes tournaments across The Strip, there have been more than a few debates among the PL.com crew as to whether it was a good idea to start the World Series with a $10k World Championship event.

The plan in the past has been to get rolling with something a little less than a World Championship, but it took just one look around the Rio today to confirm Harrah's got at least this one right.

Elite Erik.

With two other considerably cheaper Pot-Limit Hold 'Em events on the schedule in the coming weeks, some might say it makes more sense to lead up to the World Championship of Pot-Limit Hold 'Em than to lead with it, but the pros certainly outweigh this little con.

Although it's true that Harrah's could have just as easily begun with one of the way too many $1,500 donkaments that continue to draw record-breaking fields by attracting the type of player who might be better off sticking to the nightly $45 buy-in at the Sahara, the logistics of these kinds of events can be a nightmare.

The first $1,500 event at the 2007 WSOP drew just under 3,000 World Series dreamers filling the Amazon Room, the tent of death out back and part of the usually closed-for-the-series Rio poker room on the other end of this massive building.

The magic of the WSOP.

There were so many players and alternates when play began, the hallways of the convention centre saw hundreds camped out waiting for their number to be called to get in and get going. Add in hundreds more flowing in to register for future events and the Rio was ransacked.

With so much happening so fast in just the first few hours of play, the collective sweat of Harrah's staff could have filled Lake Mead.

Choosing a $10k buy-in event instead gave the people in charge here a chance at a bit of a soft start and things were actually civilized inside the convention centre today. As we approached the end of the second level and registration closed, the total number of entrants looked to be around 350 and much more manageable.

But logistics aside, it was the players included in that 350 or so that really made this a truly great beginning to the 2008 World Series of Poker.

The Dragon is ready to roll.

Some say the WSOP is all about giving anyone with the stones and the cash a chance to take on the best in the world, but for me it is more than that. It's really about the true stars and new stars of the game coming out to shine.

I come to the World Series of Poker to see poker's elite do their thing and with a $10k buy-in attracting a roster full of the best of the best to kick things off, today did not disappoint.

Phil Ivey, Daniel Negreanu, Chris Moneymaker, Gavin Smith, David Benyamine, Clonie Gowen, Humberto Brenes, Jennifer Harman, Tom McEvoy, Jamie Gold, and Antonio Esfandiari filled the felt here today.

WSOP not Laak-ing star power in 2008.

David Pham, Katja Thater, Eli Elezra, Kathy Liebert, Andy Black, Phil Laak and Erik Seidel were just a few more massive names that joined in on the action as well. The list was long and plentiful, representing the best and brightest minds in poker. From big-time veteran pros to young online phenoms, this is what a World Championship and a World Series should showcase.

They say you never get a second chance to make a good first impression and the 2008 WSOP did just that today. Here's hoping days two through 46 begin and end just as spectacularly!

To experience the spectacle of it all from the PL.com point of view, hit up our Live Updates page today and throughout the entire 2008 WSOP. Plus you can still qualify for a seat yourself over here!