Tournament: WSOP Main Event hopefuls fight for their right to buy in

This year's World Series of Poker has been setting records and selling out events at every turn, so it should come as no surprise that the Main Event has been...well, eventful. While the first fiftysome events of the series ran rather smoothly, the first few days of the Main Event have been marked by several snafus, not least of which was a marketing error that left almost 500 players out of the action on Monday.

Some of the shunned players have claimed that the WSOP promised seats to 3,000 players on Day 1d, but with all three tournament rooms packed with tables—and even with some additional tables set up near a restaurant at the back of the Rio—there simply wasn't enough room for all the people that came to play. Having the registration office doors closed in their faces didn't deter the angry mob which turned on WSOP commentator Mike Sexton.

Among the players turned away were pros like four-time WSOP bracelet winner Mickey Appleman and Tom Franklin who's been a regular competitor at the series for 20 years. Sexton and Franklin had a private audience with Tournament Director Jack Effel, but ultimately it was determined that nothing could or would be done for the Day 1d shutouts. WSOP Commissioner Jeffrey Pollack was given the unhappy task of delivering this news to an increasingly agitated crowd. After several attempts to console the rejected players, Pollack left the stage amidst a chorus of boos and even some threats of legal action.

A total of 6,494 players were allowed into the 2009 Main Event, many of whom made their $10,000 buy-in days, weeks, or even months prior to the series.

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