Mini-Photo Blog: First Half of Day 1a

The 19 Shooting Stars that were in the Day 1a field.

Shooting Star Dan Harrington (right) chats with fellow Shooting Star (and hottest player on the tournament circuit) Erik Seidel before play begins on Day 1a.

Mike Sexton won’t be in town until tomorrow, so Vince Van Patten takes over to give the opening announcements and kick things off with "Shuffle up and deal!" Van Patten is flanked by WPT Anchor Kimberly Lansing, Raw Deal Analyst Tony Dunst, and Royal Flush Girls Katrina Topacio, Melyssa Grace, Jen Haley, and Sunisa Kim.

Jason Mercier (left) and Scott Seiver play side-by-side on Day 1a.

Phil Hellmuth signs autographs during one of the breaks on Day 1a.

Chris Trapani gives a short eulogy for his father, Marko Trapani, who died within the past year. Marko Trapani was the owner of the Bay 101, and created the Shooting Star tournament back in 1997.

All eyes are on the TV screens, which show a brief video tribute to Marko Trapani. The video includes testimonials from many of the best players in the world (including Doyle Brunson, as seen here), reminiscing about Trapani.