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World Series of Poker Starts at Binion's Horseshoe in Las Vegas

The satellites are low-cost, mini-tournaments in which the player who wins all the chips at the table gets a free seat at one of the more expensive tournament rounds. Some satellite winners get an entry into the main event, the $10,000 buy-in, four-day World Championship final.

A special Dealers Tournament takes place today, and Monday the first major event starts, a $2,000 buy-in Texas Hold 'Em game.

This is the biggest poker tournament in the world, and in fact one of the richest contests of any sort. Binion's expects the World Champion this year will win $1.5 million, which is more than the winner of the Master's in golf or the Wimbledon in tennis receives.

As of Monday, there will be tournaments beginning every day until May 15. That's when the Championship round begins, with the winner being crowned Thursday, May 18.

Sadly, one of poker's prominent aficionados won't be attending the World Series. David Spanier died unexpectedly Tuesday in London. He had become ill while playing poker Sunday.

Spanier, 67, wrote several books on gambling, including "Total Poker" and "The Gambler's Pocket Book." He was also a lover of chess, and author of "Total Chess."

In 1994, Spanier wrote a book about Las Vegas called "Welcome to the Pleasuredome."

Larry Grossman, a Las Vegas radio host, was a friend of Spanier's and had recently exchanged emails about getting together when Spanier came to Las Vegas for this year's World Series.

"He was a breath of fresh air in a smoke-filled poker room," Grossman said of Spanier.

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