The 2009 version of the World Series of Poker’s annual signature tournament, the so-called WSOP Main Event, got underway Friday in the Gambling Capital of the World–Las Vegas, Nevada, USA.

It’s the 40th annual WSOP Main Event and it’s taking place at the cozy Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino, just off the famed Las Vegas Strip.

The Main Event, the last of 57 separate tournaments at the 2009 WSOP, and the most prestigious, is a no-limit Texas hold ‘em tourney with a whopping $10,000 buy-in.

The winner of the Main Event is considered the winner of the WSOP.

No figures are available yet on how many people are competing in the ‘09 WSOP Main Event, because Friday was just the first of four “opening days” for the event.

Entrants can register for the tournament through Monday, the final “opening day.”

According to WSOP officials, among the more than 1,100 people who participated in the first day of Main Event action were a number of celebrities, including actor Jason Alexander, actress Jen Tilly, comic Brad Garrett, singer Nelly and former professional baseball player Orel Hershisher.

Main Event action is expected to continue through July 16, at which time a final table of nine players will have been determined.

Then, as was done for the first time last year, Main Event play will be suspended for four months and resumed in November.

The four-month hiatus is taken to drum up publicity for the playing off of the final table.

A total of 6,844 people competed in the 2008 WSOP Main Event, which was won by Peter Eastgate of Denmark.

(E-mail Tom Somach at tomsomach@yahoo.com.)