It sounds like about 1,250 started day 1A of the 38th WSOP main event. That's a huge number, but even if they end up getting more entries on the other days, the field should fall from close to 9,000 in 2006 to no more than 5,500 or 6,000 in 2007.
Perhaps this is the year that they should raised the main event buy-in to $25,000 (or more). The changes in online gambling made it relative predictable that the numbers of entrants would decrease, so why not bite the bullet and raise the buy-in as well?
Sure, this year's prize pool would suffer (but only relative to the past 2 or 3 years), but the long run health and prestige of the WSOP would be secured. (You can't claim the 50k HORSE event is the grand-daddy of them all when you still have a main event.)
© Jed Lewison