Welcome to Day 1a of the Bar Poker Open Main Event at the Florida World Championship. Cards go in the air at 11 a.m. for the first of two opening flights into Monday's Day 2 finale.

Over 500 players from all across the continent have converged on the Palm Beach Kennel Club after earning their way into the Florida World Championship, and they will have the chance to play for a guaranteed first prize of $40,000.

Players earned their spot throughout the year in the Invitational Championship in Bar Poker Open Qualifier events that are held in nearly 1,000 bars across the United States and online. The championship is restricted to qualifying players, but there are nine other events that are open to all, including the $150 Charity Series of Poker Celebrity Charity Poker Event on November 13 and a deep stack tournament on Monday with a $50,000 guarantee and a $200 buy-in.

Runners will start with 30,000 in tournament chips and blinds at 100/100 with a 100 ante. Levels increase every 30 minutes and the opening flights will play down to approximately 10% of the field with all returning players in the money. Registration is open through the start of Level 9, and players may re-enter once for $365.

Be sure to keep it with the PokerNews team all day long for live updates from the floor at the BPO Florida World Championship at Palm Beach Kennel Club.