DAY 3

DAY: 3 (Officially known as Day 1C).

BIG NEWS: Flanked by dozens of women, heralded by trumpeters and mobbed by his fans, Phil Hellmuth channeled Julius Caesar as he entered the World Series of Poker main event.

The no-limit Texas Hold 'em champion who won the main event 20 years ago slowly made his way to his table on Sunday nearly two hours after play began.

Hellmuth told The Associated Press as he waited to make his entrance that he felt more powerful dressed as Caesar.

He greeted his table mates while television cameras rolled, then changed into more normal attire as the tournament broke after its first level.

Nearly 1,700 players entered the tournament on Sunday, and officials expected a sellout of about 2,600 players on Monday, the last day the tournament will accept entries.

STUD OF THE DAY: Kent Senter, a 56-year-old disabled hardware store worker from Pittsburgh, whose wife Patty convinced online poker site PokerStars to buy him into the main event. Doctors have said Senter has between six months and two years to live after he was diagnosed with multiple myeloma three months ago. Myeloma is a cancer of the plasma cells.

Patty Senter said her husband has wanted to do three things: drive an Indy car, be an astronaut and play in the main event.

Kent Senter said he wants to cash in the main event to help pay his medical bills.

"He's determined to hang in there and do what he's got to do," Patty Senter said.

BUSTED OUT: Four-time gold bracelet winner Daniel Negreanu; poker professional Evelyn Ng; David "Chino" Rheem, who won $1.77 million for placing seventh at last year's main event.

UP NEXT: Another field of players heads to Las Vegas to begin main event play in the third of four starting days on Sunday.

POKER TALK: Tanking, into the tank: When a player takes some time to decide whether or not to call, raise or fold. Daniel Negreanu went into the tank on Sunday as he mulled whether to call an all-in bet from Hyunjin Lee on a board with two tens and a seven. Negreanu finally called, and found his pocket pair of threes bested by Lee's queens. Negreanu was eliminated.

HE SAID WHAT?: "When you dress as Caesar you actually feel more powerful. Kiss my ring!" — Phil Hellmuth to The Associated Press just before he entered the main event dressed as Julius Caesar.