LAS VEGAS -- The race for poker glory is wide open after many of the game's top professionals busted out during the first round of play at the World Series of Poker main event.

After three grueling days, the field of 5,619 entrants has been winnowed to 1,884, with many more expected to exit quickly as the second round kicked off Sunday at the Rio hotel-casino.

If any one theme has emerged over the hours of calling, reraising and the famous cries of "all in," it's the inescapable fact that no one is safe.

Getting to the final table that begins Friday will take a staggering amount of luck. To stand a chance of winning the no-limit Texas Hold'em event, players must land superb hands and avoid bad beats.

Eleven former WSOP winners have already succumbed to lackluster cards, including Chris Moneymaker (2003), Robert Varkonyi (2002), Bobby Baldwin (1978) and Dan Harrington (1995) -- who had made it to four final tables, including two in the last two years.

"It's insane," Moneymaker said shortly after busting out Sunday. "It's tough to make money. Every time I made money, something bad would happen. I could never accumulate any chips."

Two other previous champs, Greg Raymer (2004) and Huck Seed (1996) were still alive. Also still in action were favorites Phil Ivey, Howard Lederer and Sam Farha.

Before play resumed Sunday, Haakon Waerstad of Oslo, Norway was in the lead with $169,200 in chips. Farha, who came in second to Moneymaker two years ago, was in second place with 156,600.

Johnny Grooms, WSOP tournament director, said Seed and Farha stood a good chance of making a run at the title and earning the $7.5 million top prize.

Farha, a well-known pro, is looking for some serious poker redemption after Moneymaker bluffed him at that final table in 2003 and scored a huge pot of chips. Shortly after, Moneymaker toppled Farha and the infamous bluff has been immortalized thanks to ESPN.

Lady Luck has also not been kind to the best women, either. Jennifer Harman, Kathy Liebert, Annie Duke, Cyndy Violette and Evelyn Ng were knocked out in the first round.

"I guess I could give you a lot of excuses," Ng said. "But I kind of played bad."

Hopes for a woman to win the World Series for the first time appear to rest Barbara Enright, the only woman ever to make a final table. Enright, who boasts an icy poker face, finished in fifth place in 1995.

But Enright was short stacked Sunday afternoon and Liz Lieu, another female contender, crapped out.