LAS VEGAS -- No big-name professional has been able to take a leadership role in the championship event of the 39th World Series of Poker, being contested at the Rio All-Suites Hotel & Casino here.

Instead, names like Henning Granstad, Mark Garner, Ben Sarnoff and Dylan Linde were among the chip leaders when the four-day opening round of the tournament concluded Sunday.

At the end of the day Sunday, 3,663 players out of 6,844 -- the second highest number of entries in WSOP history -- remained. A prize pool of $64,333,600, second only to the $82 million generated by 8,773 players in 2006, will be at stake, with first place worth $9,119,517. That is second only to the $12 million paid to 2006 winner Jamie Gold.

The last 666 players will be in the money, but the nine survivors July 14 will not know what their payoff will be until the championship event concludes on national television Nov. 9-10.

On Day 1A (Thursday), the leader (out of 636 players who survived) was Garner at $194,900. In the top six were Brandon Adams $176,450, Kellen Hunter $155,200, Stefan Mattsson $154,275, Patrick Fortin 145,275 and Jeff Frerichs $138,025.

On Day 1B (the Fourth of July), 615 players (out of 1,158) were led by Sarnoff, with $177,500. The top six included Brian Schaedlich $160,725 Robert Mizrachi $142,400 Nick Caltabiano $127,700 Liya Gerasimova $111,050 and Robert Eckstut $110,275.

On Day 1C (Saturday), 1,026 of 1,928 entries advanced, led by Granstad, a Norwegian who had $242,950. Also in the top six were Curt Kohlberg $173,000 David Baker $163,450 Howard Berchowitz $160,075, Arnaud Mattern $157,650 and Diren Yildiz $136,000.

Day 1D (Sunday) was a marathon event, with more than 2,400 players entered. At the end of the day, 1,352 starters remained when play was halted.

The leader, with $149,000, was Steve Austin. Also in the top six were Mohamad Kowssarie $146,000, David Stucke $140,525, Sami Rustom $140,450, Dylan Linde $138,425, and Nikolay Losev $127,225.

Going into Day Two -- a two-day segment which started Tuesday and ends today -- the chip leaders included Carlos Mortensen ($109,825), Gus Hansen ($102,000), Phil Hellmuth ($78,900), Johnny Chan ($77,500) and Antonio Esfandiari ($67,000).

The total prize pool in the 2008 WSOP is $180,248,273.