The big $50,000 Players Championship starts today, so for the final pre-WSOP story, I’ll examine the 10 players I think will make headlines this series — the ones I think have the best chance of winning bracelets.

Sorel Mizzi — Mizzi is on absolute fire right now. Since the beginning of the year, he’s won four live tournaments and made the final table in six others for about $1.5 million. He also took down a major online tournament this month. Expect him to go deep in many of the no-limit hold’em and pot-limit Omaha events.

Daniel Negreanu — No one’s more committed to this year’s WSOP, at least no one I’ve read is reminding people of how much he’s committed. He’s put a schedule together of about 36 events and with his confidence of late, he should nab at least five cashes, and I can almost guarantee a final table.

Scott Seiver — He’s already got a bracelet, he won one in 2008 in no-limit hold’em, and he’s prime to win more. Since winning a side event at the WPT Five Diamond World Poker Classic in December, he’s earned more than $1 million in high-stakes tournaments against the world’s best. He’s proved he can navigate large and small fields. If I could bet on anyone winning a bracelet, it would be Seiver.

Tony Poker thinks Scott Seiver will win a bracelet in this year's WSOP.

Allen Cunningham — He had a not-so-great 2009 series. Variance kicks us all in the ass sometimes. But he’s a solid player and he’s bound to bounce back soon.

Jason Mercier — One of the hottest players on the tournament circuit for more than a year. I’ve written about him before. He should be a household name by now. If he isn’t, he will be after this year’s WSOP.

Bertrand Grospellier — We haven’t heard from ElkY in a short while, so you know what that means: It’s time for him to win again. The only reason we haven’t heard any ElkY news is that he’s been consistently cashing in tournaments for the past year, and hasn’t had any big scores since a third-place finish at the WPT Championship in April of 2009. I remember playing against him in 2008 and every tournament he was accumulating massive chip stacks. I like a repeat of 2008 this year.

Yevgeniy Timoshenko — I can speak from experience, the sick poker player known as JovialGent online has to be considered one of the top players in the world. It’s only a matter of time before he wins a bracelet. It might as well be this year.

Alexander Kostritsyn — He blasted onto the poker scene in 2008 after winning the Aussie Millions Man Event, then had a solid WSOP with five cashes and one final table in five different poker games. After an off 2009, he started hitting the virtual high-stakes tables and he’s up more than $1.7 million this year. Look for his name in the mixed game championship events.

Dan Kelly — He just turned 21 two months ago, but he’s already logged a life’s worth of hands online. Known as “djk123,” Kelly has won more than $4 million in online tournaments and he makes his WSOP debut this year. If I had to pick a Main Event champion today, KElly would be on my short list.

Tony Poker — What the hell, right? A man can dream. This is my best time of year traditionally, I always have good results in May and June. Now, I’m off to play a little poker before tomorrow’s Event No. 3.

Check back here for more blogs and the inside story for this year’s WSOP.