David Einhorn, the hedge-fund manager who agreed in May to buy 33 percent of the New York Mets, survived the first round of the World Series of Poker’s main event.

Einhorn, who finished 18th in the $10,000 buy-in tournament in 2006, has 94,400 chips following his first day of play and is among 4,521 entrants left, according to the tournament’s Web site. The event pays $8.7 million to the winner.

Nine tournament players will be left by next Tuesday.