Paul Casey early winner on Wednesday
Last year's runner-up Paul Casey breathed a huge sigh of relief that he did not join twelfth seed Poulter, who was two up with six to play but lost on the first extra hole to 2009 Open Champion Stewart Cink.
Then sixth seed Casey, who has reached the last two finals in the event, had to go to sudden death as well, but survived when Australian left-hander Richard Green three-putted the 19th.
Casey commented: "I just never got it going. I didn't birdie any par five - it really was pretty poor. I made a real botch of the 17th, but Richard kind of handed it to me on the 19th."
Casey joined fellow Englishmen Luke Donald and Ross Fisher, Northern Ireland's Graeme McDowell and Rory McIlroy, 17 year old Italian Matteo Manassero and compatriot Edoardo Molinari among the early winners.
Out in the very first match just before 8am - 30 minutes later than planned because of frost - Poulter's interest in the event had ended before Tiger Woods and Lee Westwood had even played a hole.
But while Cink is now outside the world's top 50, the American was a quarter-finalist last year, a semi-finalist in 2009 and a finalist the season before that.
He said: "It was like a Jekyll and Hyde kind of a round out there for me. I didn't have much or on the front nine at all, then my putter woke up.
"It needed to be because I would be going home otherwise. Neither of us played our very best and I'm just pleased to move on - Ian's a guy I really respect and I drew probably the toughest match in the field."
Donald was the first player into the last 32, beating American Charley Hoffman 6 and 5, and he will next play Ryder Cup team-mate Edoardo Molinari.
Donald's victory threatened to be even more convincing when he took seven of the first ten holes.
"Charley was not on his A-game," he said. "I was probably three or four under and I'll take the win, but it was not too hard fortunately."
Molinari came from two down after six to beat Scot Martin Laird 3 and 2, but that was not the biggest turnaround. Ernie Els lost the first three holes to American Jeff Overton, but won on the 19th.
There is another all-European Ryder Cup clash in the second round, The Celtic Manor Resort hero McDowell against Fisher.
Both won 4 and 3, McDowell against American Heath Slocum and Fisher against Australian Robert Allenby.
"It was reasonably straightforward," stated US Open Champion McDowell, the fifth seed.
"Heath didn't have his best day and for a change I played nicely and got the job done."
It was only his second win in six games at the tournament.
Fisher, in contrast, was a semi-finalist two years ago and later that season won golf's other World Match Play tournament in Spain.
"It wasn't flawless, awesome golf, but in match play you don't have to play perfectly and Robert was a little bit off," he said.
McIlroy chipped in for eagle at the 393 yard fourth and went on to beat American Jonathan Byrd 4 and 2, all the more satisfying because the ‘Golf Channel’ had tipped him to lose.
"It obviously gives you a little extra to go out and prove them wrong," said the 21 year old.
"I felt if I played my game I would be tough to beat."
McIlroy has another American, Ben Crane, in the second round.
Woods and top seed Westwood were among the later starters, Woods against Dane Thomas Björn and Westwood against 2007 winner Henrik Stenson, a replacement for Japan's Toru Taniguchi.
In a perfect illustration of his recent form Woods bogeyed the first, birdied the second and then hit a shocker into almost the middle of the lake on the short third.
The reigning U.S. Open champ did not get off to a good start, losing the opening hole after his approach shot sailed over the green. After taking a drop, McDowell could not save his par from the rough.
But he roared back with a 17-foot putt for eagle at the par-5 second to square the match. He then won four of the next five holes, thanks to three Slocum bogeys and a McDowell birdie at the par-3 sixth when he rolled in a putt from outside 21 feet. When Slocum bogeyed the 11th when his tee shot sailed wide left, McDowell was 5-up and cruising.
The win ends a three-match losing streak in the first round by McDowell.
