New Episodes of the 2009 WSOP Begin Airing TuesdayFirst Show Will Feature the $40,000 No-Limit Hold’em Event |
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There was one name that was repeated early and often in an ESPN media conference call earlier this week — Phil Ivey.
“There’s some mystical, magical quality to Phil Ivey that elevates him above the rest,” said Norman Chad, the well-known color commentator for ESPN’s poker broadcasts. “He just has an amazing table presence that’s unequaled in the game.”
It is obvious that both ESPN’s commentators and producers are excited about Ivey making the main-event final table, and what that means for their broadcasts.
“This is the most excited I’ve ever been for a season of the World Series of Poker,” said Jamie Horowitz, the coordinating producer for ESPN. “It’s long been discussed in poker — could a pro ever win the main event [again]? Having Phil Ivey as part of our November Nine has just added a new level of interest in poker, not just on the blogs but even within ESPN … There is just an elevated sense of excitement for this season.”
That season begins this Tuesday at 8 p.m. on ESPN with coverage of the new $40,000 no-limit hold’em event. Chad’s fellow commentator Lon McEachern expressed enthusiasm for the new event, saying how entertaining it was to watch the new age of online pros take on some of the more established names in the industry. He says that despite a few unfamiliar names making the prestigious final table, all were worthy of the accomplishment.
“The $40k event really brought the cream to the crop,” said McEachern.
ESPN will feature four events in its 2009 WSOP coverage — two bracelet events in the main event and the $40k tournament, a charity tournament, and a new invitational tournament that welcomed back many of the surviving main-event champions of past years.
“We get to kick [coverage] off with new events that we’ve never televised before like the $40,000 championship, the champions invitational, and Ante Up for Africa,” said Horowitz, who also highlighted the network’s increased coverage of the biggest tournament of the year. “We’re doing a record number of hours this year [for the main event] — 24 hours — followed by the two-hour final table on Nov. 10.”
New broadcasts will always be shown Tuesday at 8 p.m. on ESPN and re-air throughout the week.
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