ESPN To Broadcast Every Hand Of World Series of Poker Final Table

ESPN and the World Series of Poker have teamed up to bring live, televised coverage, with holecards, of the 2011 Main Event final table to poker fans around the world.

With the exception of commercial breaks, every hand from the final table will be shown on a 15-minute delay to audiences on ESPN’s network of channels. On Sunday, November 6, ESPN2 will handle all of the action as the players battle down to the final three. At that point they will take a one-day break and return on Monday, November 8 to play down to a champion on ESPN.

All of the broadcasts will also be made available online at ESPN3.com and WSOP.com and will feature commentary from pros such as David Tuchman, Lon McEachern, Phil Hellmuth, Antonio Esfandiari, Olivier Busquet and others.

The WSOP will not attempt to sequester the members of the November Nine and are actually encouraging them to watch the broadcast and receive information from friends and family watching at home during the breaks. Though some players are concerned about the availability of holecard information, Vice President of Caesars Interactive Entertainment Ty Stewart explains that it’s in the best interest of the game and all competitors are on a level playing field.

“It’s not something that’s lost on us that its a new dynamic,” said Stewart. “Some players think this will actually be a higher form of poker. You’re going to know and you’re going to be able to make ‘halftime adjustments’ or as I would call it, do your ‘Bill Bellichecking.’ All of this mental noise is going to be fascinating to watch.”

Check out Card Player TV’s interview with Ty Stewart below.

ESPN’s expansion of poker programming comes as a bit of a surprise considering that most networks have cut back or entirely eliminated other forms of televised poker, but the success of the semi-live coverage this summer prompted the network to make the move.

“We had great success with our live WSOP Main Event shows this summer and this kind of unprecedented coverage of the final table on ESPN3 will allow fans to experience the culmination of the biggest event in poker,” said Doug White, ESPN Senior Director of Programming and Acquisitions.

The broadcast will start Sunday, November 6 at 3:30 p.m. EST from the Penn and Teller Theatre at the Rio. Card Player will be in attendance churning out live updates, news stories and player interviews as the action progresses.

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