As an avid fan of Sports Guy and Chuck Klosterman (both do similar live blogs for ESPN), I decided to outright copy them and "live" blog the ESPN coverage of the WSOP each week. Since this obviously isn’t TECHNICALLY live, this article can be enjoyed two ways – by having it open and following along as you re-watch the previous Tuesday's episodes on rerun or DVR, or on its own (for instance printed out and taken into the bathroom at work … you're welcome for the idea by the way).

So here we go, ESPN’s coverage of Event #54, the $10,000 Main Event.
NOTE: I'm going to try signing on AIM (under the name 'ShronkDaddy') during the WSOP coverage in case anyone reading this wants to chat while watching. The real reason is that hopefully someone says something funny to me via AIM, and I can steal it for the blog.

5:05 – Huff IMs me and asks if I'm watching the Main Event coverage. DOH! Hence the lack of comments about the goose bumps I would have had during the intro montage.

5:06 – Gavin with sunglasses on?? I think that's the first time I've ever seen that.

5:07 – Every time the Main Event is on TV, I want it to be July again. Every July, I want it to be August already. 'Tis the dichotomy of poker media.

5:12 – There's Teddy Monroe: Most famous non-famous player in the world.

5:13 – There's Katja Thater and her husband whose name is something arrogantly French. He also looks like Dan Harrington if you filled him up with mayonnaise.

5:14 – Ah, they showed Devilfish. I've been waiting for an opportunity to talk about how creepy he was with Tiffany Michelle when we would do interviews with him. He was super creepy.

5:15 – Scotty Nguyen’s attempt at an explanation of his HORSE behavior was absolutely delusional. So far, Norm has been laying it on Scotty thick all episode. Erick Lindgren isn’t on Team Scotty, but I've been converted to Team Chad.

5:28 – Just when you think the “Planters Good Instinct Moment” couldn't get any dumber: Scotty raises with two aces, gets called. Flop comes Q high, he bets and gets called. He bets the turn, gets called. Bets the river, gets called. WHAT AMAZING INSTINCTS!!!!!!!111

5:32 – CHINO AT FEATURE TABLE! GO GO GO!

5:34 –They just showed Scott Montgomery (member of November Nine) on day one having to run AK through Bobby Baldwin's (= very nice guy) KK to stay alive. It's going to be interesting to see how many times the November Nine have to suckout or win coin flips to get there.

5:42 – "Poker author John Vorhaus says there are three ways to play pocket Jacks - all wrong." – Norman Chad. John Vorhaus has absolutely no credibility in the industry with anyone that does have credibility. He recently final tabled a women's event under the guise of "doing research." That whole “doing research” thing worked out well for Wynonna Ryder.

5:53 – Lon calls Gavin's small all-in bet a "small-in." Shakespeare; Wilde; McEachern.

5:54 – Justin Phillips with a royal flush over Random Dude's quad aces. He got very lucky with that hand. He got very unlucky that he decided to try to flex his muscles on national TV.

5:57 – The guy who made all the weird calls against Billy Gazes randomly shoves with A-6, then berates Ciaran O'Leary's call with two eights. He also said the word "funner" twice.

6:01 – F***ing Erick Lindgren.

6:06 – Jerry Yang = great guy. Jamie Gold = great and weird guy.

6:11 – AIM chat…

Huff: that Phillips guy said, "Everybody loves Raymer" to Ray Romana*
ShronkDaddy: did he think his name was raymer?
Huff: Yeah
Huff: for sure.
Huff: He's clearly bananas
*Please disregard the irony of Huff spelling Ray Romano's last name wrong.

6:15 – Lindgren plays a considerably wider range of starting hands than almost any pro they've featured on a day one. If I weren't totally spineless, I might suggest this has something to do with why he doesn't often make it out of day one. However, I am spineless, so I won't say that.

6:18 – I got The Office Season Four DVDs today. This has been your “Planters Commercial Break Non Sequitur Moment.”

6:21 – "Hoyt Corkins has two bracelets of his own." – Norm. Eh, not so much anymore, Norm.

6:24 – I had no idea about Kenny Tran's daughter being sick. I've only met him a few times, but Brandon Adams (who I know slightly better) has nothing but great things to say about Kenny. I tend to believe anything Brandon says, since he is right most of the time.

6:26 – There's the dealer chick I have a crush on again. Still waiting for one of y'all that knows her to hook me up.

6:28 – USC LEAPFROGS from #3 to #1 in the college football rankings. In related news, college football sucks.

6:30 – Erick has to explain to random Italian Guy that Norman Chad "always gets divorced and tells a lot of bad jokes." He then calls Lon "the nuts" with the obvious intent for Lon and Norm to comment about it. I've said it before and I'll say it again – I want to be Erick Lindgren.

6:38 – The guy with middle pair actually just told Daniel that he "almost had trips."

6:39 – It's kinda sad that I can tell exactly what part of the Rio parking lot they're shooting the hockey segment in.

6:39 – Greg Mueller = extremely, extremely nice guy.

6:40 – Orel Herscheiser = extremely, extremely nice guy (check out when we had him on PokerRoad Radio at the NBC Heads Up – HERE ).

6:57 – What a horrible cooler. Daniel flops set under set against the "almost trips" guy.
I'll try to be on time next week. Bye.