As part of a conference call held on Thursday, ESPN poker commentators Norman Chad and Lon McEachern previewed the conclusion of the 2009 World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event final table, set to resume on Saturday, November 7th.
On that day, the live audience at the Penn and Teller Theater at the Rio will watch as the field is chopped from nine players to two. Then, the action will pause until Monday, November 9th at 10:00pm PT, when the two survivors will battle for the $8.5 million first place prize and poker immortality. The proceedings will air on Tuesday, November 10th at 9:00pm ET on ESPN, a quick turnaround for the Worldwide Leader in Sports.
Chad and McEachern entertained questions from the media and gave their take on the most recent installment of the November Nine. Chad explained, “The Main Event final table always brings a myriad storylines. When you start with Phil Ivey, you’re in great shape. Beyond that, you have a Main Event final table that’s just terrific.” Ivey is Chad’s perennial pick to take down the $10,000 buy-in feature tournament.
One of the only November Nine members to solicit coaching was CardPlayer Magazine Editor Jeff Shulman. He sought the aid of one of the game’s top names, Phil Hellmuth, who owns a record 11 WSOP bracelets. Chad and McEachern will almost certainly discuss the relationship on air, with the former telling reporters, “It’s either the greatest move in history or the greatest mistake in history. Jeff and Phil have similar styles of play. It’s hard to argue with getting coaching from the guy who has more bracelets than anyone else.” Shulman’s father, Barry, won the 2009 WSOP Europe Main Event.
Much of the conversation on Thursday centered on Ivey, who is currently in “exile” in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico preparing for the final table. The poker world watched in horror on Tuesday night as Ivey mucked a winning flush on the most recent installment of the WSOP Main Event on ESPN. After eight days of play, the grind of the tournament seemed to have finally taken its course on the player many consider to be the greatest in the game. Chad gave his thoughts: “I didn’t think that could be happening. When I watched it again, he did something that all of us do routinely: he was unaware that he mucked the winning hand. It was a stunning thing to see. You just don’t expect it to happen, but it does.”
Holding the chip lead when the final table resumes will be Darvin Moon, a logger from Maryland who owns no credit card or e-mail address. His journey to Las Vegas for the Main Event in July marked his first time on an airplane, leading many to speculate as to whether another Moneymaker Boom could be in the works should Moon win the most prestigious title in poker. McEachern forecasted, “It’s going to re-instill the hope of people who are your everyday working players watching these shows. The normal Friday night player at home would love to see it happen.”
Chad gave his take on Moon potentially winning the Main Event: “When it got down to Chris Moneymaker versus Sammy Farha [in 2003], I was rooting for Farha. I didn’t see the effect that Moneymaker winning would have. It’s not quite as drastic here, but if Darvin Moon wins, there’s something about the name alone. I think it’s a microcosm of what the Main Event is. It’s an unbelievable, improbable story.” Moon owns one-third of the chips in play entering the Main Event final table. Ivey, by contrast, has just 5%.
Poker News Daily readers who have watched the Main Event unfold each Tuesday on ESPN know that the chemistry between Chad and McEachern, who have worked together since 2003, seems to be at an all-time high. McEachern candidly explained, “You just grow in the role. I came in as a neophyte to the game and probably still don’t know that much. We’re all just getting better at it, quicker at it, and more efficient.” Chad added, “Poker is a lot of fun. It’s a lot of fun to be at the table and a lot of fun to watch.”
Poker News Daily will be live in Las Vegas with all of the action from the conclusion of the 2009 WSOP Main Event.
