ESPN is going “all-in” for the 2011 World Series of Poker.
From July 14-19, the network will offer daily coverage of the WSOP main event, including ‘live’ unedited hole cards on a 30-minute delay and more than 34 additional hours of coverage in high definition on ESPN, ESPN2 and ESPN3.com from the Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Every hand will be shown unedited and hole cards will be available post-flop. Coverage will shift between two feature tables approximately every 30 minutes. All “all-in” and “call” situations will be shown at both tables.
Lon McEachern and David Tuchman will call the play-by-play during the event and a variety of professional poker players (to be named later) will provide analysis.
In addition, ESPN3.com will stream live (on a five-minute delay, no hole cards) WSOP “Grudge Matches” beginning June 2, followed by the $25,000 Heads-Up No Limit Hold’em Championship on June 3, and the $50,000 Poker Players Championship on July 6, all leading up to the main event.
ESPN’s Tuesday night telecasts of the 2011 World Series of Poker presented by Jack Link’s Beef Jerky will begin July 26 on ESPN for 16 consecutive weeks leading up to the November Nine final table on Nov. 8.
“For the first time viewers at home will have the best seats in the house for The World Series of Poker, poker’s premier event. Fans will see hole cards post-flop and get an inside look at all of the strategy, angst and competition of the world’s best players vying for a seat at the most prestigious final table in the sport,” said Matthew Volk, ESPN manager of programming and acquisitions.