2009 WSOP Main Event to Air on ESPN Tonight, New TV Contract Signed

Poker legend Amarillo Slim and Team Bodog member Patrice 'hotmax9' Libert during Day 1B of the 2009 WSOP Main Event. (Bodog Beat Image)"]

On the same day that Day 1A and Day 1B of the 2009 WSOP Main Event are set to air on ESPN, Harrah's also announced they have extended their TV deal with ESPN through the year 2018. Yay, nine more years of "The Nuts" segments and odd corporate sponsorship deals.

"The WSOP is proud to call ESPN home for another nine years," said Jeffrey Pollack, President of Harrah's Interactive Entertainment and the World Series of Poker. "This long-term agreement ensures that our content will continue to reach sports fans around the world through every medium that matters."

WSOP content will be available to ESPN for the following platforms: ESPN, ESPN HD, ESPN2, ESPN2 HD, ESPN Classic, ESPN.com, ESPN360.com, ESPN Mobile TV and ESPN International outlets outside of the United States.

“We are very excited to continue our relationship with Harrah’s to deliver the largest, richest, and most prestigious gaming event in the world to fans across a variety of our platforms,” said Doug White, senior director of programming and acquisitions, ESPN.   “Poker continues to be a solid ratings performer for us and allows us to continue offering diverse programming to our viewers.“

So, to celebrate this momentous occasiuon, they will show the two most boring starting days of the 2009 WSOP tonight at 9pm ET. The only good thing about these starting days was the presence of Team Bodog online poker players Ryan "rjules12" Julius, Patrice "hotmax9”³ Libert, who spent most of the day seated next to poker legend Amarillo Slim, Robert "rmobley65”³ Mobley, David "DARKHELMET13”³ Lee, Jean-Yves "neophrak" Desmoort, Walter "Panicked" Wright and Patricia "MsSassy" Bickley.

See if you can keep an eye out for the Black and Red of Team Bodog among the sea of donkeys at the Main Event. Meanwhile, we'll be playing the "hey was that us?" game all night. Yipee.