World Series of Poker broadcasts have typically aired months after the actual event took place, after producers have had time to edit the contest down to only its most essential and interesting moments. Unfortunately, that means poker fans have known the outcome of the contest long before it shows up on television. So ESPN came up with the ingenious idea to delay the playing of the final table, air all the coverage leading up to it, then finish the whole thing off in one glorious burst. Play resumed on Sunday, as they pared the final nine down to the final two. Those two then went head-to-head last night in a four-hour showdown, which will be broadcast (in highlight form) tonight on the WWL.

Of course, even though this was a year-long made-for-TV event, ESPN is still a news organization so they did feel it was necessary to report the winner to anyone who might care. (Even if anyone who cares probably doesn't want to know until tonight.) If only someone had told Josh Elliott that SportsCenter is not broadcast on radio, his spoiler warning might have been a little more effective. Those waiting for Josh's "high sign" to resume watching probably also noticed the graphic that gives the store away.

Again, DO NOT CLICK on this video if you don't want to know who won, but do click if you enjoy the charming bungling of Bristol's finest.

WSOP Final Table (SPOILERS @ Casino City Times)

The nine players left have become minor celebrities, including one that got to meet Albert Pujols and throw out the first pitch at Busch Stadium just because he wore a Cardinals hat during his summer work. A fan club has been built for at least one other. All have been taking advantage of the new-found fame to work on their game in larger tournaments than they ever could have entered before.

Therefore, they're all winners now and don't even need to play the final table. (Except, you know, the eight that lose the chance at $9m. That's still kinda important.)

UPDATE: The Main Event final table goodness will be played Sunday and Monday as promised above, but the televised event is Tuesday 9-11 pm ET on the Worldwide Leader. Thanks to Rock You Like an Iracane for the correction. By the way, we hear through unnamed sources that he's liveblogging the event.

World Series of Poker nears finish [Las Vegas Review-Journal]

Anyway, one of the "charms" of the World Series of Poker is that it takes all kinds. Even if one of those kinds is a guy who might have murdered his parents. That's good timing.

Ernie Scherer III, who is a "person of interest" in the murders of his parents, is currently attending the World Series of Poker in Las Vegas according to Gambling911.com sources.

Detectives have spent months trying to figure out who would have wanted to kill Ernie Scherer Jr., 60, and his wife Charlene Abendroth, 57. Investigators have ruled out any suspects related to Ernie Scherer's political connections, and all other family members, Alameda Homicide Detective Scott Dudek said. But detectives have not been able to rule out the couple's 29-year-old son, who was believed to have owed substantial gambling debts. The younger Scherer is an avid poker player (as was his late father), having amassed nearly $300,000 over his poker career.

You know, that's all fine and good, but if he insists on wearing sunglasses inside while playing, as far as we're concerned, that's the real capital crime.

Murdered Couple's Son in Attendance at World Series of Poker [Gambling911]

World Series of Poker Radio can now be heard on more than 200 stations, which is great news for all those people who are as embarrassed to admit their poker fetish as much as they are to confess they know all the words to "At Seventeen" and sing it loudly while driving to work whenever I hear it on the radio. Erm, when they hear it on the radio.

If they do some play-by-play poker — and sweet bountiful Ra, I hope they do — it might sound a little bland at first. But they can always spice up the action with some Orson Welles-inspired plotlines.

"Moneymaker calls. Hellmuth and Moneymaker stare blankly at each other. And the river card is ... the six of spades. Hellmuth and Moneymaker stare blankly at each other. Hellmuth looks to be doing some kind of nervous tic with his chips. Is he going to bet? No ... no, not yet. Now he— oh my GOD, THE ZOMBIE OF STU UNGAR IS EATING THE SKULL OF DANIEL NEGREANU! ISN'T THERE ANYONE ON THE AIR?"

World Series of Poker® Available To More Than 200 Stations [WSoP]

• The people at the Rio were mad about all the ".com" advertisements people were sporting, so you're going to see a lot of black tape on people's hats and shirts when ESPN finally gets around to televising things.
• The first elimination took 7 minutes. There's $10,000 well spent.
• Norm MacDonald held the chip the lead at one point. He was eventually busted.
• A woman dressed as a nun was the chip leader at various points through the day.
• Tobey Maguire lasted a few rounds, until he was busted by Mike Sexton.
• Among the other celebrity eliminations: Mekhi Phifer, Antonio Tarver, Matthew Lillard, James Garner.
• Among the real player eliminations: Amir Vahedi, Clonie Gowen, Dan Harrington, Gus Hansen, Dutch Boyd, and Chris Ferguson.
• The chip leader after Day 1A is Paul McCaffrey. This means absolutely nothing.

Day 1 at the World Series of Poker [MSNBC]
Dr. Pauly's WSOP Main Event Day 1A Recap [Poker Prof's Poker Blog]
WSOP Updates - Main Event, Day One 'A' Begins [Poker News]