It’s back! I’ve been looking forward to this day ever since the schedule for the 2009 World Series of Poker (WSOP) on ESPN was unveiled in April. Tonight marks the very first episode of the cable network’s coverage of the world’s top poker event. First up is the $40,000 buy-in No Limit Hold’em tournament commemorating the 40th running of the WSOP. Its final table features not one, not two, not three, but four PocketFivers in what is sure to be an electrifying atmosphere. Lex RaSZi Veldhuis (pictured at right) holds the third largest stack entering the final table with 3.8 million, while Isaac Haxton leads the way with 5.9 million chips. Let’s take a look at what you can expect to see.

Joining Veldhuis at the final table of the $40,000 buy-in commemorative event, which was the second tournament of the 2009 WSOP schedule, is Alec traheho Torelli. The youngster recently inked a deal to become the newest Doyle’s Room pro and took fourth in the World Poker Tour’s (WPT) Bellagio Cup V. Also at the final table is Justin ZeeJustin Bonomo, a card-carrying member of Team Bodog. Bonomo recorded six in the money finishes during the 2009 WSOP in an impressive showing. Rounding out the PocketFives.com contingent is Dani ansky451 Stern. You’ll be seeing a lot more of Stern in the coming weeks as he headlines “2 Months, $2 Million” on the G4 network. The online poker-themed show debuts on August 16th.
Here’s a look at how the field stacks up entering the final table of the inaugural 2009 WSOP on ESPN event:

1. Isaac Haxton - 5,955,000
2. Vitaly Lunkin - 4,565,000
3. Lex Veldhuis - 3,805,000
4. Greg Raymer - 3,345,000
5. Alec Torelli - 2,340,000
6. Justin Bonomo - 1,685,000
7. Dani Stern - 1,300,000
8. Noah Schwartz - 660,000
9. Ted Forrest - 560,000

In a conference call hosted last week by ESPN officials, poker commentator Lon McEachern (pictured at right) explained why he’s looking forward to tonight’s episode: “Our first show demonstrates the strength of all worlds of poker, both online and live. There are very strong online pros that made the cut and then World Champion Greg Raymer. The $40,000 event really brought the cream to the top.” Poker pro Ted Forrest owns five WSOP bracelets, while Russian pro Lunkin won his own piece of hardware last year in a $1,500 buy-in No Limit Hold’em tournament.

So when can you catch the WSOP on ESPN? Circle every Tuesday on your calendar until November 10th. All times are Eastern:

July 28th: 8:00pm to 10:00pm
$40,000 Anniversary Tournament

August 4th: 8:00pm to 10:00pm
WSOP Champions Invitational

August 11th: 8:00pm to 10:00pm
Ante Up for Africa Charity Tournament

August 18th to September 22nd: 8:00pm to 10:00pm
WSOP Main Event

September 29th: 8:00pm to 11:00pm
WSOP Main Event

October 6th: 10:00pm to 11:00pm
WSOP Main Event

October 13th to November 3rd: 9:00pm to 11:00pm
WSOP Main Event

November 10th: 9:00pm to 11:30pm
WSOP Main Event Final Table

A total of 24 hours of Main Event programming will air. Leading up to the prestigious event are three preliminary tournaments including the $5,000 buy-in Ante Up for Africa charity gala. ESPN poker personality Norman Chad (pictured at right), who finished 32nd in a Seven Card Stud High-Low event for $3,300 this year, recalled the scene on the Ante Up for Africa red carpet: “I got a chance to talk to people I’ll never talk to again. I was thrilled with [seeing] Ben Affleck and Matt Damon. Nelly hugged me. I can’t think of another venue in my life where Nelly would hug me. It was a great parade of stars who came through.”

Others who participated in the charity event included boxer Mike Tyson, “Seinfeld” star Jason Alexander, and talk show host Montel Williams. The event was hosted by Ante Up for Africa Co-Founders Don Cheadle and Annie Duke. Chad donned a t-shirt with an image of a tuxedo on it along with a sport coat for his red carpet interviews.

Chad will once again team with McEachern to bring the 2009 WSOP to life on the popular cable network. For those PocketFivers who have new-age televisions, the festivities will air in HD, creating a memorable experience for the home viewer. Check out the $40,000 buy-in No Limit Hold’em tournament commemorating the 40th WSOP tonight on ESPN.