The 2013 World Series of Poker Main Event debuted on ESPN on Tuesday night and began with action from Day 3. PocketFives tuned in when 1,500 players remained and Mark P0ker H0Kroon held the chip lead. At the feature table was fan favorite Phil Ivey (pictured), with ESPN poker commentator Lon McEachern arguing that even though it was only the third day of a grueling tournament, “the poker world is already focused on Phil Ivey.”

Coverage in the second hour on Tuesday began at an outer table, where back-to-back Main Event winner Johnny Chan went busto with pocket jacks against pocket sevens after his opponent hit a two-outer on the river.

At the feature table, Ivey, who had 8-6, put an opponent with pocket jacks all-in on a flop of 8-6-5. His opponent called and was well behind, but spiked a jack on the river to stay alive and double up. Ivey bled half of his stack in the hand. The former Full Tilt pro had turned in top 25 Main Event finishes four times in the previous 11 years.

Meanwhile, “Everybody Loves Raymond” star Ray Romano, who was playing in his sixth Main Event, was all-in pre-flop with kings against aces, but could not draw out. This was the furthest Romano had ever gone in a WSOP Main Event.

An interview with Kroon then aired, with the longtime poker community member saying that he used to play a $1/$2 game in the back room of a bar in Wisconsin and ran across Phil Hellmuth. Kroon described Hellmuth as “loud and brash” and added, “All of a sudden, one day he won the World Series of Poker and I’m like, ‘He won the WSOP?'” Kroon went on to buy the bar he formerly played backroom games at.

The secondary feature table housed poker legend Doyle Brunson (pictured), who won a pot of 44,000 in chips after playing the board and betting 17,000 on the river. An opponent with ace-high sent his cards into the muck, leading ESPN poker commentator Norman Chad to remark, “At the age of 79, you just shouldn’t be stealing.”

Brunson was rumored not to play any WSOP tournaments in 2013, but ultimately showed up for the Poker Player’s Championship and reached Day 3.

Then, the blowup began. On a board of A-5-6-7-10, Kroon, who held K-Q for squadoosh, bet 51,800 and Somar Al-Darwich, who had 9-8 for the nuts, raised to 167,500. Kroon responded by 3betting to 311,800 and Al-Darwich shipped it in for 339,500. Kroon, getting 27:1 on his money for a call, looked him up and saw the less-than-ideal news.

Chad said of Kroon’s call, “I guess he’s supposed to call… just in case” and Al-Darwich became the new WSOP Main Event chip leader. Kroon (pictured) shed 60% of his stack, leading McEachern to observe that he was “an embarrassed chip leader.”

To close out Tuesday’s WSOP on ESPN coverage, on a board of 3-J-5 with two hearts, Bill Phillips bet 16,000 with K-8 of hearts for a flush draw and Ivey put him all-in with K-J for top pair. Two diamonds completed the board and Ivey’s quest for another Main Event final table rolled on.

You can catch more action from Day 3 next Tuesday at 9:00pm Eastern Time on ESPN.

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