This week, two-hour packaged shows recapping action from the 2012 World Series of Poker (WSOP) debuted on ESPN. The action began at 8:00pm ET this week with a recap of the Big One for One Drop, a $1 million buy-in tournament that previously aired on a near-live broadcast in July. An eight-handed final table featured Antonio Esfandiari at the top of the leaderboard and, as ESPN poker commentator Lon McEachern observed about the massive prize pool, “That’s a lot of green.”

At the top of the show, ESPN’s Kara Scott interviewed Esfandiari, who told viewers what he’d do with the tournament’s $18.3 million top prize: “When I win, I’m going to take care of my family, do things a little bit more, travel a little bit more, and take it easy.” Notice Esfandiari said “when” he wins, not “if.” Esfandiari had 11 total knockouts in the 48-player field leading up to the final table and was largely a one-man buzz saw down the stretch.

The tournament had 15 entrants in their 20s, but only one (Sam Trickett) made the final table. Logos spotted on players’ clothing included Poker Aces, Aria, 3bet, and Matchbook.

ESPN poker commentator Norman Chad gave his take on the four businessmen and four poker pros at the eight-man finale: “When most of these guys sneeze, $1 million falls out of their pocket.” The rich got richer as play began, as Esfandiari hit a set with pocket nines against Brian tsarrast Rast to scoop a pot of 8.9 million, vaulting his stack over 43 million.

Esfandiari then stumbled a bit, bleeding 17% of his stack in a hand against hedge fund manager David Einhorn, who was at one point linked to buying the New York Mets baseball team. Esfandiari would ultimately lose the chip lead to U.K. pokerpro Trickett(pictured). You’ll recall that Trickett was beaten up in Las Vegas just a few hours after the Big One ended.

Cirque du Soleil founder, space tourist, and One Drop ambassador Guy Laliberté folded K-J on a board of 9-K-8-2 after Trickett bet out on the turn. Chad observed, “The two of hearts scared Guy?” Trickett held 8-3 for third pair.

During a commercial break, more America’s Cardroom ads were shown on ESPN. These spots, which promote the room’s dot-net site, started popping up on ESPN in recent months despite the Black Friday legal action against PokerStars, Full Tilt Poker, Absolute Poker, and UB. Some poker players have wondered if ESPN should allow the room to advertise during its poker programming at all.

Steve “Chops” Preiss of Wicked Chops Poker told PocketFives a few months ago about the ads, “It’s surprising that ESPN allowed advertisements for AmericasCardroom.net to slip through the cracks. AmericasCardroom.net is a free play site, but there doesn’t appear to be any way to monetize it, meaning that its sole purpose is to push people to the AmericasCardroom.eu domain, which openly states that it’s U.S.-Friendly. From appearances, it appears it’s just like the old PokerStars.net and FullTiltPoker.net ads.”

Let’s get back to poker now. Rast hit a six-outer on the river to knock out Richard Yong in eighth place, the first casualty of the night. Yong, who also competed in the Aussie Millions Million Dollar Cash Game, picked up $1.2 million. Following Yong out the door was former Main Event champion and Bobby’s Room namesake Bobby Baldwin, who finished in seventh place for $1.4 million.

As the second one-hour episode began, the six players remaining agreed to show their cards when each hand was finished. As Trickett pointed out, “It’s easier when you know you’re going to see it.” Shortly thereafter, the Brit made quads on the river to oust Rast, who had flopped the nut flush. A stunned Amazon Room saw Rast depart in sixth place for $1.6 million. On his way out, he shrugged and embraced his good friend Esfandiari.

Speaking of Esfandiari, “The Magician” scooped a pot worth 25 million in chips with A-K for top pair to regain the chip lead. The pot was the largest at the final table to that point. Then, Laliberté was eliminated in fifth place for $1.8 million after losing a coin flip to Esfandiari.

Next to go was 12-time WSOP bracelet winner Phil Hellmuth, who was flipping after an A-10-5 two-heart flop with A-10 against Trickett’s A-Q of hearts. Trickett hit Broadway on the river to oust Hellmuth in fourth place for $2.6 million.

Three-handed, Einhorn, holding 9-7 of hearts, 3bet all in pre-flop and the table folded around. Then, he moved in once again, this time with K-9, and Esfandiari looked him up with K-10. Einhorn couldn’t catch up and went busto in third place for $4.3 million. He donated his entire winnings to charity. According to Forbes, Einhorn had a net worth of $1.1 billion as of March 2012.

Esfandiari (pictured) laid claim to a 5:2 chip lead entering heads-up play against Trickett, but unfortunately for the Brit, as Chad pointed out, “Esfandiari is playing good and running even better.” In the final hand of the first ever Big One for One Drop, Esfandiari shoved all-in on a flop of 5-5-J with two diamonds holding 7-5 for trips. Trickett, as just a 25% favorite, called for his tournament life on a flush draw. The final two cards were both red, but not diamonds, and Esfandiari banked $18.3 million for the win.

Following his victory, Esfandiari was hoisted around the room in a scene reminiscent of a Bar Mitzvah.

Next Tuesday, the WSOP National Championship will air on ESPN for two hours beginning at 8:00pm ET. For those of you who watched, what did you think? Are you looking forward to the WSOP National Championship coverage?