ESPN prepares for historic WSOP final table broadcast 

The final table of the 2008 World Series of Poker main event will make history as the first ever WSOP final table to be broadcast on television on the same day as the conclusion of play.

The filming and editing of the final confrontation between the so-called November Nine will present unique challenges to broadcaster ESPN, which has traditionally cut and edited footage from the tournament and broadcast this weeks after the event.

"This is a show that very often takes several weeks or a month to put together and this time it's going to be produced in a matter of hours," ESPN Senior Producer Ed Horowitz told Casino City News. "We're heading into uncharted waters. It's an ambitious undertaking. But we're excited about it."

The final table will be broken down into two sessions, with the first session covering the elimination of seven players from the event, while the second session will feature the heads-up battle between the two remaining players at the table.

"This is going to be a historic night for poker,” Horowitz concluded. “We're feeling a mixture of nerves and excitement. Anytime you embark on something you've never done before, there are going to be a lot of questions. But I think we have a good plan. We have one goal at every tournament, and that's to document the highest level of poker that there is."