The best player in the game, a logger with no credit card or cell phone and the possiblity of the youngest champion in World Series of Poker history.

“Those three storylines alone are facscinating,” ESPN’s Norman Chad said Thursday at the network’s pre-series press conference.

He's referring to Phil Ivey, who has won seven WSOP bracelets; Darvin Moon, the chip leader, a logger from West Virginia; and 21-year-old Joe Cada.

ESPN will show a feature at 7 p.m. Tuesday on Ivey in its show, E-60. Coincidentally (?) he's on the cover of this week’s ESPN The Magazine. Then the final table narrows to nine in the 9 p.m. telecast.

Part of the conversation focused on Tuesday's telecast, where Ivey mucked his hand, although it was a winner. He had a pair of eights, and four spades hit the board. He mucked when he saw an overpair, costing him about 2.1 million chips.

"On the tape; my first reaction wwas something’s wrong with the tape; I just couldn’t believe it was happening," Chad said. "It was like watching Michaelangelo drop his paint brush.".

The November Nine meet Saturday, play down to two, who vie at 10 p.m. Vegas time Monday night.

Other topics: Jeff Shulman apparently is the only player with a coach, and he has Phil Hellmuth.

"It’s either the greatest move in history or the greatest mistake in history," Chad said. "He could win the main event and be overshadowed by his coach."

Lon McEachern on Kevin Schaffel of Coral Springs: "He’s not a flash in the pan. He’s been playing longer than anybody else. He carries himself well and is very charismatic."