If you squint your eyes and are watching on a super-hi-def-super-big-screen and using CIA-quality video enhancement technology you can see it … Team Pokerati player/lasts-longest winner Whit Blanton appears at the featured table during Day 4 of the 2008 WSOP main event, proudly displaying his Pokerati patch during Jean-Robert Bellande’s safe-seeming-flop runner-runner bustout hand (where his Russian opponent menacingly says, “bye-bye” before the river).

Nice job, Whit! You played that hand perfectly (folding pre-flop) and performed a top-notch pullback upon realizing your attempt to shake Bellande’s hand goodbye stood a 94 percent chance of being left hanging.

Here’s the clip of Whit’s featured table appearance on ESPN (starting about halfway in, with handshake fun at about 7 minutes):

And if you’re interested in what really goes into the making of a WSOP episode, click below for some email correspondence between Whit and ESPN in preparing for his prime-time television debut:

From: whitblanton
To: julie.katchen
Subject: RE: ESPN’s The World Series of Poker
Date: Mon, 8 Sep 2008 18:37:14 -0500

Hi Julie,

Great to hear from you and glad I will be making the show on Oct 7th! 🙂 See below in Bold for the answers, clarifications to your questions. You can call me on my cell to clarify anything. It’s: 214-578-[xxxx].

Thanks!

-Whitney B. Blanton

Your name will appear as WHITNEY BLANTON (how is your last name pronounced?) Pronounced B-lan-ton

Age: 39

Current Residence: Dallas, Texas

Occupation: Professional Poker Player. Now that I am recently unemployed, I am playing poker now as my only source of income. I am seeking new employment however as it’s a guaranteed, steady source of income 😉

This is your 3rd Year in the WSOP.

Have you also been playing in the Main Event for 3 years? Played in 2006, but not in 2007. Tried to qualify through a mega satellite last year, but didn’t qualify. Didn’t want to pony up the $10,000 😉

Where do you have your B.A. in English Lit from? From The University of North Texas in Denton, TX

What did you do as a senior research consultant, where did you work? Recruited top level Executives from Fortune 500 companies, placing them in growing technology companies. Albertini Group, Inc. Dallas, TX

You have been playing poker for 20 years. Probably closer to 30 years, but have been playing Texas Hold ‘Em for about 5 years

You won your seat through a mega satellite event

Your hobbies include music, traveling, film and art – can you elaborate on any of these hobbies? For instance do you collect art? Who is your favorite artist? Or are you an artist? – Favorite bands are Radiohead and Pink Floyd. Favorite artist is Salvador Dali, though I am not an artist myself. Favorite travel spots are Italy, San Francisco and New York. Favorite films are American Beauty, Shawshank Redemption and Sideways

Is there anything else you’d like the TV audience to know about you? How did your 2008 WSOP go? Did you enter any other events besides the Main Event? If so how did you do?
Favorite poker players are Daniel Negreanu and Phil Helmuth. I finished 157th out of 8,773 players in the 2006 Main Event, cashing for $47,006. This year I finished in 412th place out of 6,844 players, cashing for $28,950. I also competed in a $1,500 buy in event this year, but got knocked out fairly early. I hit my Ace high flush on the river, but my opponent made a straight flush 🙁

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Date: Mon, 8 Sep 2008 17:14:09 -0400
From: julie.katchen
To: whitblanton
Subject: ESPN’s The World Series of Poker

Hi Whitney,

My name is Julie, I’m from ESPN’s The World Series of Poker. I have some information I’d like to confirm with you so that everything is correct when you appear in the Day 4 show airing October 7th. Please respond at your earliest convenience.

Your name will appear as WHITNEY BLANTON (how is your last name pronounced?)

Age: 39

Current Residence: Dallas, Texas

Occupation: Professional Poker Player.

This is your 3rd Year in the WSOP

Have you also been playing in the Main Event for 3 years?

Where do you have your B.A. in English Lit from?

What did you do as a senior research consultant, where did you work?

You have been playing poker for 20 years.

You won your seat through a mega satellite event

Your hobbies include music, traveling, film and art – can you elaborate on any of these hobbies? For instance do you collect art? Who is your favorite artist? Or are you an artist?

Is there anything else you’d like the TV audience to know about you? How did your 2008 WSOP go? Did you enter any other events besides the Main Event? If so how did you do?

I look forward to hearing from you soon. Feel free to e-mail me with any questions.

Best,

Julie Katchen