Here’s the latest episode — a good one with Phil Hellmuth in studio talking a little EPT-Berlin robbery, significance of the NBC Heads-up, and his recent non-collapse collapse at Bay 101.

They also talk with his “mindset coach” Sam Chauhan … and the process of keeping players focussed.

It doesn’t get weird until Andrew Feldman and Bernard Lee start to talk about Hellmuth shirtless.

Here’s the latest Inside Deal, featuring a review of the NAPT and a Q&A with Daniel Negreanu:

The Inside Deal makes its to its second season on ESPN.com with Joe Cada and John Pappas appearing on the show.

ESPN.com’s Andrew Feldman and Bernard Lee co-host the last Inside Deal episode of the year, discussing the news in the poker world over the past few weeks and a visit from 2009 World Champion Joe Cada. The good news is the web series will continue in 2010.

Excerpts from a post that never quite saw the light of day … my outcome predictions based on ESPN Inside Deal’s pre-Nov-9 episode and their interviews with seven of the players … some of my reads are quasi-spot-on!

(Not sure why that ep is no longer available … you’ll just have to trust my take on it.)

Half-penned on Nov 6-7:

Steve Begleiter — he’s eager and anxious to get playing, perhaps overly so. Just ask Karridy what that results in. Expect Begs to go out disappointingly early.
ED NOTE: Close!

Darvin Moon — he’s got more than a hundred friends and family members out here with him, some of whom he doesn’t know. Still too little info to call his fate. But he won’t win it. Probably 4th place. Maybe 2nd. But hey, if he gets there, than yeah … Moneymaker vs. Farha.
ED NOTE: Yep!

James Akenhead — good spirits, but joviality doesn’t matter when he’s still hung up on the bad luck that left him as the short stack. Even if he doubles-up twice, he won’t be prepared for being in that position. 9th or 5th.
ED NOTE: Got it!

Antoine Saout — too broken-English to call. He gives away little in this interview, so we’ll go with WCP’s take on why the Frenchman lacks the necessary killer instinct.
ED NOTE: Hey, French …

Joe Cada — just a kid havin’ a good time, enjoying it all. Care-free attitude could mean middle-of-the-pack, or if he runs good … 3.5 Months 8.5 Million baby!
ED NOTE: Boo-yah!

Eric Buchman — he’s all poker. He’s got experience and has clearly and carefully thought this thing through. Plenty of chips. It all means he’s a real real threat to take it down, but hey, gotta think his controversial handling of sponsorship deals could suggests he understands that even more’s at stake, and under pressure has a history of getting himself into non-ideal situations. 3rdish place. Maybe 6th or 7th.
ED NOTE: A little on, a little off!

Kevin Schaffel — he’s a lucky guy, enjoying it all, but in an older way than Cada. Congrats, Mr. Schaffel, on making the November Nine. You should be very proud, and hey, they were suited, right?
ED NOTE: Sorta right.

Phil Ivey — does not appear. But we all know what’s up — he’s got 40 big blinds! It’s Ivey’s table not just to win, but methodically destroy.
ED NOTE: Oops, wrong.

Jeff Shulman — also does not appear. We know, of course, he’s got a mathematical edge because he’sBut yeah, really, his to win, too, and he starts in a pretty good spot to do so. And we’re not saying. What is inevitable is he’ll put himself in a spot where he should win it, and he’ll suffer a bad beat for third place. Happy moans, Dad Barry smirks, Phil Hellmuth takes center stage.
ED NOTE: Wrong again, save for the bad beat.

Even earlier WSOP predictions here.

The first of a series of Inside Deal shows this weekend, along with daily episodes of the Poker Edge podcast.

Chad Brown, Liv Boeree, and some other stuff on this week’s show.

ESPN had a little tele-press conference about the upcoming coverage of the WSOP November Nine. ESPN’s chief Flack George McNeilly moderated the call, and on it taking questions were Norman Chad, Lon McEachorn and Doug White, ESPN’s Senior Director of Programming and Acquisitions.

(Jeffrey Pollack bowed out with regrets, apparently claiming “tummy-ache”/swine flu.)

For a little preview of what’s in store — from the perspective of storylines, production, and a wee-bit of Darvin Moon sponsorship business …

ESPN 2009 WSOP Main Event Final Table Media Cattle Conference Call
Oct 29 2009
McNeilly, McEachern, Chad, White, et al.

[audio:http://www.espnmediazone.com/Conf_Calls/20091029_WSOP.mp3]
download

SPOILER ALERT: More heads-up coverage, table/stage a bit closer to the crowd, welcome to the show ESPN Inside Deal, and play along online at ESPN.com. Go Phil Ivey or Darvin Moon, and really any of the other guys, too! Akenhead is kinda a funny last name. Presented by Jack’s Links Beef Jerky, yum. Let’s dance.

It’s Tuesday, which means a new episode of ESPN.com’s Inside Deal, featuring November Nine participant Joe Cada along with news spanning the poker community.

Episode #11 features Hevad Khan and news from around the poker world.

To answer a question asked at the beginning of Seebs’ interview, the thread on 2+2 is currently at over 200 posts.

Mark breaks his silence to briefly discuss the Absolute Poker/UB Scandals (about 13:00 into the show):

Mark also discusses the scandal on ESPN.com’s Poker Edge podcast (starting at around 11:00), also available on Itunes.