LAS VEGAS — For the first time in World Series of Poker main event history, the cameras are rolling live here at the Rio. After months of preparation, planning and approvals, ESPN3 went live at 3 p.m. ET with coverage from Day 3 of the main event and featured Daniel Negreanu at one final table and Ben Lamb, Daniel Kelly and Huck Seed at the other.

The complete schedule can be found here, but as a quick rundown of today’s play, ESPN3.com will have coverage from 3-9 p.m. ET and 11:00 p.m. to 2:30 a.m. ESPN2 will broadcast event from 7-9 p.m. ET and also 11:00 p.m. to 2:30 a.m. Any coverage that is found on ESPN2 (and simulcast on ESPN3) will offer hole cards after the flop.

Day 3 began with 1,864 players and after the first two hours, less than 1,600 remain. We’re a long way away from the bubble (693 players), but with each level players survive, they’re getting closer to a nice payday. Only four levels will be played on Day 3 and play is expected to conclude at 2:30 a.m. on Friday.

During the first level, there were a number of notables who made the long walk down the “bad beat” hallway and out the side door of the Rio. 2011 WSOP bracelet winners Jason Mercier and Matt Matros, Sam Trickett, Greg Mueller, Jennifer Harman, Dan Shak, Olivier Busquet and Kevin Iacofano couldn’t survive the minefield were eliminated. That group includes champions at all levels of the game and those that survived are probably happy that the field became a little bit easier.

The Day 2 chip leader Lamb continued to climb and became the first player over 600,000 in chips. His table may be incredibly tough, but he’s seemed comfortable thus far and has built his stack to 611,700 at the first break of the day. Many were cautious to predict Lamb’s potential success today given that his fast style can easily collide with a Kelly who plays a similar game. Seed may be able to capitalize most if he’s able to remain patient and chip away at the other two, but is one of the shorter stacks at the table.

Kevin Saul remained steady during the first level, dropping only a few thousand to head to break with 538,400 in chips. Don Nguyen sits in third after a good level and Guillaume Darcourt was perhaps the biggest mover and jumped into the top 5.

The average stack is 129,773 and the blinds are 1,000/2,000 with a 300 ante. Players are still very, very deep, but as we’ve seen over the past few years, the rate of eliminations will only slow down once a few hundred players remain.

Small blinds: As players headed to the first break, someone announce on the microphone that they were looking for someone who spoke Russian to communicate to a player. With more than 4,200 players coming from outside the U.S., I’m surprised this doesn’t happen more often. November Niner John Racener is sitting with Joe Tehan. Joseph Cheong and Racener are the only two November Niners remaining. Former WSOP champions remaining include Phil Hellmuth, Joe Cada, Huck Seed, Robert Varkonyi and Tom McEvoy. Cada was eliminated on Day 3 in 2010. Jason Alexander is approaching the 300,000-chip mark. ESPN Front Row did a piece with Coordinating Producer Jamie Horowitz to discuss the change in WSOP coverage in 2011. Even on Day 3, players still haven’t shown up on time. One player in the field didn’t take his seat for the first 90 minutes.

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