In about 5 minutes, the World Championship of Online Poker will begin at PokerStars. I'm playing in most of the Hold'em events,  starting with today's $500 NLHE event.

I'm going to do my best Dr. Pauly imitation, and live blog the action. If you're interested in watching me play, you can download the PokerStars client, and search for "Wil Wheaton." I'll leave observer chat on as long as it remains civil.

Here we go . . .

Note: All times are Pacific Daylight Time.

1:29 PM: I'm seat 9 at table 108. Seats 1 and 8 are empty.

1:30 PM: My first hand is 96o. I fold.

1:31 PM: Pocket kings! I raise to 3x the BB, and everyone folds.

1:40 PM: We started with 2500 in chips, and the tournament leader is Dorgar, who currently has 7360! Holy crap! I have 2560. Play at this table is incredibly tight.

1:47 PM: This is the largest field in WCOOP history. 3062 players are going after a prize pool worth $1,531,000.

1:55 PM: I am currently number 1337 out of 2906. All further updates will be in the extended entry.

2:04 PM: G.LINEKER and The Shrike got all their money in on the flop of 4-J-8 rainbow. The Shrike shows a pair of aces, but G.LINEKER has pocket eights for the set. The Shrike goes out in 2829th place, and now there are two big stacks sitting to my right.

2:10 PM: The board is 9c-Js-3c-3s-4s. Scott1681 puts Foxman all-in. Foxman goes into the tank for a loooooong time, and finally calls.  Foxman turns over 7s-2s (the soooted hammer!) for a flush, but Scott1681 shows Ks-8s for a better flush, and goes out in 2758th.

2:19 PM: I just lost 600 because I played a pot out of position (SB), and couldn't fight with the big stack behind me so I layed it down. The next hand is A2c, and with a bunch of limpers ahead of me I called. The flop came 7-2-2 with two spades. It was checked to me, and since I had to get rid of the flush draws, I bet 1/2 the pot. Topclick was the only caller. I was very unhappy when a spade came on the turn . . . until I blinked twice and realized it was the Ace!! With a full house, I smooth called. The turn was the 8c, I raised him up to 600, and he called. I took down a very nice pot, and now I have just over 2900. I'm staying right at average, which is swell.

2:23 PM: I just folded the hammer G+. Sorry, CJ.

2:30 PM: My friend and fellow Team Pokerstars member Greg"Fossilman" Raymer just got busted when his opponent hit a two-outer.

2:32 PM: At the first break, some Team PokerStars updates: Evelyn "evybabee" Ng has 2490. Chris "Money800" Moneymaker has 4610. Isabelle "No Mercy" Mercier has 2260. I've got 2825.

2:43 PM: Back from break, and I haven't played a hand yet — respect The Gap Concept! I must admit, it feels pretty good to have chipcounts that are mostly in-line with the rest of the Team PokerStars crew. (Except for Chris, who is really screwing up the curve. ;)

2:54 PM: The first sighting of THE HAMMER! Scott1681 got into it with tayke2, who dropped THE HAMMER and made a pair of sevens, but lost to Scott1681's straight.

3:16 PM: Doh! pocket 4s in the BB against Scott1681, who is in the SB. I check when he calls, (mistake number one) but when the flop comes 3h-6s-7h, and he checks, I bet. The turn is the 9d, so I get /12 the pot again, and he calls. When the river is a Jack and he checks, I have to check behind him . . . and he shows Jack-fucking-trey for two pair.

3:22 PM: I've got a great hand UTG +1 , and with 1725, I'm planning the stop-n-go . . . until everyone folds. Doh! Doh!

3:31 PM: I go all-in pre-flop from UTG. No callers.

3:38 PM: I called Anne over to my desk. "This is probably it, honey. You want to watch?" While she walked over from the living room, I got all-in from the SB with A-10o. G.LINEKER called me with pocket 6s.

"Doh!" I said.

The flop came 3h-2c-9s. "Well, it looks like we're going up to my parents house for dinner after all," I said.

The turn was the Jd. I typed "gg" into the chat box, but before I could hit return, the river came a glorious 10!

"Wooo-hooooo!" I screamed out, scaring the shit out of my dogs.

I totally sucked out to double up. Now I've got 3250. Average is 4564, so I've got a bit of a hill to climb, but I can relax just a little bit.

I always feel a little guilty when I suck out on someone who is clearly a better player than I am . . . but as they say, "It's better to be lucky, than to be good."

3:54 PM: There are 1529 players left. w00t! I've officially out-lasted half the field!

4:01 PM: Evlyn Ng was eliminated in 2547th place. Chris Moneymaker is currently in 496th place with 5880, and Isabelle Mercier is in 291st with 7450. I'm in 940th with 3400. Average is 5360.

4:04 PM: Mad777 just doubled up Topclick when Mad777's J7c was called by Topclick with JJ, and they held up. On the next hand, Mad777 was doubled back up when he went all-in with pocket treys against Scott1681's ATh.

4:10 PM: I've been moved to Seat one of  table 56. I'm playing with Poker Geek's boss, who just busted a guy when his QQ flopped a set against his opponent's pocket kings.

4:14 PM: I just folded THE HAMMER again. The Donator (in seat eight) has a really creepy avatar.

4:20 PM: Nothing happening. Just a post for Al Can't Hang and Dr. Pauly.

4:29 PM: I've opened a few pots, but haven't gotten any action. I've only seen 5% of the flops. The Donator and his creepy avatar just got rivered out by Texas Troll.

4:37 PM: You know how there's always a hand that follows you around in a tournament? Today, it's THE HAMMER. I wish this were a blogger tourney . . . I'd be chip leader! 

4:40 PM: There are 976 players left. I've officially survived 2/3 of the field!

4:46 PM: We're on our final 5 minute break. Every break from here on in is 15 minutes. This is really fun. I've never made it this far in a MTT before!

I'm 1/2 of average, so I'd like to double up sooner than later, but I'm not in risky-play territory, yet. (I can mention this because any opponent I have to respect should already know this.)

4:51 PM: Cards are back in the air. Blinds are 100/200 with a 25 ante.

5:02 PM: I just won a big pot, and another small pot right after, and now I have 6350. Average is 9189, and there are 833 players left. jackie moe's AJ just doubled up sammyt1's 88 when sammyt1 flopped a set. The turn was a Jack, but the river was an 8 for quads.

5:04 PM: I just folded THE HAMMER again. I hear that The Grinder went out, but I don't have any details.

5:08 PM: I have a hand in LP, so I raise 3x the BB. The SB, PokerGeek's boss raised me back to 1400. I go into the tank for a few moments, and he says, "Think of [PokerGeek]" I immeidately go all-in. He thinks for a long time, and folds. I have 7550 now. Average is 9801.

5:10 PM: Okay, I'm not blogging it when I fold THE HAMMER, it's happened so many times now.

5:34 PM: There's an all-in specialist immediately after me, and it's cost me a bit on late-position moves, and now I'm down to 3500 with the blinds at 200/400 with a 25 ante. Average is 12801, and we go up to 300/600 in 15 minutes.  There are 586 players left, I'm in the Orange Zone, and it's time to make a stand, as soon as I can.

5:40 PM: All-in in MP, no callers. Back up to 3425, but still in the Orange Zone. The binds hit me next hand.

5:44 PM: The AIS had his Kings cracked by a set of 9s, and went home. On the very next hand, ANOTHER bad beat was dealt out. I'm still looking for a spot to double up.

5:47 PM: Here it is. All-in with AJh in the BB. Against A8c. Flop comes OH FUCK! As-8s-4h. Turn is the Qh, and I pick up a flush draw, but I'm still behind. The river is the 5d and I go out in 518th place. At least it wasn't kings.

What a fun tournament this was! I'd like to have made the money, but I outlasted 2500 or so people, (including several other pros, and members of Team PokerStars) which is nothing to be ashamed of.

Thanks to everyone who came and sweated me. That was super cool. I'll be playing in several more events during the WCOOP, and I'll live blog every one of them. This was lots of fun.

Be sure to listen to the final table on Poker Talk Show.