Wednesday night featured a pretty eventful installment of the World Series of Poker (WSOP) on ESPN. Showing one day later than usual, ESPN’s coverage of the 2012 Main Event featured embattled poker pro Matt Marafioti (pictured) and a rather combative Henry Van Tran, the latter of whom at one point asked WSOP Tournament Director Jack Effelif he spoke English, earning him a one-round penalty. The action began on Day 4 with 442 players left.

Let’s start with Van Tran, who, seated at the ESPN featured table, put up a stink about having to show his hole cards to the camera despite signing a release saying he’d do so. In the ensuing hand, he warned his tablemates that the action was about to move very slowly and, true to his word, Van Tran crawled through the motions, seemingly in protest of having to show his cards.

During the laborious hand, Effel came over to Van Tran (pictured) and said, “After this hand, you and I are going to have a conversation.” ESPN took a commercial break in the middle of the pot and Marafioti ultimately called the clock on Van Tran. The Canadian let the time tick down to zero, sending his hand into the muck.

Effel pulled Van Tran aside and the latter argued that the release he signed did not say he had to show his hole cards. ESPN showed a graphic on the screen of the language Van Tran claimed didn’t exist and Effel told him to sit on the sidelines until he agreed to show his cards. At one point, Van Tran asked the WSOP Tournament Director, “Do you speak English,” a question that earned him a one-round penalty.

Meanwhile, there was some poker to be played. France’s Gaelle Baumann(pictured) busted Fabio Luongo, brother of Vancouver Canucks goalie Roberto Luongo. The Flying Luongo Brothers both made the money this year. Women dominated throughout the evening, including Norway’s Elisabeth Hille, who moved all-in pre-flop against Greg Merson with queens against tens. Hille doubled when all of the community cards were dealt and Merson dropped three-quarters of his stack in an instant.

Mike timexMcDonald, Chris moorman1Moorman, and Marc Karam all exited stage right on Day 4 and had their bustout hands featured on ESPN. Also falling by the wayside as the first one-hour episode wrapped up was former back-to-back Main Event champion Johnny Chan, who ran sevens into the kings of Isaac mr. menlo Baron.

To start the second one-hour episode on Wednesday night, Hille continued her reign of terror, dumping a player after hitting a set on the flop. Meanwhile, two-time bracelet winner Vanessa Selbst 3bet to put an opponent all-in despite holding only ace-high. Her read was spot on, as her opponent held a busted straight draw and Selbst continued to sport a top ten stack.

Paul paulgees81Volpe (pictured), a former #1 playeron PocketFives, put an opponent all-in on the river of a three-club board holding 9-4 of the suit for a flush. His adversary, Sean Rice, called all-in with trip kings and was eliminated. Volpe scooped a pot worth 1.5 million in chips and became the new top dog in the 2012 WSOP Main Event.

ESPN then interviewed Marafioti, who is currently mired in a hacking scandal and said he bought a $2 million house at age 21, was wearing a $30,000 watch, had $15,000 in other jewelry on him for the vignette, and even went so far as to buy his dad a $9,000 pen for Father’s Day. He ran well at the tables too, cracking aces with A-K and then jumping out of his seat and yelling, “Yes” at the top of his lungs.

Also celebrating rather loudly was comedian Kevin Pollak, who doubled with kings against queens after all of the money went in pre-flop. Pollack, in a rather unexpected move, then yelled, “When you get a second, go fuck yourself” to his opponent whom he had just doubled through. He joked, “That’s what I say when I win.”

Meanwhile, Shaun shaundeebDeeb, another former #1 player on PocketFives, could not stay ahead of former November Niner Eric Buchman‘s K-J of diamonds with A-5 after Buchman spiked a king on the river.

At the conclusion of Day 4 of the Main Event, Volpe was the chip leader at 2.75 million. Next week, catch the action from Day 5 at its normal day and time, Tuesday at 8:00pm ET on ESPN.