So there I was, praising the full house that made Chris Moneymaker the 2003 World Series of Poker champion when I realized that I had seen it all before.

About a thousand times.

No disrespect for Moneymaker, who became a household name by winning $2.5 million the first time he sat down at a big-time poker tournament, but ESPN has milked his story dry.

We've seen last year's competition in hourly increments, daylong marathons and highlights shows. The only thing missing is the “E! True Hollywood Story.”

But enough living in the past, ESPN is unleashing the new season of World Series of Poker coverage at 8 p.m. Tuesday — a couple of months after the tournament unfolded live in Las Vegas — and the poker-playing public is ready.

Television has made poker players into television celebrities — and vice versa — and the shows give low-stakes players the chance to enjoy the game and learn tricks of the trade without wagering their own bankroll.

But before you get too excited for the biggest names in TV gambling to go all-in, be aware that the main event and its $5 million top prize won't debut until Aug. 17.

That's right, the next six Tuesdays will focus on satellite tournaments such as lower-stakes Texas HoldEm, Seven-Card Stud, Omaha and Razz, mirroring the games played in homes across the country.

Think of it as summer school.

Instead of trying to re-create the melodramatic TV antics of Phil Hellmuth going all-in, viewers can absorb the finer points of various games and then turn around to try to win a few bucks from family and friends.If you want to know when each game is being played, check .com/eoe/wsop. There you can find a complete schedule, history of the tournament and rules for each game.

Dealer's choice: Texas HoldEm

The game that's played in the marquee event of the World Series of Poker and other televised games is easy enough to learn.

Each player is first dealt two cards down (hole cards). A round of betting follows.

Then five community cards are dealt face-up in stages; a round of betting follows the first three up cards (collectively called “the flop”), then the fourth (“the turn”) and the fifth (“the river”).

When all is said and done, the person with the best five-card hand (combining one or both hole cards with community cards) wins the pot.

Your call

With poker rooms opening in area casinos, free tournaments popping up in bars and warm weather beckoning you to your patio, where is your favorite place to play and why?