|
Poker fans around the world have been treated to an exceptionally memorable WSOP and the final table lineup is the icing on the cake. While Phil Ivey is not the chip leader, he is far and away the most popular choice of poker fans everywhere to take it down. The field is led by Darvin Moon, an unknown player with probably the least experience and he will find quite a challenge by this impressive group of players.
Here is the list and short profiles of the men we will be following for the next three months. We will stay tuned for the November Nine Final Table .........this has the makings of one of the greatest ever!!!
Darvin Moon - 58,930,000
Darvin Moon will return to the Rio in four months holding a large chip lead and, incredibly, the million dollar minimum payout he receives will be his first live cash of note.
He is a recreational player who owns a small logging company in Maryland. Having played poker for three years, he won his Main Event ticket through a satellite at his local Casino, Wheeling Island in West Virginia.
By his own admission, Moon has been blessed with some fantastic cards in the run-up to the final table.
"With the cards I'm getting it's easy," said Moon. "If I don't hit cards like the way I have been over the past few days, everyone at this table is a better player than I am".
His amateur roots are a far cry from some of the experienced pros still left in contention but Moon has the stack to take down the title.
"We'll see if I can do this," he said. "I'll be confident if I keep hitting cards like I have been this whole tournament." Darvin has no prior WSOP cashes.
Eric Buchman - 34,800,000
Hailing from New York, Eric Buchman has nearly a million dollars of tournament cashes behind him already, including narrowly missing out on a bracelet in 2006 when he finished runner-up in a $1,500 NLHE event.
Buchman's largest cash to date came from finishing second in the 2007 WSOPC Atlantic City Main event for over $208k, but he will blow that figure away wherever he finishes come the November showdown.
Buchman is well placed for glory here at the final table, but he recognizes he has been fortunate to get this far.
"I'm happy right now but I got lucky a few times in the last few days," said Buchman. "I'm pretty tired right now - I deserve a vacation!"
He'll return mob-handed come the final, intending to bring a lot of his supporters along for the ride.
"When I come back I'll bring a lot of people with me - around thirty. All the players in my local game will want to come." Buchman has $895,234 in WSOP earnings dating back to 2004 including Event #24 Final Table this year.
Steven Begleiter - 29,885,000
Steven Begleiter has been playing poker all of his life as an enthusiastic amateur and he won his entry into the Main Event through a home-game league.
The other league members will all chop 20% of whatever Begleiter wins which resulted in some vociferous support from the rail during the run up to the final table.
Begleiter was quick to acknowledge he has dodged some bullets on his path to the Main Event final.
"'I'm dancing between raindrops in the middle of a minefield and somehow I'm still standing," he said. "I've already won. It's insane I made the final table. I'm not quite sure how I did it. My objective is to play well - so far I've played well." Steve has no previous WSOP cashes.
Jeff Shulman - 19,580,000
Jeff Shulman is best known as the editor of CardPlayer Magazine and going into the final, he suggested he would throw the bracelet into the garbage should he win.
Apparently he clarified that his disregard for the bracelet was a statement about how he feels the World Series has been managed in recent years.
Shulman's progress through to the final nine has been relatively straightforward and he was scornful of the quality of the field he has faced off against.
"There were a lot of amateurs in this tournament who don't really understand how to play a deep stacked poker," he said. "It was the easiest field I've ever seen in my life. I feel like everyone in the tournament was on Adderall while I was on Xanax."
Shulman hopes his run through to the November Nine will provide good exposure for his various interests.
"It'll be great for my business, great exposure for CardPlayer and Spade Club and maybe people who have jobs will start playing poker." Jeff has cashed previously in WSOP earnings for $289,551.
Joseph Cada - 13,215,000
The youngest player at November's final table will be Joseph Cada, who has just turned 21.
Known online as "jcada99", he has had several decent results on the internet, his biggest being a $50k win in the Sunday Milligan on Full Tilt in 2008.
Cada had already had two cashes at this year's WSOP coming into the Main Event, though the significance of those two small cashes will be forgotten when he lines up in November to take his shot at scooping the Main Event.
"I feel great, I'm a little tired," he said. "I've played a lot of poker over the past month or so, so I'm going to enjoy the Michigan summer now. I feel very confident, but it's poker, I'm just going to do my best with the cards I'm dealt." Young Joseph has cashed twice in 2009 events #34 and #13 for $28,215.
Kevin Schaffel - 12,390,000
Kevin Schaffel hails from Florida and the 51-year-old father of two is experiencing his second deep run at the Main Event, having come 42nd 15 years ago at the 1994 WSOP.
With just $168k in tournament winnings, his final table position here will cement his biggest payday by far and Schaffel is overjoyed to be part of the November Nine.
"I'm delirious right now," he said. "I'll come back in November and do what I can. If it's meant to be, it's meant to be. It's been a great ride whatever happens. My son is on cloud nine. I can't wait to come back." Kevin placed 324 in the 2008 Main Event for $32,166.
Phil Ivey - 9,765,000
Phil Ivey will return as the star of the show come November, the seven-time bracelet winner the marquee name amongst the finalists.
Ivey has already snagged two bracelets at the 2009 WSOP and though he had a rocky path through to the final nine, he rode the rough patches to book his November spot.
He will return as one of the shortstacks, but as you would expect, Ivey has a plan to steal the show when they return to the felt in four months.
"I may watch a few of the hands on TV and actually watch poker on TV," he said. "I'm a little short and I don't want to get in to exactly what I'm going to do but I have some plans." Phil has cashed 5 times this year with 2 bracelets and $2,843,018 in lifetime WSOP earnings.
Antoine Saout - 9,500,000
Antoine Saout comes from Morlaix, France and is well-known as a MTT specialist, regularly crushing the tournaments online at Everest poker. His popularity on the site will have grown given his final table berth has guaranteed himself and the other Everest qualifiers a slice of a million dollar bonus.
He picked up his Main Event ticket via a satellite on the site and will enter the final as the second shortest stack.
Saout's mother was initially unhappy with his choice to become a pro poker player, but he hopes his big result here will have impressed her.
"My mother was against it but she's sees the results and she has to be happy now," he said. "My friends and family back home are really proud and happy for me." Antoine has no previous WSOP cashes.
James Akenhead - 6,800,000
Londoner James Akenhead is a member of the much-vaunted "Hit Squad" - a group of young professionals from England.
Akenhead watched a bracelet slip from his grasp at last year's WSOP when he finished runner-up in one of the $1,500 tournaments. This time though, he is keen to make amends for that near-miss, despite being the shortstack.
"It's like a dream," he said. " I told a friend in January I just have a feeling that I'll run badly in the other events, but pull something out for the main. And it's happened!"
James was one of the best supported players in the run to the final nine and he was keen to pay tribute to his band of boisterous supporters on the rail.
"The support's been amazing," he said. " I feel sorry for some of the guys out there, they would win a hand and not even get a clap. The great support I got really helped." James has $505,867 in WSOP earnings in the past two years.
|
