The 2009 World Series of Poker reaches its climax on November 7th at The Rio in Las Vegas, with nine players competing to earn not just a coveted World Series of Poker bracelet, but also a cool $8million first prize. Here is a look at the remaining players and who to look out for when the Main Event comes to a head.
Darvin Moon - Chip Leader with 58,930,000
No email address. No credit card. No previous live tournament winnings. There are a lot of things that chip leader Darvin Moon, a logger from Maryland, does not have. One thing, however, he has in overflowing abundance, and that is chips. Lots of chips. With over 30% of the chips remaining in play, Moon's position at the table is one of dominance, and he will be hoping that his excellent run of cards continues. By his own admission, he is one of the weakest players at the table, despite some strong poker at times in the tournament.
Eric Buchman - 2nd place with 34,800,000
Buchman is an experienced pro from New York with over $1 million in tournament winnings already behind him, in contrast to Moon's complete lack of experience. He will be well placed with the second biggest stack at the table, looking for his first World Series of Poker bracelet to supplement a runner-up finish in 2006.
Steve Begleiter - 3rd place with 29,885,000
Amateur player Steve Begleiter has, he claims, been "dancing between raindrops" on his way to the WSOP Final Table. The former Senior Executive of Bear Sterns won his entry fee into the WSOP as part of a home-game league, with the other league members set to share 20% of Begleiter's guaranteed $1 million-plus winnings. A good run of cards could see Begleiter in the running, but his opponents will see him as a little less threatening than some others at the table.
Jeff Shulman - 4th place with 19,580,000
As the editor of CardPlayer Magazine and the son of recent World Series of Poker Europe Main Event winner Barry Shulman, Jeff Shulman is familiar to many a poker devotee. His distaste for the management of the WSOP in recent years is well documented, to the extent that he has claimed he will be giving away his WSOP bracelet if he wins - however, he will be no less intent on securing first place than any other competitor, and is a fierce competitor in his own right.
Joseph Cada - 5th place with 13,215,000
Cada is the only player left at the table capable of beating Peter Eastgate's record as the youngest WSOP Main Event winner of all time, having only just turned 21. Cada has come away unscathed from battles with some of the biggest names in Poker during the tournament, and should not be underestimated - he has a big enough stack to give himself a definite chance at victory.
Kevin Schaffel - 6th place with 12,390,000
51-year-old Schaffel is making his second deep run in the main event, having finished 42nd in 1994, but is relatively inexperienced compared to some of the names at this final table. Having already stated that he is happy with his November Nine place and is not expecting to win, it remains to be seen whether Schaffel will show sufficient 'gamble' to triumph at such a high level.
Phil Ivey - 7th place with 9,765,000
The undisputed star of the November Nine show. One of the best all-round poker players in the world, Ivey will be looking for his first Main Event title at his first final table, having missed out on the 2003 final table after an horrific two-outer on the river from Chris Moneymaker knocked him out. Ivey's presence at the final table will intimidate the other players somewhat, and his chip stack is just about big enough to make him a real threat.
Antoine Saout - 8th place with 9,500,000
Hailing from Morlaix, France, Antoine Saout is an online tournament specialist making his first appearance at a Main Event final table. As the second shortest stack at the table, Saout will need some luck to survive - if he does, however, he will surely be a threat to some of the players at the table with less tournament experience.
James Akenhead - short stack with 6,800,000
The only British player left at the final table, Akenhead will be looking for his first WSOP bracelet after narrowly missing out in 2008. Having been a short stack throughout the latter stages of the tournament, Akenhead has ground out a route to the final table - he will be hoping for some slightly more playable hands, to give himself a shot at taking home the $8 million jackpot.
