The WSOP has now come to a standstill, as the final table of the Main Event is finally determined. Now we all must wait for November 9 to find out who will win poker’s most coveted prize and over $9 million.
This WSOP started as the “year of the pro,” with many noted players increasing their bracelet collections and reminding the world why they are top of the poker heap. Yet when it came to the Main Event – that most democratic of poker competitions – the lesser-known professionals and a few semi-pros have taken all the spots on the race for the Championship.
The last table have been dubbed the “November Nine” because of Harrah’s new strategy of delaying the final table until November 9, giving the media time to become acquainted with the nine remaining players while also giving players the opportunity to negotiate sponsorships and receive training. 11-bracelet champion Phil Hellmuth’s advice will probably be in high demand in the next few weeks.
This year’s final table is not as diverse as last year’s but it still has four different nationalities: American, Canadian, Russian and Danish. Player’s occupations include a student, a salesman and an accountant besides the online and live poker professionals.
Here is the lowdown on the November Nine, organized by seat number:
Seat 1 – Missouri resident Dennis Phillips is sitting pretty on the largest stack with almost $26,300,000 in chips. Phillips works as an Account Manager, but he may be managing more than that if he gets his hands on the $9 million prize.
Seat 2 – Texan Craig Marquis is 33 years old and this is his second year at the WSOP. He is a college student and an avid online player, who currently holds the second shortest stack with a tad over $10,200,000 in chips.
Seat 3 – New Yorker Ylon Schwartz has a few years of WSOP experience under his belt, with lifelong tourney earnings of over a quarter of a million dollars. Schwartz is one of the short stacks with about $12,500,000 in chips.
Seat 4 – Canadian Scott Montgomery lives in Perth, Ontario. This is the 27-year-old’s first year at the WSOP, but he has already cashed an impressive $400,000 in previous tournaments. He has the third largest stack at 19,690,000.
Seat 5 – Accountant Darus Suharto hails from Toronto, Ontario and he holds an MBA from Indiana University. The Canadian accountant won his Main Event seat through a $650 satellite in Poker Stars and is hoping to repeat Moneymaker’s prowess.
Seat 6 – The last familiar face at the Main Event is California Resident David Rheem, whose experience in live tourneys may help him turn his short stack into a victory. “Chino” is a hot commodity now, and several players have invested into him hoping for a return in November.
Seat 7 – Young Russian player Ivan Demidov only started playing poker in early 2006, but the 27-year-old Moscow resident holds the second largest stack at 24,400,000 and looks set to make it deep into the final table.
Seat 8 – Californian Kelly Kim has already a few years of tournament experience, although he cashed at the WSOP for the first time last year. This experience will hopefully come in handy for making his very short 2,620,000 stack last more than a few blinds.
Seat 9 – Last but not least there is Scandinavian representative Peter Eastgate, who is 22 years old and lives in Odense, Denmark. Peter has a middle-size stack and this is his first year cashing into major tournaments.