Following the success of its “November Nine” concept of moving the World Series of Poker main event final table to November for television, the powers that be at Harrah’s once again decided to use the format to decide this year’s champion.
On Thursday, the remaining players from the main event battled down in the Rio’s Amazon Room until 2009 bracelet winner Jordon Smith moved all-in with Aces (an overpair to the board) only to run in to Darvin Moon who had flopped three of a kind. With Smith the bubble boy, here are the 2009 November Nine in chip count order.
1. Darvin Moon 58,930,000
With an enormous chip lead, the logging company owner from Maryland is in a fantastic position to become another working class hero to take the title. Following in the footsteps of amateurs like 2003 champion Chris Moneymaker, Moon made his way to the World Series via a satellite win in a local casino. The recreational player of three years experience remains humble about his achievement in netting himself a minimum of a million dollars in his first notable cash and places his success firmly down to an incredibel run of cards, being so modest as to describe himself as “completely outclassed” by his other competitors. However, when those opponents return to teh Rio, they will have to battle against his mammoth stack.
2. Eric Buchman 34,800,000
With a more than healthy chip stack and over a million dollars of tournament winnings to his name, Buchman is placed in a great position to mount a serious challenge for the title. Buchman, who has two WSOP final tables and a second place in a WSOP circuit event in his list of credentials has dodged a few bullets in achieving his current position but for now has a few months to rest before returning to Sin City and chasing the glory.
3. Steve Begleiter 29,885,000
Begleiter, a veteran amateur from New York booked his ticket to the main event by emerging victorious in a home game league and he will split 20% of his winnings with the other members of the league. Again, Begleiter remains philosophical about his chances and claims “I’ve already won. It’s insane I made the final table.” Having surprised himself, he may now surprise the rest of the world and go all the way but we’ll have to wait and see.
4. Jeff Shulman 19,580,000
Shulman, the long time editor of Card Player magazine seems to not have the same modesty that his other competitors may have. He has been scornful about the low quality of the WSOP main event field this year and the waythis Series’ tournaments have been run to the point of suggesting that he would throw the bracelet in the trash if he was to win. However, he is a highly skilled player and will provide stern opposition to those who stand in his way.
5. Joesph Cada 13,215,000
Cada is easily the youngest competitor still standing and would be the youngest champion to date were he to take down the title. The online professional, prehaps better known by his online handle “jcada99″ has had a healthy WSOP 2009 with two cashes and could surprise a few more experienced heads with his aggressive style.
6. Kevin Shaffel 12.390,000
The 51 year old Flordidian will be looking to secure a big payday so that he can retire from the day job and play some more poker. 2009 sees Shaffel’s second deep run in the main event, a full fifteen years after he finished 41st in 1994.
7. Phil Ivey 9,765,000
What an incredible World Series it is for the “Tiger Woods of poker”, the widely acknowledged world’s best player has already secured two bracelets this year to bring his overall tally to seven. Now, he is looking to take down the Big One. The eyes of the poker world will undoubtedly be on Ivey when the final table reconvenes in the Autumn, and only time will see if he can accomplish something that many would have seen as impossible.
8. Antoine Saout 9,500,000
Sitting just behind Ivey in chips is the Frenchman Antoine Saout, an online multi table tournament specialist who is notorious for his big online wins. Saout revealed in interviews that his mother was unhappy when he decided to become a professional poker player but he is sure to have done his family proud with his accomplishments to this point an things are not yet over.
9. James Akenhead
A member of the famed British poker stable “The Hit Squad”, the group of up and coming British players like Praz Bansi and Karl Mahrenholz, only took up poker two years ago but appears fast on the way to achieving his aspiration of winning the WSOP main event after just slipping in ninth place into the November Nine. With the eyes of the UK poker community on him, I for one am rooting for the man.
There are this year’s November Nine. Check back in the Autumn to discover whether Ivey could achieve his 8th bracelet or whether another of the Nine could take down the world’s biggest poker tournament and the first prize of over $8.5 million
This article was written by meshuganater.
Tags: final table, las vegas, Main Event, November Nine, WSOP