Marie-Lizette

And Then There Where Nine

After eight days of play and a field of 6494 entrants, nine are left standing. On July 15, 2009, just shy of 11:00 p.m., Jordan Smith went out as the bubble-boy when his Aces were cracked by Darvin Moon’s pocket eights after Smith pushed all-on on the 8-high flop to loose the over 30M chip pot.  Upon Smith’s exit, the 2009 World Series of Poker Final Table was established and this year’s “November Nine” were announced.

The two shortest stacks are the only players from overseas.

They are Antoine Saout, 25 years old from of Saint Martin des Champs, France and James Akenhead, 26 years old from London, England who is a European poker pro with over $820K in reported lifetime tournament winnings.

The other seven finalists are all based on this side of the pond, including Jeff Shulman (a 34 year old professional poker player and editor of Card Player magazine from Las Vegas, NV); Eric Buchman (28 year old poker pro with nine career WSOP cashes); Steven Begleiter (a 47 year old amateur out of Chappaqua, NY, and a former employee of Bear Stearns, once one of the largest global investment banks and securities trading and brokerage firms in the world prior to its sudden collapse in 2008); Joseph Cada (the youngest player sitting at the final table at 21 years of age, from Shelby Township, MI, has already cashed once in this year’s WSOP); and lastly, Kevin Schaffel (51 years old from Coral Springs, FL, is a retiree and semi-professional poker player who has been playing poker since he was 11 years old).

Note the five players wearing FullTiltPoker.net gear, including point man Phil Ivey. Expect several promotions to be advertised by the FullTiltPoker.net organization soon.

Phil Ivey vs. Darvin Moon

There are, however, two players at this year’s final table that have already set tongues wagging. Dubbed the “David and Goliath” of the November–Nine, all eyes will be on Chip-leader Darvin Moon (a 45 year old self-employed logger from Oakland, MD) and professional poker player Phil Ivey (33 years old from Las Vegas, NV). Moon is a virtual unknown in the poker world but will be seated in Seat 1, to the left of the dealer, atop nearly one-third of all the chips in play. Ivey already holds 7 WSOP bracelets (two of which were won this series), and although he is short-stacked, Ivey is the sentimental favorite of the poker community. Ivey will be sitting in Seat 3, to the left of Moon.

While Moon may have a “Goliath” chip-stack, he is “David” against Ivey, considered to be one of the greatest players in the world. If history has taught us anything at all, it is that being the chip-leader at the commencement if a final table is hardly a guarantee to win. Dennis Phillips found himself in the lead when play was halted in July 2008, only to return in November to take third place of the WSOP main event; amateur Jerry Yang won his main event bracelet two years ago after repeatedly chipping away at Philip Hilm who was chip-leader going into the 2007 WSOP final table. Ivey himself was the chip-leader at the European Poker Tour 2006 final table, but eventually came in second to Bjørn-Erik Glenne.

Ivey, among others, will be gunning for Moon’s chips when play resumes in November and side-bets have already begun as to whether or not the “Tiger Woods of Poker” can effectively chop down Moon’s menacing stack and take down the main event. The finalists will have the next three and a half months to fine tune their game and study their opponents’ play. In this regard Moon has a slight advantage. While hours and hours of footage exists of Ivey’s years at the felt, Ivey (along with the rest of us) will have to wait for the 2009 WSOP main event to air on ESPN to see how Moon chipped his way up to the final table. Moreover, it should not be difficult for Moon to find a poker mentor or two who know Ivey’s style and will coach Moon on how to play back at Ivey.

One of the most accomplished players at the final table, Ivey is expected to use his entire arsenal of talent to rebuild his chip-stack and work his way back to the top.  Few are counting Ivey out; and, of course, who could forget the day when Jack ‘Treetop’ Straus pushed what he thought was all of his chips into a pot and lost – but as he stood up to leave the table, found he still had a single $500 chip hidden under a napkin. Straus went on to win that event, which happened to be the 1982 WSOP championship, earning his second bracelet and $520,000 – thereafter, poker’s most famous expression, “a chip and a chair” was born.  If it is not enough that Ivey has incredible poker skills, he generally runs well and many poker players believe Ivey has the added benefit of luck on his side. Even if Ivey and Moon do not lock horns early on, Moon will have to fend off eight other highly skilled poker players and Ivey is sure to get Moon’s chips off of the other players at the table.

The anticipation is already building to a fever pitch, but we will just have to wait for the drama to unfold before we will know if the 2009 WSOP Champ will be a professional or an amateur.

Play Resumes in November

The 2009 World Series of Poker Championship final table will resume play at the Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino on November 7, 2009 and will continue day-to-day until just two players remain. The last two men standing will resume play Tuesday, November 10. ESPN is expected to provide same day coverage of the winning hand and the awarding of the champion’s bracelet.

No matter what happens in November, each of the finalists is guaranteed at least $1,000,000 (not taking into account endorsements deals signed between now and then). First place will receive the Corum diamond encrusted WSOP Championship bracelet (considered the most coveted non-monetary prize in poker) and $8,546,435 in cold-hard cash, the third largest WSOP prize in history.