It all started on July 3 as the 2009 World Series of Poker Main Event got underway. A field of 6,494 competitors took to the tables at the Rio in Las Vegas. Twelve days later, on July 15, the November Nine emerged.
This year's final table will consist of an eclectic group, from the youngest player to potentially win the WSOP Championship, Joseph Cada, to one of the most decorated poker pros of our time, Phil Ivey. When the final table resumes, the seating arrangement of the November Nine will look like this.
Seat 1: Darvin Moon - 58,930,000 Seat 2: James Akenhead - 6,800,000 Seat 3: Phil Ivey - 9,765,000 Seat 4: Kevin Schaffel - 12,390,000 Seat 5: Steven Begleiter - 29,885,000 Seat 6: Eric Buchman - 34,800,000 Seat 7: Joseph Cada - 13,215,000 Seat 8: Antoine Saout - 9,500,000 Seat 9: Jeff Shulman - 19,580,000
If we rearrange those names in order of chip stacks, it looks something like this.
Darvin Moon - 58,930,000 Eric Buchman - 34,800,000 Steven Begleiter - 29,885,000 Jeff Shulman - 19,580,000 Joseph Cada - 13,215,000 Kevin Schaffel - 12,390,000 Phil Ivey - 9,765,000 Antoine Saout - 9,500,000 James Akenhead - 6,800,000
One of these sensational poker players will eventually walk away the 2009 WSOP No Limit Holdem Champion. Will it be chip leader Darvin Moon, 7-time WSOP bracelet winner Phil Ivey, fresh-meat Antoine Staout who has absolutely no live poker tournament experience coming into the Main Event? Whoever it may be, he will walk away one WSOP bracelet and $8.5 million richer. Each of these phenomenal competitors are guaranteed to pocket at least $1.2 million for their efforts.
Let's learn a little bit about each of our November Nine competitors.
Darvin Moon: Darvin Moon will take seat one at the final table, with a substantial chip lead of 58.93 million. Moon is a 45 year old working man, owner of his own logging company, from Oakland, Maryland. With absolutely no prior live tournament cashes, Darvin Moon is truly an overnight success, much like his predecessor, Dennis Phillips, the chip leader of the 2008 November Nine.
James Akenhead: This professional poker player has made quite a name for himself in the United Kingdom. At 25 years old, from London, England, Akenhead has earned himself nearly $700k in live tournament cashes, including 3 first place finishes and 2 WSOP cashes. Akenhead is a member of the Hit Squad, a group of poker pros that will be on hand to cheer Akenhead through the final table. Can he overcome the short stack to take the top prize?
Phil Ivey: Ivey is the most decorated member of the November Nine, a 7-time WSOP bracelet winner, 1-time WPT Title winner and prolific online poker cash game player at Full Tilt Poker. Ivey has reeled in nearly $10 million in live tournament cashes over a relatively short career, being only 33 years of age. He is often hailed as the best poker player of our time. But can he fulfill the single accomplishment that has eluded him over all this time? Can Ivey finally claim the title of WSOP Champion? Starting as the third smallest chip stack, he will have plenty to overcome this November.
Kevin Schaffel: Going into the WSOP final table as the oldest member of the November Nine, Kevin Schaffel has been playing poker for the last 4 years. He's cashed twice in the WSOP Main Event, once in 2004 (42nd - $60,000) and again in 2008 (324th - $32,166). Schaffel's career earnings total about $168,000, nothing compared to the minimal $1.2 million he's guaranteed later this year.
Steven Begleiter: Begleiter is a blue-collar, New York businessman with a head for financials. In his spare time, he's a backroom poker player who enjoys home games. It was one such home game arena that brought Steven to the 2009 WSOP, winning a league game worth $10,000 - just enough to by into the Main Event. Chance or fate, he certainly made the best decision of his 47-year life.
Eric Buchman: Another New Yorker, Eric Buchman is a 29 year old professional poker player with a rather impressive career. He has earned nearly $1 million over 22 live poker tournament cashes, including 9 cashes at WSOP events. Eric has yet to earn a WSOP bracelet. Could his first result from a WSOP Championship come this November?
Joseph Cada: Joseph Cada has the opportunity to make the record books before the year is out. At 21 years of age, Cada is the youngest member of the November Nine. Should he go on to win the WSOP Main Event, he would still be 21, making him potentially the youngest player to ever win the championship, breaking a record set just last year by 22 year old Peter Eastgate. Though Cada has very little live tournament experience, he has already cashed twice in this year's WSOP for $28k. Joseph actually dropped out of college to pursue a professional poker career; apparently the right decision.
Antoine Saout: This 25 year-old Frenchman has one of the most interesting stories coming into the November Nine, mostly because there's so little to be said. Saout just began playing poker about 1-1/2 years ago, singing up an Everest Poker account. His online poker play included a $50 satellite tournament buy-in that he eventually won. The prize for his victory was a seat in the 2009 WSOP Main Event. What a ride it must have been - and it's not over yet!
Jeff Shulman: Shulman has the second most experience of November nine competitors this year, bested only by Phil Ivey. Shulman is a long-time poker pro, son of Barry Shulman, another professional poker player. Jeff is the editor of Card Player Magazine, owned by his father, CEO of Card Player. Jeff has amassed over $1.3 million over 73 live tournament cashes. Shulman caused a major controversy when he stated he may toss out the WSOP bracelet, should he go on to win in November.
