21-year old from Michigan, Joe Cada, made history in the morning hours of November 10th when he held on to win poker’s most coveted honor, the World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event.

After outlasting almost 6,500 players, the young poker star cashed  in for $8.5 million, the signature champion bracelet and the honor of being the youngest person in the history of the WSOP to take down the main event.

Darvin Moon, 45-year old logger from Maryland came in second and collecting over $5 million.

The feat had not sunk in shortly after claiming victory, “It still has not hit me yet. I don’t know what to think. I have really put a lot into this. I have been playing poker for some time, and to come here and win it in my very first year – I feel very fortunate.”
 
Cada went into the final table of nine players on Sunday with only 13,215,000 in chips while Moon held the overwhelming chip lead with almost $60 million. After 17 hours and 50 minutes of play, it was down to the final two players with Cada holding 135,950,000 in chips and Moon with only 58,850,000. Play was suspended until 10:00 PM PST on Monday, November 9th where the two would battle for victory.

“Darvin put me in a lot of tough situations. You’re going to lose some hands and I was glad to be able to climb back in.” On being behind in chips at one point: “I was not worried.  You can’t stress out when that happens.  You just have to continue to play your best poker.

 

Tune into ESPN tonight at 9:00 ET (Tuesday, November 10) to watch the “Almost Live” broadcast of the Novemebr 9 final table and Cada to take it all!

 Quote, reports and stats from the tournament are below. courtesy of the World Series of Poker. 

Cada became the youngest world poker champion in the 40-year history of the WSOP — at age 21 years, 11 months, and 21 days.  Cada eclipsed Peter Eastgate’s record by 340 days.  Eastgate was age 22 years, 10 months, and 28 days when he won the WSOP last year.

The winner (full name “Joseph Cada”) prefers to be called “Joe Cada” in official reporting.  Cada is pronounced “Kay-duh.”

Cada’s hometown of Shelby Township is about 30 miles northeast of Detroit.

Cada’s mother (Ann Cada) is a blackjack dealer at a casino in Michigan.

Cada’s father (Jerry Cada) worked for many years in the auto industry.  But he was laid-off in July of 2009, the victim of a declining auto industry in Michigan.

Cada graduated from Utica High School in Shelby Township, MI just 3.5 years ago.

Cada attended two semesters of community college, before taking a break to concentrate more time on playing poker.  Cada plans to return to school at some point.

Cada is the youngest of four children.  He has one older brother, and two older sisters.

Cada started playing card games at an early age.  He played games including euchre and pinochle with his family.

Cada started playing poker when he was in his teens.  He started playing poker seriously following his high school graduation.  Although poker on television fueled some of his interest, it was Cada’s close friends who were the biggest influence.  Early on, Cada’s decision to play poker was not supported by his parents.  But as Cada improved and began to win, they gradually became more supportive and permitted him to play online.

Cada’s big break came two years ago when he won a major online tournament and collected about $150,000.  He has since won other tournaments online.  But this was his first live tournament victory.

By age 19, Cada had won enough money playing online poker to pay cash for a house. 

This was the first year Cada that was eligible to play in the WSOP Main Event, due to his age.

Cada collected first-place prize money totaling $8,547,042.

Cada now has 3 WSOP cashes, 1 final table appearance, and 1 victory.  His career WSOP winnings total $8,574,649.  This ranks third on the all-time money-winner’s list behind Jamie Gold and Peter Eastgate.

Cada received a gold and diamond bracelet, which symbolizes the ultimate achievement in the game of poker.  Cada was presented with his prize by WSOP President and Commissioner Jeffrey Pollack in front of ESPN cameras and a packed auditorium at the Penn and Teller Theatre at the Rio in Las Vegas.

Cada is the third Michigan-born WSOP Main Event champion in history.  Previous Michigan natives who won were Tom McEvoy (1983) and Russ Hamilton (1994).

Cada says he had backers consisting of online pros who helped him enter the tournament, as well as provided strategy advice.  Cada said that one backer will receive nearly half of his prize money winnings.

Cada staged a remarkable comeback at this final table.  He was down to an estimated 2,700,000 in chips at one point on the first of two days of final table play, in stark contrast to Darvin Moon’s 60,000,000 in chips at the time.  Outchipped by a 25 to 1 margin, Cada then went on a monster roll on the first day, and had the chip advantage going into heads-up competition.

Cada was on the verge of elimination multiple times.  He not only survived each time, but rocketed into the chip lead very late in the day (actually, the early morning).  Cada began final table play in fifth place with 13,215,000 in chips.  He ended the first day with more than ten times that amount.  It took him about 2 hours and 30 minutes to close out the victory on day two.

Cada brought along about 150 family and friends.  His parents were close by, near tableside.  Cada’s father (Jerry Cada) was the most emotional following the victory.  Tears swelled in his eyes as the official photos were being taken. 

When Cada was given the house microphone and was permitted to speak to the audience, the first acknowledgement he gave was to rival Darvin Moon, for playing “a great game.”

On his crowd support and having at least 150 family and friends in the audience:  “They meant everything to me.  They cheered me on when I was very low on chips (2 million at one point the previous day).  Then, I got down by 3 to 1 tonight, and they were still sitting there cheering and going crazy.  That helped me to get back in this and focus.  Momentum is a big thing in poker.  A lot of these people took off of school and work and came out here, just to support me and I am so grateful.”
 
On playing in this tournament and being called the “Comeback Kid:”  “I was down so many times in this tournament, that I did not worry (when I lost the chip lead tonight).  I thought about when I was lower in this tournament and just pretended that is was a new match on each hand.”
 
More on playing heads-up with Darvin Moon for 87 hands:  “For someone who does not play heads-up, he sure was a tough opponent.”
 
On what Darvin Moon said to him in a quiet whisper immediately following the heads-up match:  “He said to me, ‘congratulations on winning, you really played a great game.’  Yeah, I think he’s a great guy.  Then, I told him, ‘you played great, too.  I play heads up all the time and he is one of the toughest guys I’ve played.”

On what he plans to do in the role of poker ambassador over the next year:  “I will embrace it.  I hope to help poker grow and represent it well.”

On his views about some of the legal challenges now facing poker:  “The Poker Players Alliance is something I really believe in.  Poker is not gambling.  There is decision-making, there’s logic, there’s math, and I think that taking away online poker takes away peoples’ rights.  I am very supportive of the Poker Players Alliance.”

On his plans to entering upcoming poker tournaments:  “Yeah, I definitely plan on playing in all the big tournaments, and traveling, and continue to play professionally.
 
On his goals in the future:  “To win it again next year, to win back to back.”
 
 Quotes from Cada’s Mother (Ann Cada)

“I’m elated.  I’m dumbfounded.  It’s just a dream.”

“We wanted him to get his education first but when he started doing good (at poker), we wanted him to follow his dream.  He loves it.  How many people can say they love what they do?”

“He’s very level headed.  None of this has gone to his head.”
Quotes from Cada’s Father (Jerry Cada)

“Who could ever have imagined this, or expected this?”

“We need a champion from Michigan.  Our sports teams are struggling to bring it home.”
 
“I think there is some heredity in it.  I like to gamble a bit.”

“I think where he really has talent is in the math area.  When he was a kid, we used to just throw numbers at him and he would give us the answer right back.  He knew percentages.  Then, he got into poker, and bang!  It all came together.”

On what Cada might be doing instead trying to find a job in Michigan right now, were it not for poker:  “It’s really tough right now.  A lot of kids coming out of college don’t get jobs.  It’s unfair.”

 

The Runner Up (Darvin Moon)

The second-place finisher in the 2009 WSOP Main Event was Darvin Moon.

Moon is a 45-year-old logger from Oakland, MD.  Moon spends much of his time in the forests of western Maryland.  He owns about 200 acres and lives in a modest-sized home.

Oakland, MD has no more than about 400 people. 

Moon and his wife are building a new larger home, with their share of the prize money.  Moon said he will probably put the rest of the money in the bank.

Moon became the second WSOP Main Event runner up from Maryland.  In 2005, Steve Dannenmann from Severn, MD finished second to Joe Hachem.

Comparisons between Moon and 2003 world champion Chris Moneymaker were inevitable.  Like Moneymaker, this was Moon’s first WSOP tournament ever.  Moon was the only true amateur of the November Nine.  He had never cashed in a major poker tournament of any kind.

Moon won his seat into this year’s WSOP Main Event by entering and winning a mega-satellite tournament held at a casino in Wheeling, WV.

Moon stated over the summer that he had not only never traveled previously to Las Vegas, but had also never flow on a commercial airline prior to winning his seat to the WSOP.

Moon collected second-place prize money totaling $5,182,928.

Moon was the only player of the November Nine who did not wear a sponsorship logo.  He opted instead for the cap of his favorite sports team, the National Football League’s New Orleans Saints. 

Moon started off the first day as chip leader, and then fell into fourth-place at one point, due largely to at least two peculiar plays which cost him about a third of his stack.  But Moon played well most of the first day and experienced enough good fortune to maintain his chip position.  Moon started Day One with 58,930,000 in chips.  He ended the day with 58,850,000 – which amounted to a net loss of 80,000 for the day.  Afterward, Moon stated that he knew he did not play well on the first day.  But he felt much more focused on Day Two.  While on a break, Moon also stated he had a few tells on Cada.

Moon started the second day (heads-up) outchipped slightly more than 2 to 1.  He took the chip lead on two occasions, due largely to a very aggressive style that seemed to frustrate Cada at times.

Moon officially has one cash and one final table appearance at the WSOP.

A humorous side story:  Moon looks like a typical poker player.  However, he wore no logos and generally blended in with the crowd wherever he went.  Prior to entering the arena to play for the championship, Moon was stopped by security officers and was not allowed to enter since he did not have tickets or any credentials.  Moon politely protested and announced he was one of the Main Event finalists.  After a few awkward moments, the situation was straightened out and Moon was permitted entry.  Moon stated that he was stopped at the door a number of times over the past three days.  He also walked around Las Vegas casinos mostly unnoticed by passersby.

 

Runner-Up Quotes (From Darvin Moon)

On finishing second:  “It’s only money.  The more you win, the more you pay to the government (in taxes).  I play for the game.”

On how he thought he played heads-up again Joe Cada:  “I felt good.  I knew about where I was at in every hand.  I felt good about the way I played.” 

When asked what he will take away from the WSOP experience:  “A lot of memories, for sure.  It has helped me to play poker a lot better now.”

On what he thought helped him go so far in the Main Event:  “The cards really helped me get here, to be honest about it.  You have to get cards.”

On how he expects to feel in a few days after the excitement subsides:  “I expect to feel a hell of a lot better.  I will be out of all this.  But what can I say?  I gave it my best shot.  He (Cada) was a great player.”

On the next time Darvin Moon will be seen in the public eye:  “I will come back next year to try it again.”

On what he wants to do next:  “Go home.”

 

Final Table Day Two Timeline (November 9, 2009)

10:36 pm:  Play began.  When heads-up play started, Joseph Cada held an approximate 9 to 4 chip advantage over Darvin Moon.  Cada had 135,950,000 in chips.  Moon had 58,850,000 in chips.

10:37 pm:  Darvin won 25 million from his rival on the very first hand of play.

10:56 pm:  After a few small pots, Moon took the chip lead when he won a decisive hand holding trip-queens.  The updated chip count was Moon with 101 million versus Cada’s 94 million.

11:07 pm:  Cada regained the chip lead on a hand where he made a 35 million river bet, which went uncalled by Moon.  The hand gave him an advantage of about 120 million to Moon’s 75 million.

11:21 pm:  Moon tried a river bet bluff, which did not work and Cada picked up another 10 million.  That put the two players about there they started in chips.

11:52 pm:  Over the next half hour, Moon won a series of small pots.  After about 80 minutes of play, the players were just about dead even in chips.

12:25 am:  Following a 20-minute break, Moon won a 40 million pot with a pair of eights (Cada’s hand was not shown), distancing himself slightly from his adversary.

12:40 am:  As the two-hour mark was crossed, Moon was another decisive pot when he made a 40 million river bet that Cada could not call.  Moon rocketed up to nearly a 3 to 1 advantage — 145 million to 49 million.  This marked Cada’s low point during heads-up play.

1:09 am:  The first potentially catastrophic heads-up confrontation occurred when Moon’s failed semi-bluff and miss on the river returned the chip lead back to Cada.  Moon (with 8-7) re-raised all-in on the turn with nothing more than an outside straight draw when the board showed 10-10-9-5.  Cada (holding J-9) made a tough call with second pair, nines.  Moon was drawing to eight outs to win the championship, but a harmless and helpless 3 fell on the river.  Cada was back up to a chip lead of 108 to 86 million.

1:20:  Moon lost another big hand to Cada and fell to a 2.5 to 1 dog when Cada scooped a nice-sized pot with two pair.

1:57 am:  The final hand of the 2009 WSOP Main Event was dealt when Moon mistakenly overplayed Q-J suited and ran into Cada’s pocket nines.  Moon probably did not realize he would end up only a slight dog when he tried to bluff at the pot with hopes of stealing Cada’s initial raise, plus one round of blinds and antes.  So, mathematically it did not turn out to be a bad play.  However, the five board cards were total blanks to Moon (8-7-2-K-7), which gave Cada the world championship title.

 

Final Table — Etc.

Heads-up play lasted 87 hands.

The entire final table (9 players playing down to 1) lasted 364 hands.  Last year, the entire final table from start to finish included 274 dealt hands.

Heads-up play lasted 2 hours and 21 minutes.

The entire final table lasted 17 hours and 16 minutes.  This was the longest WSOP Main Event final table in history, topping the mark set that the 2005 WSOP won by Joe Hachem, which lasted 14.5 hours.  This was the second-longest WSOP final table (all events) in history.  The longest WSOP final table in history remains the 2008 WSOP Europe championship, which clocked in at more than 19 hours.

The chip lead changed four times during heads-up play.

On Day Two, there was $3,364,114 at stake, which was the difference between first and second place.  

Final table action officially began on Saturday, November 7th at 12:47 pm.  Play was suspended on Sunday, November 8th at 5:52 am.  Cada and Moon were given the remainder of the day off to rest and prepare.  Play resumed on November 9th starting at 10:36 pm.  Play ended at 1:57 am.

 

Pre-Game Final Table Day Two

Final table play was preceded by remarks from WSOP President and Commissioner Jeffrey Pollack.  The former NBA and NASCAR executive-turned poker industry leader has been front and center of the WSOP since joining Harrah’s Entertainment back in 2006.  Under Pollack’s guidance, the WSOP has enjoyed unprecedented growth in attendance, prize money, corporate sponsorships, prestige, and global popularity.  Pollack’s leadership has helped to take poker out of the smoky backrooms of yesteryear and turned it into a worldwide phenomenon which now rivals many major sporting events in terms of entertainment and excitement.  With Pollack serving as WSOP Commissioner, the WSOP attracted more players and paid out more in prize money in just four years than the entire preceding 36 years of the annual tournament series.

Next, WSOP Tournament Director Jack Effel welcomed the crowd and introduced the players to the audience.  This was Effel’s fourth consecutive year to oversee all the events played at the WSOP.  Effel has been the WSOP Tournament Director since 2006.  In that span he has already run more WSOP events than any other official in history, other than Jack McClelland and Eric Drache.  Effel has also been in charge of the four largest poker tournaments in history (WSOP Main Events 2006-2009), 

Day two of final table play was officially began with the “Shuffle Up and Deal” announcement by rock n’ roll superstar Vince Neil (of Motley Crue).

 

Pre-Game Final Table Day One

The final table actually began on Saturday morning at 10:35 am when the November Nine players reported to the Rio All-Suite Hotel and Casino.  They assembled in a private meeting held inside an exclusive high-roller suite and were given final instructions by Tournament Director Jack Effel, and his staff. 

Final table play took place inside the Penn and Teller Theatre at the Rio.  Doors opened up at 11:30 am for public seating.  More than 2,000 poker fans stood and waited in line early on order to secure seats.  In fact, some fans started lining up as early at 6 am.  By the time the front doors opened, an estimated 1,700 players and fans were packed inside the theatre, while hundreds more waited patiently in line for vacant seats to become available.  The line dissipated about five hours later.

Players were allocated seats and assigned sections inside the theatre.  Each player was given eight seats upon the main stage (also called ringside).  Players were given up to 100 seats each in the general seating areas spread throughout three decks of auditorium-style seats.

Most of the November Nine has cheering sections who were wearing similar apparel.  Most of Darvin Moon’s supporters wore t-shirts bearing the words, “Bad Moon Rising.”  Cada’s contingent sported bright yellow t-shirts, simply labeled “Cada.”  Others wore similar shirts and hats expressing support for their favored player.

Official announcements began with the introduction of WSOP President and Commissioner Jeffrey Pollack.  He requested a moment of silence for Hans “Tuna” Lund, who passed away two days earlier from cancer.  Lund, a former gold bracelet winner, was the runner up in the 1990 WSOP Main Event.  Lund had many friends in the poker community, many of whom were sitting in the audience.  The special moment in Lund’s memory was appropriate for what was otherwise a jubilant start to the finale, since the WSOP is blessed so much history, tradition, and many dedicated champions, including Hans “Tuna” Lund.

Prior to the start of play, poker publisher and insider Barry Shulman was honored with his official gold bracelet ceremony.  The ceremony is a new custom introduced at the WSOP this year, where each gold bracelet winner was honored with a presentation and the playing of his or her national anthem.  Shulman won this year’s WSOP Europe Main Event championship, which concluded on October 2nd.  He was presented with his second career gold bracelet by Pollack and Effel in front of a capacity crowd.

The Star Spangled Banner was played.  A color guard from Nellis Air Force Base in Las Vegas carried flags and took center stage at the start of the anthem.

Player introductions took about 20 minutes.  As each player was introduced to the crowd, the respective cheering sections went wild.  From start to finish, orchestrated chants and screams from audience members made the competition seem much like a major sporting event.  Even though play lasted about 17 hours, the crowd’s enthusiasm stayed at a high pitch throughout.

Although the audience response could not officially be measured, Phil Ivey’s instruction appeared to generate the loudest cheers from the crowd.

In 2005, Joe Hachem was the first WSOP champion to generate passionate nationalistic feelings.  Hachem’s supporters brought along Australian flags to the final table and chanted various songs during play.  Thereafter, players from Russia, South Africa, Denmark, England, Sweden, Canada, and the United States all created a final table atmosphere similar to what one might experience at the Olympic Games.  However, the nationalism seemed to take a back seat this year.  Perhaps due to the heavier concentration of American players this year (7 out of 9 were Americans), flags and nationalistic rivalry was minimal.

As predicted, the final table was the “must see” poker event of the year.  Notable former world champions who attended the finale included Doyle Brunson, Tom McEvoy, Phil Hellmuth, Dan Harrington, Chris “Jesus” Ferguson, Greg “Fossilman” Raymer, and Peter Eastgate.  Other notable poker pros in attendance were Daniel Negreanu, Barry Shulman, Howard Lederer, Barry Greenstein, Dewey Tomko, T.J. Cloutier, Layne Flack, Mike Matusow, and many others.

The “Shuffle Up and Deal” announcement was made jointly by 2008 WSOP Main Event champion Peter Eastgate and 1975 and 1976 WSOP Main Event champion Doyle Brunson.

Final table play officially began at 12:57 pm.

 

Eliminations

When final table play began, the average chip stack was about 21,650,000.  Chip counts were as follows:

Darvin Moon Oakland MD 58,930,000 1
Eric Buchman Valley Stream NY 34,800,000 6
Steven Begleiter Chappaqua NY 29,885,000 5
Jeff Shulman Las Vegas NV 19,580,000 9
Joe Cada Shelby Township MI 13,215,000 7
Kevin Schaffel Coral Springs FL 12,390,000 4
Phil Ivey Las Vegas NV 9,765,000 3
Antoine Saout St. Martin des Champs France 9,500,000 8
James Akenhead London United Kingdom 6,800,000 2

The ninth-place finisher was James Akenhead, a 26-year-old professional poker player from London, England.  Akenhead was hoping to become only the second British world poker champion in history, and the first since Mansour Matloubi (also from London), won the title back in 1990.  Akenhead managed to pull off one stupendous moment at the finale, but finally went out nearly four hours into play.  With all due respect to Akenhead’s obvious poker talent, his elimination was perhaps to be expected given that he began the finale with the lowest stack.  Note:  Akenhead is one of only three players to make the final tables in both the WSOP Main Event (Las Vegas) and WSOP Europe Main Event (London).  The other two players are Ivan Demidov (2008) and Antione Saout (2009).  Akenhead’s share of the prize money amounted to $1,263,602 for ninth place.    

The eighth-place finisher was Kevin Schaffel, a 52-year-old former business owner from Coral Springs, FL.  Schaffel was eliminated slightly more than four hours into play.  He collected $1,300,231 for eighth place.

The seventh-place finisher was 32-year-old poker superstar Phil Ivey, from Las Vegas, NV.  Perpetually low-stacked, Ivey never had more than about 16,000,000 in chips and never came close to the chip lead during his 12-hour stay at the final table.  Ivey was paid $1,404,014 for seventh place.  Note:  With this finish, Ivey moved into second place on the all-time career tournament winnings list (for all live tournaments worldwide), with and estimated $12,236,714 in earnings.  The career tournament winnings leader is currently Daniel Negreanu, with an estimated figure of $12,427,047 (source:  PokerNews.com).     

The sixth-place finisher was Steven Begleiter, a 47-year-old Wall Street financier from Chappaqua, NY.  He collected $1,587,160 for sixth place.   
  
The fifth-place finisher was Jeff Shulman, the 34-year-old publisher of Card Player magazine.  He was the only player of the November Nine with previous WSOP final table experience.  Shulman finished seventh at the 2000 WSOP Main Event.  Shulman was one of this final table’s most interesting storylines.  His father, Barry Shulman, won the WSOP Europe Main Event championship, which concluded last month in London.  The Shulmans hoped to pull off the ultimate poker tournament parlay, winning the two most prestigious titles in the game.  Instead, Shulman received a payout totaling $1,953,452 for fifth place.

The fourth-place finisher was Eric Buchman, a 30-year-old poker pro from Valley Stream, NY.  Buchman began play ranked second in chips.  He actually enjoyed the chip lead a various points during his 14-hour stay in the finale.  But he was ultimately eliminated and collected $2,502,890 in prize money for fourth place.

The third-place finisher was Antoine Saout, a 25-year-old former engineering student-turned-poker pro from St. Martin des Champs, France.  Saout became France’s highest finisher ever in the WSOP Main Event.  He arguably came within a single card of becoming the first French WSOP champion in history.  When play was three-handed and he had Joseph Cada covered and dominated with a higher pocket pair.  But Cada flopped a set and later eliminated Saout from the finale.  Had Saout won that critical hand, he would have enjoyed a nearly 3 to 1 chip advantage heading into heads-up play against Darvin Moon.  Instead, he had to settle for a third-place payout totaling $3,479,670.

Saout’s elimination created near-bedlam inside the Penn and Teller Theatre.  Despite the nearly intolerable late hour (it was close to 6 am), nearly a thousand poker fans and supporters remained inside the arena.  Cada and Moon each had more than 100 supporters and the guarantee that they would be playing heads-up for the championship brought a mix of tears and jubilation.

Saout made the biggest jump of any player, based on his starting chip count and end result.  Saout began play ranked eighth in chips, ultimately finished in third place.

The chip lead changed numerous times on Final Table Day One.  Five of the nine finalists held the chip lead at one point — including Moon, Buchman, Begleiter, Saout, and Cada.

The final table was played in two parts.  Day One included action from 9 players competing down to the final 2.  Day Two included action from 2 players down to the winner.

 

Final Table Day One Timeline (November 7, 2009)

12:57 pm PST:  Play began.

12:59 pm:  Jeff Shulman won the first pot of the day.

2:45 pm:  After two hours of relatively uneventful play, James Akenhead thrilled the crowd with a stunning river-card miracle catch, which sent his cheering section into ecstasy.  He was dealt K-Q and moved all-in before the flop.  Akenhead was in terrible shape against Eric Buchman, who called the raise with A-K.  Three blanks flopped.  Next, both players caught a king on the turn.  That left Akenhead down to just three outs to survive.  Needing a queen to avoid elimination, a queen fell on the river, creating momentary bedlam inside the Penn and Teller Theatre.  Akenhead was mobbed by dozens of supporters, while everyone else was left shaking their heads in astonishment.  Akenhead’s good fortune, however, was to be short-lived.   

4:50 pm:  Akenhead was eliminated 3 hours and 45 minutes into play when he was short stacked and moved all-in holding pocket threes.  Kevin Schaffel called and tabled pocket nines.  An unneeded nine on the river, good for trip nines, was the final nail in Akenhead’s coffin.  He finished in ninth place.  

5:15 pm:  It was a long day filled with several big hands and major turning points.  But few hands were as electrifying as the moment when Eric Buchman busted out Kevin Schaffel.  Buchman was dealt pocket kings.  He moved all-in pre-flop and was horrified to see Schaffel quickly call with pocket aces.  It appeared Schaffel would double up.  But a king on the flop reversed the fortunes of the two players.  Another king fell on the turn, giving Buchman four-kings.  Schaffel ended up as the eighth-place finisher.  

6:20 pm:  Darvin Moon made two peculiar plays which cost him this chip lead.  The most damaging was when he pre-flop re-raised 15 million (a quarter of his stack), and then folded to an all-in re-raise by Steve Begleiter.  Oddly enough, Begleiter’s re-raise would have cost Moon only 6 million more (he had about 45 million in chips), but he mucked his hand, leading most observers to conclude he was on a stone cold bluff.  Moon later explained that he thought he had a good read on his opponent, that he was weak.  But he admitted to being wrong and decided to cut his losses.

6:45 pm:  Eric Buchman took the chip lead, with Steve Begleiter ranked second.

7:00-9:20:  Dinner break and Poker Hall of Fame induction.  Mike Sexton became the sole inductee into the Poker Hall of Fame as the Class of 2009.

11:00 pm:  The chip lead changed again when Steve Begleiter moved all-win with 8-7 of clubs, after flopping a pair of eights.  Two hearts flopped as well, and Antoine Saout called the big raise with the A-K of hearts (with two overcards).  Another heart fell on the turn, completing the flush for Saout.  The big hand cut Begleiter down to fourth place with about 20,000,000 in chips.  Meanwhile, Saout became the chip leader for the first time, with about 53,000,000.

12:15 pm:  The rest of the final table breathed a collective sigh of relief when Phil Ivey became the seventh-place finisher.  Ivey suffered a bad beat when he moved all-in with his last 7 million in chips holding A-K against Darvin Moon, who called the raise with A-Q.  Ivey and the crowd were horrified to see a queen flop, giving Moon top pair.  Ivey failed to improve, which knocked the poker superstar and crowd favorite out in seventh place.

1:20 am:  The first miracle catch for Joe Cada occurred when he was dealt with 3-3, versus Jeff Shulman’s J-J.  A three flopped, catapulting Cada from 11 million in chips up to more than 24 million.  The brutal beat left Shulman short-stacked for the first time with about 7 million.

1:35 am:  Darvin Moon became Cada’s next victim.  Just a short time after doubling up, Cada managed to double up once again to about 42 million when he was dealt pocket aces against Moon’s K-9.  Moon flopped a nine, but failed to improve.  With that hand, Cada became a serious threat for the first time.    

1:50 am:  Steve Begleiter took the next brutal beat when his Q-Q was topped by Darvin Moon’s A-Q.  Begleiter was all in and enjoyed a sizable advantage during most of the hand.  But an ace fell on the river, giving Moon a pair of aces, which catapulted the amateur player back into contention with nearly 60 million in chips.  Meanwhile, Begleiter became the sixth-place finisher.

3:15 am:  Jeff Shulman was eliminated in fifth place when his pocket sevens were ripped by Antoine Saout, holding A-9.  A nine flopped, effectively ending the dreams of a world championship victory for Shulman.

4:15 am:  The four surviving players were relatively close in chips – ranging from a low of 39 million (Saout) to the highest stack at 56 million (Buchman).  It appeared to be anyone’s chance to win as play entered its 14th hour.

4:45 am:  A huge turning point came when Buchman faced Saout, with the Frenchman all in.  Saout was the heavy favorite with A-K versus Buchman’s A-Q.  Saout managed to catch two kings, which bounced him up into the chip lead with about 80 million.  Buchman became the lowest stack.

5:05 am:  Eric Buchman went bust when he moved all in with A-5, and was called by Darvin Moon, holding K-J suited.  A king fell on the turn, which ended Buchman’s hopes to victory.  Buchman was the fourth-place finisher.

5:30 am:  It may be hard to top the hand which was dealt out just as the sun was rising over the Las Vegas skyline.  When the final story of the 2009 WSOP Main Event is ultimately written and closed, Hand #272 was perhaps the most important turning point of the tournament.  It all began when Joe Cada was the shortest stack and moved all-in with 2-2.  Antoine Saout was delighted to call and tabled his Q-Q.  It appeared that Saout would rocket up over 100 million in chips and end up facing Darvin Moon for the championship.  But the deck and fate had other plans.  Drawing essentially to just two outs, Cada caught a magical deuce on the flop, which electrified the exhausted crowd, and deflated France’s shot at crowing its first-ever WSOP Main Event champion.  Cada went up to 80 million, while Saout was left with about 40 million in chips.

5:55 am:  Antoine Saout’s fate was sealed and the night finally ended when the classic Hold’em race of a pocket pair versus two overcards took place.  Saout was dealt 8-8.  Nemesis Joseph Cada was dealt A-K.  As was typical of so many confrontational hands, the sequence of events made for a suspenseful finish.  Over the course of the first four cards dealt, Cada failed to improve.  Saout’s pocket eights were still in the lead, and it appeared that he would reclaim the chips lost on the previous bad beat.  But Saout endured yet another humiliating blow when the river card brought a king, giving Cada the higher pair of kings.  Hence, Saout was gone in third place, leaving the final two survivors from an initial field of 6,494 entrants to battle for the 2009 WSOP Main Event championship.

 

The Main Event

The 2009 WSOP Main Event included ten actual days of tournament play.  However, given there were multiple starting days, re-start days, and a 117-day delay for the November Nine, the Main Event was actually 130 days from start to finish (July 3 to November 10).

The November Nine bubble, which was 10th place, went to Jordan Smith (College Station, TX).  He won a gold bracelet at this year’s WSOP.  Smith collected $896,730.

The 11th-place finisher was Jamie Robbins (San Diego, CA).  He is a professional poker player.  Robbins received $896,730.

Billy Kopp (Erlanger, KY) was eliminated in 12th place.  He was second in chips at the start of Day 8.  Kopp is a student at the University of Kentucky.  He earned $896,730.

The 13th-place finisher was James Calderero (Venice, FL).  He collected $633,022 in prize money.

Ben Lamb (Las Vegas, NV) was eliminated in 14th place.  He is a 24-year-old poker pro.  Lamb collected $633,022.

The 15th-place finisher was Nick Maimone (Charlotte, NC).  He is a 22-year-old full-time poker pro who graduated with a degree in economics from Furman University.  Miamone earned $633,022.

Ludovic Lacay (Paris, France) was eliminated in 16th place.  He recently earned a law degree and has enjoyed success playing tournaments in Europe.  Lacay earned $500,557.

The 17th-place finisher was Ian Tavelli, from Tempe, AZ.  He turned 21-years-old three months ago and is currently attending Arizona State University.  Tavelli collected $500,557.

Andrew Lichtenberger (East Northport, NY) was eliminated in 18th place.  He is one of the owners of a poker coaching website called “Leggo Poker.”  Lichtenberger collected $500,557 in prize money.

The 19th-place finisher was Tommy Vedes (Queens, NY).  He is a full-time poker pro.

George Caragiorgas (Montreal, Quebec – Canada) was the 20th-place finisher.  He is the owner of a Greek restaurant.

The 21st-place finisher was Jonathan Tamayo (Humble, TX).  He is a 23-year-old poker pro. 

Warren Zackey (Johannesburg, South Africa) ended up as the 22nd-place finisher.  Zackey, representing the Piggs Peak Casino in Swaziland, was the chip leader three days earlier.  He owns a plumbing supplies company.

The 23rd-place finisher was Marco, Mattes (Weinsheim, Germany).  He is a 22-year-old college student.  

Former WSOP gold bracelet winner Antonio “the Magician” Esfandiari was eliminated in 24th place.  This was Esfandiari’s biggest cash at the WSOP.

Francois Balmigere (Toulouse, France) was eliminated in 25th place.  He is a 25-year-old poker pro.

Finishing in 26th place was Jesse Habbak (Grand Forks, ND).  He is a college student majoring in civil engineering.

The first player eliminated on Day 8 was Leo Margets (Barcelona, Span).  She was the last woman standing in the Main Event and ended up as the 27th-place finisher.

Following 2009 WSOP champion Peter Eastgate’s elimination in Day 6, no more former world champions remained alive in the Main Event.

At the start of play on Day 8, there were only three former WSOP gold bracelet winners still alive in the Main Event.  They included:  Phil Ivey (7 wins), Antonio Esfandiari (1 win), and Jordan Smith (1 win). 
 
Leo Margets (Barcelona, Spain) elimination in 27th place means that in the 40-year history of the WSOP, only one female in history has made it to a Main Event final table – Barbara Enright in 1995.

 

Chip Leaders

Here’s how each of the end-of-day chip leaders fared:

Day 1-A:  Redmond Lee (London, UK) – eliminated, did not cash
Day 1-B:  Brandon Demes (Tempe, AZ) – eliminated, did not cash
Day 1-C:  Joseph Cada (Shelby Township, MI) – currently in 12th place
Day 1-D:  Troy Weber (West Terre Haute, IN) – eliminated, did not cash
Day 2-A:  Andrew Gaw (Philippines) – eliminated, did not cash
Day 2-B:  Amir Lehavot (Weston, FL) – CASHED IN 226th PLACE
Day 3: Bertrand Grospellier (Nancy, France) – CASHED IN 122nd PLACE
Day 4:  Matt Affleck (Seattle, WA) – CASHED IN 80th PLACE
Day 5:  Waren Zackey (Johannesburg, South Africa) – CASHED IN 22nd PLACE
Day 6:  Darvin Moon (Oakland, MD) – CASHED IN 2nd PLACE
Day 7:  Darvin Moon (Oakland, MD) – CASHED IN 2nd PLACE
Day 8:  Darvin Moon (Oakland, MD) – CASHED IN 2nd PLACE
Day 9:  Joe Cada (Shelby Township, MI) – WINNER
Day 10:  Winner: Joe Cada  

 

ESPN WSOP Broadcasts

ESPN has been broadcasting its WSOP coverage since 2003.  This year, four events will be featured.  These events include the $40,000 buy-in 40th Anniversary No-Limit Hold’em Championship, the World Champions Invitational, the third-annual Ante-Up for Africa charity tournament, and the Main Event.

The final table broadcast will be shown on ESPN.  The debut show will air on Tuesday, November 11th, at 9:00 pm EST, or 6:00 pm PST.

Although the number of WSOP events receiving broad coverage has been reduced to four, the total number of broadcast hours is actually the same as last year.  More coverage will be given to the Main Event, since the world championship receives the greatest amount of viewer interest.

The total amount of time the WSOP will be broadcast this year is 32 new and original hours of coverage.

Debut WSOP broadcasts on ESPN remain in their customary Tuesday night time slot.  However, the programs are repeated regularly throughout the year.
 

WSOP Main Event (Final Table Records)

MOST LIFETIME FINAL TABLE APPEARANCES

Doyle Brunson (5)
1976           1st          
1977           1st                    
1980           2nd
1982           4th         
1983  3rd

Jesse Alto (5)
1988           9th  
1985           6th 
1978           5th  
1986           4th  
1984           3rd

Johnny Moss (5)
1974           1st         
1971           1st 
1985           7th 
1979           5th 
1980           4th 

Dan Harrington (4)
1995           1st
1987           6th  
2004           4th 
2003           3rd     

T.J. Cloutier (4)
1988          5th 
1998           3rd
1985           2nd 
2000           2nd

Stu Ungar (4)
1997           1st
1980           1st 
1981           1st
1990  9th

Note 1:  Johnny Moss’ victory in 1970 is not included amongst final table records, since the winner that year was determined by a vote.

Note 2:  Crandall Addington actually holds the record with nine Main Event final table appearances.  However, most of these did not include a prize-money payout (field sizes were considerably smaller during the 1970s when most of Addington’s appearances occurred).

Note 3:  Final table appearances were counted only if the player also received a payout.

Note 4:  WSOP Main Event final tables were played six-handed during a 16-year span.  However, the top nine finishers during those years are included in final table records.

 

WSOP Main Event (Cashing Records)

MOST LIFETIME CASHES IN MAIN EVENT:

10 – Berry Johnston
7 – Doyle Brunson
7 – Humberto Brenes
7 – Jay Heimowitz
7 – Phil Hellmuth (updated to include this year’s cash)
7 – Mike Sexton (updated to include this year’s cash)
7 – Bobby Baldwin (updated to include this year’s cash)
MORE ON BERRY JOHNSTON:

Berry Johnston’s cashes in the Main Event include:

113th in 2007
16th in 1996
21st in 1995
17th in 1992
5th in 1990
29th in 1989
32nd in 1987
1st in 1986
3rd in 1985
3rd in 1982
MOST CONSECUTIVE CASHES IN MAIN EVENT:

4 – by three players

Theodore Park (2005 – 2008) *did not cash this year
Bo Sehlstedt (2004 – 2007)
Robert Turner (1991 – 1994)

 

Notable Players

Here is the status of all former WSOP world champions who played in this year’s Main Event.  All have been eliminated:

1972:   “Amarillo Slim” Preston – eliminated on Day 2
1976/1977: Doyle Brunson – eliminated on Day 1
1978:  Bobby Baldwin – CASHED IN 352nd PLACE
1983:  Tom McEvoy – eliminated on Day 1
1986:  Berry Johnston – eliminated on Day 2
1987/1988: Johnny Chan – eliminated on Day 2
1989:  Phil Hellmuth – CASHED IN 436th PLACE
1993:  Jim Bechtel – eliminated on Day 3
1995:  Dan Harrington – CASHED IN 252nd PLACE
1996:  Huck Seed – eliminated on Day 1
1998:  Scotty Nguyen – eliminated on Day 2
2000:  Chris “Jesus” Ferguson – CASHED IN 561st PLACE
2001:  Carlos “the Matador” Mortensen – eliminated on Day 3
2002:  Robert Varkonyi – eliminated on Day 2 
2003:  Chris Moneymaker – eliminated on Day 1
2004:  Greg “Fossilman” Raymer – eliminated on Day 3
2005:  Joe Hachem – CASHED IN 104th PLACE
2006:  Jamie Gold – eliminated in Day 1
2007:  Jerry Yang – eliminated on Day 1
2008:  Peter Eastgate – CASHED IN 78th PLACE
 

Here is the status of all current and former WSOP “Player of the Year” champions who played in this year’s Main Event.  All have been eliminated: 

2005:  Daniel Negreanu – eliminated on Day 1
2006:  Allen Cunningham – eliminated on Day 2
2007:  Tom Schneider – CASHED IN 52nd PLACE
2008:   Erick Lindgren – eliminated on Day 2
2009:  Jeffrey Lisandro – eliminated on Day 3
Here is the status of those players with notable results from this year’s WSOP:

David Bach (HORSE World Championship winner) – eliminated on Day 2
Alex Bolotin (“Ante-Up for Africa” championship winner) – eliminated on Day 3
Darryll Fish (cashed 7 times at this year’s WSOP) – eliminated on Day 2
Jeffrey Lisandro (won three gold bracelets this year) – eliminated on Day 3
Ville Wahlbeck (finished 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 6th in four events) – eliminated in Day 4
Greg Mueller (won two gold bracelets this year) – eliminated on Day 4
Phil Ivey (won two gold bracelets this year) – CASHED IN 7th PLACE
Here is the status of notable non-pro celebrities from this year’s Main Event:

Chuck Pachenco (movie producer) – CASHED IN 612th PLACE
Jason Alexander (actor) – eliminated on Day 3
Scott Ian (musician with band “Anthrax”) – eliminated on Day 3
Shane Warne (world famous cricket player) – eliminated on Day 3
Torrie Wilson (female wrestler) – eliminated on Day 1
John Salley (former NBA basketball player) – eliminated on Day 1
Patrick Bruel (French actor and singer) – CASHED IN 428th PLACE
Lou Diamond Phillips (actor and singer) – CASHED IN 186th PLACE
Marlon Wayans (actor) – eliminated on Day 2
Jordan Farmar (NBA basketball player) – eliminated on Day 3
Sam Simon (Hollywood writer and producer) – eliminated on Day 3
Joseph Kahn (music video producer) – eliminated on Day 1
Ray Romano (actor) – eliminated on Day 1
Sully Erna (musician) – eliminated on Day 1
Shannon Elizabeth (actor) – eliminated on Day 1
Brad Garrett (actor) — eliminated on Day 1
Jennifer Tilly (actor) – eliminated on Day 1
Orel Hershiser (former major league baseball player – eliminated on Day 1

Historical Footnote:  The highest Main Event finish by a celebrity was actor and comedian Gabe Kaplan, who finished 13th in the 1991 championship.  The highest Main Event finish for a (non-poker) celebrity was actor Telly Savalas, who finished 21st in the 1992 championship.
Here is the status of last year’s “November Nine” (2009 Main Event Final Table participants).  All have been eliminated.  Three of the nine players cashed:

Ivan Demidov – eliminated on Day 2
Peter Eastgate – CASHED IN 78th PLACE
Kelly Kim – CASHED IN 423rd PLACE
Craig Marquis – eliminated in Day 1
Scott Montgomery – eliminated on Day 2
Dennis Phillips – CASHED IN 45th PLACE
David “Chino” Rheem – eliminated on Day 1
Ylon Schwartz – eliminated on Day 2
Darus Suharto – eliminated on Day 3
Daily elimination percentages were as follows: 

DAY ONE:  68 percent of the original starters in this tournament survived the first day / 32 percent were eliminated.
DAY TWO:  31 percent of the original starters survived the second day / 27 percent were eliminated from the start of day amount.
DAY THREE:  12 percent of the original starters survived the third day / 60 percent were eliminated from the start of day amount.
DAY FOUR:  6.2 percent of the original starters survived the fourth day / 48.2 percent were eliminated from the start of day amount
DAY FIVE:  2.8 percent of the original starters survived the fifth day / 55 percent were eliminated from the start of day amount
DAY SIX:  1 percent of the original starters survived the sixth day / 65.4 percent were eliminated from the start of day amount
DAY SEVEN:  .2 percent of the original survivors survived the seventh day / 58 percent were eliminated from the start of day amount
DAY EIGHT:  Played down to the final nine / 66.6 percent were eliminated form the start of day amount
DAY NINE/TEN:  Final Table
Female Participants in the 2009 Main Event

(Note:  The WSOP recognizes that player characteristics such as gender, race, etc. do not warrant special mention.  However, since many members of the media wish to know details about female participation and status, the staff is providing this information for media use.)

The number of female participants in this year’s Main Event is estimated to be 187, which amounts to 2.8 percent of the field.  There is no official record since entrants are not designated by their gender.  However, it has been customary to count every player at the start of Day One and take an unofficial head-count of female players.
Here are the highest-female finishers (by year) in the WSOP Main Event (Note:  Only players who finished in-the-money were recorded):

No female cashed in the Main Event between the years 1970-1985.

1986 – Wendeen Eolis (25th)
1987 – None
1988 – None
1989 – None
1990 – None
1991 – None
1992 – None
1993 – Marsha Waggoner (19th)   Note:  Wendeed Eolis was eliminated in 20th place.
1994 – Barbara Samuelson (10th)
1995 – Barbara Enright (5th)
1996 – Lucy Rokach (26th)
1997 – Marsha Waggoner (12th)
1998 – Susie Isaacs (10th)
1999 – None
2000 – Annie Duke (10th)
2001 – None
2002 – None
2003 – Annie Duke (47th)
2004 – Rose Richie (98th)
2005 – Tiffany Williamson (15th)
2006 – Sabyl Cohen-Landrum (56th)
2007 – Maria Ho (38th)
2008 – Tiffany Michelle (17th)
2009 – Leo Margets (27th) 

 

Playing on Day 1 – A, B, C, or D – Does it Matter?

Which of the four Main Event starting days is the most advantageous?  The data has been run and the numbers are now in.  Statistics from the past two years of Main Events show there is almost no correlation between the starting day and the odds of finishing in-the-money.  Here are the numbers:
 
2009:
Day 1A:  121 cashes out of 1116 entrants –10.8 percent
Day 1B: 84 cashes out of 873 entrants — 9.6 percent
Day 1C: 162 cashes out of 1696 entrants — 9.5 percent
Day 1D: 281 cashes out of 2809 entrants — 10 percent
 
2008:
Day 1A: 122 cashes out of 1299 entries — 9.4 percent
Day 1B: 117 cashes out of 1158 entries — 10.1 percent
Day 1C: 187 cashes out of 1936 entries — 9.7 percent
Day 1D: 240 cashes out of 2461 entries — 9.7 percent

 

2009 World Series of Poker – An Overview

Here is a final list of this year’s gold bracelet winners, by nationality:
WINNERS – BY NATION:  The home nations of the WSOP gold bracelet winners reads as follows:

United States – 38
United Kingdom – 4
Canada – 4
Australia – 2
Germany – 2
Finland – 2
Russian Federation – 1
Sweden – 1
Mexico – 1
Italy – 1
Holland – 1
Hungary – 1
Iran – 1

Here is a list of this year’s gold bracelet winners, by city: 
WINNERS – BY CITY:  The following cities have produced multiple WSOP gold bracelet winners (Note:  Metropolitan area suburbs are included in major city counts):

Las Vegas, Nevada – 11
Vancouver, British Columbia (Canada) – 4
London, UK – 3
Salerno, Italy – 3
Los Angeles, California – 3
Washington, DC (Maryland and Virginia Suburbs) – 3
New York, NY – 2
Helsinki, Finland – 2

Here is a list of this year’s gold bracelet winners, by profession (pro versus amateurs):

Event #57 winner Joe Cada is to be classified as a professional player.  Accordingly, the “Pro-Am” gold bracelet scoreboard reads (not counting Casino Employees Event):
 
 Professionals —  43 wins
(Thang Luu, Steven Sung, Jason Mercier, Phil Ivey-1, Rami Boukai, Anthony Harb, Ville Wahlbeck, Keven Stammen, Brock Parker-1, Jeffrey Lisandro- 1, Daniel Alaei, Brock Parker-2, John-Paul Kelly, Jeff Carris, Nick Schulman, Phil Ivey-2, Pete Vilandos, Tomas Alenius, Roland de Wolfe, J.C. Tran, James Van Alstyne, Angel, Guillen, Greg Mueller-1, Eric Baldwin, Jordan Smith, Jeffrey Lisandro-2, Richard Austin, Marc Naalden, Matt Graham, Peter Traply, Jerrod Ankenman, Jeffrey Lisandro-3, John Kabbaj, Jeff Ahmadi, Brandon Cantu, Greg Mueller-2, Carston Joh, David Bach, Matt Hawrilenko, J.P. Kelly – 2, Erik Cajelais, Jani Vilmunen, Joe Cada)
 
 Amateurs —  9 wins
(Freddie Ellis, Ken Aldridge, Travis Johnson, Zac Fellows, Michael Eise, Michael T. Davis, Jorg Peisert, David J. Halpert, Tony Veckey)

 Semi-Pros —  8 wins
(Vitaly Lunkin, Brian Lemke, Lisa Hamilton, Leo Wolpert, Ray Foley, Derek Raymond, Jeff Ahmadi, Barry Shulman)

Sixteen of the 61 winners this year (26 percent) were previous gold bracelet winners.  There were four double winners in 2009 – J.P. Kelly, Brock Parker, Phil Ivey, and Greg “FBT” Mueller.  There was one triple winner in 2009 — Jeffrey Lisandro.

This year’s WSOP and WSOP Europe awarded $182,607,810 in total prize money.

This year’s World Series of Poker was the largest in history. A grand total of 62,129 players entered the 61 combined official gold bracelet events held in Las Vegas and London.

 

World Series of Poker Statistics

WSOP Tournament Director Jack Effel estimated the total number of hands dealt out in this tournament to be about 480,000.

The 2009 WSOP Main Event ranks as the third-largest live poker tournament in history.  Only the 2006 and 2008 Main Event championships drew larger numbers.  It should be noted that if the Rio had greater seating capacity (Day 1-D sold out), this year’s tournament would have unquestionably surpassed last year’s attendance figures.

The total prize pool for this year’s Main Event totals $61,044,921.  This figure includes a small amount of interest added to payouts for players, due to the 117-day recess and interest accrued.

All players who made it to the final table this year (the November Nine) earned in excess of $1 million.

With registration for this year’s Main Event, the World Series of Poker crossed the $1,000,000,000 threshold in total prize money awarded to players.  During its 40-year history, the WSOP has paid out $1,041,266,592.  Incredibly, more than $700,000,000 has been paid out just in the last five years alone, since Harrah’s Entertainment assumed control of the tournament.  Here is the historical prize pool information for the World Series of Poker.

2009 — $174,013,315
2008 — $180,774,427
2007 — $159,796,918
2006 — $159,599,815
1970-2005 — $354,000,000

This is the 57th and final event on the 2009 WSOP schedule which is played in Las Vegas.  Four gold bracelet events took place in London, England at the Empire Casino.  Those events, which are included in all official WSOP records, were held from September 19th through October 1st.   

Players came to the WSOP from at least 115 different nations and territories.  By contrast, only 80 nations were represented at the most recent Winter Olympic Games.

This marks the fifth consecutive year the WSOP has been held at the Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino.  Prior to 2005, the WSOP was held at Binion’s Horseshoe in downtown Las Vegas.  More money has been awarded to winners within the Rio during the past five years than during the entire proceeding 35-year period at the Horseshoe.  This is a testament to the expansion of the WSOP since Harrah’s Entertainment assumed ownership and control of the world most prestigious poker event.

Special thanks to the many fine people who work so hard, and put in so many long hours, for the love of the game and the World Series of Poker.  See you again in 2010.

 

Note:  All results are now official and may be reprinted by media.
__________________________________
For official news and the latest updates from the 2009 World Series of Poker, visit:  www.worldseriesofpoker.com

For statistics and historical information from the 2009 World Series of Poker, contact Nolan Dalla at:  nolandalla@aol.com or nolandalla@gmail.com

For official photographs from the 2009 World Series of Poker, visit:  http://pa.photoshelter.com/user/impdi   For specific media photo requests, email image22@aol.com and list “Urgent Media Request” as the subject line.  Note:  All photos must be credited as follows:  “IMPDI 2009” 

Get the latest photos, results and tidbits on our Facebook page at:  http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-World-Series-of-Poker/106465110389?ref=nf# and follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/wsop

The 2009 World Series of Poker’s title sponsor is Jack Link’s Beef Jerky.  For more information, visit:  www.jacklinks.com

World Series of Poker President and Commissioner – Jeffrey Pollack
Vice President of Sponsorship and Licensing — Ty Stewart
Vive President of Broadcasting and New Media – Craig Abrahams
Director of Communications – Seth Palansky
Regional Vice President of Specialty Gaming — Howard Greenbaum
WSOP Events Manager — Angele Marshall
WSOP Marketing Manager – Elizabeth Anne Hill
WSOP Tournament Director – Jack Effel

 

ABOUT THE WSOP
The World Series of Poker (WSOP) is the largest, richest and most prestigious gaming event in the world awarding millions of dollars in prize money and the prestigious gold bracelet, globally recognized as the sport’s top prize. Featuring a comprehensive slate of tournaments in every major poker variation, the WSOP is poker’s longest running tournament in the world, dating back to 1970.  In 2009, the event attracted 60,875 entrants from 115 different countries to the Rio in Las Vegas and awarded over $174 million in prize money.  The creation of the new delayed Main Event final table more than doubled ratings on ESPN year-over-year.  In December, 2008 the WSOP was named the 7th most-admired sports brand in North America by the Turnkey Team Brand Index trailing only the more established NFL, MLB, NBA, NHL, NASCAR and PGA Tour among sports properties.  In addition, the WSOP has formed groundbreaking alliances in broadcasting, digital media and corporate sponsorships, while successfully expanding the brand internationally with the advent in 2007 of the World Series of Poker Europe. For more information on the World Series of Poker, please visit our website at www.worldseriesofpoker.com.

Posted November 10th, 2009 under Gaming News. Tags: Darvin Moon, Joe Cada, November Nine, Phil Ivey, World Series of Poker Main Event
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