WSOP -- The November Nine Are Set!Card Player Publisher Jeff Shulman and Phil Ivey Make the Final Nine |
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One of the most exciting days of the poker year has come to a close, and the most anticipated final-table lineup of the year is set. The eighth day of play in the $10,000 no-limit hold’em main event at the 2009 World Series of Poker took place today in Las Vegas, and the final 27 players have shrunk down to the second-ever November Nine. The nine players below will return to the Rio November 7-10 to play for the first-place prize of $8,546,435, along with the title of world champion. Each and every one of the final nine players is now a millionaire, and they are guaranteed at least $1,263,602 in prize money. Here are the November Nine for 2009 (with seat assignments and chip counts for November):
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
Card Player Publisher Jeff Shulman and seven-time gold bracelet winner Phil Ivey you probably already know, and Londoner James Akenhead turned heads last summer when he finished runner-up to Grant Hinkle in one of the largest $1,500 no-limit hold’em tournaments of all time. In the coming weeks and months, you will learn more about each and every one of these players on CardPlayer.com leading up to the main-event final table.
Here is a look at the full payouts for the final table in November:
1: $8,546,435
2: $5,182,601
3: $3,479,485
4: $2,502,787
5: $1,953,295
6: $1,587,133
7: $1,404,002
8: $1,300,228
9: $1,263,602
With 27 players starting the day, there were some notables who missed the final table as action played down for close to four levels. Check out the full list of eliminations below to see which big names fell during day 8:
27: Leo Margets — $352,832
26: Jesse Haabak — $352,832
25: Francois Balmigere — $352,832
24: Antonio Esfandiari — $352,832
23: Marco Mattes — $352,832
22: Warren Zackey — $352,832
21: Jonathan Tamayo — $352,832
20: George Caragiorgas — $352,832
19: Tommy Vedes — $352,832
18: Andrew Lichtenberger — $500,557
17: Ian Tavelli — $500,557
16: Ludovic Lacay — $500,557
15: Nick Maimone — $633,022
14: Ben Lamb — $633,022
13: James Calderaro — $633,022
12: Billy Kopp — $896,730
11: Jamie Robbins — $896,730
10: Jordan Smith — $896,730
Here is a look at the highlights from day 8, as featured in CardPlayer.com’s live updates:
Leo Margets Eliminated in 27th Place ($352,941)
Leo Margets has the honor of being named the last woman standing at this year’s main event.
After Warren Zackey raised to 350,000 preflop, Margets moved all in and was called by Zackey. Zackey showed A
10 and was way ahead of Margets’ A
7. The flop was 10 8
4
, and Margets would need runners to stay alive. The 4 meant she was drawing dead, and she was the first player eliminated on day 8.
The Phil Ivey National Bank
Phil Ivey has been hard-pressed to win a pot in the early going of day 8. He doubled up Nick Maimone during the last hour, and he just doubled up Marco Mattes.
Maimone opened with a raise to 290,000, and Mattes moved all in for almost 2.5 million. Action folded around to Ivey, who made the call. Maimone got out of the way, and Ivey tabled J J. Mattes then showed down Q Q, and Ivey was dominated.
The flop came down 10 5 5, giving both players two pair. The turn was the 7 and the river the 4. Mattes doubled to over 5 million. Ivey took another hit and his stack was just under 6 million.
The Magician Disappears, Antonio Esfandiari Eliminated in 24th Place($352,832)
Antonio Esfandiari raised to 310,000 preflop from under the gun, and Steven Begleiter called from middle position. The flop came down 10 2 4, and Esfandiari bet 535,000. Begleiter raised it up to 1.6 million, and Esfandiari moved all in for 2.5 million more. Begleiter made the call and tabled K 10 for top pair on the flop.
Esfandiari showed down 5 5 and needed help. The turn was the 6, giving Esfandiari a gutshot-straight draw, but the A fell on the river, and Esfandiari was eliminated.
Shulman Wins Battle of the Blinds Against Ivey
Action folded around to Phil Ivey, who called from the small blind, and Jeff Shulman checked from the big blind. The two players saw a flop of A J 2, and Ivey led out with 120,000. Shulman made the call, and the turn was the 2.
Ivey checked to Shulman, and he fired 200,000. Ivey had enough of his hand and threw it into the muck. Shulman took the pot and was around 11 million.
Andrew Lichtenberger Eliminated in 18th Place($500,557)
Andrew Lichtenberger raised to 400,000, and Darvin Moon made the call. The flop came down 6 3 3, and Lichtenberger bet 680,000. Moon raised to 1.5 million, and Lichtenberger moved all in, getting a quick call from Moon.
Lichtenberger showed J J, but Moon tabled K K. The turn was the 6 and the river was the 7, and Moon knocked out Lichtenberger, moving his stack to 25 million.
Ludovic Lacay Eliminated in 16th Place($500,557)
Jeff Shulman raised to 450,000 preflop, and Ludovic Lacay came over the top for the rest of his stack of just over 3 million. Shulman made the call, and here were their hands.
Shulman: A K
Lacay: 7 7
It was a classic race and the flop came K 9 5, putting Shulman ahead. The turn was the 9 and the river was the 6. Lacay busted from the main event in 16th place. Shulman was up to 12.8 million after the hand.
Jeff Shulman Eliminates Ben Lamb in 14th Place ($633,022)
From the cutoff, Ben Lamb bet 655,000. Action was folded to Jeff Shulman in the big blind. He raised enough to put Lamb all in. Lamb went into the tank and eventually made the call with the A J. Shulman exposed the A K and was in command. The board ran out K 9 3 7 2, as Lamb was drawing dead on the turn. Shulman eliminated his opponent and built his stack to 22,000,000.
Billy Kopp Eliminated in 12th Place ($896,730)
Billy Kopp raised to 600,000 preflop in early position, and Darvin Moon called from the small blind. The flop came K 9 2, and Moon checked. Kopp bet 750,000, and Moon called. The 2 on the turn prompted Moon to once again check. Kopp bet 2,000,000, and Moon check-raised to 6,000,000. Kopp didn’t take long before moving all in for 20,000,000. Moon made the call and exposed the Q J for the second-nut flush. Kopp exposed the 5 3 and was drawing stone-cold dead. His stack of over 100 big blinds was handed over to Moon when the meaningless 7 fell on the river. Kopp was eliminated, and Moon built his stack to 40,500,000 after the monster hand.
November Nine Reached
Jordan Smith Eliminated in 10th Place ($896,730)
Eric Buchman raised preflop to 650,000. Darvin Moon called from the button. Jordan Smith reraised to 2,600,000 total from the small blind. Buchman folded, and Moon smooth-called. The flop came 8 4 2, and Smith checked to Moon on the button. Moon bet 4,000,000, and Smith check-raised all in. Moon instantly called and exposed top set with the 8 8. He was up against the A A of Smith. Smith was in bad shape to double up and stay alive in the tournament. The turn brought the 5, adding a wheel draw for Smith. The river brought none of his outs as the 10 landed on the felt. Smith was eliminated, and Moon is up to 58,930,000 after the hand.
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