The 'November Nine': Introducing the 2008 WSOP Main-Event Final Table

With ESPN's World Series of Poker coverage already in progress, the "November Nine" story promises to be one of the most anticipated conclusions to a tournament in poker history. Playing on perhaps the most stressful bubble in recent memory, the nine survivors overcame a grueling 11-day affair to put themselves in position for the ultimate prize in poker, and a $9,119,338 payday. Their task over the coming months is simple: to promote the game, promote themselves, and ultimately deliver on the hype when the two-hour conclusion airs in early November.



Here are those nine men in order of chip count, eight of whom will become instant millionaires:



Dennis Phillips – 26,295,000



Heading to the final table as the chip leader, Dennis Phillips is the oldest competitor remaining, leading the field at the age of 53. Phillips, who hails from Cottage Hills, Illinois, is an account manager for a commercial trucking company in St. Louis, and has no problem admitting his amateur status.



"I came here to have fun, and so far it's worked out for me," said Phillips.



With just $2,400 in lifetime tournament winnings, Phillips is perhaps the least-experienced player at the table. He won his way into the main event by taking down a satellite while playing at Harrah's Casino in St. Louis. When asked about the decision to push the final table back to November, he responded, "Personally, since I was the chip leader, I didn't want it to end. I was like, 'Let's go, already.'"



Phillips most closely resembles the "everyday man" quality for which Chris Moneymaker became famous. He plays a conservative and straightforward game, but has shown the ability to open it up and take down the pots that nobody else seems to want.



Ivan Demidov – 24,400,000



Sitting in second place at the final table is Ivan Demidov. The 27-year-old Russian is a professional poker player who made his first trip to the WSOP. Earlier in the summer, Demidov narrowly missed making the final table of one of the biggest events of the Series, $1,000 no-limit hold'em with rebuys. For his 11th-place finish, Demidov earned nearly $40,000.



Demidov has a few years of experience, including a third-place finish in a World Poker Tour preliminary event in 2007 and a final-table appearance in the Russian Poker Championships in 2006, but he admitted that the final-table bubble of the main event affected his play. "This tournament was really important to me," said Demidov. "I didn't really play my best game. Sometimes I played too scared, too tight, because of the importance of making the final table. I couldn't afford to gamble a lot. I didn't really play the game I wanted to, but obviously it worked out."



Demidov is a bit of a thrill-seeker, and doesn't enjoy the sedentary lifestyles that much of the poker world exhibits. In his spare time, he likes scuba diving and skiing, and with a guaranteed payday of $900,670, he'll see a lot more spare time coming his way.



Scott Montgomery – 19,690,000


Scott Montgomery, while certainly a newcomer to the tournament scene, has made his presence known in a big way. The 26-year-old from Ontario, Canada, first showed signs of an elevated poker IQ when he made the final table of the WPT L.A. Poker Classic, along with the likes of Quinn Do, Nam Le, Phil Hellmuth, and Phil Ivey. At the time, Montgomery was along just for the ride, and despite a summer jam-packed with success, he has managed to maintain that same modesty throughout his incredible run.



The professional poker player cashed three times at the WSOP for more than $70,000, and it could have been an even more profitable summer if Montgomery could have avoided the wrath of Theo Tran. Deep in a $1,500 event, Montgomery made quad fives, only to lose to Tran's runner-runner straight flush. Then, Montgomery hit the rail when his pocket aces went down to Tran's flopped flush.



Montgomery wasn't shy to say that luck played a key role in getting him to the final table. "It must be nice to say that you've never been all in during the whole tournament and have always been ahead, but it wasn't an easy, smooth ride for me at all. I had to get it in bad a few times along the way."



Because of his real-world experience with the pressure surrounding the bright lights of a televised final table, Montgomery has a good shot to take down the title. "This is my job. I take pride in it and play my best," he said. "I've had some major-tournament experience before, and it will definitely help."



Peter Eastgate – 18,375,000


Peter Eastgate had no problem putting up the $10,000 buy-in to get into the main event, and as a reward for his play, he will leave the Rio in November an instant millionaire. Eastgate will be the youngest player at the table at the age of 22, and he has a chance to break Phil Hellmuth's record for being the youngest player to win the main event.



Despite his age, Eastgate is no stranger to live-tournament poker. On his poker résumé is a final-table finish in the 2007 Irish Poker Open, as well as another cash in the European Poker Tour Scandinavian Open.



Eastgate, a cash-game player, voiced his opinion on whether tournaments are tougher than cash games. "Cash games are far more complex, and the decisions you face in a tournament are much easier. Good cash-game players should have no problem making the transition to tournaments."



Eastgate, from Odense, Denmark, is one of two non-North Americans left in the field. If he is successful in winning the tournament, he will surpass Gus Hansen as Denmark's leading money winner.



Ylon Schwartz – 12,525,000



A native of New York, Ylon Schwartz will be one of the more recognizable faces at the final table. Schwartz, who grew up as a champion chess player, switched to poker a number of years ago after finding out how lucrative it could be.



Schwartz has cashed 12 times at the WSOP, and heads into November's finale in fifth chip position. The 38-year-old has more than $300,000 in lifetime tournament winnings, spread out over 33 cashes, and is no stranger to the tournament grind. His biggest score was for just under $50,000 for taking third place in a preliminary event at the World Poker Finals. "I've been deep in a lot of tournaments before, but I always butchered them," said Schwartz. "So, I decided to take it easy and play it cool. If you just stick around and wait, someone will eventually make a mistake."



Always in a good mood, Schwartz promises to be one of the more charismatic personalities of the final nine. With a knack for games and a history of beating the best, it will be interesting to see his story played out on national television. When asked about the upcoming attention, Schwartz said, "This is totally new to me. I've never been in the spotlight before. I have no idea what's coming. I really want to lay low, but for poker's sake, I'll be out there playing in a few tournaments before the final table."



Darus Suharto – 12,520,000


As the second player from Ontario, 53-year-old Darus Suharto is a bit less experienced than his Canadian counterpart, Scott Montgomery. Suharto heads to the final table in sixth chip position and will have some breathing room for a while, but his tight, conservative approach will need to adapt to a final table that features several young, aggressive opponents.



Suharto won his way into the tournament via satellite. He has one other cash to his credit, finishing in the 400s in the 2006 main event. An admitted recreational player, Suharto is an accountant, and he earned his MBA from Indiana University.



David "Chino" Rheem – 10,230,000



Perhaps the best known and most controversial member of the final table, David "Chino" Rheem has been playing poker for more than 10 years. He has more than $600,000 in tournament winnings and is no stranger to the cameras of an ESPN WSOP final table. In 2006, he finished runner-up to Allen Cunningham in a $1,000 no-limit hold'em event for more than $300,000, his biggest score to date. In addition, he finished fifth in this year's mixed-hold'em event for nearly $100,000.

Rheem plans to take it easy in the upcoming months, saying, "I'm going to lay low, relax, and keep a clear mind. If I start to think about the final table, it could drive me crazy."



Rheem will enter the final table under a bit of a dark cloud. According to the Sun Sentinel, there is an active warrant out for Rheem's arrest, stemming from charges dating back to 2003. What will happen next is unknown, but ESPN certainly has an intriguing story line to explore if it wishes.



Rheem is short-stacked, but with the low blinds, he still has plenty of chips with which to work. Probably the most feared player at the table, Rheem plays a relentlessly aggressive game, and his stack is sure to fluctuate wildly throughout.



Craig Marquis – 10,210,000


As the second-youngest player at the table, Craig Marquis is one of the least-experienced members of the November Nine. Marquis has just three cashes under his belt, but all have come at the WSOP. This was his second summer at the Rio, and when he makes his third trip in November, he plans on using his winnings to buy his family a swimming pool in his native Texas.



The 23-year-old is brand-new to tournament poker and has been playing for only a year and a half. However, he'll have plenty of time to get input from friends David "Raptor" Benefield and Tom "Durrrr" Dwan.



Marquis believes the delayed final table is overall a good plan, but he's wary of how it will affect him. "The weaker players are going to get significantly better, but that will make for a much more skilled final table, and it will be better for poker in general."



Kelly Kim – 2,620,000


Kelly Kim will enter the final table with just over 10 big blinds, and is by far the shortest stack at the table. Yet, he has experience on his side, with more than 30 cashes for $300,000.



Kim's biggest cash came at the 2006 L.A. Poker Classic, where he finished third in a preliminary event for more than $62,000. This is Kim's fourth WSOP cash of his career.



Kim was born in Korea, but earned his degree from UCSD in San Diego, California. The 31-year-old used to work as a business analyst, but has since become a professional poker player.



He spoke about the road to the final table, and how he approached the tournament. "The journey is so long," said Kim. "You play every day, you survive, and you wait for the next day. That's what got me through it."



Kim remains optimistic despite his chip count. "I'm the lowest chip stack by a mile, but it doesn't matter. You can't write me off. I still have a chance. I'm a very good short-stack player and I won't give up."