The Kid and the Logger Battle for World Series of Poker Title

In a press conference today with the two final players in the World Series of Poker main event, Darvin Moon playfully revealed his in-depth strategy for tonight’s heads-up play — “just win.” Asked for his response, the 21-year-old pro Joe Cada replied, “I guess we’ll just see how it goes.”

The reality is that Cada enters heads-up play, which begins at 10 p.m. PST, with a huge advantage — both in terms of the two players’ stacks and their heads-up experience.

Moon said he has played heads up only three times in the past four years, while Cada has been playing nearly every single day, Monday through Saturday, since he was a teenager. As if that experience wasn’t enough, Cada enters play with more than a 2-1 chip advantage, with 136 million in chips compared to Moon’s 59 million in chips.

Asked how he would feel if Moon somehow beat the odds and took him down, Cada admitted it would be devastating.

“I’d be crushed,” said Cada, an online pro playing in his first WSOP main event. “I wouldn’t be able to sleep for some time.”

After entering play at the final table as the overwhelming chip leader, Moon has almost the same exact stack going into heads-up play. But instead of being the favorite to win, he is a decided underdog. But that’s just how he likes it.

Moon has always rooted for the underdog, hence his trademark New Orleans Saints hat for the team that has historically underachieved. But 2009 isn’t your typical year. The New Orlean Saints haven’t lost a game this season, and Moon — despite being a true amateur with very little experience in playing major tournaments — has not yet lost his chance to become this year’s main-event champion.

Moon acknowledges that while his game is still not up to par with his competition, he has gotten a lot more comfortable in the spotlight over the past few months.

“I was like a deer in the headlights back then,” said Moon, referencing his early on-camera interviews. “I have become a lot more comfortable with this … but I won’t be more available (to the public after the main event).”

If anything, Moon appears to be a little concerned what his win might do in creating a new sort of poker boom since Harrah’s message of “anyone can win” may indeed resonate loudly with the viewing public should he win the main event.

“I just hope they don’t put their life savings on the line to pick up this game. I hope they win a satellite somewhere,” said Moon. “I hope they don’t just ruin their life because of this.”

While Moon says he’ll continue to stay out of the spotlight, Cada said he would relish an ambassadorial role that could come with a World Series victory.

“I’d be very excited to take on that role,” said Cada, who said he would try to be active but would probably be more similar to the reserved Peter Eastgate than the outlandish Phil Hellmuth if he were to become the youngest world champion in history.

At 10 p.m., the kid and the logger will face off. Only one can win.

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