2009 World Series of Poker
Encyclopedia
The 2009 World Series of Poker was the 40th annual World Series of Poker
World Series of Poker
The World Series of Poker is a world-renowned series of poker tournaments held annually in Las Vegas and, since 2005, sponsored by Harrah's Entertainment...

 (WSOP). It was held at the Rio All Suite Hotel and Casino
Rio All Suite Hotel and Casino
The Rio All Suite Hotel and Casino is located off the Las Vegas Strip in the unincorporated area of Paradise, Nevada, USA. It is better known as The Rio and is owned and operated by Caesars Entertainment Inc. The Rio was the first all suite resort in the Las Vegas area...

 in Las Vegas
Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and is also the county seat of Clark County, Nevada. Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, and fine dining. The city bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, and is famous...

, Nevada, and ran from May 27 to July 15. There were 57 bracelet events, culminating in the $10,000 No-Limit Hold'em Main Event. The "November Nine
November Nine
The November Nine is the name used to refer to the final nine contestants, or final table, at the Main Event of the World Series of Poker since 2008. The winner of the WSOP Main Event is considered to be the World Champion of Poker....

" concept returned for the second year, with the finalists of the Main Event returning on November 7.

Event schedule

# Event Entrants Winner Prize Runner-up Results
1 $500 Casino Employees No Limit Hold'em 866 Andrew Cohen
Andrew Cohen (poker player)
Andrew Cohen, a 39 year old bartender at the Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas, won a World Series of Poker bracelet at the 2009 $500 Casino Employees No Limit Hold'em. Cohen entered the 2009 WSOP intending to participate in five events, 3 $1,500 events, the $1,000 "Stimilus Special", and the $500...

$83,778 Paul Peterson Results
2 $40,000 No Limit Hold'em 201 Vitaly Lunkin
Vitaly Lunkin
Vitaly Lunkin is a Russian professional poker player who has won two World Series of Poker bracelets.-WSOP:Vitaly Lunkin started playing at the WSOP in 2006, finishing 829th in the Main Event...

$1,891,012 Isaac Haxton Results
3 $1,500 Omaha Hi-Low Split-8 or Better 918 Thang Luu
Thang Luu
Thang Luu is a Vietnamese American professional poker player who won the 2008 World Series of Poker $1,500 Omaha Hi-Low Split-8 or Better event and repeated as champion in the same event at the 2009 World Series of Poker...

$263,135 Ed Smith Results
4 $1,000 No Limit Hold'em 6,012 Steve Sung
Steve Sung
Suk-Min "Steve" Sung is a Korean professional poker player residing in Torrance, California who is a three time final tablist of World Poker Tour Championships....

$771,106 Peter Vilandos
Peter Vilandos
Panayote "Peter" Vilandos is a Greek-American professional poker player. He was born in Greece and now resides in Houston, Texas. He has won two bracelets at the World Series of Poker....

Results
5 $1,500 Pot Limit Omaha 809 Jason Mercier
Jason Mercier
Jason Mercier is an American professional poker player from Hollywood, Florida. He has won two World Series of Poker bracelets and one European Poker Tour title...

$237,415 Steven Burkholder Results
6 $10,000 World Championship Seven Card Stud 142 Freddie Ellis $373,744 Eric Drache
Eric Drache
Eric Drache is a professional poker player, former cardroom manager and consultant for NBC. Drache is best known for his management contributions to the poker world, but he is also a notable seven-card stud player...

Results
7 $1,500 No Limit Hold'em 2,791 Travis Johnson $666,853 Steve Karp Results
8 $2,500 2-7 Draw Lowball 147 Phil Ivey
Phil Ivey
Phillip Dennis "Phil" Ivey Jr. is an American professional poker player who has won eight World Series of Poker bracelets, one World Poker Tour title and appeared at nine World Poker Tour final tables...

$96,361 John Monnette Results
9 $1,500 No Limit Hold'em Short Handed 1,459 Ken Aldridge $428,259 Carman Cavella Results
10 $2,500 Pot Limit Hold'em/Omaha 453 Rami Boukai $244,862 Najib Bennani Results
11 $2,000 No Limit Hold'em 1,646 Anthony Harb $569,199 Peter Rho Results
12 $10,000 World Championship Mixed Event 194 Ville Wahlbeck $492,375 David Chiu
David Chiu (poker player)
David Chiu is a Chinese American professional poker player, based in Rowland Heights, California, who has won four World Series of Poker bracelets. He is also the winner of the 2008 World Poker Tour's WPT World Championship, and the first winner of the Tournament of Champions of Poker.Chiu was a...

Results
13 $2,500 No Limit Hold'em 1,088 Keven Stammen
Keven Stammen
Keven Stammen is an American poker player living in Celina, Ohio. He was winner of a No Limit Texas hold 'em event of the 2009 World Series of Poker....

$506,786 Angel Guillen Results
14 $2,500 Limit Hold'em Short Handed 367 Brock Parker
Brock Parker
John Brock Parker is a 27-year-old professional poker player from Silver Spring, Maryland. At the 2009 World Series of Poker he won two WSOP bracelets. First, he defeated Daniel Negreanu heads-up to win a $2,500 limit Texas hold 'em short-handed event. Just four days later, he won his second...

$223,688 Daniel Negreanu
Daniel Negreanu
Daniel Negreanu is a Canadian professional poker player. He has won four World Series of Poker bracelets and two World Poker Tour Championship titles. He is currently ranked second in the all-time career earnings list and is the star of poker game show Million Dollar Challenge. He plays a big...

Results
15 $5,000 No Limit Hold'em 655 Brian Lemke $692,658 Fabian Quoss Results
16 $1,500 Seven Card Stud 359 Jeff Lisandro
Jeff Lisandro
Jeffrey Lisandro is an Australian professional poker player, now residing in Salerno, Italy. Lisandro is known by many to be a cash game specialist, but is a well-known face on the poker tournament circuit and is regarded as one of the premier Seven Card Stud players in the world...

$124,959 Rodney H. Pardey
Rodney H. Pardey
Rodney Herm Pardey is an American professional poker player, currently residing in Seattle, WA. Pardey is the father of professional poker player and singer/songwriter Rodney E. Pardey and Ryan J. Pardey....

Results
17 $1,000 Ladies No Limit Hold'em World Championship 1,060 Lisa Hamilton
Lisa Hamilton
Lisa Hamilton is an American poker player and World Series of Poker bracelet winner.Hamilton won the 2009 WSOP $1,000 Ladies No Limit Hold'em World Championship. In addition to the bracelet, she won the $195,390 cash prize for her victory in the tournament...

$195,390 Lori Bender Results
18 $10,000 World Championship Omaha Hi-Low Split-8 or Better 179 Daniel Alaei
Daniel Alaei
Siblings=Devon VafaiDaniel Christopher Alaei is a professional poker player from Santa Fe Springs, California. He is of Assyrian Iranian descent....

$445,898 Scott Clements
Scott Clements
Scott Clements is a professional poker player from Mount Vernon, Washington, United States, who has won titles in both World Poker Tour and World Series of Poker events....

Results
19 $2,500 No Limit Hold'em Short Handed 1,068 Brock Parker
Brock Parker
John Brock Parker is a 27-year-old professional poker player from Silver Spring, Maryland. At the 2009 World Series of Poker he won two WSOP bracelets. First, he defeated Daniel Negreanu heads-up to win a $2,500 limit Texas hold 'em short-handed event. Just four days later, he won his second...

$552,745 Joe Serock Results
20 $1,500 Pot Limit Hold'em 633 J.P. Kelly
J.P. Kelly
John-Paul Kelly known as J.P. Kelly is a professional poker player from Aylesbury, England. Kelly is a two time World Series of Poker bracelet winner, having won the 2009 World Series of Poker $1,500 Pot Limit Hold'em event in Las Vegas and then later that same year won another bracelet at the 2009...

$194,434 Marc Tschirch Results
21 $3,000 H.O.R.S.E. 452 Zac Fellows $311,899 James Van Alstyne
James Van Alstyne
James Gibson Van Alstyne is an American professional poker player based in Las Vegas, Nevada.Van Alstyne grew up in New Orleans, Louisiana and graduated from Ben Franklin High School...

Results
22 $1,500 No Limit Hold'em Shootout 1,000 Jeff Carris $313,673 Jason Somerville Results
23 $10,000 World Championship 2-7 Draw Lowball 96 Nick Schulman
Nick Schulman
Nick Schulman is an American professional poker player from Manhattan, New York. Nick Schulman is also a professional-calibre pocket billiards player. He grew up playing pool at Amsterdam Billiards, in New York City...

$279,742 Ville Wahlbeck Results
24 $1,500 No Limit Hold'em 2,506 Peter Vilandos
Peter Vilandos
Panayote "Peter" Vilandos is a Greek-American professional poker player. He was born in Greece and now resides in Houston, Texas. He has won two bracelets at the World Series of Poker....

$607,256 Andy Seth Results
25 $2,500 Omaha/Seven Card Stud Hi-Low-8 or Better 376 Phil Ivey
Phil Ivey
Phillip Dennis "Phil" Ivey Jr. is an American professional poker player who has won eight World Series of Poker bracelets, one World Poker Tour title and appeared at nine World Poker Tour final tables...

$220,538 Ming Lee Results
26 $1,500 Limit Hold'em 643 Tomas Alenius $197,488 Jason Tam Results
27 $5,000 Pot Limit Omaha Hi-Low Split-8 or Better 198 Roland De Wolfe
Roland De Wolfe
Roland De Wolfe is an English professional poker player and a former writer for the poker magazine Inside Edge.After winning first prize in an event at the 2004 Gutshot Poker Festival, he went on to make a money finish in the $1,000 No Limit event of the 2005 World Series of Poker.In July 2005, he...

$246,616 Brett Richey Results
28 $1,500 No Limit Hold'em 2,638 Mike Eise $639,331 Jeff Chang Results
29 $10,000 World Championship Heads Up No Limit Hold'em 256 Leo Wolpert $625,682 John Duthie
John Duthie
John Duthie is a London-based English television director and creator of the European Poker Tour.-Film and television:...

Results
30 $2,500 Pot Limit Omaha 436 J. C. Tran
J. C. Tran
J. C. Tran is a Vietnamese-American professional poker player, based in Sacramento, California....

$235,685 Jeff Kimber Results
31 $1,500 H.O.R.S.E. 770 James Van Alstyne
James Van Alstyne
James Gibson Van Alstyne is an American professional poker player based in Las Vegas, Nevada.Van Alstyne grew up in New Orleans, Louisiana and graduated from Ben Franklin High School...

$247,033 Tad Jurgens Results
32 $2,000 No Limit Hold'em 1,534 Ángel Guillén $530,548 Mika Paasonen Results
33 $10,000 World Championship Limit Hold'em 185 Greg Mueller
Greg Mueller
Greg Mueller is a professional poker player from Vancouver, British ColumbiaMueller, a former professional hockey player, was drawn to poker after one of many long road trips during his hockey career...

$460,836 Pat Pezzin Results
34 $1,500 No Limit Hold'em 2,095 Eric Baldwin
Eric Baldwin
Eric Baldwin is a professional poker player from Henderson, Nevada who won the 2009 World Series of Poker $1,500 No Limit Hold'em event earning $521,991 and was the runner-up in the World Poker Tour $25,000 No Limit Hold'em WPT Championship Event, earning $1,034,715 and is the 2009 Winner of the...

$521,932 Jonas Klausen Results
35 $5,000 Pot Limit Omaha 363 Richard Austin $409,484 Sorel Mizzi
Sorel Mizzi
Sorel Mizzi is a professional poker player. Mizzi plays online poker under the names of "Imper1um" and "Zangbezan24"...

Results
36 $2,000 No Limit Hold'em 1,695 Jordan Smith $586,212 Ken Lennaárd
Ken Lennaárd
Ken Richard Douglas Lennáard is a Swedish professional poker player, based in Stockholm, Sweden. He was also the chairman of the Swedish Poker Federation until he resigned in October 2006.-Poker career:...

Results
37 $10,000 World Championship Seven Card Stud Hi-Low Split-8 or Better 164 Jeff Lisandro
Jeff Lisandro
Jeffrey Lisandro is an Australian professional poker player, now residing in Salerno, Italy. Lisandro is known by many to be a cash game specialist, but is a well-known face on the poker tournament circuit and is regarded as one of the premier Seven Card Stud players in the world...

$431,656 Farzad Rouhani Results
38 $2,000 Limit Hold'em 446 Marc Naalden $190,770 Steven Cowley Results
39 $1,500 No Limit Hold'em 2,715 Ray Foley $657,969 Brandon Cantu
Brandon Cantu
Brandon M. Cantu is an American professional poker player. Upon winning a World Series of Poker bracelet in 2006, Cantu relocated to Las Vegas, Nevada. On March 14, 2007, Cantu became one of only 27 players to ever win both a World Series of Poker bracelet and a World Poker Tour championship...

Results
40 $10,000 World Championship Pot Limit Omaha 295 Matt Graham
Matt Graham (poker player)
Matthew Graham is an American professional poker player from Houston, Texas, who is a two time World Series of Poker bracelet winner, He won his first bracelet at the 2008 World Series of Poker in the $1,500 Limit Hold'em Shootout event and then the next year at the 2009 World Series of Poker he...

$679,379 Vitaly Lunkin
Vitaly Lunkin
Vitaly Lunkin is a Russian professional poker player who has won two World Series of Poker bracelets.-WSOP:Vitaly Lunkin started playing at the WSOP in 2006, finishing 829th in the Main Event...

Results
41 $5,000 No Limit Hold'em Shootout 280 Peter Traply
Peter Traply
Peter Traply is Hungarian poker player. Traply is the first ever Hungarian to win a WSOP bracelet.As of 2010 his total live tournament winnings exceed $750,000.-References:...

$348,728 Andrew Lichtenberger Results
42 $2,500 Mixed Event 412 Jerrod Ankenman $241,637 Sergey Altbregin Results
43 $1,000 Seniors No Limit Hold'em World Championship 2,707 Michael Davis $437,358 Scott Buller Results
44 $2,500 Razz 315 Jeff Lisandro
Jeff Lisandro
Jeffrey Lisandro is an Australian professional poker player, now residing in Salerno, Italy. Lisandro is known by many to be a cash game specialist, but is a well-known face on the poker tournament circuit and is regarded as one of the premier Seven Card Stud players in the world...

$188,370 Michael Craig Results
45 $10,000 World Championship Pot Limit Hold'em 275 John Kabbaj
John Kabbaj
Jean-Michel Kabbaj is an English professional poker player, referred to by The Hendon Mob as their unofficial fifth member.-Before poker:Kabbaj quit school at the age of 16...

$633,335 Kirill Gerasimov
Kirill Gerasimov
Kirill Gerasimov is a Russian professional poker player.Gerasimov worked as an insurance salesman in Moscow, and started entering poker tournaments throughout Europe in 2001...

Results
46 $2,500 Omaha Hi-Low Split-8 or Better 424 Derek Raymond $229,192 Mark Tenner Results
47 $2,500 Mixed Hold'em 527 Bahador Ahmadi $278,804 John McGuiness Results
48 $1,500 Pot Limit Omaha Hi-Low Split-8 or Better 762 Brandon Cantu
Brandon Cantu
Brandon M. Cantu is an American professional poker player. Upon winning a World Series of Poker bracelet in 2006, Cantu relocated to Las Vegas, Nevada. On March 14, 2007, Cantu became one of only 27 players to ever win both a World Series of Poker bracelet and a World Poker Tour championship...

$228,867 Lee Watkinson
Lee Watkinson
Lee Watkinson is an American professional poker player, originally from Longbranch, Washington.At the 2004 World Series of Poker , Watkinson finished 2nd in the $5,000 pot limit Omaha event...

Results
49 $50,000 World Championship H.O.R.S.E. 95 David Bach
David Bach (poker player)
David Bach is a professional poker player from Athens, Georgia, and the winner of the $50,000 World Championship H.O.R.S.E. event at the 2009 World Series of Poker. Bach defeated John Hanson heads-up after a marathon final table that lasted 20 hours and 492 hands.In total, Bach has 11 career WSOP...

$1,276,802 John Hanson Results
50 $1,500 Limit Hold'em Shootout 572 Greg Mueller
Greg Mueller
Greg Mueller is a professional poker player from Vancouver, British ColumbiaMueller, a former professional hockey player, was drawn to poker after one of many long road trips during his hockey career...

$194,854 Marc Naalden Results
51 $1,500 No Limit Hold'em 2,781 Carsten Joh $664,426 Andrew Chen Results
52 $3,000 Triple Chance No Limit Hold'em 854 Jorg Peisert $506,800 Jason DeWitt
Jason DeWitt
Jason DeWitt is a professional poker player from Granger, Indiana who won the 2010 World Series of Poker $5,000 No Limit Hold'em event.- Live poker :...

Results
53 $1,500 Seven Card Stud Hi-Low-8 or Better 467 David Halpern $159,390 William Kohler Results
54 $1,500 No Limit Hold'em 2,818 Tony Veckey $673,276 Jason Wheeler Results
55 $2,500 2-7 Triple Draw Lowball 257 Abe Mosseri
Abe Mosseri
Abraham Mosseri is an American professional backgammon and poker player from New York City, New York who won the 2009 World Series of Poker $2,500 2-7 Triple Draw Lowball event....

$165,521 Masayoshi Tanaka Results
56 $5,000 No Limit Hold'em Short Handed 928 Matt Hawrilenko
Matt Hawrilenko
Matthew "Matt" Hawrilenko is a professional poker player from Boston, Massachusetts who won the 2009 World Series of Poker $5,000 No-Limit Hold'em Short-Handed event earning $1,003,218 and is a Full Tilt Poker Pro.Hawrilenko is a 2004 graduate of Princeton University that worked for Susquehanna...

$1,003,163 Josh Brikis Results
57 $10,000 World Championship No Limit Hold'em 6,494 Joe Cada
Joe Cada
Joseph "Joe" Cada is an American professional poker player from Shelby Charter Township, Michigan, best known as the winner of the Main Event at the 2009 World Series of Poker ....

$8,547,042 Darvin Moon
Darvin Moon
Darvin Moon is an American self-employed logger and amateur poker player who was the runner-up of the 2009 World Series of Poker US$10,000 no-limit Texas hold'em main event. It was his first time playing in the World Series of Poker...

Results

Main event

The $10,000 World Championship No Limit Texas Hold 'em
Texas hold 'em
Texas Hold 'em is a variation of the standard card game of poker. The game consists of two cards being dealt face down to each player and then five community cards being placed face-up by the dealer—a series of three then two additional single cards , with...

 Main Event began on July 3 with the first of four starting days. There were 6,494 total entries. After reaching the final table of nine players on July 15, the final table was once again delayed until November 7. The main event once again was a draw for many celebrities to play including:
  • Day 1-a: Jason Alexander
    Jason Alexander
    Jay Scott Greenspan , better known by his professional name of Jason Alexander, is an American actor, writer, comedian, television director, producer, and singer. He is best known for his role as George Costanza on the television series Seinfeld, appearing in the sitcom from 1989 to 1998...

    , Brad Garrett
    Brad Garrett
    Bradley "Brad" Garrett is an American actor, voice actor, stand-up comedian, and professional poker player. Throughout he has appeared in numerous television and film roles....

    , Orel Hershiser
    Orel Hershiser
    Orel Leonard Hershiser IV is a former right-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball. He is currently an analyst for Baseball Tonight and Sunday Night Baseball on ESPN and a professional poker player for...

    , Nelly
    Nelly
    Cornell Iral Haynes, Jr. , better known by his stage name Nelly, is an Grammy Award winning American rapper and actor. He has performed with the rap group St. Lunatics since 1993 and signed to Universal Records in 1999. Under Universal, Nelly began his solo career in 2000 with his debut album...

    , Jennifer Tilly
    Jennifer Tilly
    Jennifer Tilly is an American actress and poker player. She is an Academy Award nominee, and a World Series of Poker Ladies' Event bracelet winner. She is the older sister of actress Meg Tilly.-Early life:...

    ,
  • Day 1-b: Shane Warne
    Shane Warne
    Shane Keith Warne is a former Australian international cricketer widely regarded as one of the greatest bowlers in the history of the game. In 2000, he was selected by a panel of cricket experts as one of the five Wisden Cricketers of the Century, the only specialist bowler selected in the quintet...

  • Day 1-c: Antonio Tarver
    Antonio Tarver
    Antonio Deon Tarver , nicknamed the "Magic Man", is a professional boxer from Orlando, Florida and the former WBC, WBA, IBF, & The Ring light heavyweight champion....

    , Paul Wight
    Paul Wight
    Paul Donald Wight, Jr. , better known by his ring name, Big Show, is an American professional wrestler and actor, currently signed to WWE on its Raw brand....

  • Day 1-d: Shannon Elizabeth
    Shannon Elizabeth
    Shannon Elizabeth is an American actress and former fashion model. Elizabeth is well known for her roles in comedy films such as Scary Movie, American Pie, and Jay And Silent Bob Strike Back. She is also well known for her work in horror films such as Thirteen Ghosts, Cursed, and Night of the Demons...

    , Sully Erna
    Sully Erna
    Salvatore Paul "Sully" Erna , is an American vocalist and primary songwriter for the American heavy metal band, Godsmack. Erna is also a guitarist and drummer, performing these both on albums and during live shows. He has a daughter named Skylar Brooke Erna and an older sister named Maria.-Early...

    , Jordan Farmar
    Jordan Farmar
    Jordan Robert Farmar is an American professional basketball point guard for Maccabi Tel Aviv of the Israeli Basketball Super League and Euroleague. He is also under contract with the New Jersey Nets, and is expected to return to the team after the 2011 NBA lockout ends.In high school, he was the...

    , Audley Harrison
    Audley Harrison
    Audley Harrison is a British professional boxer from Harlesden, England who fights in the heavyweight division. At the 2000 Olympics in Sydney he became the first British fighter to win an Olympic gold medal in the superheavyweight division. He stands and usually weighs around .Harrison turned...

    , Scott Ian
    Scott Ian
    Scott Ian Rosenfeld , better known by the stage name Scott Ian, is an American musician, best known as the rhythm & lead guitarist for the heavy metal band Anthrax. Ian is also the guitarist and a founding member of the crossover thrash band Stormtroopers of Death...

    , Lou Diamond Phillips
    Lou Diamond Phillips
    Lou Diamond Phillips is an American film, television, and stage actor and director. His breakthrough came when he starred in the film La Bamba. He earned a supporting actor Golden Globe Award nomination for his role in Stand and Deliver and a Tony Award nomination for his role in The King and I...

    , Ray Romano
    Ray Romano
    Raymond Albert "Ray" Romano is an American actor, writer and stand-up comedian, best known for his roles on the sitcom Everybody Loves Raymond and in the Ice Age film series. He recently starred in the TNT comedy-drama Men of a Certain Age.-Early life:Romano was born in Queens, New York to Italian...

    , John Salley
    John Salley
    John Thomas "Spider" Salley is a retired American professional basketball player, actor and talk show host. He was the first player in NBA history to play on three different championship-winning franchises....

    , Nate Silver
    Nate Silver
    Nathaniel Read "Nate" Silver is an American statistician, psephologist, and writer. Silver first gained public recognition for developing PECOTA, a system for forecasting the performance and career development of Major League Baseball players, which he sold to and then managed for Baseball...

    , Sam Simon
    Sam Simon
    Samuel "Sam" Simon is an American director, producer, writer, boxing manager and philanthropist. While at Stanford University, Simon worked as a newspaper cartoonist and after graduating became a storyboard artist at Filmation Studios. He submitted a spec script for the sitcom Taxi, which was...

    , Marlon Wayans
    Marlon Wayans
    Marlon L. Wayans is an American actor, model producer, comedian, writer, and director of movies, beginning with his role as a pedestrian in I'm Gonna Git You Sucka in 1988...

    , Torrie Wilson
    Torrie Wilson
    Torrie Anne Wilson is a retired American professional wrestler, fitness competitor and model. She is best known for her tenures in World Championship Wrestling and World Wrestling Entertainment , where she worked on both their SmackDown and Raw brands throughout her eight-year run.As a fitness...



The last day one, day 1d, had by far the highest number of participants, 2,809 (the lowest was day 1b (4th of July), 873). According to news reports, as many as 500 players, including Patrik Antonius
Patrik Antonius
Patrik Antonius is a Finnish professional poker player, former tennis player and coach, and model from Vantaa, Finland. He currently resides in Monte Carlo...

, T. J. Cloutier
T. J. Cloutier
Thomas James "T.J." Cloutier is a professional poker player from Richardson, Texas. He was inducted into the Poker Hall of Fame in 2006.-Early years:...

, Layne Flack
Layne Flack
Layne Flack is an American professional poker player, residing in Montana and Nevada.He met up with Johnny Chan who helped him improve his game and, following a big loss, encouraged Flack to ensure he had a lot of rest before a tournament...

 and Ted Forrest
Ted Forrest
Ted Forrest is an American professional poker player, currently residing in Las Vegas, Nevada.- Tournament Wins:...

, were denied entry because capacity was filled.

Players started with 30,000 chips, up from 20,000 in previous Main Events.

Performance of past champions

Name Championship
Year(s)
Day of
Elimination
Amarillo Slim
Amarillo Slim
Thomas Austin Preston, Jr. , known as Amarillo Slim, is an American professional gambler known for his poker skills and proposition bets...

1972
1972 World Series of Poker
The 1972 World Series of Poker was a series of poker tournaments held during early May 1972 at the Binion's Horseshoe in Las Vegas, Nevada. It was the third annual installment of the World Series of Poker, and also the second one to feature the freezeout structure...

2-a
Doyle Brunson
Doyle Brunson
Doyle F. Brunson is an American professional poker player who has played professionally for over 50 years. He is the first two-time World Series of Poker main event champion to win consecutively, a Poker Hall of Fame inductee, and the author of several books on poker.Brunson is the first player to...

1976
1976 World Series of Poker
-Preliminary events:-Final table:...

 and 1977
1977 World Series of Poker
The 1977 World Series of Poker was held at Binion's Horseshoe.-Preliminary events:-Final table:...

1-b
Bobby Baldwin
Bobby Baldwin
Bobby Baldwin is a professional poker player, off-road racer and casino executive. As a poker player, Baldwin is best known as the 1978 world champion, becoming the youngest main event champion at that time....

1978
1978 World Series of Poker
The 1978 World Series of Poker was held in May 1978 at Binion's Horseshoe. and was the first WSOP that wasn't a winner-take-all prize.Instead the tournament had a progressive prize structure, as follows 50% for the Winner then 20% for second, 15% for third, 10% for fourth and 5% for fifth...

5 (352nd place)
Tom McEvoy
Tom McEvoy
Thomas K. McEvoy is a professional poker player and author. He is best known for his win in the 1983 World Series of Poker main event.-Early life:...

1983
1983 World Series of Poker
The 1983 World Series of Poker was held May 9th to May 12th, 1983 at Binion's Horseshoe.-Preliminary events:-Main Event:There were 108 entrants to the main event. Each paid $10,000 to enter the tournament. Doyle Brunson fell just short in his attempt to win the main event for a third time when he...

1-c
Berry Johnston
Berry Johnston
Berry Enfield Johnston is an American professional poker player. He is best known as the 1986 World Champion, but he has also won four other bracelets at the World Series of Poker in addition to cashes and wins in many other tournaments throughout his career.- Poker career :Johnston won the 1986...

1986
1986 World Series of Poker
-Preliminary events:-Main Event:There were 141 entrants to the main event. Each paid $10,000 to enter the tournament.-Final table:-Other High Finishes:NB: This list is restricted to top 30 finishers with an existing Wikipedia entry....

2-a
Johnny Chan
Johnny Chan (poker player)
Johnny Chan rather than his Chinese birth name. born in Guangzhou, China in 1957) is a Chinese American professional poker player. He has won 10 World Series of Poker bracelets, including 1987 and 1988 World Series of Poker main events consecutively....

1987
1987 World Series of Poker
-Preliminary events:-Main Event:There were 152 entrants to the main event. Each paid $10,000 to enter the tournament.-Final table:-Other High Finishes:NB: This list is restricted to top 30 finishers with an existing Wikipedia entry....

 and 1988
1988 World Series of Poker
-Preliminary events:-Final table:-Other High Finishes:NB: This list is restricted to top 30 finishers with an existing Wikipedia entry....

2-a
Phil Hellmuth
Phil Hellmuth
Phil Hellmuth is an American professional poker player. He is best known for holding a record 11 World Series of Poker bracelets, for winning the Main Event of the 1989 World Series of Poker and for his temperamental, "poker brat" personality...

1989
1989 World Series of Poker
The 1989 World Series of Poker was held at Binion's Horseshoe. The 1989 Main Event was won by 24-year-old Phil Hellmuth, defeating defending champion Johnny Chan, and also breaking the record for the youngest player to win the WSOP Main Event . Had Johnny Chan won, he would have tied Johnny...

4 (436th place)
Jim Bechtel
Jim Bechtel
James Gary "Jim" Bechtel is an American cotton farmer and poker player, based in Gilbert, Arizona. He is best known for winning the 1993 Main Event at the World Series of Poker .- Poker career :...

1993
1993 World Series of Poker
-Preliminary events:-Main Event:There were 220 entrants to the main event. Each paid $10,000 to enter the tournament.-Final table:-Other High Finishes:NB: This list is restricted to top 30 finishers with an existing Wikipedia entry....

3
Dan Harrington
Dan Harrington
Dan Harrington is a professional poker player, best known for winning the main event world championship at the 1995 World Series of Poker. He has earned one World Poker Tour title, two WSOP bracelets, and over six million dollars in tournament cashes in his poker career...

1995
1995 World Series of Poker
-Preliminary events:-Final table:-Other High Finishes:NB: This list is restricted to top 30 finishers with an existing Wikipedia entry.-External Links:*...

5 (252nd place)
Huck Seed
Huck Seed
Huckleberry Seed is an American professional poker player best known for winning the main event of the 1996 World Series of Poker.-Early Life:...

1996
1996 World Series of Poker
-Preliminary events:-Final table:-Other High Finishes:NB: This list is restricted to top 30 finishers with an existing Wikipedia entry.-External Links:*...

1-d
Scotty Nguyen
Scotty Nguyen
Thuận B. "Scotty" Nguyễn is a Vietnamese American professional poker player who is a five time World Series of Poker bracelet winner, most notably as the winner of the 1998 World Series of Poker Main Event and the 2008 WSOP $50,000 H.O.R.S.E. World Championship...

1998
1998 World Series of Poker
-Preliminary events:-Final table:-Other High Finishes:NB: This list is restricted to top 30 finishers with an existing Wikipedia entry.-External Links:*...

2-b
Chris Ferguson
Chris Ferguson
Christopher Philip Ferguson is an American professional poker player. He has won five World Series of Poker events, including the 2000 WSOP Main Event, and the 2008 NBC National Heads-Up Poker Championship. On September 20, 2011, the U.S...

2000
2000 World Series of Poker
-Preliminary events:-Main Event:There were 512 entrants to the main event. Each paid $10,000 to enter the tournament.Ferguson had a 10 to 1 chip lead when starting his heads-up vs Cloutier. After a see-saw battle, Ferguson decided to call Cloutier's AQ all-in with his own A9...

4 (561st place)
Carlos Mortensen
Carlos Mortensen
Juan Carlos Mortensen is an Ecuadorian professional poker player of Danish descent and the only Hispanic Main Event winner of the World Series of Poker. Mortensen is known for his loose play, bluffing tactics, and interesting chip-stacking style.Mortensen moved from Spain to the United States in...

2001
2001 World Series of Poker
-Preliminary events:-Main Event:There were 613 entrants to the main event. Each paid $10,000 to enter what was the largest poker tournament ever played in a non-online casino at the time.-Final table:-Other High Finishes:...

3
Robert Varkonyi
Robert Varkonyi
Robert Varkonyi is an American poker player, best known for winning the main event of the 2002 World Series of Poker.-Early years:Varkonyi was born in and raised in New York...

2002
2002 World Series of Poker
The 2002 World Series of Poker was held at Binion's Horseshoe.This edition was historically notable for two reasons. It was the first WSOP in which pocket cams were installed to allow broadcasters to show the players' hole cards, although only for the Main Event...

2-b
Chris Moneymaker
Chris Moneymaker
Christopher Bryan Moneymaker is an American poker player who won the main event at the 2003 World Series of Poker . His 2003 win is said to have revolutionized poker because he was the first person to become a world champion by qualifying at an online poker site...

2003
2003 World Series of Poker
-Preliminary events:-Main Event:There were 839 entrants to the main event. Each paid $10,000 to enter what was the largest poker tournament ever played in a brick and mortar casino at the time...

1-b
Greg Raymer
Greg Raymer
Gregory Raymer nicknamed "Fossilman," is a professional poker player. He is best known for winning the 2004 World Series of Poker Main Event.-Early life:...

2004
2004 World Series of Poker
The 2004 World Series of Poker was held at Binion's Horseshoe after Harrah's Entertainment purchased the casino and the rights to the tournament in January...

3
Joe Hachem
Joe Hachem
Joseph Hachem is a Lebanese-Australian professional poker player known for winning the main event of the 2005 World Series of Poker. He was the first Australian to win the main event, which earned him $7.5 million, then a record for all-time biggest tournament prize.The next year, Hachem won his...

2005
2005 World Series of Poker
The 2005 World Series of Poker opened play on June 2, continuing through the Main Event No Limit World Championship starting on July 7. The conclusion of the Main Event on July 15 marked the close of play, and the largest prize in sports and/or television history at the time was awarded to the...

6 (103rd place)
Jamie Gold
Jamie Gold
Jamie M. Gold is an American television producer, a talent agent, and poker player, based in Malibu, California. He is known for winning the 2006 World Series of Poker Main Event and currently divides his time between his activities as president of production for the entertainment company,...

2006
2006 World Series of Poker
The 2006 World Series of Poker began on June 25, 2006 with "satellite" events, with regular play commencing on June 26 with the annual Casino Employee event, and the Tournament of Champions held on June 28 and 29...

1-c
Jerry Yang
Jerry Yang (poker player)
Xao "Jerry" Yang is an ethnic Hmong poker player from Temecula, California and the 2007 World Series of Poker Main Event champion.Yang started playing poker in 2005. An amateur player at the time, Yang entered the 2007 World Series of Poker after winning a $225 satellite at the Pechanga Resort...

2007
2007 World Series of Poker
The 2007 World Series of Poker began on June 1, 2007. The $10,000 no-limit Texas hold 'em Main Event began on July 6 and was completed on the morning of July 18...

1-a
Peter Eastgate
Peter Eastgate
Peter Eastgate is a poker player from Denmark, best known as the winner of the Main Event at the 2008 World Series of Poker. At the time, he became the youngest player ever to win the event. He was consequently surpassed by Joe Cada in 2009.-Early life:Eastgate was raised in Dalum, a suburb of...

2008
2008 World Series of Poker
The 2008 World Series of Poker was the 39th annual World Series of Poker . Held in Las Vegas, Nevada at the Rio All Suite Hotel and Casino, the series began on May 30, 2008, and featured 55 poker championships in several variants. All events but the $10,000 World Championship No Limit Texas hold...

6 (78th place)

Other notable high finishes

NB: This list is restricted to top 30 finishers with an existing Wikipedia entry.
Place Name Prize
14th Ben Lamb
Ben Lamb
Benjamin "Ben" Lamb is an American professional poker player. Lamb is the 2011 World Series of Poker Player of the Year. He was also a member of the 2011 November Nine, finishing in third place. He currently has one World Series of Poker bracelet and four career World Series of Poker final...

$633,022
24th Antonio Esfandiari
Antonio Esfandiari
Antonio Esfandiari is a professional poker player, known for his elaborate chip tricks.-Early life:When he was 9 years old his family moved to San Jose, California...

$352,832

November Nine

As in 2008
2008 World Series of Poker
The 2008 World Series of Poker was the 39th annual World Series of Poker . Held in Las Vegas, Nevada at the Rio All Suite Hotel and Casino, the series began on May 30, 2008, and featured 55 poker championships in several variants. All events but the $10,000 World Championship No Limit Texas hold...

, the final nine players returned on November 7 to complete the event. These players were:
Name Number of chips WSOP
Bracelets
WSOP
Cashes*
WSOP
Earnings*
Darvin Moon
Darvin Moon
Darvin Moon is an American self-employed logger and amateur poker player who was the runner-up of the 2009 World Series of Poker US$10,000 no-limit Texas hold'em main event. It was his first time playing in the World Series of Poker...

 
58,930,000 0 0 $0
Eric Buchman
Eric Buchman
Eric Buchman is a professional poker player from Valley Stream, New York, who finished in fourth place at the 2009 World Series of Poker Main Event...

 
34,800,000 0 9 $320,893
Steven Begleiter 29,885,000 0 0 $0
Jeff Shulman
Jeff Shulman
Jeff Shulman is the editor of Card Player Magazine, and an American poker player with a record of success in tournament play, based in Las Vegas, Nevada. He is the son of Jan Shulman and Barry Shulman...

 
19,580,000 0 15 $289,551
Joe Cada
Joe Cada
Joseph "Joe" Cada is an American professional poker player from Shelby Charter Township, Michigan, best known as the winner of the Main Event at the 2009 World Series of Poker ....

 
13,215,000 0 2 $28,214
Kevin Schaffel 12,390,000 0 2 $92,166
Phil Ivey
Phil Ivey
Phillip Dennis "Phil" Ivey Jr. is an American professional poker player who has won eight World Series of Poker bracelets, one World Poker Tour title and appeared at nine World Poker Tour final tables...

 
9,765,000 7 38 $3,843,018
Antoine Saout 9,500,000 0 0 $0
James Akenhead
James Akenhead
James Akenhead is a professional English poker player, sponsored by Full Tilt Poker. and part of the London based poker group The Hitsquad...

 
6,800,000 0 2 $525,867


*Both numbers refer to career statistics prior to the beginning of this year's Main Event. Each of the November Nine is guaranteed at least $1,263,602 for his placement in the Main Event.
  • Harrah's deposited the remaining prizepool of $15,847,250 into a risk-free interest-bearing account back on July 16, 2009 up until November 2, 2009. This was the total money left over in the prize pool after each member of the November Nine was paid out ninth-place money ($1,263,602). The remaining money accrued $1,321 in interest and was distributed throughout the payouts. The 2009 final table lasted for 364 hands, including 88 hands of heads up play.

Final table

Place Name Prize
1st Joe Cada
Joe Cada
Joseph "Joe" Cada is an American professional poker player from Shelby Charter Township, Michigan, best known as the winner of the Main Event at the 2009 World Series of Poker ....

 
$8,547,042
2nd Darvin Moon
Darvin Moon
Darvin Moon is an American self-employed logger and amateur poker player who was the runner-up of the 2009 World Series of Poker US$10,000 no-limit Texas hold'em main event. It was his first time playing in the World Series of Poker...

 
$5,182,928
3rd Antoine Saout $3,479,670
4th Eric Buchman
Eric Buchman
Eric Buchman is a professional poker player from Valley Stream, New York, who finished in fourth place at the 2009 World Series of Poker Main Event...

$2,502,890
5th Jeff Shulman
Jeff Shulman
Jeff Shulman is the editor of Card Player Magazine, and an American poker player with a record of success in tournament play, based in Las Vegas, Nevada. He is the son of Jan Shulman and Barry Shulman...

 
$1,953,452
6th Steven Begleiter  $1,587,160
7th Phil Ivey
Phil Ivey
Phillip Dennis "Phil" Ivey Jr. is an American professional poker player who has won eight World Series of Poker bracelets, one World Poker Tour title and appeared at nine World Poker Tour final tables...

 
$1,404,014
8th Kevin Schaffel  $1,300,231
9th James Akenhead
James Akenhead
James Akenhead is a professional English poker player, sponsored by Full Tilt Poker. and part of the London based poker group The Hitsquad...

 
$1,263,602

Notable achievements

  • Jeff Lisandro
    Jeff Lisandro
    Jeffrey Lisandro is an Australian professional poker player, now residing in Salerno, Italy. Lisandro is known by many to be a cash game specialist, but is a well-known face on the poker tournament circuit and is regarded as one of the premier Seven Card Stud players in the world...

     became the first player to win a bracelet in each of the Stud
    Stud poker
    Stud poker is any of a number of poker variants in which each player receives a mix of face-down and face-up cards dealt in multiple betting rounds. Stud games are also typically non-positional games, meaning that the player who bets first on each round may change from round to round...

     disciplines in the same World Series. In doing so, Lisandro was the first player to win three WSOP bracelets in the same year since Phil Ivey
    Phil Ivey
    Phillip Dennis "Phil" Ivey Jr. is an American professional poker player who has won eight World Series of Poker bracelets, one World Poker Tour title and appeared at nine World Poker Tour final tables...

     achieved this feat in 2002.
  • In addition to Lisandro, Ivey, Brock Parker
    Brock Parker
    John Brock Parker is a 27-year-old professional poker player from Silver Spring, Maryland. At the 2009 World Series of Poker he won two WSOP bracelets. First, he defeated Daniel Negreanu heads-up to win a $2,500 limit Texas hold 'em short-handed event. Just four days later, he won his second...

     and Greg Mueller
    Greg Mueller
    Greg Mueller is a professional poker player from Vancouver, British ColumbiaMueller, a former professional hockey player, was drawn to poker after one of many long road trips during his hockey career...

     won multiple bracelets during the series.
  • Ville Wahlbeck, who won Event 12, became the first Finnish player to win a bracelet.
  • Peter Traply
    Peter Traply
    Peter Traply is Hungarian poker player. Traply is the first ever Hungarian to win a WSOP bracelet.As of 2010 his total live tournament winnings exceed $750,000.-References:...

    , who won Event 41, became the first Hungarian player to win a bracelet.

External links

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
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