Meet the November Nine
 |
Dennis Phillips – 26,295,000
Dennis Phillips, nicknamed "Fordman", is the current chip leader of the "November
Nine" at the 2008 World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event Final Table. He is a 53
year-old account manager for a commercial trucking company in St. Louis, Missouri.
Phillips attended Blackburn College in Carlinville, IL. He started playing poker
as a hobby four years ago, and certainly never expected to get this far after winning
a satellite tournament at his local Harrah’s casino that sent him to Vegas for the
big event. Phillips has only cashed in two live tournaments, being awarded a combined
total of less than $5,000. He plans to give some prize money to various charities,
especially Multiple Sclerosis because his brother is afflicted with the disease
and Bad Beat on Cancer.
Since July 14th Dennis threw out the first pitch at a St. Louis Cardinals baseball and made a donation of $10,000 to the Albert Pujols Foundation.
Profile | Interview
|
|
|
Ivan Demidov - 24,400,000
Nicknamed "Soul," Ivan Demidov is the second highest chip leader in the 2008 Main
Event Final Table. The 27-year-old professional poker player hailing from Moscow,
Russia has earned most of his cashes in online poker rooms. Demidov
has seen only three live tournament cashes, though his earnings total is an impressive
$65,081. This was his first time playing at the WSOP. In addition to his place in
the Main Event, he finished 11th place in Event # 44, the $1,000 buy-in No-Limit
Hold’em championship. Demidov excels in computer games such as Starcraft and Warcraft
and was one of the top online players. He is single and enjoys skiing and scuba
diving.
Profile | Interview
|
|
|
Scott Montgomery – 19,690,000
Twenty six year-old Canadian Scott Montgomery sits in third place among the chip
leaders in the Main Event. He received his Bachelor of Mathematics at the University
of Waterloo and has been playing poker for about four years. All of his live tournament
cashes came in 2008 – three of those in the 2008 WSOP – and Montgomery’s total live
tournament earnings equal $406,585. His favorite poker memory is winning three consecutive
tournaments online. In poker circles, fellow Canadian Daniel Negreanu tops Montgomery’s
list as his favorite player.
Profile | Interview
|
|
|
Peter Eastgate – 18,375,000
Hailing from Odense, Denmark is Peter Eastgate. Nicknamed "Isser," the 22-year-old
professional poker player has been involved with the game for about three years.
He paid cash to enter the 2008 WSOP and now finds himself at the Final Table. He
has claimed two live tournament cashes over the last two years, earning $76,084.
While he respects many poker players, Eastgate says that his favorite is Patrik
Antonius because of his "skill and class."
Profile | Interview
|
|
|
Ylon Schwartz – 12,525,000
Ylon Schwartz, nicknamed "Eman," is a 38-year-old from Brooklyn, New York. Growing
up, one of his favorite athletes was Reggie Jackson. He attended the Borough of
Manhattan Community College and is a former professional chess player, who played
games for money in New York City's public parks. He discovered he could make a far
better living playing poker, and has been doing so the last several years. He has
earned 30 live tournament cashes in the last decade, totaling $255,851. Of those
profitable endeavors, Schwartz has yet to place better than 3rd in any live poker
tournament. This is his 12th time to cash at the WSOP (more than any other finalist);
and his best previous finish was 15th place in the $2,000 buy-in Limit Hold’em event
this year. Part of his plan with his prize money is to help a few of his best friends.
Profile | Interview
|
|
|
Darus Suharto – 12,520,000
Thirty nine year-old accountant Darus Suharto was born in Indonesia and now resides
in Toronto, Ontario – Canada. He attended both York University and the University
of Central Arkansas. Suharto has only produced one live tournament cash in the amount
of $26,389, for his 448th place finish at the 2006 WSOP Main Event. He won satellite
entry into the 2008 Main Event. His favorite poker player is Daniel Negreanu and
his hobbies include traveling, reading, going to movies or just relaxing at home.
In his free time, he also volunteers at some professional associations/not-for profit
organizations.
Profile | Interview
|
|
|
David Rheem – 10,230,000
David "Chino" Rheem is a 28 year-old professional poker player from Los Angeles,
California. Growing up, he excelled at basketball and, as most kids following that
sport, looked up to Michael Jordan. This California native has been playing professional
poker for ten years now, topping the profits list with $634,657 over 15 cashes in
the last three years. Five of those came from WSOP events, but this will be Rheem’s
first WSOP Main Event cash. He nearly won a bracelet in the 2006 No-Limit Hold’em
$1,000 re-buy event finishing second and earning $328,000. Few people know that
Chino is scared of heights. His plans with the prize money are to help his family
and friends.
Profile | Interview
|
|
|
Craig Marquis – 10,210,000
Craig Marquis is a 23 year-old from Arlington, Texas. He took a few years of community
college, then went to UT-Arlington, before taking a break from school to play poker.
While Marquis has only been playing poker for less than two years and mostly puts
his skills to the test online, he has pocketed three live tournament cashes, all
of which came from WSOP events; the first two in 2007 and another this year in Event
#17, the $1500 buy-in No Limit Hold'em Shootout. Marquis looks forward to increasing
his current earnings of $35,759 with his play this November in the Main Event Final
Table. Marquis’s favorite poker players are David Benefield and Tom Dwan. In his
free time, he enjoys playing the guitar and watching movies. He plans to help his
family, and give his sisters some assistance with their schooling with his prize
money.
Profile | Interview
|
|
|
Kelly Kim – 2,620,000
Kelly Kim rounds out the November Nine as the long shot with a very small chip stack
of only 2,620,000. That may seem like a lot of chips, but compared to the next lowest
(Craig Marquis) stack of 10.2 million, and the highest (Dennis Phillips) of 26.2
million, it will be interesting to see if Kim can increase his stack size soon enough
to stay in the Final Table. The 31-year-old professional poker player of Korean
descent resides in Whittier, California. Growing up, he played football and wrestled
in high school. He earned his Bachelor of Arts in Economics from UC-San Diego and
used to work as a business analyst. During his sophomore year of college, he entered
his first live poker tournament at a small Indian casino. Kim’s first live tournament
cash came in 2001, earning $798, but those numbers have increased significantly
to total 37 cashes and $351,744 in winnings. He respects Daniel Negreanu because
he doesn’t hide anything from his fans, and is open and honest. Like many of the
"November Nine," Kim also plans to help his family and friends with the prize money.
Profile | Interview
|
|
|
|
