THE NOVEMBER NINE IS SET!
NEWS FLASH:  2010 NOVEMBER NINE SET!
 
7,319 Players Battle Down to the Final Nine -- Play Resumes in November
 
Two weeks ago, 7,319 poker players took their seats in the 2010 World Series of Poker Main Event.  Among the many hopefuls were 18 former world champions, nearly 150 gold bracelet winners, in addition to professional and amateur poker players from 92 different nations and territories -- all united by one common dream.
 
That dream -- winning the 2010 World Series of Poker Main Event championship -- can and will come true for only one.  Indeed, there can be only one world champion.
 
After 78 grueling hours of poker played over eight days, nine players remain.  This year's November Nine are:

SEAT 1:  Jason Senti
Hometown:  St. Louis Park, MN (USA)
Age:  28
Profession:  Poker Pro
Note:  This is Senti's first time to ever cash in a WSOP event.  He picked the right tournament and the right year to achieve a poker breakout, since he's now guaranteed more than $800,000 in prize money.
Chip Count:  7,625,000
 
SEAT 2:  Joseph Cheong
Hometown:  La Mirada, CA (USA)
Age:  24
Profession:  Poker Pro 
Note:  Cheong earned a degree in psychology from UC-San Diego last year.  He also won a WSOP Circuit gold ring at Harrah's Rincon four months ago.  When Cheong won his victory, he promised himself he would play in the Main Event.  Here he is now, competing on poker's grandest stage.
Chip Count:  23,525,000
 
SEAT 3:  John Dolan
Hometown:  Bonita Springs, FL (USA)
Age:  24
Profession:  Poker Pro
Note:  Dolan has six WSOP cashes, including three in-the-money finishes at this year's series.  He has been one of the more consistent performers on this tournament, hanging around the leader board much of the way.   
Chip Count:  46,250,000
 
Hometown:  Boucherville, Quebec (Canada)
Age:  22
Profession:  Poker Pro 
Note:  This is Duhamel's third time to cash at this year's WSOP.  This has been a huge year for Canadian players so far, with five gold bracelet winners.  Duhamel hopes to become number six.    
Chip Count:  65,975,000
 
Hometown:  Miami, FL (USA)
Age:  29 
Profession:  Poker Pro
Note:  "The Grinder" is among the most successful tournament performers since the poker boom began.  He won his first WSOP gold bracelet and $1,559,046 in this year's Poker Players Championship, which took place during the opening week of the series.  
Chip Count:  14,450,000
 
SEAT 6:  Matthew Jarvis
Hometown:  Surrey, BC (Canada)
Age:  25  
Profession:  Poker Pro/Student
Note:  Jarvis is primarily an online player.  This marks his first time to cash in a WSOP tournament.  Jarvis would become the first Canadian world champion in history should he win the Main Event.
Chip Count:  16,700,000 
 
SEAT 7:  John Racener
Hometown:  Port Richey, FL (USA)
Age:  24
Profession:  Poker Pro  
Note:  Racener is one of the stars of the national WSOP Circuit, with more than $500,000 in earnings, including the 2007 Main Event championship victory at Harrah's Atlantic City.
Chip Count:  19,050,000
 
SEAT 8:  Filippo Candio
Hometown:  Cagliari, Sardinia (Italy)
Age:  26
Profession:  Poker Pro
Note:  Candio is the first Italian player ever to make it to the Main Event final table.  He has a number of cashes at major tournaments held in Europe. 
Chip Count:  16,400,000
 
Hometown:  Santa Ana, CA (USA) 
Age:  38  
Profession:  Sales (Medical Supplies)
Note:  Nguyen is the senior player at this final table, at the advanced age of 36.  He's also the only two amateur sitting among the final nine.  Nguyen has been near the chip lead during the past three days of competition.  He cashed in the 2008 Main Event (614th place).  
Chip Count:  9,650,000
 
The unfortunate N9 "bubble" finisher was Brandon Steven, from Wichita, KS.  To see a full list of all players who cashed in this year's Main Event, click HERE.
 
The championship final table, also known as the November Nine, will be played starting on November 6th, 2010.  The initial session of play will whittle the nine finalists down to the last two survivors.  They will return two days later to play heads-up for the 2010 world championship.

This year’s winner will receive $8,944,138 in prize money, the coveted WSOP gold bracelet, and designation as the official 2010 world poker champion.
 
Each player who made the November Nine will be paid out the guaranteed prize money which amounts to $811,823 (each).  When the Main Event resumes play on November 6th, players will compete for all additional money in the prize pool, plus interest on the withheld funds.  The prize money payouts are as follows:

1st place –     $8,944,138
2nd place –    $5,545,855
3rd place –    $4,129,979
4th place –    $3,092,497
5th place –    $2,442,960
6th place –    $1,772,939
7th place –    $1,356,708
8th place –    $1,045,738
9th place –     $811,823

Stay tuned.  The best is yet to come.