2010 World Series of Poker Main Event Final Table
Saturday, November 6, 2010, Rio Hotel and Casino, Las Vegas, NV
It is time once again to determine the best poker player in the world as the WSOP crowns its main even champ. To outlast a field of over 8,000 players and make it to the final table is quite an achievement and takes a combination of skill, patience, endurance, and yes luck. Some of the best players in the world weren’t able to survive until the final table including, Phil Ivey, Phil Hellmuth, Chris Ferguson, Daniel Negreanu, Scotty Nguyen, Johnny Chan, and Doyle Brunson. The only household name for casual poker fans that made the November Nine is Michael Mizrachi. Mizrachi is trying to pull of the greatest double in poker history as he one the $50,000 Players Championship widely considered to determine the best all-around poker player in the world and win the main event in the same year. However, “The Grinder” is 7th in chips and it will be difficult for him to come back, but not impossible. Last year Phil Ivey came to the final table in 7th as well and was unable to muster much of a comeback and ending up finishing in 7th place. Here is a look at the nine players left and the size of their chip stacks. Though you can’t bet on poker in Las Vegas, you can bet online. Here are the odds for each player courtesy of Bodog.
1. Jonathan Duhamal (65.9 million in chips, 5/2 odds) Duhamel is a 22 year old from Montreal who is trying to become the first ever Canadian to win the main event. Five different Canadians have won bracelets this year, and duhamel hopes to be the fifth. He has about a third of all the chips left and will be tough to beat. He has three cashes at this year’s WSOP. During the day leading up to the final table back in July Duhamel bullied his way to a huge chip stack with aggressive play. Aggressive play is fine, but sometimes you can be too aggressive to the point of being reckless. Duhamel usually plays online and his biggest finish in live poker was a 10th place finish in the European Poker Tour’s Prague event last year. The pressure of being the favorite in the main event of the WSOP might get to him but we have no way of knowing that for sure.
2. John Dolan (46.2 million in chips, 15/4 odds) Dolan is a 24 year old from Bonita Springs, Florida. Amazingly at the beginning of day 8 of the main event, Dolan was very short stacked and down to only 2 million in chips. That left him in 24th out of 27 players. Dolan slowly built up his stack and became more aggressive as it was down to 10 players. He will definitely be a factor with such a large chip stack. Dolan doesn’t have a bracelet but does have 6 career WSOP including 3 this year. He is a very consistent player.
3. Joseph Cheong (23.5 million in chips, 15/2 odds) Cheong is a 24 year old poker pro from La Mirada, California. Cheong doesn’t have a bracelet but did win a WSOP circuit gold ring this year. Cheong might be the most experienced player left as he has played over 10,000 tournaments in his career. Cheong has a degree in psychology from UC-San Diego and uses this advantage in his play. It is hard to say that a player who is third in chips is a dark horse but he is definitely worth a play due to his experience.
4. John Racener (19.5 million in chips, 15/2 odds) Racener is on the verge of becoming poker’s next breakout star. He has over $500,000 in earnings on the WSOP circuit and he won the 2007 Harrah’s Atlantic City event. He has 11 cashes in the WSOP events including this main event. Like Cheong, Racener is very experienced despite being so young. Racener has the respect of his fellow pros, including Mizrachi who was quoted as saying “John Racener is an excellent player and now will be known. I love his game.” Racener is worth a play as well.
5. Matt Jarvis (17.6 million in chips, 10/1) Jarvis is a 25 year old part time poker pro and student from Surrey, BC, Canada. Like Duhamel he is trying to become the first Canadian to win the main event. He primarily plays online and this is his first cash in the WSOP. In fact he only has one five figure live cash in his career. His lack of experience playing live poker might be a detriment but Jarvis says he feels no pressure.
6. Filippo Candio (16.4 million in chips, 10/1 odds) Candio is a 26 year old poker pro from Cagliari, Sardinia, Italy. He is the only European player left in the field. In fact he is the only non-North American left. Candio is the first Italian to ever make the final table. He mainly plays in Europe and has numerous cashes there including the Italian Poker Championship last year. He might be a little too short stacked to make a serious run but Candio is a very dangerous player.
7. Michael “The Grinder” Mizrachi (14.4 million in chips, 5/1 odds) All eyes will be on Mizrachi, one of the best players in the world. The 29 year old Miami native barely made it to the final table, as he was bleeding chips all day on day 8 and hung on to his spot. The fact that he is 5/1 speaks volumes about his talent despite the short stack. But all it takes is one or two strategic double ups and Mizrachi is right back in contention. It was a good year for the Mizrachi family as Mike made the final table and all three of his brothers cashed in the main event. Mizrachi has done well professionally as he one the 1.5 million dollars for winning the Player’s Championship and is trying to win the main event. Personally it has been a rough year as Mizrachi owes the IRS more than $340,000 in back taxes and might lose his Florida home. Mizrachi might be too far behind to win but I wouldn’t count him out.
8. Cuong “Soi” Nguyen (9.6 million in chips, 14/1 odds) Nguyen is the oldest player in the field at 37 and also the only amateur. He has only played in 4 live tournaments but did cash in the 2008 main event finishing in 614th place. despite being the only amateur poker player left, Nguyen feels no pressure and is just happy to make the final table. He thinks people will underestimate him and it will work to his advantage. I don’t see that happening because if you are good or lucky enough to outlast 8,000 players, other competitors have to respect your game. Nguyen probably won’t contend, and must play aggressively being on a short stack.
9. Jason Senti (7.6 million in chips, 16/1 odds) Senti is a 26 year old poker pro from St. Louis Park, Minnesota. He has been playing poker professionally for 3 years and this is his first WSOP cash. He gave up a successful career as an engineer to pursue his poker career, and says that was way more pressure than he will feel at the final table. he is too far down to seriously contend but even if you finish 9th you are assured of just over $800,000.
There you have the field. The winner of the main event will win not only the bracelet and the prestige but just under $9,000,000 as well. It will be a long grueling day and might take more than 16 hours to complete. You have to fight exhaustion and have lots of stamina to survive. It explains why the oldest player is only 37 and the other players are all in their 20’s. My pick is Racener but it wouldn’t surprise me if Duhamel ran away with it much like Jamie Gold did a few years ago. Gold built up a huge chip stack and bullied his way to the title, and Duhamel can certainly do the same.
