Las Vegas, NV (July 20 — 2:00 PST) – What started as the third-largest live poker tournament in history is now down to the final nine players at the 2011 World Series of Poker. Nearly two weeks and more than half a million hands after the $10,000 buy-in Main Event Championship initially began, the famed “November Nine” players have finally been determined.
The decisive moment came when Eoghan O’Dea eliminated John Hewitt (San Jose, Costa Rica), who ended up as the tenth-place finisher. The final hand was dealt at 2:10 am, eliciting frustration for Hewitt’s many supporters, while igniting an outburst of screams and cheers from more than a thousand spectators, including the family and friends of those who are about to step into the brightest spotlight of their lives.
No doubt, this final table becomes the most international collection of any Main Event final table in the 42-year-history of the WSOP. In fact, it’s quite likely the most cosmopolitan of any poker event ever held in North America. Players from seven different countries will be represented in the finale. Four nations – Belize, Czech Republic, Germany and Ukraine have a finalist in poker’s world championship for the first time.
This year’s November Nine finalists are as follows:
Seat 1: Matt Giannetti (Las Vegas, NV) – 24,750,000 in chips
Seat 2: Badih Bou-Nahra (Belize City, Belize) – 19,700,000 in chips
Seat 3: Eoghan O’Dea (Dublin, Ireland) – 33,925,000 in chips
Seat 4: Phil Collins (Las Vegas, NV) – 23,875,000 in chips
Seat 5: Anton Makiievskyi (Dnipropetrovsk, Ukraine) – 13,825,000 in chips
Seat 6: Sam Holden (Sussex, UK) – 12,375,000 in chips
Seat 7: Pius Heinz (Cologne, Germany) – 16,425,000 in chips
Seat 8: Ben Lamb (Tulsa, OK) – 20,875,000 in chips
Seat 9: Martin Staszko (Trinec, Czech Republic) – 40,175,000 in chips
Next, the tournament takes a 108-day recess. In the meantime, each of the nine finalists will return to their homes and families. Undoubtedly, each is likely to become a local celebrity. Players will have more than three months to enjoy and savor a rare experience which can best be described as every poker’s players dream come true. The final table will be played November 5-7, 2011 at the Rio in Las Vegas.
Each of the players who made it this far are now guaranteed $782,115 in prize money. In fact, eight of the top nine finishers will become millionaires. But none of the November Nine players will be content with a ninth-place finish at this point.
Indeed, this WSOP Main Event winner achieves instant fame, fortune and immortality. He will collect a whopping $8,711,956 in prize money. The winner will also be presented with the game's most coveted prize — the custom-designed WSOP gold and diamond bracelet. He will also be universally acknowledged as the reigning world poker champion.
A complete list of players who finished in the money can be seen HERE.
The Main Event, also known as poker’s world championship started on July 7th. There were 85 different nations represented in the huge field. It took eight playing days – and nearly72 hours – to carve the starters down to nine survivors.
Regardless of what happens in November and whoever is crowned the 2011 world poker champion, one thing is for certain. The first week of November promises to be a thrilling conclusion to what has been a record-smashing 2011 WSOP.
MEET THE 2011 NOVEMBER NINE!
When the final playing session comes in November, the nine finalists will seats in the biggest game of their lives. At stake is the 2011 world poker championship. Here’s a brief look at this year’s November Nine:
Seat 1: Matt Giannetti (Las Vegas, NV) – 24,750,000 in chips
Giannetti is a 26-year-old poker pro from Las Vegas. Prior to playing full time, Giannetti attended the University of Texas. He was short-stacked during much of the later stages of Day Eight, but managed to survive a number of all-ins and comes to the final table right in the top three (third of nine players)
Seat 2: Badih Bou-Nahra (Belize City, Belize) – 19,700,000 in chips
Bou-Nahra becomes the first player from Belize ever to make it to the Main Event final table. He is a 49-year-old businessman. Bou-Nahra was actually born in Lebanon, but is proud to now call Belize City his home. Bou-Nahra was very low on chips on Day Six, but ran well late and survived. Now, he has an average-size stack.
Seat 3: Eoghan O’Dea (Dublin, Ireland) – 33,925,000 in chips
O’Dea is a 26-year-old poker pro. This is his fifth WSOP cash, four of which have taken place this year. He has cashed in several major tournaments, mostly in Europe. He is the son of famous Irish poker player and gambler Donnacha O’Dea, who won a WSOP gold bracelet in 1998. O’Dea was second in chips when Day Eight began. He remains second in chips.
Seat 4: Phil Collins (Las Vegas, NV) – 23,875,000 in chips
Collins is a 26-year-old pro poker player. He was previously a college student. He attended the University of South Carolina. He met his wife Katie while in school. She lived across the hall from him. They were married last year. He played a lot of online poker until the developments of April 2011. He has been at or near the top of the leaderboard during much of the last few days.
Seat 5: Anton Makiievskyi (Dnipropetrovsk, Ukraine) – 13,825,000 in chips
Makiievskyi is a 21-year-old aspiring poker pro. This is his first trip to the WSOP in Las Vegas. Four Ukrainians have already won gold bracelets this year. Makiievskyi hopes to become the fifth. This marks the first time a Ukrainian player has ever appeared at the Main Event final table. He is one of the lowest two stacks, but is not in serious danger of busting soon because he has several rounds of blinds and antes.
Seat 6: Sam Holden (Sussex, UK) – 12,375,000 in chips
Holden is a 22-year-old professional poker player. He is playing in his first WSOP this year. He holds the lowest stack, but (like Makiievskyi) is not in serious danger of busting soon because he has enough chips to make it through several rounds of blinds and antes.
Seat 7: Pius Heinz (Cologne, Germany) – 16,425,000 in chips
Heinz is a 22-year-old student and poker player. He is playing at his first WSOP this year. He finished seventh in one of the earlier $1,500 NLHE events. He becomes the first player from Germany ever to make it the Main Event finale. He’s seventh in chips at the moment.
Seat 8: Ben Lamb (Tulsa, OK) – 20,875,000 in chips
Lamb is enjoying a monster run and is unquestionably the player who is on the hottest streak of anyone at this year’s WSOP. He leads the 2011 WSOP “Player of the Year” race. He has a gold bracelet win, a second place finish, and eighth- and twelfth-place showings in his four cashes – and has now made the final table in the Main Event. He currently ranks fifth in chips. Lamb is playing as well as, if not better than, any player in the world at the moment.
Seat 9: Martin Staszko (Trinec, Czech Republic) – 40,175,000 in chips
Staszko is a 35-year-old professional poker player. He becomes the first player ever from the Czech Republic to make it to the Main Event final table. He will resume play at the chip leader when the November Nine begins.