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Watch Joe Cada on CNN's American Morning

info@www.Pokerlistings.com — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 09:45:57 +0100

Joe Cada's been putting in work with the mainstream media appearances. Most recently he showed up on CNN's American Morning.

It's a big step up from what we've seen from WSOP Main Event champions before and whatever you may think of Joe Cada's victory it's good to see him doing so much since.

Letterman, CNBC, WWE Raw and now the most trusted name in news: CNN.

Check out the clip below and let us know what you think of Cada in the comments below.

-- Matthew Showell

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Joe Cada on Letterman Tonight

info@www.Pokerlistings.com — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 06:48:14 +0100

#fullimg: pic_34797.jpg# It's only been a week since Joe Cada became the youngest player ever to win the WSOP Main Event and already he's doing more than some have done in an entire year of being champ.

Cada made a brief appearance at the announcer's table on WWE Raw last night and he's rumored to be showing up on David Letterman tonight.

Cada's a clean cut kid and it can't hurt to see someone like that promoting the game on a big-time TV show like Letterman.

The episode airs at 11:35 p.m. on CBS so check it out to see Cada in action.

-- Matt Showell

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Jeffrey Pollack In-Depth Video Interview

info@www.Pokerlistings.com — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 20:17:24 +0100

Just 72 hours after the conclusion of this year's WSOP Main Event final table WSOP Commissioner Jeffrey Pollack announced his resignation.

It came as a bit of a surprise but by all accounts there are no nefarious secrets behind this situation.

While Pollack's resignation is probably more interesting to people in the media and the industry, fans of the WSOP should recognize that Pollack has played a big part in the improvements we've seen at the Series over the last few years.

The November Nine concept and huge increases in the player fields and prize pools are two of the most visible results of Pollack's tenure as WSOP Commish.

Pollack had a vlog on RawVegas.tv so it's only fitting that he sat down with them to talk about it all.

We've got the three-part video interview embedded right here for you to watch so check it out.

For parts 2 and 3 make sure you're on the post page!

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WSOP Main Event Heads-Up Photo Blog

info@www.Pokerlistings.com — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 23:59:18 +0100

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Joe Cada's win at the 2009 WSOP Main Event has had time to sink in and we're ready to bring you the heads-up installment of our November Nine photo blog.

Taking photos is my favorite part of the job and that goes double for the Main Event. This year our hats are off to the WSOP staff for making it so easy to get great pictures of all the action.

We were all over that stage and we have the photos to prove it. Here's a visual account of the heads-up match with a few words for context. But don't worry; you won't have to do much reading.

Mano a Man; Moon a Cada

Any time studio lights are set up you can bet the photos are going to be good. It's a hell of a lot easier than shooting in the murky gloom of, say, the Foxwoods tournament room.

Hence we got some great shots of the two heads-up competitors.

Darvin Moon matched Joe Cada's seriousness with an unchanging lack of concern. Moon's expression barely changed and there were only a few instances where he broke character and got up from the table.

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He Got By with a Little Help From His Friends

Joe Cada had the loudest cheering section from the beginning of this final table. They cheered when he was in a hand. They cheered when he wasn't in a hand. They cheered pretty much every time he took a breath.

When it really counted though, it wasn't their cheering that mattered. It was just having them there.

Check out that photo above. This was taken during the final hand of the tournament. Even better, it was taken as they waited for the final river card, the one that would either make Cada a champion, or give Darvin Moon a second chance.

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Gracious in Victory; Gracious in Defeat

Darvin Moon handled himself extremely well during the entire final table, despite saying repeatedly how uncomfortable he felt about the spectacle that is the November Nine.

When he lost that final race, officially finishing second, he walked straight to Joe Cada, shook his hand and raised the champion's arm in congratulations.

I was standing directly behind him and managed to get a shot, as you see above (talk about behind the scenes ammirite?).

Cada was blown away by the whole thing but the first thing he did when he was handed the mic was congratulate Moon on his finish.

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A Handshake Makes it Official

When all was said and done, when the champion had hugged his family and said a few words to the crowd, it was time to make it official.

WSOP Commissioner Jeffrey Pollack handed over the bracelet and shook the hand of the 2009 world champion of poker.

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The November Nine Version 2.0

info@www.Pokerlistings.com — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 21:31:59 +0100

#fullimg:joseph-cada_34657.jpg# Even without the four-month break, this year's Main Event final table would have been one of the most talked about in history.

The reason behind that is obvious: Phil Ivey.

In the last two years Phil Ivey has been elevated from regular poker player to this mythical creature whose exploits don't even seem real.

When he made the final table it was guaranteed to be huge. But with the ESPN hype machine working 24/7 during the four-month break, this final table was the most anticipated ever.

Those extra months allowed Ivey and all the November Niners to do interviews and remind people to tune in and watch the WSOP final table.

All the lead up means more viewers. The numbers aren't in yet but it has to be the most watched WSOP final table in history and as far as I'm concerned the more people watching poker the better.

Even without Phil Ivey there were some great story lines at the table. You had the disgruntled Jeff Shulman claiming he would throw the bracelet away should he win. You had the logger from Maryland who ran hotter than the sun in Darvin Moon. Then you had Joe Cada, who could eclipse Peter Eastgate as the youngest Main Event champion ever.

And that's just the short list. The rest of the players all had stories of their own and they could all play poker, so it wasn't surprising that they gave us a great final table.

Some WSOP ME Final Table Highlights:

Darvin Moon's big WTF hands - This one wasn't much of a surprise but Moon had two huge blow-ups. Luckily for him he had more chips than God which allowed for a good deal of wiggle room.

The first was three-bet shoving ace high, no pair no draw on the flop against an obviously pot-committed Antoine Saout.

I mean Saout only had to call 3 million to win 18. Only a fool would fold getting like 6 to 1? Right? ... Right?

Which leads us to WTF hand two. Darvin Moon calls a three-bet OOP with KQo then check-raises the flop with no pair no draw and folds for the last 6 million in a 45-million-chip pot.

A hand that's funny enough on it's own, but becomes extremely funny when he goes over to his wife and tells her he folded queens.

No offense, but if he was trying to save face, telling her he was bluffing saves more face than telling her you folded an overpair getting almost 7 to 1.

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Steven Begleiter - Begleiter definitely gets the award for being the most improved player at the final table.

He spent his four months off working with Jonathan Little and improved his game immensely.

Begleiter played very solid at the final table and was unlucky to bust 6th.

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Joe Cada running hotter than the sun - Joe Cada at one point during the final table had just less than 1% of the total chips in play.

He went on a huge rush and mounted the greatest comeback in Main Event history, winning every coin flip and hitting two two-outers along the way.

Though Cada ran stupid hot he can't really be berated for playing like a donk. He played aggressive and he got lucky - a lethal combo.

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Phil Ivey's tightness - We knew going in Phil Ivey was going to play tight. He felt that his post-flop skill advantage was so large that he didn't need to play big pots or risk chips unnecessarily.

But I don't think anyone could have guessed that he would come out playing that tight.

Two hands that really document how tight Phil was playing are the A 9 when he flops a gutshot and a flush draw and elects to just check-call with like 14bb, and when he folds JJ pre-flop to Saout's three-bet.

Also what you didn't see was that Ivey folded several buttons when it was folded to him. Players were playing super tight when Ivey entered and he passed up several "any two cards steal" spots.

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Darvin Moon's Heads-Up Performance - You couldn't really tell from ESPN's broadcast but listening to the live audio Darvin Moon played surprisingly well HU.

Of course he didn't play perfect. The QJ suited final hand was pretty bad, but he chipped away at Joe Cada very well, even capturing the chip lead at one point.

Moon won a ton of pots without showdown and surprised a lot of people (Cada included) with his aggressive play.

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Two seperate AA vs KK - AA vs KK sucks any time. At the final table of the Main Event it's really just cruel.

And it happened twice. Once with Buchman's KK making quads to bounce Kevin Schaffel; the other time with the AA holding up.

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Darvin Moon turning down the sponsorship skrilla - Darvin Moon was the only one at the final table with no online advertising, which is really incredible. Phil Hellmuth told two stories on the audio broadcast.

The first was that late in the Main Event but before the money, Moon had a big chip lead and at that time he was offered $75,000 to wear a patch.

He politely declined saying he didn't want to "owe anyone anything." This was before the money and he still could have been knocked out and not made a dime!

Then again as the chip leader at the final table he was offered between $400,000 and $500,000 to wear a patch and he again politely declined.

He turned down nearly half a million dollars to go un-affiliated. Amazing.

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Overall it was a pretty good final table. ESPN's second shot at the November Nine was much more successful, though if I had the option I would still go back to the days when you could order the pay-per-view with no hole cards.

It's disappointing to have the WSOP end for another year but hey, it's only like 8 more months till it starts back up again.

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Biggest Suck-Outs at the 2009 WSOP ME Final Table

info@www.Pokerlistings.com — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 23:55:22 +0100

Skill and luck play parts in any poker tournament victory. It's just that sometimes one seems a lot more important than the other.

That was the case at the final table of the 2009 WSOP Main Event as both Darvin Moon and Joe Cada were bailed out repeatedly by the generosity of Lady Luck.

We're not here to make judgment calls on how these two played but one thing is for sure, a few big bad beats stand out in the minds of those that watched the playdown yesterday.

And so, we bring you the four biggest suckouts that helped pave the way to the heads-up match for Darvin Moon and Joe Cada. These weren't the only ones at the final table, but they were the most memorable.

Moon Busts Ivey with a Dominated Ace

Phil Ivey managed to chip up to around 50 per cent more than his starting stack before finding a great spot to score a big double.

He got it in with AK against Darvin Moon's AQ but couldn't make it hold up. A queen on the flop was all it took to send the formidable Ivey home in seventh place, putting an end to his dreams of being a bona fide world champion.

Moon Rivers Ace to Bust Begs

It was five-handed and Steven Begleiter was in decent shape with around 22 million. He opened a pot to 1.6 million holding pocket queens and when action got to Darvin Moon he moved all-in, a big overbet.

Begs had no trouble calling and saw he was in good shape against AQ.

The flop was safe. The turn was safe. The river wasn't safe. An ace spiked on fifth street, cruelly eliminating Begleiter and shipping Moon more than 20 million.

Cada's Two-Outer

At this point Joe Cada was on just over 10 million, with blinds of 300k/600k, and three-bet shoved over the top of a Jeff Shulman opening raise.

Cada's pocket treys were snap-called by Shulman's pocket jacks, but a trey on the flop gave Cada the lead, and the double.

Cada's Second Two-Outer

Minutes into the three-handed match Joe Cada once again jammed with a small pocket pair, this time running his deuces into Antoine Saout's pocket queens.

Cada's tournament life was on the line and he needed a deuce to score a big double up. A deuce landed on the flop.

Saout took a big hit and busted after losing a flip to Cada shortly after.

The heads-up match begins tomorrow night at 10 p.m. so hit up the Live 2009 WSOP Main Event Coverage for all the action as it happens.

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November Nine Final Table Photo Blog #1

info@www.Pokerlistings.com — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 23:30:01 +0100

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As you're (hopefully) aware the final table of the 2009 WSOP Main Event went from nine players to two yesterday in a long-winded 17-hour session.

We were there for every second of it, camera in hand, and we managed to get some good shots of the action.

Instead of making you sort through them all to find the best ones we're going to put them all in one place. Luckily for you that place is right here.

Welcome to the first installment of the 2009 WSOP Main Event final table photo blog.

Click on the thumbnails to make them big and easy to see!

The final table was held in the Penn and Teller Theater, a big space with two big balconies and plenty of orchestra level seating.

The table itself was on the stage, flanked by two giant projection screens.

The WSOP staff was very accommodating this year in terms of photo access. The whole show ran really smoothly and they had it set up in such a way that having photographers on the stage didn't pose much of a problem.

Each of the final able players was introduced separately, with short bios read by tournament director Jack Effel, and each had their own cheering section voicing their support.

It seemed like everyone there was pro-Ivey, and even if he didn't have as vocal a group of supporters as some, he did have rapper Ja Rule there to sweat him.

The whole introduction took about an hour. The first hand was dealt at 12:57 p.m.

Obviously Norman Chad and Lon McEachern were in attendance, doing their trademark ex-wife jokes and straight guy routine, respectively.

Lacey Jones also did interviews with Dennis Phillips and Peter Eastate of last year's November Nine as we got ready to play.

By the time play actually began the energy level was high, more akin to a football match than a card contest.

Darvin Moon and Joe Cada, who will be playing heads-up for the title tomorrow night, were sitting at opposite ends of the table.

Both players ended up playing pretty loose, and thanks to a cooperative deck they both ended up reaping the rewards.

Even Phil Ivey was smiling for much of the day. Although when he was busted with AK all-in preflop against Moon's AQ he wasn't smiling quite as much.

The money shot on the right shows what we understand to be millions and millions of dollars, but we're just a little skeptical about the color of that currency, so to speak.

Tomorrow we'll be back in the Penn and Teller theater for the heads-up match, taking more photos and bringing you all the action live.

For the full photo gallery from yesterday click through here.

Click through to our 2009 WSOP section for leads to live updates, news and more WSOP blog posts. Check back 10 p.m. Monday for the conclusion.

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Phil Ivey Busts WSOP Main Event Final Table

info@www.Pokerlistings.com — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 00:33:07 +0100

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The poker world just had a knife plunged into its heart and that knife came in the form of a bad beat laid on Phil Ivey at the final table of the 2009 WSOP Main Event.

Ivey was the fan favorite, the best player not only at this table but at any table anywhere where poker is played.

We wanted him to win the Main Event and, chances are if you're reading this, you did too.

It wasn't to be however. He played well and despite losing a few key pots he put himself in a great spot to make a run at the title.

In the end he went out like so many of us have, holding the best hand and watching helplessly as the dealer laid his demise down on the felt.

A-K for Ivey against Darvin Moon's A-Q. A queen on the flop and it was all over.

Ivey gets seventh place and $1.4 million and change but the poker world gets nothing but a pervading sense of disappointment.

Ivey, our hats are off to you. You're still the man. Even if we now know for sure that you're mortal.

-- Matthew Showell

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Ja Rule is Phil Ivey's Homey

info@www.Pokerlistings.com — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 23:27:55 +0100

There are plenty of poker pros in the seats at the 2009 WSOP Main Event but the only real celebrity we've seen is Ja Rule, and he's here to support Phil Ivey.

Other players might have gangloads of supporters cheering every time they're in a pot but Ivey has Ja Rule.

We're big fans of the lifestyle Ja Rule portrays in his videos. Jet skis, amazingly beautiful women, popping bottles of expensive drink, all good things.

We think Ivey's down with that stuff too so it's no wonder these two hit it off. Anyway, one thing's for sure, if Ivey wins and Ja Rule's still around it's going to be a sick afterparty.

-- Matthew Showell

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Matt Stout's November Nine Predictions

info@www.Pokerlistings.com — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 20:08:40 +0100

Anyway, onto some predictions and opinions about the November Nine ... bear in mind that I haven't watched all of the available ESPN footage, so I may be missing some info about players' tendencies and capabilities.

First, I don't think Phil Ivey has nearly as good of a shot as most people seem to think (since 90% of people seem to be sure he'll win it seems).

Yes, Ivey is at least one of the best, and probably the best player in the entire world. He's clearly the best player at the final table. But with blinds soon going to 150/300k (40k) and the average stack at nearly 22 million, Phil only has 9.8 million.

He's not in panic mode or desperately shortstacked, but he doesn't have as much room to maneuver as he'd like to.

But I have to imagine that most players won't want to tangle with Phil until play gets shorthanded and they need to, so he may have an opportunity to pick up a lot of pots based on his image especially in the early stages.

I actually had the opportunity to chat with Phil (sick brag, I know) about the November 9 while we were at the same table deep in Festa al Lago last week. Phil said that he puts his odds to win at 9:1.

That's basically like saying that his chances are as good as if he had a slightly below average stack and all players had an equal skill level.

In a way, it's like saying he's automatically doubled up because he's that much better than the table. I'm not big on betting, but this or 8:1 sounds about right. If he manages to chip up a good amount his chances will definitely be great, but he's going to need to get some chips early if he's going to run the table.

The only player at the table who I think has a better shot at winning than Phil at this point is Eric Buchman.

He's a fellow AC player and Borgata regular, but the reason I give him a better chance is that he has ~35 million, putting him in 2nd overall and over 100 big blinds.

He's also a regular in the big mixed cash games at Borgata, which means that he'll probably be slightly more comfortable than the rest with the high pressure, big money situation.

Although he doesn't play many tournaments, he already had nearly $1 million in lifetime earnings before making the final table. While many of his cashes are in Stud and Omaha games, he has a 2nd place finish in the 2007 WSOP Circuit event at Harrah's in Atlantic City and won the $2,500 New England Poker Classic for $275k in 2004.

He's a well rounded player with a lot of experience and a lot of chips.

The person whose chances of winning I think are underrated the most is Joe Cada. He's the second best NL tournament player at the table after Ivey in my opinion.

He's on the shorter side with ~13 million chips right now but has probably played more NL tournaments than anyone else at the table because of his online volume. I'll definitely take him as my sleeper pick to take it down.

I'm sure a lot of people are wondering why I haven't mentioned Darvin Moon. Although he has a boatload of chips at a whopping ~59 million, he seems to play pretty tight and is clearly the most inexperienced player at the table.

Yang won because he ran the table over and ran well while doing so. Unless Darvin is getting some good training for shorthanded final table play, it's going to take a serious rush of cards for him to finish first instead of just the top four.

I'd also mention that I think James Akenhead is an exceptional player, but is even more shortstacked than Ivey at less than 7 million. If he had over 20 million he'd probably be my pick to take it down.

Obviously this is a NL tournament and anything can happen, so everyone at that final table has a chance to take it down. I don't mean to take anything away from the other players at the table by not mentioning them, because they all deserve praise just for making it to the final table of one of the biggest tournaments of all time.

I wish them all luck and will be sweating the action from my phone while I play day three of the Foxwoods WPT event!

Matt Stout

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The Niners: A New MLB Franchise

info@www.Pokerlistings.com — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 20:43:15 +0100

#fullimg: pic_34544.jpg# With one World Series (baseball) drawing to a close and the final table of another (poker) set to kick off Friday, we thought we'd bring you a not-so-useful cross-genre analogy just for shits and giggles.

Welcome to the first ever World Series of Poker November Nine baseball team.

Players: The nine dudes at the final table, silly.
Manager: Me
Team Name: The Niners

Although this blog may not have any value or pertinent relevance, at the very least let it be an exercise in thinking outside of the (batter's) box. B'doom ching!

So as GM of this unique squad it is my duty to delegate positional defense as well as arrange the most effective offensive line up. The assignment is as challenging as it is pointless. I look forward to it.

So without further ado, I present to you The Niners.

Batter #1 (Leadoff hitter): Joe Cada

The leadoff hitter needs to be the catalyst for the team's offense. His job is to get into the action anyway he can whether by drawing free cards (walks) or making solid contact hits on the flop.

The leadoff is an aggressive player who steals a lot of pots and puts himself into scoring position with crafty moves like well timed check-raises. He makes life hell for the pitcher and all others who act before him.

The leadoff hitter has the highest on-base average on the team. The kids these days call it being loose-aggressive.

Leading off for The Niners is quick and aggressive short-stop Joe Cada.

Batter #2: Darvin Moon

This player needs to advance the leadoff hitter along the base path and therefore must have the highest hitting percentage on your team.

Based on the way he got to the spot he's in now, is there anyone else hitting at a higher rate than Darvin Moon? There most certainly is not.

No matter what the board throws out there, Darvin Moon's got a piece of it. As GM of this team you can rest assured that big first-baseman Darvin Moon is hitting in the 2-spot.

Batter #3: Eric Buchman

A batter hitting third in your lineup needs to hit for both power and consistency. This player isn't afraid to raise the stakes and go big but has the patience for small ball when the flop is scary or he senses strength in his opponent.

This player is rarely walked because he is followed by the cleanup hitter. This mixture of being devalued yet respected manifests itself as quiet confidence.

Hitting third for The Niners is crafty third-baseman Eric Buchman.

Batter #4: (Cleanup hitter): Phil Ivey

This is a no brainer. The cleanup hitter needs to have the power to clear the base paths and drive home all runners. He is a player who is feared by opponents and subsequently gets a lot of walks and free rides.

People are often afraid to make a mistake against the cleanup hitter and instead opt to get out of his way.

The center fielder and clean-up hitter for The Niners is Phil Ivey. LDO

Batter #5: Jeff Shulman

In an ideal world the 5th hitter should instill as much fear in opponents as the cleanup man. If players think they can give the cleanup a free pass for a chance at the 5 hitter they will.

This creates a problem. The 5 hitter needs history and credentials.

In the 5-spot, seasoned veteran and resident second-baseman Jeff Shulman.

Batter #6: Antoine Saout

Essentially the bottom half of the order mirrors the top with a speedy and efficient 6, a high percentage 7, reliable and versatile 8 and the pitcher or remaining player in 9.

Fitting the bill for speedy and aggressive we have the young import left-fielder Antoine Saout. He had some rough weeks in spring training learning to play ball with his hands rather than his feet but the adjustment period has long since passed.

This Frenchman is a cerebral player and a quick learner.

Left Fielder Antoine Saout will bat sixth for The Niners.

Batter #7: Kevin Schaffel

Given his recent second-place finish at the WPT Legends of Poker, Kevin Schaffel is definitely hitting in this spot for any team I'm managing.

He's proving that his skills in the clutch are no fluke. Kevin has the potential to cement his legacy as Mr. November.

Time will tell. As the oldest member of the nine, Kevin brings experience and saavy to a team that will soon share a spotlight larger than most could ever dream of.

His veteran leadership will pay dividends, let's just hope he can call the game from behind the plate and that his half-century old knees hold up for the remainder of the playoffs.

Based on all this I'm slotting Kevin Schaffel into the 7-spot on the scorecard.

Batter #8: Steven Begleiter

If not for a lack of room up front Steven Begleiter definitely would be hitting higher in this line-up.

His recent performances and his understanding of statistics and trends are major additions to the team. His recent top 10 finish at the Legends shows that his game is still sharp.

He mixes up his game well and keeps opponents on edge.

Right fielder Steven Begleiter hits 8th for The Niners

Batter #9: James Akenhead

It's not that his hands aren't good (or that he doesn't play them well) it's simply that he's still not accustomed to the rules. That is why offensively he is batting last.

Defensively, however, his running side-spin one-hopper bowling/pitching style brought over from his cricket years in England is virtually unhittable for North American batters. He's our "Ace in the hole" if you will.

The ninth batter for The Niners is team pitcher/bowler James Akenhead.

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Phil Ivey Full Video Interview

info@www.Pokerlistings.com — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 23:59:59 +0100

In the past when we've done a feature interview with a high-stakes player we run the entire transcript here in the blog. Because this one is Phil Ivey we did you one better and videotaped the entire interview for you to watch.

This is 13 minutes of pure and uncut Ivey and it's worth watching. Ivey is one bad dude and anything he says is worth listening to. This is our very own Martin Derbyshire kicking it with Ivey and talking about a ton of different stuff.

Ivey opens up and has a frank discussion which is great to see. There are some epic quotes in there so check out the video below. Click through here for the feature news story.

If you're on the main blog page click through to the post page to see the embedded video.

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November Nine Profile: Darvin Moon

info@www.Pokerlistings.com — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 23:04:01 +0100

Darvin Moon is a man of few words. If he was writing this article it's likely that's where it would end.

He absolutely bulldozed the playdown to the final table back in July, building an enormous chip lead he'll carry into the final table.

58,930,000 represents about 30 per cent of the chips in play and they're all sitting on the patch of felt in front of the logger from Maryland.

Considering Eric Buchman is second with just 34.8 million, Moon has a distinct advantage in the chip department.

Despite his commanding lead few people see Darvin Moon winning this tournament. Moon himself, funnily enough, can be counted among the skeptics.

Just watch the Main Event broadcast and you'll see Moon wasn't exaggerating when he said he got hit with the deck. Moon ran like God and he's the first one to admit it.

The other players at the table must see a target when they look at him but Moon says he doesn't feel a whole lot of pressure to win. He feels lucky to have made it this far and he'll only feel luckier if he goes all the way.

Simple could describe Moon, but not with the connotations you might be imagining. Moon is a blue-collar man who owns and operates a logging business on the East Coast and, according to him, that's exactly what he'll remain whether he wins the Main Event or not.

It's very questionable what kind of ambassador he would make for the game, should he end up winning. He won't be putting much of the money back into poker and he won't be doing a lot of traveling to grow the game.

In fact, he's still not accepting any sponsorship or wearing any patches at the final table.

On the flip side Darvin Moon is an everyman and if he can win the Main Event, with Phil Ivey at the table no less, anyone can.

Maybe we'll see a massive influx of self-employed loggers taking up the game.

Whatever the end result, just making the final nine has wildly exceeded his expectations. We'll have to wait for Saturday to see how it's all going to shake out.

Check out the video we did with Darvin Moon back in Las Vegas and follow all the action with our live Ccoverage of the 2009 ((WSOP)) Main Event final table, starting this Saturday at noon.

More 2009 WSOP Main Event final table profiles

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Watch Phil Ivey on ESPN E:60

info@www.Pokerlistings.com — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 19:32:58 +0100

The E:60 Episode featuring Phil Ivey aired on ESPN and we've got it right here for you to watch.

The media attention is really ramping up with the November Nine final table just a few days away and this is a great addition to the array of Ivey-oriented content on offer.

And goddam is Ivey a baller. ESPN gets access that is unheard of in the poker media. On the jet, in the suite, at the high-stakes pit games. Check this video out. You won't be disappointed.

-- Matthew Showell

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November Nine Profile: Joe Cada

info@www.Pokerlistings.com — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 07:59:27 +0100

21 years old and already a successful online pro, Joe Cada has a chance at becoming the youngest Main Event winner this weekend in Las Vegas.

He's got 13,215,000, good for fifth in chips, and with blinds of 120k/240k when the November Nine return he'll have a bit of room to maneuver.

Cada has stacked over half a million dollars in tournament earnings but describes himself as a cash game player.

His biggest MTT result was almost $150,000 courtesy of taking down the $750k guarantee on Full Tilt.

He's won some money before but we'll see how comfortable he is in front of the TV cameras with millions of dollars on the line.

By all accounts Cada is a competitive but laid back person. He plays soccer and brings the same level of competition to the poker table.

He's said that school didn't hold his attention, and that he attended mainly to placate his mom. If his moderate success in the poker before the Main Event didn't do the trick, the millions of dollars he's going to take home this weekend might.

Cada was signed to the ever-growing ranks of Team PokerStars Pro and has been at a few majors wearing the Stars patch. The Main Event and two other cashes this past WSOP, however, still form the totality of his live resume.

We managed to catch Joe for a few minutes back when first made the November Nine, so take a sec and check out the video below.

If you're a Joe Cada fan you can follow his final table progress by checking out our Live WSOP Main Event coverage. We'll be in Las Vegas so you don't have to be. (I mean, why would anyone want to go to Vegas? ;)

Update: Joe Cada has won the 2009 WSOP Main Event and become the youngest WSOP champ in history!

See a full recap of the heads-up match and Cada's first thoughts about becoming the WSOP champion here.

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November Nine Profile: Jeff Shulman

info@www.Pokerlistings.com — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 23:58:22 +0100

One of the most well known of the 2009 November Nine, Jeff Shulman has one distinct advantage over the other eight players: This is his second time at the final table of a WSOP Main Event.

This year Shulman enters the finale fourth in chips but back in the year 2000 he held a commanding lead over the rest of the table, which included one Chris "Jesus" Ferguson.

One bad beat set the stage for Shulman's elimination in seventh and paved the way for Jesus to become a world champion.

Now, just nine years later, Shulman has another chance at winning the biggest tournament in poker.

Shulman compares his poker game to the boxing style of Floyd Mayweather, lots of jabs without throwing any wild knockout punches. He would rather wear his opponents down than go for broke.

He's realistic about the state of his game, however, saying it's nowhere near the level it was in 2000.

He also has a healthy level of respect for his opponents. After watching previously unknown players like Kevin Schaffel and Steven Begleiter succeed in other big-buy in events since making the final table, Shulman know it's not going to be an easy road to the bracelet for anyone.

The biggest step Shulman's taken to prepare has been hiring legendary WSOP champion Phil Hellmuth as his personal coach, a move that has sparked much debate in the poker world.

Unlike the rest of the November Nine Shulman opted to lay low in the last four months, choosing his wife and two children over the tournament circuit.

Shulman also has a chance to set an interesting record, should he take down the title. Just a month ago his father Barry Shulman won the WSOP Europe Main Event, which means both titles could be held by a father and son in the same year.

Jeff Shulman has been a fixture in the poker world over the last few decades, making over $1.3 million not including this year's main event. He has the skills and he has the experience. Only time will tell if it will be enough.

Check out the video we shot with him back in Las Vegas below, and tune into our Live 2009 WSOP Coverageon November 7th to see how it all shakes out.

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WSOP Photoshop - Bad Moon Raising

info@www.Pokerlistings.com — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 23:09:24 +0100

#fullimg: bad_34535.jpg# Another classic WSOP Photoshop. Darvin Moon and Creedence, a match made in heaven.

The 2009 ((WSOP)) Main Event final table is just days away and PokerListings.com will be in Vegas to bring you all the action live.

Check out our Live 2009 WSOP Coverage starting November 7th to follow it all.

-- Ronnie Schwartz

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What to Buy with WSOP Main Event Moneyz!

info@www.Pokerlistings.com — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 20:28:02 +0100

#fullimg: pic_34534.jpg# The players at the final table of the 2009 Main Event have a serious problem: Millions of dollars and nothing to blow it on.

Sure, they'll be in Las Vegas and they could burn it up in a haze of pit games and luxury suites, but they'll want something to remember their extravagance with.

We're going to suggest that they do what we do every time we come into a large sum of money, spend it all in once place!

You've probably been told repeatedly to do exactly the opposite and NOT spend it all in one place but that shit doesn't play in this day and age.

Here's our one-stop shopping list to help the November Nine get rid of those pesky millions.

9th Place - $1.2 Million - The Chopard Super Ice Cube Watch

Who doesn't want a watch worth $1.1 million?

I've always said you aren't a true player until you have at least 66 carats of diamonds on your person. Plus, with the leftover $100k you can hire a team of sharp-shooters to keep an eye on your left wrist.

8th Place - $1.3 Million - Kharma's Grand Enigma Speakers

Have you ever listened to Dark Side of the Moon? Have you ever listened to Dark Side of the Moon on ... $1 million speakers?

If you're saying "But Sean you ass-hat, that's only $1 million, not $1.3," you're forgetting:

Million-dollar speakers are only useful as a coffee table unless you get a turntable, pre-amp, power amp and speaker cables.

$300k should hook you up with a nice Linn or MAC setup.

7th Place - $1.4 Million - Lamborghini Reventon

One of the rarest cars ever, Lamborghini only made 20 hand-numbered Reventons. Since the actual price depends on the Euros to dollars conversion at the time of purchase, the price of this car is listed as anywhere from $1.4 to $1.6 million.

Since only 20 were built, and they were all purchased before they came out of the factory, it's not really a car you can buy. But this ride's just far more fun than the oh-so-common Bugatti Veyron.

Also, since Ivey already owns a Veyron, if he finishes in 7th it just wouldn't make sense for him to buy another.

The Reventon, modeled after the F-22 Raptor fighter jet, rocks a disgusting 650 horsepower powerplant. Best of all, the instrument cluster was clearly stolen out of Night Rider.

6th Place - $1.5 Million - All five of the five most valuable comics of all time

Even non-comic-book fans have probably heard the words "Action Comics #1" spoken in that order. If you haven't you should have since it was the first time the world ever read the name Superman.

Sure you could buy a Picasso, or a Van Gogh, but the only reason to hang art on your walls in the first place is to impress company. The kind of company I want to be hanging out with would be much more impressed with these on my wall.

The framed picture above includes (in order from left to right):

Action Comics #1, 1938 (first appearance of Superman) - $440k

Detective Comics #27, 1939 (first appearance of Batman) - $375k

Marvel Comics #1, 1939 (first appearance of the Human Torch and other heroes) - $330k

Superman #1, 1939 (the first comic dedicated to Superman) - $270k

All American Comics #16, 1940 (first appearance of the Green Lantern) - $160k

5th Place - $1.9 Million - 1977 Learjet 36A

You're not a baller until you own your own jet. Sure this baby's over 30 years old, but it seats six, rocks leather club seating and even includes a built-in Freon air conditioner!

Let's be honest, this is the best damn plane you're going to get for $1.9 million. In fact, the plane itself only costs $1.77 million, but I'm assuming the whole taxes + insurance + jet fuel + getting a pilot part of things will probably run you at least the difference.

In fact, you should probably make it to a couple more Main Event final tables if you want to use this plane more than once.

4th Place - $2.5 Million - A two-month stay in the Hugh Hefner Sky Villa at the Palms Las Vegas

There is no single suite available for rent more baller than the Hugh Hef suite at the Palms. Or if there is, I don't want to know about it. Then again with a price tag of $40,000 per night, this better be the greatest suite ever built.

Some of the features of this include:

Outdoor, cantilevered Playboy Jacuzzi pool with glass end (It literally hangs over the building giving you a sick view of the strip... or vertigo)
Full Bar
Gym with sauna and personal spa
In-suite glass elevator
Rotating bed
Extra-large show tub
Poker table
And a private sunbathing area ... with a bar

If it's good enough for the Hef, it's good enough for me.

NOTE: Playboy Playmates to be shown off in the extra-large show tub cost extra.

3rd Place - $3.4 Million - Military Hovercraft

With this military-built gem you can roll up to your next party with style, or invade a small country.

This hovercraft is currently property of the Sri Lanka Navy, but can be yours for as little as $2.7 million. It has a 65-person capacity with a max speed of 50 knots (57 mph).

Yes, this only costs $2.7 million, but that only leaves you with $700k to hire your 64-man private militia.

Nothing says "let's party!" like a hovercraft spewing 64 armor-clad men with Kalashnikovs!

On the plus side, this baby is pretty much green, burning only 39.5 gallons of fuel per hour. Sure the Reventon was a sick car, but it can't carry your newly hired private militia over a lake now can it?

2nd Place - $5.1 Million - 1 Bedroom Manhattan Condo

At the bargain price of only $4.9 million, you can own this one bedroom, 1.5 bathroom condo in the historic 100-year-old Plaza building overlooking Central Park South.

This condo is a pre-war 1,212 square foot simplex with one of the best views in town and 6-star hotel services and amenities.

A beautiful old condo in the greatest city on earth. What more could you ask for?

1st Place - $8.5 Million -Six-bedroom home in Honolulu Hawaii

I'll tell you what more you could ask for: a ridiculously stunning mansion on one of the greatest beaches in the world, that's what's more.

9,200 square feet, 250-foot driveway, marble floors, pool, spa, built-in wine cooler, 270 degree ocean views and a master bedroom larger than my entire 2-bedroom apartment.

After seeing this place, finishing second to end up in a one-bedroom condo in New York seems almost like a punishment. Honestly, just take a look at that view. Sick.

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November Nine Profile: Steven Begleiter

info@www.Pokerlistings.com — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 05:52:29 +0100

Entering the 2009 WSOP November Nine final table third in chips and guaranteed $1.26 million, Steven Begleiter has been forced to take poker a little more seriously than he has in the past.

The Chappaqua, N.Y. native enjoys poker recreationally, mainly on the East Coast, and won his seat to the 2009 WSOP Main Event through an amateur league he plays in with his friends.

Their home games run in unison with the school year, September to June, and a portion of each tournament they play is put towards one $10,000 entry to the World Series Main Event.

His buddies can't be too disappointed that Begleiter is representing them in Vegas, since they all have a piece of his action.

By all accounts Begleiter is a work-hard/play-hard type of person. A former executive at banking investment agency Bear Stearns, he currently works as a Senior Principal for the investment firm Flexpoint Ford in Manhattan.

Clearly this man has a knack for dealing with currency. It seems this skill, for Begleiter at least, is transferable to the felt.

In August he finished 9th at the WPT Legends of Poker Main Event, missing the TV final table by just three spots.

Begleiter found himself seated with fellow November Niners Kevin Schaffel and Joe Cada over the course of Legends, giving him a chance to study up on two of his November opponents.

Both players chuckled when reporters inquired about whether they were able to pick up anything that might help them in November.

He's a family man with a wife and three teenage children with whom he's looking forward to celebrating his WSOP success.

Check out the video below we shot with Begleiter in Las Vegas back in July and make sure to follow Steve Begleiter and the rest of the action with our Live Coverage of the 2009 WSOP Main Event final table.

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November Nine Profile: Kevin Schaffel

info@www.Pokerlistings.com — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 23:55:00 +0100

Things have changed for Kevin Schaffel since he made the WSOP 2009 Main Event final table. After a tough start to his pro career almost two years ago he's managed to turn things around in a big way over the last four months.

At the beginning of 2008 Schaffel pulled the plug on his family direct mailing and printing business, turning to poker to pay the bills.

A profitable cash game player in the years leading up to going pro Schaffel was nonetheless challenged by the daily grind of playing for a living. He posted small cashes on the EPT and the WPT before playing the 2009 Main Event.

Schaffel already had some Main Event experience, having cashed twice before with a 42nd place finish all the way back in 2004 being his best result. This year he broke through and now finds himself numbered among the nine players with a shot at this year's world championship.

Since July Kevin Schaffel's been a busy man. He got a deal with PokerStars and came within inches of a WPT title, finishing second to Prahlad Friedman at the WPT Legends of Poker for $471,670.

Just last month he bubbled the final two tables at the EPT London Main Event, making it very clear that he's got game to bring to the Main Event finale.

Schaffel has a disarming manner and comes off a bit wide-eyed despite being around big buy-in poker for years.

With over $1.9 million career tournament earnings the only thing missing from Schaffel's list of accomplishments is an outright win in a major event. He'll get his chance in less than a week and there'll be over $7.2 million on the line.

It all gets started November 7th we'll be there bringing it all to you live. Check out our Live 2009 WSOP Coverage to follow Kevin Schaffel and all the other November Niners on the way to this year's world champion.

Check out the video we shot with him in Vegas the day after the final table was set.

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