The WSOP Main Event has already come and gone. The final table started with 9 players who would play 17 hours until the last two were left standing. The biggest story coming into the final table was Phil Ivey’s presence. Despite being short stacked, many felt if Ivey could accumulate chips, he could dominate the final table on his way to another bracelet.
Here is how the chip counts stacked up:
Darvin Moon – 58,930,000
Eric Buchman – 34,800,000
Steven Begleiter – 29,885,000
Jeff Shulman – 19,580,000
Joseph Cada – 13,215,000
Kevin Schaffel – 12,390,000
Phil Ivey – 9,765,000
Antoine Saout – 9,500,000
James Akenhead – 6,800,000
Out in ninth place was Englishman James Akenhead who finished runner up in a 2008 WSOP preliminary event. Akenhead got coolered early on, running K-K into A-A, and pushed his shortstack holding 3-3 into the 9-9 of 51 year old Kevin Schaffel. The board was no help to Akenhead, but the $1.2 million for ninth place had to of helped.
About twenty minutes after Akenhead’s exit, Schaffel was fortunate enough to get all-in preflop again with A-A. Eric Buchman showed K-K as the two players wait for the community cards to fall. The K-Q-J flop put 28 year old tournament grinder Buchman in the driver’s seat after being a 4-1 underdog preflop. Akenhead needed a T or an A on the turn or river, but no help came, sending Schaffel home to Florida with $1.3 million.
Darvin Moon – $58,000,000
Eric Buchman – 453,000,000
Steve Begleiter – $25,000,000
Antoine Saout – $22,000,000
Jeff Shulman – $16,000,000
Phil Ivey – $9,000,000
Joe Cada – $8,000,000
The players played two more hours until the dinner break at 10 PM.
Eric Buchman – $54,000,000
Darvin Moon – $41,000,000
Steve Begleiter – $38,000,000
Antoine Saout – $27,000,000
Phil Ivey – $16,000,000
Joe Cada – $10,000,000
Jeff Shulman – $7,000,000
Shortly after the break, Phil Ivey moved all-in with A-K and was called, but dominated the A-Q of 45 year old lumberman Darvin Moon. The Q-6-6 flop brought a stunned look to Ivey’s face and silenced the crowd. The turn and river were bricks which shattered Ivey’s chance of winning the 2009 WSOP Main Event. Ivey would certainly trade the $1.4 million seventh place for another shot at the Main Event bracelet.
Eric Buchman – $53,000,000
Antoine Saout – $52,000,000
Darvin Moon – $40,000,000
Steve Begleiter – $22,000,000
Jeff Shulman – $16,000,000
Joe Cada – $10,000,000
Next to go was Steve Begleiter, who managed to qualify for the Main Event through his local poker league. Begleiter managed to get Q-Q all-in preflop versus the Moon’s A-Q of spades. The flop of 7-4-8 two spades turned the rest of the hand into a million dollar coin flip. The turn was a brick, and the river brought a spade sending Begleiter to the rail in sixth with over $1.5 million.
Next, 21 year old Joe Cada began to chip up. Cada three bet all-in with 3-3 and Jeff Shulman snapped with J-J. Cada flopped a set, and doubled up to 22,000,000 while Shulman was left with just 8,000,000 in chips. Next, Darvin Moon lost his mind and four bet Joe Cada all-in holding K-9 versus the A-A of Cada. Cada held and doubled up again.
Antoine Saout – $54,000,000
Eric Buchman – $49,000,000
Joe Cada – $45,000,000
Darvin Moon – $39,000,000
Jeff Shulman – $6,000,000
Card player editor Jeff Shulman shipped his short stack all-in with 7-7 and was called by Frenchman Antoine Saout. Saout hit a nine on the flop of 10-9-6 and Shulman failed to hit his outs on the turn or river. Shulman earned nearly $2 million for his fifth place finish.
Antoine Saout – $62,000,000
Eric Buchman – $55,000,000
Joe Cada – $45,000,000
Darvin Moon – $31,000,000
Countless all-in three bets propelled Moon into second place while Saout’s stack dwindled.
Buchman – $56,000,000
Moon – $53,000,000
Cada – $46,000,000
Saout – $39,000,000
Moon’s luck continued when his A-K bested Buchman’s A-Q in a button versus blind battle. Moon was in control with nearly 90,000,000 in chips while Buchman plummeted to the bottom with about 10,000,000 in chips.
The players continued three handed until Antoine Saout reraised all in with 8-8 and was at risk with Cada showing A-K. The flop was a harmless 5-4-5. The turn bricked a 10, but the river was a heartbreaking King. Saout was eliminated in third, earning nearly $3.5 million. It was grueling 17 hours, but Cada and Moon would get be able to get some rest before going headsup for the most coveted WSOP bracelet.
Cada – $135,000,000
Moon – $58,000,000
Play resumed just past 1AM the next day.Within an hour young gun Joe Cada had blown his sizable chip lead and was out chipped by 100 million. Cada battled back and made an excellent call holding J-9, facing an all-in-checkraise, on a board of T-5-9-T. Darvin Moon showed 7-8 for a straight draw. The river was a 3 which allowed Cada to regain a slight chip lead.
About 15 minutes later it was over. Darvin Moon got himself in another marginal spot, getting his J-Q all in versus Joe Cada’s 9-9. The board ran out 8-7-2-K-7 sending Moon home as runner up with over $5 million. Joe Cada became the youngest Main Event champion ever at 21 years of age and earned over $8.5 million and the Main Event bracelet.
When he accepted his bracelet, Cada wanted to first congratulate the rest of the final table, including Moon. Cada also thanked his supporters. The 2009 Main Event has brought us a great champion and, more importantly, a young man on his way to becoming a great ambassador of poker