Nine left standing
By Andrew Feldman
ESPN.com
Archive
Only nine players remain in contention for the most prestigious title in poker: world champion. In July, 6,494 players began their main event journeys with hopes of sitting behind a pile of cash and posing for photos with a new bracelet on their wrists. Nine players still have that dream, but their journey was put on hold in July to resume on Nov. 7 in Las Vegas.
The final table of the main event is full of talent. Although some might not recognize the chips leader, Darvin Moon, many will see a very familiar face in Phil Ivey, regarded by most as the best poker player in the world. With solid professionals and skilled amateurs, the final table will offer some of the most exciting poker of the year. But the question remains, who do you think will take it down?
Welcome to Poker Pick 'em, a new fantasy game from ESPN.com. The game is simple: Pick the outcomes of 20 matchups regarding the 2009 main event final table. Do you think Moon can hold onto his chips lead and finish in the top three? Will Ivey overcome his current chips deficit to win the title? How many players will wear sunglasses to start the final table? Which European will last longer? These questions might be easy for some, but if not, I'm here to help. Here's a look at each of the nine players and what they'll bring to the table in November. … MORE
Poker Pick 'Em Message Boards
Want to figure out what the best selections are? Join the Poker Pick 'Em message boards and get some help from the competition. Trash-talk with your selections and brag about your favorite players or anything else poker-related all day, every day. Message boards
Challenge the ESPN Inside Deal team
Laura Lane, Bernard Lee and Andrew Feldman are ready for the final table and want to challenge you to Poker Pick 'Em. Think you can predict better than the Inside Deal crew? Join the group now and prove it. - Click here
Challenge the Poker Edge Podcast Team!
Phil Gordon, Andrew Feldman and Shaun Wyman can talk the talk on the Poker Edge podcast, but can they pick a winning entry in Poker Pick 'Em? Join the group today. - Click here
Chip Counts
| RNK | PLAYER | Chips |
| 1 | Darvin Moon | 58,930,000 |
| 2 | Eric Buchman | 34,800,000 |
| 3 | Steven Begleiter | 29,885,000 |
| 4 | Jeff Shulman | 19,580,000 |
| 5 | Joseph Cada | 13,215,000 |
| 6 | Kevin Schaffel | 12,390,000 |
| 7 | Phil Ivey | 9,765,000 |
| 8 | Antoine Saout | 9,500,000 |
| 9 | James Akenhead | 6,800,000 |
| ESPN.com Poker Coverage | ||
Prizes
Play Poker Pick 'Em for your chance to win a trip to the Atlantis resort in the Bahamas!
Total ARV is $2,900