Nine days have now passed since the 2011 WSOP Main Event final table was set, and we are really sorry that we haven't been able to put up the news until now. Now, below you will find the 9 finalists and some brief information about each one of them (information taken from the official WSOP website). The final table (televised) will be played in the first week of November.
8 of the 9 finalists are guaranteed at least $1 million each, and the winner will become the World Champion and receive a prize check of almost 9 million dollars! All of the finalists have plenty of chips to work with, so expect it to be one of the most interesting final tables in WSOP history!
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
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.
Note: the proper spelling of the player in seat five's name is -- Anton Makiievskyi. His name has been spelled in many different ways. But this is the spelling according to official records.
The chip leader entering the finale is Martin Staszko, from the Czech Republic. He will resume play with 40,175,000 in chips. Chip leaders are 1 for 2 (wins) the last two years - with a first and a second-place finish. Here's a comparison with the previous chip leaders entering the finale since the Main Event incorporated a 30,000-starting stack concept:
