WSOP Final Nine Set; November Awaits

After almost two weeks of play, the 2008 World Series of Poker Main Event has been whittled down to it’s final nine competitors from 6,844.  Craig Marquis made eight new friends when, after 3:00am Tuesday, he eliminated Dean Hamrick in 10^th place, allowing his fellow competitors to achieve their dreams of making the final table. 

The two had tangled in two very large pots earlier during 10-handed play.  The first time, on the very first hand of 10-handed play, both players put in multiple raises pre-flop before Marquis folded.  It was a good move, as Hamrick showed pocket Aces.  Later, they did get all their chips in pre-flop, Marquis A-Q and Hamrick with Q-Q.  Unfortunately for Hamrick, Marquis hit four suited cards to make a flush. 

Hamrick still survived for a couple more hours before his A-J fell to Marquis’ Q-Q, which unlike the time Hamrick had the ladies, held up. 

The nine men will return to the Rio in Las Vegas on November 9 to play down to the final two.  Those two will then play heads-up on November 10 until someone has all the chips and over $9 million. 

Chip Counts and Seat Assignments 

Seat 1: Dennis Phillips - 26,295,000
Seat 2: Craig Marquis - 10,210,000
Seat 3: Ylon Schwartz - 12,525,000
Seat 4: Scott Montgomery - 19,690,000
Seat 5: Darus Suharto - 12,520,000
Seat 6: Chino Rheem - 10,230,000
Seat 7: Ivan Demidov - 24,400,000
Seat 8: Kelly Kim - 2,620,000
Seat 9: Peter Eastgate - 18,375,000