CHIP COUNT: 1,090,000
Barry Shulman is a former WSOP gold bracelet winner. He won the Seven-Card Stud Eight-or-Better
championship in 2001. Shulman is CEO of Card Player magazine and has been one of the poker
industry's most-respected voices for more than a decade. Shulman's appearance at this final table
means the Shulman family has hit the daily double in WSOP events, this year. His son Jeff Shulman
is one of the famed "November Nine" in the 2009 WSOP Main Event, which concludes next month.
Shulman's wife Allyn is a respected player as well, who competed in the championship and is sitting
in the crowd today to cheer for Barry. Yes indeed, the entire Shulman Family can sure play poker!
Jason Mercier is a former WSOP gold bracelet winner. He won the $1,500 buy-in Pot-Limit Omaha
championship earlier this year in Las Vegas. Mercier has performed very well in Europe, winning
the 2008 European Poker Tour's championship in San Remo, Italy. He also won the ONE MILLION POUND
showdown here in London, last year. Despite all his winnings, it's reported that Mercier would not
shell out the money for a hotel room while staying in London, preferring instead to crash on the
sofa at a friend's house. Mercier has dominated play in this tournament so far, and arrives at the
final table as the player to beat, as the current chip leader.
Praz Bansi is one of six former WSOP gold bracelet winners at today's final table. He won the
$1,000 buy-in Limit Hold'em championship in 2006. To say Bansi is "hot" would be an understatement.
He's final-tabled six major poker tournaments this year alone, with his best showing being a win at
the Five-Star World Poker Classic, held last Spring. Bansi starts the day with an average-sized
stack and a great deal of experience and confidence. He'll be a tough player, for sure.
Ristola hopes to become only the third Finnish poker player in history to win a WSOP gold bracelet.
His fellow countryman Jani Vilmunus won the PLO championship here last week. Ristola is a
22-year-old student and part-time poker pro. He started playing poker only a few years ago, and
has already cashed in several major events, winning the most recent Helsinki Poker Freezeout.
Ristola is already guaranteed the biggest tournament payout of his young career, to date. Regardless
of what happens today, the future looks very bright indeed, for Markus Ristola.
Chris Bjorin is a two-time former WSOP gold bracelet winner. He won WSOP events in 2000 and 2001.
Bjorin was actually born in Sweden. He immigrated to London where he now lives in order to
concentrate full-time on poker and sports betting. He also loves drinking fine wines and dining
at expensive restaurants. Bjorin has more than $4 million (USD) in career tournament winnings, to
date. This marks his 51st time to cash in WSOP events, which puts him in eighth-place on the
all-time list. In addition to becoming a poker legend for his accomplishments, Chris is also one
of the game's true gentlemen.
This has already been an incredible year for 26-year-old poker pro James Akenhead. He's one of
the "November Nine," which will compete for the 2009 world poker championship next month. And now,
here he is currently ranked second in chips coming into today's final table. Not to tell a bad
beat story, but Akenhead probably should have at least one WSOP gold bracelet to his name already.
He was on the verge of winning an event in 2008, when his opponent was all in and drawing slim with
10-4 against Akenhead's A-K. The opponent spiked quad tens, and Akenhead had to settle for second
place. Now, it's redemption time/ Akenhead gets his shot today in London, and again in Las Vegas,
next month.
Daniel Negreanu is a four-time WSOP gold bracelet winner. He won his first WSOP title in 1998,
then the youngest player in WSOP history ever to win a gold bracelet. He won subsequent titles in
2002, 2003, and 2008. Negreanu is unquestionably one of poker's biggest superstars and most popular
players, appearing regularly on high-stakes poker shows and television commercials. He is about to
star in a new TV series in the US, which begins filming when he returns after this event. Negreanu
was WSOP "Player of the Year" in 2004. He is also third on the career all-time money list for
overall worldwide tournaments, with over $11 million in wins, to date. He hopes to make that $12
million plus, today � but has a big challenge ahead as the shortest stack.
Antoine Saout is one of two players at this final table who is a member of this year's
"November Nine." He is a 25-year-old aspiring poker pro, who won his way into the WSOP Main
Event by playing in an online satellite, which cost him just $50. Saout's specialty is playing
in multiple poker games online. In some ways, Saout is the most secretive player in today's finale,
and he seems to like it that way. He has relatively few tournament cashes or recorded results, yet
he has certainly shown he can play poker with the world's best players. It's an amazing
accomplishment to make it to final tables here at WSOP Europe, and the WSOP Main Event.
Matt is a former WSOP gold bracelet winner. He won more than $1 million in Event #56 at this year's
WSOP, taking the top prize in the $5,000 buy-in Six-Handed No-Limit Hold'em championship. Hawrilenko
is a graduate of Princeton University. Now 27, he worked for a top investment firm before
concentrating on poker full-time. If Hawrilenko gets heads-up, look out. He is widely acknowledged
as one of the game's top heads-up specialists. Hawrilenko mostly concentrates on high-stakes cash
games, yet has now made four final tables at this year's WSOP.