The final nine players for the 2009 World Series of Poker main event was settled Wednesday, with a self-employed American logger to start the final table as the unlikely chip leader.
Darvin Moon, 45, built his chip stack to 60 million, putting him 23 million chips ahead of his nearest competitor. The final table will not be played until November, when the nine players will compete for the $8.5 million winner's prize.
"Everyone at this table is way better than I am," Moon said. "Something is helping me."
Moon said he never risked his entire chip stack during eight sessions of play during the tournament.
"The dealers _ I love 'em all," he said. "It's great to have a run like that.
Moon said he planned to fly back home soon and return to everyday life.
"As soon as I go home, I go back into the woods," Moon said. "When it's time to come out _ I'll come out."
By making it this far, all players were guaranteed prizemoney of $1.26 million.
Falling just short was 27-year-old American Jordan Smith, who was the last player eliminated. On the decisive hand, Smith was dealt pocket aces _ the best possible starting hand _ but Moon's pocket eights improved when another eight was dealt on the flop.
Smith was eliminated in 10th place and won $896,730.
"I was trying to look weak," Smith said. "It just didn't work."
"I didn't come with very much money and I leave with some now," he said. "I'm very fortunate, I had a great tournament."
The lowest starting chip stack at November's final table will belong to the player with the highest profile: Phil Ivey, 33, a seven-time gold bracelet winner at the series who is considered by some as the world's best current poker player.
"I can taste it now," Ivey said. "I'm here and today was a very tough day for me. I lost a lot of tough hands early and I grinded back _ now I'm right in the hunt."
Seven of the final nine players are American. Joining Moon and Ivey will be: 51-year-old Kevin Schaffel; Joseph Cada, 21; Steven Begleiter, 47; Eric Buchman, 29; and Jeff Shulman, 34.
The table will be rounded out by 25-year-old Frenchman Antoine "Tonio" Saout and England's James Akenhead, 26.
The tournament, which boasts poker's richest prize, started July 3 at the Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas when each player bought in for $10,000 and were given 30,000 starting chips.
