The final nine players in the World Series of Poker main event, as determined July 18 after an eighth session of no-limit Texas Hold 'em at the Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas. The finalists emerged from a field of 7,319 players and will compete Saturday and Monday for the tournament's top prize of $8.94 million. Ninth place was paid $811,823 in July; higher-place finishers will win at least $1,045,743 and be paid the difference from the ninth-place jackpot after they finish.
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1. Jonathan Duhamel
AGE: 23
HOMETOWN: Boucherville, Quebec
OCCUPATION: poker player
PRIOR SERIES ACCOMPLISHMENTS: two cashes for $43,000
HEADS-UP START: 188,950,000 chips (1st, 86 percent of chips on table)
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2. John Racener
AGE: 24
HOMETOWN: Port Richey, Fla.
OCCUPATION: poker player
PRIOR SERIES ACCOMPLISHMENTS: 11 cashes for $219,209, four circuit cashes for $543,637
HEADS-UP START: 30,750,000 chips (2nd, 14 percent)
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3. Joseph Cheong
AGE: 24
HOMETOWN: La Mirada, Calif.
OCCUPATION: poker player
PRIOR SERIES ACCOMPLISHMENTS: two series cashes this year for $31,064; four circuit cashes for $20,890, including one win this year in a no-limit Hold 'em tournament at Harrah's Rincon
THE BEAT: Eliminated by Duhamel in third, winning $4,130,049. Cheong lost most of his stack on a bluff before losing the rest gambling with a queen high and losing to Duhamel's ace high.
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4. Filippo Candio
AGE: 26
HOMETOWN: Cagliari, Italy
OCCUPATION: poker player
PRIOR SERIES ACCOMPLISHMENTS: one cash for $3,460.
THE BEAT: Eliminated by Cheong in fourth, winning $3,092,545. Candio gambled with a suited king-queen but lost to Cheong's suited ace-three. Cheong caught an ace for a pair.
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5. Michael "The Grinder" Mizrachi
AGE: 29
HOMETOWN: Miramar, Fla.
OCCUPATION: poker player
PRIOR SERIES ACCOMPLISHMENTS: one bracelet, 23 series cashes for $2.27 million; six circuit cashes for $323,258
THE BEAT: Eliminated in fifth by Duhamel, winning $2,332,992. Mizrachi called an all-in bet from Duhamel after making a pair of queens on the flop. Duhamel held two aces and they held up through the turn and river.
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6. John Dolan
AGE: 24
HOMETOWN: Bonita Springs, Fla.
OCCUPATION: poker player
PRIOR SERIES ACCOMPLISHMENTS: five series cashes for $105,340; two circuit cashes for $3,333
THE BEAT: Ousted in sixth place by Duhamel for $1,772,959. Dolan was caught trying to make a move with queen-five before minimum bets rendered his stack useless. Duhamel called with a pair of fours and they held.
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7. Jason Senti
AGE: 26
HOMETOWN: St. Louis Park, Minn.
OCCUPATION: poker player
PRIOR SERIES ACCOMPLISHMENTS: 1 series cash in 2009 for $17,987
THE BEAT: Busted in seventh place by Cheong for $1,356,720. Senti and Cheong gambled all their chips before the flop with Senti holding an ace-king and Cheong holding pocket 10s. Senti caught two kings on the flop for three-of-a-kind, but Cheong caught running straight cards to keep from losing the vast majority of chips. ___
8. Matthew Jarvis
AGE: 26
HOMETOWN: Surrey, British Columbia
OCCUPATION: poker player
PRIOR SERIES ACCOMPLISHMENTS: one cash at the World Series of Poker Europe for $4,270
THE BUST: Eliminated in eighth place by Mizrachi, won $1,045,743. Jarvis lost with pocket nines after Mizrachi made a better full house with an ace-queen combination. Mizrachi took the lead on the flop with three queens, but Jarvis took it back with a nine on the turn. A river ace eliminated Jarvis.
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9. Cuong "Soi" Nguyen
AGE: 37
HOMETOWN: Santa Ana, Calif.
OCCUPATION: medical supply company manager
PRIOR SERIES ACCOMPLISHMENTS: none.
THE BUST: Eliminated in ninth place by Senti, winning $811,823. Nguyen pushed all-in with an ace-king and Senti called with pocket queens, putting Senti slightly ahead in the hand. The community cards gave Senti three of a kind and Nguyen one pair.
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Information from: World Series of Poker, Associated Press interviews, game play.
