The 2009 WSOP Main Event final table is less than a week away and before we do the deed we wanted to get you in the mood with a fresh series of profiles. The first choice was obvious: Phil Ivey.
Unlike the vast majority of the poker world Phil Ivey didn't have to make the November Nine to get a spot in the limelight. The limelight follows Ivey wherever he goes.
Entering the final table seventh in chips with 9.765 million he's got his work cut out for him.
Ivey is a mythical figure that walks among us. Even before this year's World Series of Poker, he was regarded by most as the best all-around player in the game.
He crushes online. He crushes live. He treats tournaments, cash games, prop bets and high stakes pit games as his personal ATM.
His wealth is immense. In addition to the money he makes playing poker and gambling he owns a chunk of a little company called Full Tilt Poker.
Since making the November Nine Ivey has had no real tournament results to speak of, but that doesn't mean he's not making money playing poker.
Our best estimate puts Ivey up over $1.6 million on Full Tilt in the last 30 days alone.
Ivey is a machine. Consider this, within a few hours of making the Main Event final table he was in Bobby's room at Bellagio buying into the big game.
Phil Ivey also stands to make a lot more by winning the Main Event than any of his fellow November Niners.
$8.5 million in Main Event prize money $2 million from Andy Bloch (Ivey bet Bloch $20k at 99 to 1 when there were 2,400 players left) A rumored bonus from Full Tilt Poker God (and Ivey) knows how much more in other side betsRight now there are only two people who have made more in tournament poker than Phil Ivey: Daniel Negreanu and Jamie Gold. If Ivey finishes fourth or better at this final table he will overtake them both.
In addition to the cash, this win will cement him as the all-time greatest player to ever pick up a deck of cards, hands down.
He's got seven WSOP bracelets, two of which he snagged this year before making the November Nine. He's got over $10 million in career tournament wins. He once won $16 million in a single session of heads-up poker against Andy Beal.
He is Phil Ivey and he will win the 2009 WSOP Main Event.
For all the Ivey info you can handle check out his profile here on PokerListings.com. To follow all the final table action live tune in to our Live WSOP Coverage page November 7th.
Here's a video we shot the day after the final table was set. We were one of the only sources with enough pull to get Ivey to stand still long enough to do a video interview that day.
More November Nine Profiles
Steven Begleiter November Nine Profile Kevin Schaffel November Nine Profile Jeff Shulman November Nine Profile Joe Cada November Nine Profile Darvin Moon November Nine ProfileVisit www.pokerlistings.com
