The 2015 World Series of Poker Main Event final table is back in the news this week as preparations are made for the nine finalists to gather again at the Rio in Las Vegas Sunday to compete for the top prize.
Whilst predictions on the outcome vary, the consensus appears to be that significant chip leader Joe McKeehan from the United States, who has been in formidable form in recent months, is likely to take the honours…but not without a tough fight from talented opposition.
Earlier this year 6,420 players put up the $10,000 buy-in for the main event, creating a total prize pool of $60,348,000. Just over a week later only the November Nine were left standing as the final table action was adjourned for a few months to please the television moguls.
This year’s top prize of $7,680,021 will ensure the nine finalists are well motivated and on top of their game when the action re-starts on November 8, but all of them have already banked just over a million dollars apiece for surviving thus far.
World Series of Poker observers say that in 2015 the average main event player was under 40 years old and from the United States, but the final table is populated by a more eclectic player mix that includes an age range of 23 to 72 and countries of origin that include Italy, Belgium and Israel in addition to the USA.
And the only WSOP bracelet holder in the pack is Max Steinberg.
With a third of the chips in play when the final table was reached earlier this year, American player Joe McKeehan will be strongly positioned as the chip leader on 63,100,000 when the action recommences Sunday, but he will be faced by Steinberg (around the middle of the chip counts on 20,000,000) and the following:
Zvi Stern from Israel on 29,800,000
Neil Blumenfield USA 22,000,000
Pierre Neuville Belgium 21,075,000
Thomas Cannuli USA 12,250,000
Joshua Beckley USA 11,800,000
Patrick Chan USA 6,225,000
Federico Butteroni ITA 6,200,000
You can read their biographies here: http://www.wsop.com/2015/