Joe Cada

After three and a half months of waiting, the final table of the World Series of Poker kicked off Sunday with nine players looking to win the WSOP Championship bracelet and $8.5 Million in prize money. Darvin Moon was the chip leader, but all eyes were on Phil Ivey to see whether he could make a dramatic comeback.

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The first player eliminated from the final table was James Akenhead. Akenhead was sitting on 4.45 Million and moved all-in with pocket threes. Kevin Schaffel made the call with pocket nines and Akenhead needed to catch a miracle two-outer to stay alive. The board ran out to give Schaffel nines full, and James Akenhead headed to the rail. Akenhead received no additional prize money and had to settle for the $1.2 Million payout from July.

Kevin Schaffel was unable to capitalize on Akenhead’s elimination and wound up the 8th place finisher. Schaffel raised to 1.25 Million preflop and was met by a three-bet by Eric Buchman to 5.75 Million. Schaffel then moved all-in for 17.2 Million and Buchman made the call after requesting a count. Buchman was crushed when he saw that his pocket kings had run smack into pocket aces from Schaffel. His disdain turned to jubilation when a king hit the flop to give Buchman a set. Another king on the turn spelled the end of Schaffel’s tournament. Kevin Schaffel finished in 8th place and took home $1.3 Million
Phil Ivey did all he could to double up, but that double up never came. He finally was all-in and ahead with A-K against the A-Q of Darvin Moon. The crowd was going nuts awaiting the flop. A queen on the flop put Moon in the lead and that was all that was needed to eliminate Phil Ivey. Phil Ivey finished in 7th and took home $1.4 Million.
Steve Begleiter soon fell to the Darvin Moon express. After a pre-flop raise from Begleither, Moon shoved all-in. Begleiter made the call, holding pocket queens. Moon held A-Q. The flop and turn missed both players, but the river spelled disaster as it fell an ace, eliminating Begleiter in 6th place. Steve Begleiter received $1,587,160 for his strong finish.
Jeff Shulman never got anything going all day and ultimately was all-in with pocket sevens against the Ac-9s for Antoine Saout. A nine on the flop put Saout in the lead. The turn fell the Qc and river the 4s. Jeff Shulman finished in 4th place and took home $1.95 Million in prize money.
Antoine Saout was the chip leader three handed, but went on a epic downward spiral that resulted in his elimination in 3rd place. First, he doubled up Joe Cada when Cada’s pocket threes caught a set against the pocket queens of Saout. A few hands later, Cada raced A-K against the pocket eights of Saout. The flop and turn missed both players, but the river fell a king to complete Saout’s downward spiral. Antoine Saout finished in 3rd place and took home $3.47 Million.
Heads-up play started on Monday night between Darvin Moon and Joe Cada on Monday. Cada led with 135 Million to the 58 Million of Moon. Moon evened the match after the first hand when he took down a big pot with pocket queens against the pocket nines of Cada. From that point, the match was epic with both players holding the lead. At one point, Moon held a nearly 3 to 1 lead over Cada but made a big misstep after overplaying a draw to put the match back into Cada’s favor. The final hand of the event saw Darvin Moon race Qd-Jd against the pocket nines of Cada. The board failed to produce a queen or jack and Joe Cada is the 2009 WSOP Main Event Champion.

Joe Cada is the youngest WSOP Main Event champion in the history of the WSOP. At just 21 years of age, his record is one that has a great chance to last. In addition to the gold braclet, Cada won the $8.5 Million prize. Congratulations to Joe Cada, WSOP Main Event World Champion.

In 1989, Phil Hellmuth became the youngest player to win the WSOP Main Event at 24. Last year, Peter Eastgate broke that record and won the Main Event at 22. This year, another player stands to set the all-time record for youngest to win the Main Event. Joe Cada enters the WSOP Main Event final table 5th in chips and stands to set the all time record.
Joe Cada started playing poker just six years ago. He stated that the Moneymaker effect had him and his friends playing a lot of poker and he and some friends would regularly discuss their games. Cada started his poker playing career playing in $2-$4 Limit games on Party Poker. By the time he entered college, he was playing regularly online. Shortly after entering college, he started playing live poker, and after two semesters, Cada left college to pursue poker full time.

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Cada’s venture into playing professionally thus far has gone relatively well. He has down a Sunday $750k Guarantee Event on Full Tilt for better than $147,000. Also, prior to the Main Event, Cada had cashed in two other WSOP events. He finished 64th in the $2,500 NL Holdem event and then finished 17th in one of the $1,500 NL events. Also, factor in the fact that Cada will finish with no les than $1.263 Million from the Main Event, and his career has a pretty solid start.

Cada is a very competitive person in general. He regularly plays soccer on two teams that he has been playing for all of his life. Cada also considers himself a very quiet person, and really isn’t comfortable with all of the cameras and the attention being put on him. He considers himself just a laid back type of guy. However, he did state that if he won the Main Event, he would embrace the title of “poker ambassador” and do what he can to help further the game as the world champion of poker.

Winning the Main Event isn’t out of Cada’s reach. He is smack in the middle of the field with 13.215 Million. One double up nearly puts him in 3rd place. He has a lot of chips with a lot of play left. Cada is confident in his game, not hiring anyone to help him improve. He says that he has provided a nice living for himself playing poker the last few years, so he is confident in winning. He even gives himself odds of 8 to 1 to win.

Will Joe Cada become the next Main Event champion? The final table kicks off on Saturday and heads-up play is on Monday.

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