The 45th annual $10K World Series of Poker Main Event has its November Nine, whittled down from a massive field of nearly 6,700 players in mid July. They will return to the Rio in Las Vegas on Nov. 10 for a chance to win $10 million from the $62 million prize pool.
Easily, the most remarkable story of this incredibly diverse group has to be Mark Newhouse of Las Vegas. The former North Carolina resident will make an unprecedented consecutive appearance in the November Nine. Not since Dan Harrington in 2003-04 has anyone reached the final table of the main event in back-to-back years.
When Harrington did it, many called it the most amazing feat in all of poker, and he merely waded through fields of 839 and 2,576.
Newhouse finished ninth ($733K) last year in a field of 6,352 and now is guaranteed at least that finish (ninth pays at least $730K this year) in a field of 6,693.
The final nine players represent six countries: Brazil, Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden and the United States. Here they are by seat, with chip counts:
Seat 1: Billy Pappaconstantinou, Lowell, Mass, 17,500,000
Seat 2: Felix Stephensen, Norway, 32,775,000
Seat 3: Jorryt van Hoof, Netherlands, 38,375,000
Seat 4: Mark Newhouse. Las Vegas, 26,000,000
Seat 5: Andoni Larrabe, Spain, 22,550,000
Seat 6: William Tonking, Flemington, N.J., 15,050,000
Seat 7: Daniel Sindelar, Las Vegas, 21,200,000
Seat 8: Martin Jacobson, Sweden,14,900,000
Seat 9: Bruno Politano, Brazil, 12,125,000
