WSOP Main Event 2011 - November Nine Decided; Staszko Leads

RIO CASINO, LAS VEGAS - Day 8 of the WSOP Main Event is over after the 22 players remaining at the start of the day were quickly reduced to the November Nine. The final tablists will return on November 5th to fight it out for the biggest prize in poker (won last year by Jonathan Duhamel, pictured) and the $8.7m that goes with first place.

John Hewitt was the player unlucky enough to bubble the official final table in tenth place after his shortstacked shove with pocket threes was called by Ireland's Eoghan O'Dea holding King-Jack. O'Dea turned an Ace-high straight to send Hewitt to the rail and confirm 2011's most famous nine players. Hewitt walked away with a smile on his face and $607,882 richer.

Seven nationalities are in this year's November Nine with USA (3 players), United Kingdom, Ireland, Czech Republic, Ukraine, Germany and Belize all represented; showing once again how poker truly is the world game. Big crowds of fans are expected for all the players, with a carnival atmosphere in the Penn and Teller theater guaranteed with Irish and British fans in attendance.

Martin Staszko from the Czech Republic is in a dominant position with a 40.175 million chip stack after steadily accumulating chips throughout the day. He was never afraid to put his chips to work and will be a big danger to the more well known players at the table in November. What makes Staszko's run all the more remarkable is the fact that he had just 12,000 chips when the money bubble burst with 693 players remaining.

In second place is Eoghan O'Dea, son of well known pro Donnacha O'Dea, with 33.925 million chips. Another player who is not afraid to use his big stack to bully the other players at the table, the Irishman will have a lot of support come November. His father has 6 deep runs in the Main Event since 1983 and final tabled it twice.

Matt Giannetti will be surprised to find himself third in chips after being short stacked for a long time. Giannetti managed to pick up pocket Jacks when he needed chips desperately on two occasions and double up both times to reach his current stack of 24.75 million.

Fourth placed Phil Collins has 23.875 million in chips and a rail that sing "In The Air Tonight", a song by his famous musical namesake, every time he scoops a pot. Collins is one of the most respected players at the table and has the chips to make an impact in November.

Current player of the year leader Ben Lamb is fifth in chips with 20.875 million. Lamb has already earned $2million this series, including the $782,115 pay day he is guaranteed for his November Nine appearance. Winning the Main Event is not out of the question at all for Lamb, though it will be tough for him to maintain his current heater for nearly four months.

Badih Bounahra, a cardroom owner in Belize and originally from Lebanon, sits in sixth place with 19.7 million chips. His unpredictable style has made some of his opponents uneasy. He was lucky enough to pick up Kings short stacked and had his all-in called (very questionably) by John Hewitt's King-Queen to double up and build a comfortable stack.

Aggressive German pro Pius Heinz is seventh in chips with 16.425 million. His volatile style means he is probably equally likely to double up and get into a winning position or bust quickly when the nine players return on November 5th.

The chip leader going into Day 8 was Anton Makievskyi from the Ukraine. He is now eighth in chips after losing almost half his stack throughout the day and sits with 13.825 million and just about 27 big blinds at the current 250k/500k (50k ante) level to which they will return to.

British hopes rest with Samuel Holden, the shortest stack at the table with 12.375 million. Holden appeared to wait for players to bust while nursing his stack near the end of the day.

With no major chip leaders or short stacks going into the November Nine, the Main Event final table promises to be an incredible battle, with even the shortest stacks just one double up from contending for the most coveted bracelet in poker.

Chips counts from WSOP.com