Instantly recognizable at the tables in his brightly-colored Ferrari jacket, Malaguti, is a native of Venice, Italy. Formerly a professional soccer player, Malaguti cashed at the 2006 WSOP Main Event, finishing 730th for which he picked up $16,493. His biggest cash to date was for a 21st place finish at a 2007 WPT event. Finishing fifth or higher today will eclipse that personal best payday for Malaguti.
Formerly a derivatives trader on the options exchange, Marc Naalden recently made the transition to professional poker player, and the move has been a good one. A native of Holland, Naalden currently makes his home in Antwerp, Belgium. Naalden already has one WSOP bracelet this summer, having won his first in Event No. 38, $2,000 Limit Hold'em. Naalden has numerous cashes on the European circuit, having earned just $1 million lifetime in tournaments. This event marks his eighth WSOP cash, and fourth this summer. It is believed this may be the first WSOP final table ever to feature two Dutch players -- Naalden and Van Den Bijgaart.
This marks Argentinian Jose Barbero's sixth WSOP cash -- his previous best showing being a 50th place finish in a 2008 $2,500 No-Limit Hold'em event -- though his first in 17 tries this summer. Barbero has over a quarter million dollars in tourney winnings lifetime. The Team PokerStars Argentina pro also recently made a final table at a Latin American Poker Tour event in Mar del Plata.
Greg "FBT" Mueller ("FBT" for "Full Blown Tilt") is having a terrific WSOP this summer, having already won his first WSOP bracelet in Event No. 33, the $10,000 World Championship Limit Hold'em event, and also having made the final table of another World Championship event (Seven-Card Stud). A former professional hockey player, Mueller has earned over $1.5 million lifetime in tournaments, and is closing in on 20 cashes at the WSOP. This marks Mueller's seventh WSOP final table.
Matt Sterling of Indiana has over $250,000 in tournament winnings thus far, with a half-dozen previous WSOP cashes. His highest WSOP cash prior to today was for finishing 238th in the 2007 Main Event ($45,422).
Not only is this Joep van den Bijgaart's first World Series of Poker, but apparently this marks his first-ever event, too! A member of Team PokerStars Holland, Bijgaart played high-stakes limit hold'em online, but can be found grinding 15-20 tables of lower-stakes no-limit as well. Van Den Bijgaart also occasionally writes strategy columns for PokerNews Netherlands. Van Den Bijgaart cashed earlier this year at EPT Deauville, although no matter where he finishes today will mark his biggest live tourney cash to date.
Millie Shiu can often be found at various cash games in both the Las Vegas and California card rooms. She has three prior WSOP cashes, her biggest score coming in the 2004 Ladies' event where she just missed winning the bracelet, finishing runner-up to Huong Doan and winning $32,200.
David Williams first made his mark on the poker world at the 2004 WSOP Main Event where he finished second to Greg Raymer. Since that $3.5 million score, Williams has accrued nearly $3 million more in tournament winnings, his biggest cashes having been for a runner-up at the 2004 WPT Borgata Poker Open ($573,800), a fourth place finish at the 2006 WPT Bay 101 Shooting Stars ($280,000), another fourth at the 2006 WPT Mirage Poker Showdown ($221,958), and a runner-up in the 2006 WSOP $5,000 No-Limit 2-7 Triple Draw event ($256,091). Williams is making his 16th WSOP cash in this event, and his fifth WSOP final table. He's trying for his second WSOP bracelet today, having won the $1,500 Seven-Card Stud event in 2006.