£10,000 WSOP Europe Main Event | 2008 World Series of Poker Europe

10-02-2008 12:43 UTC+1

2008 WSOP-E Main Event Presented by Betfair.com - The Final Table

[user38449]

Bird's eye view of last night's unofficial final table

Welcome back to the Casino at the Empire for the final installment of our 2008 WSOP-E Main Event Coverage. It's taken five days for the 362-player field to play down to nine, and today, a champion will be crowned. In seat order, here are your nine finalists:

Seat 1: Robin Keston 849,000
Seat 2: Daniel Negreanu 1,002,000
Seat 3: Chris Elliott 281,000
Seat 4: Bengt Sonnert 385,000
Seat 5: John Juanda 1,349,000
Seat 6: Ivan Demidov 1,006,000
Seat 7: Toni Hiltunen 386,000
Seat 8: Scott Fischman 732,000
Seat 9: Stanislav Alekhin 1,278,000

Coverage is scheduled to begin at 1:00 p.m. local time. We'll see you then!

10-02-2008 12:55 UTC+1

Final Table Bios: Seat 1, Robin Keston (849,000)

Share on Twitter Share on Facebook

[user25067]

44-year old Robin Keston hails from right here in London. Though he lists his occupation as "retired" he has a poker resume longer than many of the game's professionals, spanning well over a decade and including dozens of final tables, primarily in his favorite poker game, pot-limit Omaha. Most recently, Keston finished 12th at the 2008 EPT Grand Final in Monte Carlo and made the final table of the $5,000 PLO event at the 2007 WSOP. A father of three, this is Keston's ninth WSOP cash and his second final table.

10-02-2008 12:56 UTC+1

Final Table Bios: Seat 2, Daniel Negreanu (1,002,000)

Share on Twitter Share on Facebook

[user25067]

A poker luminary who practically needs no introduction, Daniel Negreanu is a four-time WSOP bracelet winner and two-time WPT champion with over $10 million in career tournament earnings. After cashing five times at this summer's WSOP-Las Vegas including two final tables and a win in the $2,000 Limit Hold'em event, Negreanu cashed three times in four events at the WSOP-E. Also a poker author, columnist and instructor, this is Negreanu's 34th WSOP cash and his 17th final table. He is also a self-confessed golf addict.

10-02-2008 12:56 UTC+1

Final Table Bios: Seat 3, Chris Elliott (281,000)

Share on Twitter Share on Facebook

[user25067]

The WSOP-E Main Event has been quite the coming-out party for 33-year old Chris Elliott who made his live tournament debut this week at the Empire. Prior to becoming a professional gambler, the 33-year old worked as a driver. Hailing from Alloa, U.K., Elliot boasts over 100 online multi-table tournament wins and qualified for this event via a $500 satellite. Like his tablemate Daniel Negreanu, Elliot is also an avid golfer.

10-02-2008 12:56 UTC+1

Final Table Bios: Seat 4, Bengt Sonnert (385,000)

Share on Twitter Share on Facebook

[user25067]

Bengt Sonnert doesn't play too many live tournaments, preferring to play online, but when he does you can count on him finishing deep. Hailing from Linkoping, Sweden the 27-year old poker pro finished 4th at the 2005 Monte Carlo Millions and made the final table of the 2005 WPT Five-Diamond Classic at Bellagio, finishing 8th. He has also made televised appearances at the Party Poker World Open, the Poker Million, and the 888.com Nations Cup. This is Sonnert's first WSOP cash and first final table.

10-02-2008 12:57 UTC+1

Final Table Bios: Seat 5, John Juanda (1,349,000)

Share on Twitter Share on Facebook

[user25067]

Indonesian-born John Juanda is another poker superstar that hardly needs an introduction. The 37-year old poker pro is already the owner of three WSOP bracelets and can boast over $7 million in career tournament earnings. Juanda won the $100,000 buy in No-Limit Hold'em event at the 2006 Aussie Millions, the World Poker Open Main Event, and has made 45 cashes at the WSOP. Juanda also holds an MBA from Seattle University and once worked as a door-to-door Bible salesman. Today marks his 20th WSOP final table.

10-02-2008 12:58 UTC+1

Final Table Bios: Seat 6, Ivan Demidov (1,006,000)

Share on Twitter Share on Facebook

[user25067]

Moscow's Ivan Demidov has already set one record today, becoming the first player in history to make the final table of the WSOP Main Event in Las Vegas and the final table of the WSOP-E Main Event in the same year. A member of the "November Nine" 27-year old Demidov will go into the Main Event final table in Las Vegas second in chips. Before becoming a poker professional, Demidov was a student. With his two final table appearances this year, he's already banked over a million dollars in earnings.

10-02-2008 12:59 UTC+1

Final Table Bios: Seat 7, Toni Hiltunen (386,000)

Share on Twitter Share on Facebook

[user25067]

31-year old Toni Hiltunen hails from Lahti, Finland. The father of a three-year old girl, Hiltunen has worked as a UN peacekeeper and a volunteer fireman. Having qualified online for the WSOP-E Main Event, he would become Finland's first-ever bracelet winner should he capture the title today. This is his first WSOP cash and first final table.

10-02-2008 12:59 UTC+1

Final Table Bios: Seat 8, Scott Fischman (732,000)

Share on Twitter Share on Facebook

[user25067]

Prior to becoming a poker professional, 28-year old Scott Fischman worked as a poker dealer. He burst onto the tournament scene at the 2004 WSOP when he won two bracelets, one in no-limit hold'em and the other in H.O.R.S.E. With over $2.2 million in career tournament earnings, this is his his 12th WSOP cash and his 4th final table.

10-02-2008 12:59 UTC+1

Final Table Bios: Seat 9, Stanislav Alekhin (1,278,000)

Share on Twitter Share on Facebook

[user25067]

23-year old Stanislav Alekhin is a poker pro from Moscow, Russia. Before making a career on the felt, he was a student. He comes into play today second in chips, right behind John Juanda and is the youngest player at the final table. This is his first WSOP cash and his first final table.