28 Jul 10

Meet the November Nine: Seats 7 - 9

The seats 7 and 8 at this year's WSOP Main Event final table belong to two young pros John Racener and Filippo Candio. The only amateur and also the oldest player at the table, Soi Nguyen, is in seat 9.

We wrap up the November Niners' presentation with the remaining three players at the final table. John Racener is a young pro who has already taken down several big tournaments. Alongside him is the last European in the tournament, Filippo Candio from Italy.

Finally, in seat 9, we have the only amateur in this year's Main Event final table - Soi Nguyen. He was inspired by Chris Moneymaker's appearance in the Main Event and now he has a chance to repeat Moneymaker's success.

Seat 7: John Racener

  • John RacenerAge: 24
  • Location: Port Richey, US
  • Chip stack: 19,050,000
At the age of 16, John Racener started playing poker when his mother agreed to deposit $50 onto his online poker account. He worked his way up quickly and eventually started playing in the major online tournaments.

One of his most notable achievements is winning the Sunday $500,000 tournament (now known as the Sunday Million) for $130,000, before reaching 20 years of age. His poker career kept going up and in 2007, he won a WSOP Circuit event in Atlantic City for $379,392.

However, Racener now has a chance to make the biggest accomplishment many poker players strive for - becoming the Main Event champion. When asked about how he feels to have reached the final table, he said "it is a dream come true." He will certainly look to prolong his dream all the way to the title.

Seat 8: Filippo Candio

  • Filippo CandioAge: 26
  • Location: Cagliari, IT
  • Chip stack: 16,400,000
The only European left in the Main Event is the Italian poker pro Filippo Candio. He is considered to be one of the best tournament players in his country, alongside the likes of Dario Minieri, and last year he proved that by winning the Italian Pro Championship in San Remo for €140,000.

Now, he has secured himself a minimum payday of $811,823 for reaching the Main Event final table. Candio has great respect for the other November Niners and considers them as very tough opponents. In order to increase his chances of winning the title, he plans to sharpen his poker skills with the help of a coach.

Seat 9: Soi Nguyen

  • Soi NguyenAge: 37
  • Location: Santa Ana, US
  • Chip stack: 9,650,000
At 37 years old, Soi Nguyen is the oldest player among this year's November Niners and is also the only amateur at the table.

Despite being a casual player himself, he grew up alongside Tommy and Nam Le, two renowned pros. This acquaintance has certainly helped him improve his poker skills and now he's gotten a chance to duke it out against fellow poker players for the most coveted bracelet in the WSOP.

If he is to win the Main Event title, he would repeat the success of the man who inspired him into entering the tournament in the first place - Chris Moneymaker. Moneymaker's story has enticed many casual players to follow his footsteps and if you ask Nguyen, his chances of winning the title are just as good as anyone else's.

Who will win the Main Event?

That concludes our presentation on this year's November Nine. Which one of these players will take home the most prestigious title in poker? Tell us your opinion in the comments. If you didn't read about the other six players, please follow the links below:

Meet the November Nine: Seats 1 - 3

Meet the November Nine: Seats 4 - 6


Photo source: WSOP