06 Nov 08

November Nine: Darus Suharto

Each day a November Nine in detail. Today: Darus Suharto – The Canadian qualified himself for the Main Event of the WSOP in a $80 PokerStars satellite, and so follows the trail of Chris Moneymaker.

Like Moneymaker, Suharto was also an unknown face in the poker business, and just like Moneymaker, only few have the introverted Suharto on their list. Not really poker-relevant, but still an interesting parallel: both worked as an accountant before the finale.

Moneymaker quit his job after his win, and signed up at PokerStars and as a speaker for Harrah's Entertainment.

However, that's as far as the similarities go, at least when it comes to Suharto. He only plays on the weekend, and this isn't supposed to change either. Poker should remain a hobby.

Nonetheless, he prepared himself for the finale during the last weeks. Studying books, analysing the opponents, and one or the other live tournament were on his list.

About a month ago, he started in the WPT event of the North American Poker Championship and finished Day 1 as a clear chip leader. However, he was not able to turn it into a cash.

He isn't a gambler, and that's what could benefit him on November 9th. Suharto plays his unspectacular, solid style and should certainly not be overlooked when it comes to having a shot at the title. He might not be a favourite, but he is certainly no fish either.

With 12.5 million in chips, Suharto starts with the sixth-biggest stack. All in all, there are 136,865,000 chips in play.

Origin of photo material: WSOP