Seat 1: Matt Giannetti (Las Vegas, NV)
Giannetti is a 26-year-old poker pro from Las Vegas. Prior to playing full time, Giannetti graduated from the University of Texas. He was short-stacked during much of the later stages of Day Eight, but managed to survive a number of all-ins and comes to the final table right in the middle of the pack (fifth of nine players)
Seat 2: Badih Bounahra (Belize City, Belize)
Bounahra becomes the first player from Belize ever to make it to the Main Event final table. He is a 49-year-old businessman. Bounahra was actually born in Lebanon, but is proud to now call Belize City his home. Bounahra was very low on chips on Day Six, but ran well late and survived. Now, he has an average-size stack.
Seat 3: Eoghan ODea (Dublin, Ireland)
ODea is a 26-year-old poker pro. This is his fifth WSOP cash, four of which have taken place this year. He has cashed in several major tournaments, mostly in Europe. He is the son of famous Irish poker player and gambler Donnacha ODea, who won a WSOP gold bracelet in 1998. ODea was second in chips when Day Eight began. He remains second in chips.
Seat 4: Phil Collins (Las Vegas, NV)
Collins is a 26-year-old pro poker player. He was previously a college student. He attended the University of South Carolina. He met his wife Katie while in school. She lived across the hall from him. They were married last year. He played a lot of online poker until the developments of April 2011. He has been at or near the top of the leaderboard during much of the last two days.
Seat 5: Anton Makiievskyi (Dnipropetrovsk, Ukraine)
Makiievskyi is a 21-year-old aspiring poker pro. This is his first trip to the WSOP in Las Vegas. Four Ukrainians have already won gold bracelets this year. Makiievskyi hopes to become the fifth. This marks the first time a Ukrainian player has ever appeared at the Main Event final table. He is one of the lowest two stacks, but is not in serious danger of busting soon because he has several rounds of blinds and antes.
Seat 6: Sam Holden (Sussex, UK)
Holden is a 22-year-old professional poker player. He is playing in his first WSOP this year. He holds the lowest stack, but (like Makiievskyi) is not in serious danger of busting soon because he has enough chips to make it through several rounds of blinds and antes.
Seat 7: Pius Heinz (Cologne, Germany)
Heinz is a 22-year-old student and poker player. He is playing at his first WSOP this year. He finished seventh in one of the earlier $1,500 NLHE events. He becomes the first player from Germany ever to make it the Main Event finale. Hes seventh in chips at the moment.
Seat 8: Ben Lamb (Tulsa, OK)
Lamb is enjoying a monster run and is unquestionably the player who is on the hottest streak of anyone at this year's WSOP. He leads the 2011 WSOP "Player of the Year" race. He has a gold bracelet win, a second place finish, and eighth- and twelfth-place showings in his four cashes and is now making a very deep run in the Main Event. Lamb is playing as well as, if not better than, any player in the world at the moment.
Seat 9: Martin Staszko (Trinec, Czech Republic)
Staszko is a 35-year-old professional poker player. He becomes the first player ever from the Czech Republic to make it to the Main Event final table. He will resume play at the chip leader when the November Nine begins.
