$5,150 Circuit Championship Main Event | 2009 World Series of Poker Circuit - Tunica

02-04-2009 14:04 UTC-5

The Time Approaches

[user66118]

Good afternoon once again from Harrah's in Tunica, Mississippi, and welcome to PokerNews' coverage of the WSOP-C final table. Play began just about 48 hours ago with 154 hopefuls vying for the shot at the title. Now, just nine remain to duke it out. Each of them stand to take home some cash today, but they all have their sights set on the top prize. The lucky man who manages to outlast the other eight will pick up more than $180,000, an $11,000 WSOP package for 2009, and a stunning diamond-inlaid gold ring.

David Dao took the overnight chip lead into Day 2, and we will see him here with us today at the final table as well. He's not as healthy as he was then though; Dao bled some chips towards the close of play yesterday, and he'll be riding one of the short stacks today.

Matt Stout doesn't have to worry about riding any short stack. Stout was second in chips after one day of play, but he would charge to the top in Day 2, thanks in part to one huge showdown with Jeremiah Vinsant. Stout came out on top, making him the first (and so far only) player to crest the 1,000,000-chip mark. "Allinat420" has one third of the total chips in play, and he will be the huge handicapping favorite today.

Bios and photos of the final nine will be posted shortly, and our final table gets underway in one hour, at 2:00pm CST. We hope you'll join us then as we crown a victor here at the WSOP-C Harrah's Tunica!

02-04-2009 14:16 UTC-5

Seat 1: Leonard Eidson (375,500)

[user66118]

Leonard "LB" Eidson is a 33-year-old player from Bulls Gap, TN. He has been playing poker for about 15 years, and has a couple of cashes under his belt here in Tunica. Earlier in this series, Eidson notched a 25th-place finish in a preliminary event. He'll improve on that here in the main event though. Regardless of where he finishes today, this will be Eidson's best tournament showing to date.

Eidson starts in the top half of the pack today with 375,500.

Tags: Leonard Eidson

02-04-2009 14:18 UTC-5

Seat 2: Matthew "Brian" McCoy (150,400)

[user66118]

Brian McCoy is also 33 years old, and he made the short trip over from his hometown in Memphis, TN to play here this week. McCoy is self-employed, and he has been playing poker on the side for about six years. This is his first major final table.

McCoy has some work to do today; he'll begin near the bottom with 150,400 in chips.

Tags: Brian McCoy

02-04-2009 14:28 UTC-5

Seat 3: Glenn Hyde (155,000)

[user66118]

Glenn Hyde (who is mistakenly listed as "Glynn" on his registration) is 55 years old and is a resident of Atlanta, GA. When he's not grinding it out on the felt, Hyde is a business analyst. He is a true poker vet though, more than 30 years into his poker career. He has already tallied one cash here in Tunica, racking up a fourth place finish in a preliminary event for almost $5,000. He'll improve on that significantly today. Regardless of where he finishes, he will record his largest tournament cash here at this main event final table.

Hyde is on the short side, beginning with 155,000 in chips.

Tags: Glenn Hyde

02-04-2009 14:36 UTC-5

Seat 4: Kai Landry (375,000)

[user66118]

Kai Landry is a "thirty-something" poker player who resides in Biloxi, MS. When he's not on the felt, he's on the sea, spending his days as a whale fisherman (or so he says). Although, he also says he's only been playing poker for 47 minutes, so we're not sure how seriously to take the talkative Landry. His big breakthrough hand of the tournament occurred right at the end of Day 2 last night. Landry was all in with pocket threes against the pocket eights of Gavin Smith. Lightning struck for the amateur though, as he peeled off a third three on the flop, knocking out the pro on the final table bubble.

Landry is healthy in chips, starting near the top with 375,000

Tags: Kai Landry

02-04-2009 14:42 UTC-5

Seat 5: David Dao (150,000)

[user66118]

David Dao is a 60-year-old M.D. from Elizabethtown, KY. Dao is a native of Saigon, Vietnam though, and he has been playing poker semi-seriously for about four years. Dao was the leader of the pack following Day 1, but he took a few steps back yesterday, finishing near the bottom of the pack.

Dao sits on 150,000 in chips at the start of play.

Tags: David Dao

02-04-2009 14:43 UTC-5

Seat 6: Jeremy Byrum (404,500)

[user42991]

Second in chips heading into this final table is Jeremy Byrum. Byrum hails from Katy, TX and spent a good portion of Day 1 as the chip leader. His initial table referred to him as "The Terminator" due to the fact that he eliminated player after player on the first day.

This appears to be Byrum's first tournament cash and final table. He starts with 404,500 chips and at the moment is the only true threat to Matt Stout's million chip stack.

Tags: Jeremy Byrum

02-04-2009 14:43 UTC-5

Seat 7: Mike "GoLeafsGoEh" Leah (335,000)

[user42991]

The only other true professional at the table today is Mike Leah. He starts today's final with 335,000 chips. He has over $500,000 in live tournament winnings and nearly a Million online. He has been playing poker for around 4 years and his biggest accomplishment to date was a 3rd place finish in the 2008 United States Poker Championship Main Event.

He is also known as "Captain Min Raise." In a profile about Leah, he states "any game I can min-raise in is the shizzle."

Tags: Mike Leah

02-04-2009 14:47 UTC-5

Seat 8: Frank Wyville (138,500)

[user42991]

The potential sentimental favorite at this final table is Frank Wyville. Wyville is a fire fighter from Anniston, AL. Today is Wyville's first professional final table and third circuit cash overall.

Yesterday, Wyville was all in for his tournament life against David Dao and was able to survive to give him enough chips to compete with. He enters today as the short stack.

A couple of his buddies stopped by the table and said that they were here to root him on to victory. Wyville will start with at least 20 big blinds, so there is always hope.

Tags: Frank Wyville

02-04-2009 14:51 UTC-5

Seat 9: Matt "Allinat420" Stout (1,005,000)

[user42991]

The massive chip leader going into this final table is Matt Stout. He finished Day 1 second in chips and never looked back on Day 2. He first eliminated Captain Tom Franklin in two hands and then knocked out Jeremiah Vinsant to build his stack up to over 900,000. He continued to chip up from there to arrive to this table with nearly one third of the chips in play.

Stout comes into this final table looking for his 2nd circuit ring and first Circuit Championship ring.

Tags: Matt Stout