Seat 6: João Silva, 27, Lagos, Algarve, Portugal - 780,000 chips | 2009 PokerStars.com EPT Vilamoura

Even though there is another Portuguese player at the final, it's João Silva is the one who can really say he is playing at home. The 27-year-old pro has come to his first EPT from Lagos, a small city in the Algarve region around half an hour from Vilamoura. Only 14 months ago he quit his job as an IT consultant to dedicate himself 100% to poker. He says he prefers playing cash but his tournament results this year are pretty impressive. He has already made more than €32,000 in four live tournaments since August, including three final tables and a first place in Casino Estoril. When he is not playing poker, he loves to go to the Algarve's beaches and kite surf. Even though he is far away from the chip lead, he assures that he has only one goal in EPT Vilamoura: "to win it!" He also plans to attend other EPTs.