Meet your October Nine!

Well, that’s that for another year. The tables are gone, the Rio is empty and thousands of poker players the world over are making their way back home to count their losses or celebrate their winnings. But for nine lucky hopefuls, the 2012 WSOP isn’t finished just yet.

On Tuesday, the 6,598-strong Main Event field was whittled down to a final nine players. But unlike previous years, they won’t have to wait till November to get their hands on the most coveted bracelet in poker. Nope, due to some pesky thing called the American Presidential Elections, this year’s final table has been brought forward to October. So just who will the world be watching when the Main Event returns to the Penn & Teller Theatre on October 28? Let’s take a look…

Here’s how the final chip stacks finished up:

1. Jesse Sylvia 43,875,000
2. Andras Koroknai 29,375,000
3. Greg Merson 28,725,000
4. Russell Thomas 24,800,000
5. Steven Gee 16,860,000
6. Michael Esposito 16,260,000
7. Robert Salaburu 15,155,000
8. Jacob Balsiger 13,115,000
9. Jeremy Ausmus 9,805,000

Jesse Sylvia
Age: 26
Hometown: Massachusetts, America
Biggest Score: $15,078

The 888poker pro and Vegas resident carries the chip lead into October, but is still fairly new to the tournament scene. A cash gamer by trade, Sylvia’s love for poker was formed at high school, and after initially struggling to beat the online game, the 26-year-old soon got the hang of things.

The most aggressive player heading in to the final table, Sylvia will be looking to add to his sole WSOP career cash in last year’s $1.5k Six-Max when he returns later this year.

Andras Koroknai
Age: 30
Hometown: Debrecen, Hungary
Biggest Score: $1,788,040

Former WPT winner Andras Koroknai is one of the most experienced pros on this year’s final table. With two previous WSOP cashes and almost $2m in career earnings, the Hungarian is one of the few October Niners with any real pedigree. But his journey to the final table was clouded by controversy.

Were it not for a dubious ruling prior to the final day, he could have been watching from the stands. In a hand involving final table bubble girl Gaelle Bauman (who Koroknai would eventually bust), the WPT winner moved all-in and tried to retrieve his cards from the muck after claiming he hadn’t seen Baumann’s early position raise. The floor ruled he only had to pay off the raise but that his hand was still dead, and when Baumann flipped up Kings, some felt Koroknai should have hit the rail.

If he goes on to win this year’s $8,527,982 first prize, expect a few raised eyebrows.

Greg Merson
Age: 24
Hometown: Maryland, America
Biggest Score: $1,136,197

Already a WSOP bracelet winner this year thanks to a stunning performance in the stacked $10k Six Max, Merson will fancy his chances this October. A high volume cash player and good friend of past November Niner Ben Lamb, expect a lot from this year’s WSOP Player of the Year.

On Day 5, Merson looked like hitting the rail after being cut down to a few big blinds, but in the final few days the uni-dropout went on a tear, eventually bagging up a sizeable stack for the final table. If we were betting men (and we are), Merson is our pick to win the whole lot.

Russell Thomas
Age: 24
Hometown: Pennsylvania, America
Biggest Score: $84,256

A veteran of three WSOP cashes, including one final table, Russell Thomas has swung under the radar at this year’s Main Event. But while most of the attention was on which big name would bust next or whether or not a woman could reach poker’s biggest final table, Thomas was busy stacking chips.

Thomas cashed in 2011’s series, and has already smashed that 248th place finish with a berth in this year’s final nine. It all seems a long way away from his humble beginnings in poker, where watching his older brother play online poker was enough to whet his appetite. If he goes on to claim the top prize, expect his brother to call in a few favours.

Steven Gee
Age: 56
Hometown: Sacramento, America
Biggest Score: $472,479

Along with Merson, Steven Gee is the only October Niner to already own a shinny WSOP bracelet. But despite his winning performance in 2010’s $1,000 NLHE for $472,479, the elder statesman of the final table (alongside Michael Esposito) is more of a cash gamer and low-stakes MTT grinder than tourney pro.

Now the former manager with the California Public Employee’s Retirement System is ready to eclipse all those years struggling on the felt with a deep run in the biggest event of them all.

Michael Esposito
Age: 58
Hometown: New York, America
Biggest Score: $47,310

With just over $170,000 in career earnings heading into this year’s Main Event, it’s fair to say, New Yorker Michael Esposito has had a week to remember. An old school pro and 7 Card Stud expert, Esposito has found success on the NLHE scene at tours around the States, but this year’s final table is easily his biggest of all time.

Robert Salaburu
Age: 27
Hometown: Texas, America
Biggest Score: $17,261

An underdog of the group, Salaburu had just under $40,000 in live earnings before guaranteeing himself more than $750,000 in this year’s Main Event, and claims he’s just looking for to win a ‘shit-ton’ of money make life easier.

After going busto too many times to count as a cash grinder, the outspoken Salaburu could provide some personality to this year’s pro-lacking final nine.

Jacob Balsiger
Age: 21
Hometown: Arizona, America
Biggest Score: $3,531

This year’s fresh face, Jacob Balsiger has only just turned 21 but already has a WSOP final table to look forward to. Not bad for a player who didn’t think he was good enough to earn a living from the game till earlier this year.

A Political Science student at the university of Arizona, Balsiger will need to spin up a big stack if he’s to become this year’s Chris Moneymaker. Whatever happens, he’s sure to be a big name on campus next semester.

Jeremy Ausmus
Age: 32
Hometown: Colorado, America
Biggest Score: $190,000

Last but not least, this year’s short stack is Jeremy Ausmus. Like many of today’s grinders, the Colorado native found his way into poker through Matt Damon and the Rounders crew, and now the Economics graduate is living the dream in Vegas as a poker pro. With 14 WSOP cashes and over $1m in live earnings, don’t count out this short stack just yet.

So there you have it, this year’s WSOP Main Event October Nine is set. Who’s your money on? How does this year’s Main Event stack up with recent years? And what was your WSOP moment of 2012? Let us know via Facebook or Twitter.