Joe Cada Wins 2009 WSOP
Joe Cada, the 21 year-old that dropped out of college, has gone on to take down the most prestegious title in poker: the 2009 WSOP Main Event. Doing so, Cada has become the youngest player EVER to win a WSOP Main Event. He outlasted the huge initial field of 6,494 participants then went into the final table (otherwise known as the November 9) as one of the shorter stacks, but after several grueling days of play managed to go heads-up against Darvin “I can’t seem to lose this game” Moon, a logger from Oakland, Maryland. The final hand was virtually a coin-flip with an all-in preflop of Cada’s 9’s vs. Moon’s QJ suited. The 9’s held up and Moon was sent to the rail giving Cada a bracelet, lifelong fame and over $8.5 Million dollars!
The two biggest hands from the heads-up session were these 2 (from the PokerNews live reporting):
“Hand #356 – Joe Cada Makes An All-In Call Joe Cada has the button. He raises to 3 million and Moon makes the call. It comes 10c 5d 9h , and the action goes check-check. The turn comes the 10d and Moon checks once again. Cada can’t resist betting 3 million, and Moon quickly announces an all in check-raise! Cada takes a sip from his water bottle as he pauses to consider his options for a few moments. He sinks deep into his chair and practically lays his head on the rail, cradled in his elbow. The decision is clearly an agonizing one. Finally, and quietly, Cada says, “I call.” With that, he is now at risk, and Moon is potentially one card from the bracelet. With the entire theater on their feet, the cards are turned over: Moon – 7s8s Cada – jh 9d Cada is ahead with his two pair, but Moon is drawing to his open-ender, and he sure does run good. After a long, suspenseful delay, the river comes: 3h That’s safe for Cada, and he gives the ol’ double fist pump as he heads off into the arms of his cheering section. With that good call, Cada has earned himself a massive double up and the chip lead once again! Moon – 86,500,000 Cada – 108,300,000″
AND
“Darvin Moon Eliminated in 2nd Place ($5,182,928) Hand #364 – Joe Cada has the button. It’s 3 million again, and Moon is looking like a re-raise this time. Indeed, he does three-bet it up to 8 million, and Cada double-checks his cards before announcing an all in. Moon double-checks his own cards and quickly makes the call for his tournament life! Just like that we’ve got an enormous pot! With just under 150 million chips up for grabs, the cards are turned over: Cada – 9c 9d Moon – Qd Jd It’s pandemonium inside the theater. The crowd is jumping up and down in the balconies as everyone screams their orders at the stage. The spectators on stage lean in towards the players, jockeying for position to catch a glimpse of this monumental board. With the eyes of the poker world staring directly at the table, the dealer burns a card and runs the flop: 8c 2c 7s That’s clean and safe for Cada, now two cards away from poker glory. Moon is standing up behind his chair with a blank stare, and Cada can’t bear to watch. He’s over in the stands, clutched in the arms of Cliff Josephy. The tension mounts again as the turn card falls: Kh That’s an awfully scary paint card, but it’s safe for Cada. Moon will need to catch a queen or a jack to prevent Joe Cada from wining every last chip in play. The drama is too great for words. There’s one more card to come. With the tension coming to an absolute climax, here comes your river card: 7s. A deafening roar echoes through the rafters as Joe Cada is swarmed by his friends and family in the crowd. Darvin Moon shakes his head and paces slowly away from the table. Cada comes over to shake his hand, and the two men exchange pleasantries before Moon’s exit. After a truly legendary run for Darvin Moon, his Main Event is done.”
Many people say Moon did not seem too interested in actually winning this event. He never took any sponsorships and mentioned in interviews that he didn’t plan on doing anything to prepare for the final table. It really kind of shows in these 2 hands above.
Congratulations to Joe Cada on this amazing win!
Here is the breakdown of the other payouts for the 2009 WSOP Main Event:
2009 WSOP Main Event Payouts
1. Joe Cada, USA, PokerStars player, $8,546,435
2. Darvin Moon, USA, $5,182,601
3. Antoine Saout, France, $3,479,485
4. Eric Buchman, USA, PokerStars player, $2,502,787
5. Jeff Shulman, USA, $1,953,395
6. Steven Begleiter, USA, $1,587,133
7. Phil Ivey, USA, $1,404,002
8. Kevin Schaffel, USA, PokerStars qualifier, $1,300,228
9. James Akenhead, UK, $1,263,602
