photo by flipchip • lasvegasvegas.com

Want to own a piece of poker history? How about the main event TV table used when Greg Raymer won in 2004, Joe Hachem in 2005, and Jamie Gold in 2006? That's right, the very table where many of poker's elite traded chips in their quest to become a part of poker history.

Check out the auction on eBay for this historic poker table. According to the auction details you'll receive a table cover signed by Jamie Gold when he took down the record $12 million purse in 2006 for a WSOP Main Event.

photo by flipchip • lasvegasvegas.com

photo by flipchip • lasvegasvegas.com

Carsten Joh topped a field of 2781 poker players to capture his first WSOP bracelet and $664,426 in cash. The German native played a conservative game during most of the Monday's final table as he slowly accumulated enough chips to remain in the contest. His game plan worked well as he avoided the traps while those around him fell victim to their aggressive play. Heads-up found Joh facing a tough Andrew Chen holding almost the same number of chips; but, this was to be Joh's day of fame. He caught the cards needed in critical hands to finally defeat Chen.

Andrew Chen was obviously disappointed to come so far and get so close to the WSOP gold, then be denied the win in the final hands. Of course, the $412,632 payday will help to keep his spirits up for another day at the WSOP poker tables. Third place and $272,405 goes to David Walasinski.

The event begin with a sell-out crowd of 2,781 players building a prize pool of $3,796,065 distributed to the last 297 players to be eliminated.

The 2009 World Series of Poker Main Event is scheduled to kick off on Noon Friday with the first of four Day 1's. Many are predicting a record crowd for this year's championship event. Will you be one of them?

photo by flipchip • lasvegasvegas.com

photo by flipchip • lasvegasvegas.com

photo by flipchip • lasvegasvegas.com

Greg Mueller became the fourth player in this year's WSOP to win two events and take down two gold bracelets. Heads up he faced another 2009 player going for double gold, Marc Naalden. In the end it was the more experienced Muelller that finally held all the chips and scored the repeat. Greg Mueller also received $194,854 in cash to add to his earlier win in 2009 WSOP Event #33.

Marc Naalden received takes home $120,614 as runner-up. Millie Shiu hit the gate in third to collect $77,138 in cash.The event attracted a field of 572 runners including many of poker's biggest names. The top 64 finishers walked away with cash.

photo by flipchip • lasvegasvegas.com

photo by flipchip • lasvegasvegas.com

photo by flipchip • lasvegasvegas.com

photo by flipchip • lasvegasvegas.com

Brandon Cantu takes a gold bracelet for his playing abilities in Pot Limit Omaha Hi/Lo 8-or-Better plus a nice chunk of change, $228,867.On Day 1 Brandon was just 1 in 762 hopefuls taking the felt at the 2009 World Series of Poker;r and, this was no pushover crowd. Many of the poker biggest pros and Omaha specialists were in the mix.

When the final two players met heads-up across the final table it was Brandon Cantu facing seasoned professional Lee Watkinson for the gold. In the initial going it appeared that Cantu was on the short list to leave the building, actually falling behind to the tune of 6 - 1. He then staged one of the classic WSOP comebacks and took down his first bracelet of 2009 giving him a total of two.

Lee Watkinson just missed taking the match and probably will spend some private time contemplating how very close he came before the cards turned against him. While he's sulking he can enjoy the benefits of the $141,873 collected for second. Jocqmin Mathieu completed the top three for $92,946 in cash.

The event pulled in 762 Omana fanatics and built another WSOP million dollar prize pool, $1,040,130 to be exact, paid out to the last 72 lucky players.

photo by jonathan • www.Jonathanboncek.com

Bahador Ahmadi claimed the 47th gold bracelet awarded at the 2009 World Series of Poker at the Rio Resort in Las Vegas. Playing the same game that got him to the final table proved to be good enough for the win. Ahmadi took advantage of the ultra-aggresive play style of his heads-up opponent, John Guiness, to call when he was in the lead and lay down when he wasn't. The careful play resulted in Ahmadi taking most of McGuiness' chips during the Limit session and then easily calling the all-in bet of McGuiness on the first hand of No-Limit for the win.

Bahador Ahmadi now has an additional $278,104 to add to his play bank and a WSOP bracelet to impress friends and family. John McGuiness left the building with $172,227 in cash for his piece of work. Third place and $112,967 in cash was claimed by Ylon Schwartz after his luck ran out and he hit the rail.

photo by flipchip • lasvegasvegas.com

photo by flipchip • lasvegasvegas.com

Georgetown University graduate, Derek Raymond, won $229,192 in cash and collected a gold WSOP bracelet for his three days of work at the 2009 World Series of Poker. In the stands was a pack of his friends and his father to witness the accomplishment. Derek Raymond held on to his cool demeanor and steady play after going heads-up with veteran Las Vegas poker pro and Omaha specialist, Mark Tenner. The match could have gone either way as the two juggled the chip lead between them; but, it was Raymond that caught the eye of Lady Luck and received the right cards at the right time.

Mark Tenner had a nice $141,647 payday for his time at the table. Scott Bohlman received $93,199 for third. The event began with 424 players racing for a piece of the $975,200 prize pool. Those players collecting some of that money had too finish 45th or better.

When I asked Derek's father about his son's achievement he proudly replied, "I didn't know he majored in poker."

photo by flipchip • lasvegasvegas.com

photo by flipchip • lasvegasvegas.com

photo by flipchip • lasvegasvegas.com

It all came down to the final hand at last night's event #45 final table and what a hand it was. John Kabbaj held pocket Aces while his heads-up opponent, poker veteran Kirill Gerasimov, had pocket Kings. Both players couldn't get the chips into the pot fast enough with Kirill being covered by John. When the dealing was done and the river card was in its final resting place the winner and new Pot Limit Hold'Em World Champion was John Kabbaj.

Kabbaj collected $633,335 and the all important bracelet, his first. Kirill Gerasimov picked up $391,369 for the thew bad beat that knocked him out in second place. Eric 'basebaldy' Baldwin hit the rail in third and left with $183,638 in his pockets.

The event attracted a field of 275 players and paid the top 27.

photo by flipchip • lasvegasvegas.com

photo by flipchip • lasvegasvegas.com