A look at the final nine players remaining in the World Series of Poker main event and their chip counts. The finalists emerged from a field of 6,844 players and will compete for the tournament's top prize of $9.12 million in November. Ninth place gets $900,670; higher finishers are guaranteed at least $1.28 million.

NOTE: Chips have no monetary value. One player must win all the chips in play to take the title, and lose all his chips to be eliminated.

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1. Dennis Phillips (26,295,000)

AGE: 53

HOMETOWN: Cottage Hills, Ill.

OCCUPATION: Trucking account manager

PRIOR SERIES ACCOMPLISHMENTS: made two final tables in world series circuit events in September 2007 ($4,578).

2. Ivan Demidov (24,400,000)

AGE: 27

HOMETOWN: Moscow

OCCUPATION: Semiprofessional poker player

PRIOR SERIES ACCOMPLISHMENTS: 11th place ($39,854), $1,000 buy-in no-limit Texas Hold 'em with rebuys, 2008.

3. Scott Montgomery (19,690,000)

AGE: 26

HOMETOWN: Perth, Ontario

OCCUPATION: Professional poker player

PRIOR SERIES ACCOMPLISHMENTS: 3 series cashes, 2008 ($73,700)

4. Peter Eastgate (18,375,000)

AGE: 22

HOMETOWN: Odense, Denmark

OCCUPATION: Professional poker player

PRIOR SERIES ACCOMPLISHMENTS: none

5. Ylon Schwartz (12,525,000)

AGE: 38

HOMETOWN: Brooklyn, N.Y.

OCCUPATION: Professional poker player

PRIOR SERIES ACCOMPLISHMENTS: 11 cashes, ($124,580)

6. Darus Suharto (12,520,000)

AGE: 39

HOMETOWN: Toronto

OCCUPATION: Accountant

PRIOR SERIES ACCOMPLISHMENTS: 448th ($26,389) in main event in 2006.

7. David "Chino" Rheem (10,230,000)

AGE: 28

HOMETOWN: Los Angeles

OCCUPATION: Professional poker player.

PRIOR SERIES ACCOMPLISHMENTS: 5 cashes ($474,843)

8. Craig Marquis (10,210,000)

AGE: 23

HOMETOWN: Arlington, Texas

OCCUPATION: College student

PRIOR SERIES ACCOMPLISHMENTS: 3 cashes ($35,759)

9. Kelly Kim (2,620,000)

AGE: 31

HOMETOWN: Whittier, Calif.

OCCUPATION: Professional poker player

PRIOR SERIES ACCOMPLISHMENTS: 2 cashes ($20,415)

Information from: World Series of Poker: www.wsop.com