Meet the Final Twelve
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We're about 20 minutes away from play resuming. Meanwhile, here are a few details about each of the 12 players who have made it past the dinner break on Day 8 of the 2011 World Series of Poker Main Event.
Badih Bounahra is a 49-year-old businessman and father of three originally from Lebanon now residing in Belize City. He says he learned poker from television, and cheekily names seven-deuce offsuit as the "best hand in my eyes." He has a few cashes to his credit, including one WSOP cash from 2008 in a $2,000 NLHE event.
Phil Collins is a 26-year-old poker pro originally from Rockford, Illinois who now calls Las Vegas home. As his online handle "USCphildo" indicates, he went to the University of South Carolina where he met his wife, Katie. In addition to his numerous online successes, Collins has a number of live cashes to his credit (including one at this year's WSOP), although his payday for this year's Main Event will well exceed all of those.
Bryan Devonshire is a 29-year-old poker pro from Arcadia, CA who currently lives in Henderson, NV. Devonshire is a former youth pastor and whitewater rafting guide who has made his living from poker since 2003. He's also engaged (to his best friend) and intends to get married in Aug. 2012. Devonshire has over $1.2 million in career tourney winnings, including two runner-ups in WSOP bracelet events -- the $1,500 PLO8 event in 2007 and the Casino Employees event in 2006.
Matt Giannetti of Las Vegas is a 26-year-old poker pro who previously attended the University of Texas. He has a number of cashes to his credit dating back to 2006 totaling nearly half a million dollars, including 10 at the World Series of Poker. His best previous finish in the Main Event was 521st in 2006 (for $22,266).
Pius Heinz of Cologne, Germany is a 22-year-old student who first learned poker via home games with friends. This marks his first WSOP, and it has been a successful one, including a final table in Event No. 48 ($1,500 NLHE) where he finished seventh to earn $83,286.
John Hewitt was born in Chicago, but lists San Jose, Costa Rica as his hometown. The 23-year-old poker pro has one cash thus far at this year's WSOP, a 35th-place finish in Event No. 18 ($1,500 NLHE) for which he earned $17,005.
Sam Holden is a 22-year-old poker pro from Canterbury, England. The former student is making his WSOP debut this year, and this marks his first WSOP cash. He has a few scores from the UK & Ireland poker tour, including a first-place finish last month in a NLHE six-handed event, though no previous cashes above four figures.
Ben Lamb's poker resume is easily the most extensive of the remaining 12 players, including more than $2.5 million in career winnings and numerous WSOP successes. "Benba" earned his first WSOP bracelet this summer in Event No. 42, the $10,000 PLO Championship, and added a couple more final tables to put himself in first place in this year's WSOP Player of the Year race. Today Lamb ensured he'd surpass his previous best showing in the WSOP Main Event, a 14th-place finish in 2009.
Anton Makiievskyi of Dnipropetrousk, Ukraine is playing in his first-ever WSOP. He's looking to be the fifth Ukrainian to take home a WSOP bracelet this year, which would pull Ukraine into a tie with Canada for the second-most bracelets of any country behind the U.S.
Khoa Nguyen of Calgary (Alberta, Canada) is a 29-year-old poker pro and businessman who has earned a university degree in electrical engineering. He has three previous WSOP cashes, including one this summer in Event No. 45, one of the $1,000 NLHE events.
Eoghan O'Dea of Ireland is a 26-year-old student who says he first learned poker from the popular U.K. show "Late Night Poker." His poker resume includes a number of cashes dating back to 2005, including three already at this summer's WSOP. He's the son of the famous poker player Donnacha O'Dea, member of the European Poker Players Hall of Fame.
Martin Staszko is a 35-year-old poker pro from Trinec of the Czech Republic who previously worked in the automotive industry. Stasko has four cashes at the WSOP already this summer, his best finish being 39th in the $1,500 PLO8 Event No. 51.
, Heinz and Giannetti checked, and Hewitt continued for 1.2 million. Both Heinz and Giannetti released, and Hewitt shipped the pot.
. Lamb checked, Holden continued for 800,000, and Lamb called.
, Lamb checked again, and Holden fired 1.6 million. Lamb called.
completed the board, and Lamb quickly checked a third time. Under a menacing stare from Lamb, Holden slid 3.2 million into the middle. Lamb scratched his head, examined the massive pot, then began to stare at Holden once again.