Poker Stars Signs Joe Cada for November’s Final Table21-Year-Old Joins Buchman and Schaffel as Site’s Representativesby Stephen A. Murphy | Published: Aug 28, 2009 | |
 
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And then there was one — one player at this year’s World Series of Poker main event final table who hasn’t associated himself with an online poker room.
Joe Cada, the youngest player at the final table, has signed with PokerStars to be its third representative in November, his management company Top Set confirmed today. That leaves chip leader Darvin Moon as the only player at the final table still unassociated with an online poker room.
“I’m proud to have been chosen to represent PokerStars. Their reputation and prestige are second to none,” said Cada, who at 21 has a shot to break Peter Eastgate’s record as the youngest player ever to win the WSOP main event. “I look forward to bringing even more accolades to their already decorated team.”
Cada will join Eric Buchman, second in chips, and Kevin Schaffel, sixth in chips, as PokerStars representatives at the final table. Cada currently holds the fifth largest chip stack.
Due to a new WSOP rule that prohibits more than three players wearing logos of any one individual site at a televised final table, it appears that PokerStars has completed its selection of representatives for this year’s final table.
Last year, PokerStars had six sponsored players at the final table — Eastgate, Ivan Demidov, Dennis Phillips, Ylon Schwartz, Darus Suharto, and Chino Rheem.
Perhaps looking for a way not to appear like a PokerStars infomercial, the WSOP created Rule 43-B-i, which states: “No more than three (3) players at the Final Table — and all other tables featured for television coverage — will be allowed to wear apparel with logos, patches or promotional language from the same entity.”
Of course, PokerStars could sign a fourth player in the November Nine, but then one of its players would have to either “remove or cover their logos,” as per WSOP rules.
Full Tilt Poker has already signed its three November Nine representatives, with Team Full Tilt member Phil Ivey naturally leading the pack. Along with Ivey, newly established Full Tilt pros Steven Begleiter and James Akenead will also wear the site’s gear at the final table.
Begleiter, Ivey, and Akenhead sit in third, seventh, and ninth in chips, respectively.
Jeff Shulman, fourth in chips, is the CEO of SpadeClub, the subscription-based online poker site that is powered by Card Player. France’s Antoine Saout, eighth in chips, recently signed with Everest Poker — an online poker room that does not currently accept American players.
Moon, the logger from rural Maryland, told Card Player he’s never played online poker and appears to be content sporting his New Orleans Saints hat, rather than any poker site gear.
If there is one thing that’s been learned from the 2009 November Nine, it’s that poker sites are willing to sponsor players at the final table even if that player wore a competitor’s logo during the event itself.
Before signing with PokerStars, Cada wore an Ultimate Bet patch during the late levels of the main event after he made a one-day agreement with the site. Buchman, another PokerStars representative at the final table, also wore a competitor’s logo (Full Tilt) during the event.
Britain’s Akenhead qualified for the main even through PokerStars, according to the site, but he has opted to join Full Tilt’s squad for November.
1 Comment
anchordraw
2 months ago
I hope Moon wins it all wearing the Saints Cap, but then I live in New Orleans, so I'm biased. Poker is turning into nascar with all the logos. One guy wins his way into the Main Event on Poker stars, and signs with Full tilt. One guy wears Ultimate Cheat I mean bet .com gear, makes the final table and switches to poker stars. At least he left the phil helmuth site that cheated millions by allowing the former world series winner russ hamilton to see the whole cards. Phil Helmuth and annie duke sponsor that site don't they. Do they also get to see the hole cards online.
Anyway, I think the player who just finished 2nd at the Bike losing to the famous rapper Prahlad is preparing the right way, and will have proved he is worthy if he wins it by the success he had. Ivey proved that along time ago: he is the best. And card players shulman might be the 3rd favorite. He's been there before, got unlucky, or might already be on the wall. I still root for the saints and Moon to hold on to his chips, his integrety, and hopefully catch a few more good hands. At least get that Saints hat into the final three. We saints fans are used to getting close every once in a while, then losing. There is a lot of luck involved no matter how hard you train or are coached.
I would say focusing on playing 1 table sitngos, or events where you have a chance to get it heads up with a deep enough stack to get used to playing at a short table is the best way to prepare. entering big MTT is not going to help unless you make the final table. your playing at a 9 or 10 player table well away from the money for most of the time at those events. Hard to simulate a final table in smaller live events where everybody wants to chop it up once you get close to the money, and the blinds are so huge by the time you get to the final table it is a shove fest.
Go Saints!!!