World Series of Poker Final Table 2011 Looks to be a Bit of a Yawner

The World Series of Poker Final Table 2011 will commence this coming Tuesday, November 8.  It will be broadcast with a 15-minute time delay on ESPN.  Yes, Gambling911.com encourages its readers to watch.  There should be plenty of excitement.  But coming into this year’s Final Table, the personalities are sorely lacking in our view. 

Last year we had popular poker pro Michael Mizrachi (so popular in fact he is involved with a branding campaign for this weekend’s Breeders Cup), and in prior years we had the likes of Phil Ivey and the son of Card Player Magazine publisher threatening to throw out the bracelet should he win after the WSOP decided to no longer have Card Player provide official live broadcasting of the event.  This year we have, well, not a whole lot to look forward to. 

If anything, this is more about national pride.  The 2011 November Nine will be represented by seven different nations including the USA, Ireland, Belize, The Czech Republic, Germany, The Ukraine and The United Kingdom. 

Ben Lamb will be a force at this year’s table.  He’s enjoyed a successful run of late and is vying for this year’s “Poker Player of The Year” honor.

Phil Collins is in, just not THAT Phil Collins.  The much younger version has the loudest cheering section.  He’s probably THE personality of this year’s Final Table.

"Everybody I've seen reacting to it has reacted positively," said Collins, 26. "The dealers are laughing, the floors are laughing, and most of the players at my table are smiling and think it's pretty funny. They're only disappointed they don't have as many friends here. They're like, 'My friends all left.' Well, my friends all live here, so they just keep driving down. I'm probably never going to get this deep in the main event ever again, so I'd better enjoy it while I'm here. And my friends? I mean, when are they ever going to have a best friend get this close? They need to enjoy it, too."

Martin Staszko of The Czech Republic comes into this Final Table as the chip leader.  He and Anton Makiievskyi of The Ukraine will be representing Eastern Europe. 

Staszko might be remembered as the man who knocked out lovebirds Erika Moutinho and David Sands out of the competition in its later stages.  Moutinho was the “last woman standing”.

"I mostly play online more than live," Staszko said. "I played in four EPT events, some smaller tournaments. That's all the experience I have with live play. Those tournaments prepared me. I've been in Vegas from June 2; I played 15 tournaments. That's more than I'd played in my entire life, so I got some big experience here."

Badih Bounahra of Belize City, Belize (an American transplant) is the oldest player at the Final Table, though hardly old enough to gain the so-called “sympathy vote” at 49.  Still, most of these lads are in their 20’s so Bounahra could be viewed the same way as a 39-year-old would be in the National Football League. 

Anton Makiievskyi is the youngest player at the table at age 21 and he looks to become the 5^th player representing The Ukraine to win a WSOP bracelet.

"It will mean a lot," he said of making the November Nine. "For my friends, my family and my country. For everybody. I think they will feel great and they will understand how I feel. Though, I don't even understand how I feel right now."

Pius Heinz becomes the first German player to reach the November Nine.

What he will do with the money should he win:

"Honestly, I'm not that big a spender," he said. "I always look after my money, that's how I've always been. I might get a nice place to live, and buy my parents something. My sister and brother, too. They have a couple of wishes I can help with."

Eoghan O'Dea, Matt Giannetti,  and Sam Holden round out the Final Table. 

- Ace King, Gambling911.com