Spoiler Alert:  Tonight ESPN, in what should make for some pretty amazing poker television, will introduce much of the mainstream world to the new 2009 World Series of Poker Main Event champion.  If any readers would like to find out who that will be along with them, for goodness sakes, stop reading now (and don't look at the picture).

After what amounted to a little less than than three hours of play, it eventually came down to a large coinflip; a race situation for a pot worth nearly 150 million in chips, that would either put Darvin Moon back in the lead once again, or award the championship to Joe Cada, making him the youngest poker player ever to win the Main Event.

The hands before the flop at that point were rather unremarkable, Michigan's Cada held pocket nines and Maryland's Moon had an unexpected Queen-Jack of diamonds; surprising the poker pundits, after first three-betting with the hand, and then calling Cada's all-in preflop push. 

As it turned out, Darvin was barely behind and it was now one big gamble to decide the fate of the championship between two men, who both over the last few days, showed they have more than a little luck on their side. 

Given this was the last hand of the event, it's fairly obvious what happened and after the board ran out with a scary, deceptive looking King on the turn- just to add some sweat- it was the young internet heads-up specialist Joseph Cada sitting with all the chips, knocking out the less mathematically inclined- play with your gut styled- Darvin Moon, and thus claiming poker's most coveted bracelet, a first prize worth $8,547,042 and poker immortality.

Darvin Moon, who began the final table with the chip lead and then held it and lost it many times, both during Saturday night's play, and during the heads-up battle that proceeded it, after that queen-jack hand, finally had to content himself with second place prize money worth "only" $5,182,928.

"For someone who does not play heads-up, he sure was a tough opponent."  -Joe Cada 2009 World Series of Poker Main Event champion.

ESPN's coverage of the 2009 WSOP Main Event final table begins tonight (11/10) at 9:00 PM/ET.


Story by Mark Anderson