(Order according to chip stacks as of 8:13 p.m. Hawai'i time Sunday)

The final nine players remaining in the World Series of Poker main event and their finishes. The finalists emerged from a field of 6,844 players and were competing for the tournament's top prize of $9.15 million. 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.

1. Ivan Demidov

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.

PRO BACKING: The pick of 11-time bracelet winner Phil Hellmuth, four-time bracelet winner Daniel Negreanu and others, who are paying attention to Demidov after he finished third at the World Series of Poker Europe main event in September. "The level of play has gone up quite a bit," Hellmuth said.

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2. Peter Eastgate

AGE: 22

HOMETOWN: Odense, Denmark

OCCUPATION: Professional poker player

PRIOR SERIES ACCOMPLISHMENTS: none

ON THE RADAR: Consistently identified by his opponents as a dangerous force at the table. Players said Eastgate is capable of playing hands the same way whether he's holding junk or unbeatable cards. "He's got this image where he looks ... quiet. He's got some game," Negreanu said.

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3. Dennis Phillips

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).

OPPONENT'S TAKE: A favorite of opponent Ylon Schwartz because of his life experience, which Schwartz said counts big at a table filled with younger players. "He can bring that whole working-class element which is awesome because if he wins it's great," Schwartz said. "He's a novice but he has life experience." 2003 champion Chris Moneymaker said Phillips reminds him of the year he won as an unknown amateur.

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4. Ylon Schwartz

AGE: 38

HOMETOWN: Brooklyn, N.Y.

OCCUPATION: Professional poker player

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

SEEKING DESTINY: A purist among gamers, Schwartz said he was spending the week before the final table in isolation in the Nevada desert to find the inspiration to make the "cosmic call." Said 2003 champ Moneymaker: "He's crafty."

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5. Scott Montgomery ($3,096,768)

AGE: 26

HOMETOWN: Perth, Ontario

OCCUPATION: Professional poker player

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

THE BEAT: Montgomery, an underdog to Eastgate to start the hand, looked like he would surely double up when he hit an ace on the flop. Things looked even better when another ace came on the turn. But Eastgate hit a six on the river for a full house, sending Montgomery home. "I saw it coming," Montgomery said.

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6. Darus Suharto ($2,418,562)

AGE: 39

HOMETOWN: Toronto

OCCUPATION: Accountant

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

THE BEAT: Suharto moved in with an ace-eight to try to keep himself from getting too low on chips. Montgomery called with an ace-queen and hit a flush on the turn. "I'm just glad I made the money," Suharto said. "I thought I was a donkey."

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7. David "Chino" Rheem ($1,772,650)

AGE: 28

HOMETOWN: Los Angeles

OCCUPATION: Professional poker player.

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

THE BEAT: The most well-known player at the final table lost from a seemingly dominant position in the hand, holding ace-king to Eastgate's ace-queen. But Eastgate hit a queen on the flop to win the pot and eliminate Rheem. "How ... do you think I feel," Rheem said when asked by a reporter after being eliminated.

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8. Kelly Kim ($1,288,217)

AGE: 31

HOMETOWN: Whittier, Calif.

OCCUPATION: Professional poker player

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

THE BEAT: Lost to Suharto's pair of nines in a three-way all-in pot. Kim stuck around long enough to win an extra $387,547. "You play this game, you take the abuse and you give the abuse," Kim said. "I hung on as long as I could."

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9. Craig Marquis ($900,670)

AGE: 23

HOMETOWN: Arlington, Texas

OCCUPATION: College student

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

THE BEAT: Eliminated with three sevens by Montgomery's runner-runner straight. "After the flop, I expected to win the hand," Marquis said. "But, it happens."

Information from: World Series of Poker, Associated Press interviews