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11/10/09 - After an 87 hand heads up starting late Monday night, 21-year-old Joe Cada, a poker pro originally from Michigan and a community college drop-out, is worth $8,547,042 today (Tuesday) after winning the World Series of Poker main event. The victory came when he went all in with pocket nines versus heads up opponent Darvin Moon’s queen and jack of diamonds.
For Cada it was an early birthday present - he turns 22 next week.
With a blend of audacity and skill honed in three years of mainly Internet poker action the young player started the heads up against Maryland logger Darvin Moon (46) with a significant chip lead which he managed to hold on to for much of the contest, although there were times when it switched to his opponent and some close calls before Moon was eliminated at hand #364.
Moon's second placing was worth $5 182 928, a remarkable achievement for an amateur who survived an entry field of almost 6 500 that included some of the world's best poker players.
Cada started the final table in the mid-field but after a few mishaps secured some spectacular double-ups to enter the heads up with a chip lead of 135 950 000 vs. Moon's 58 850 000.
Cada's victory was the realisation of a dream that started when he began playing the game at age 16 and left Macomb Community College in Michigan to become a professional gambler. His aim was to win the coveted World Series of Poker main event bracelet....an ambition he has accomplished in record time.
