Home / Poker News November 2009 / Joe Cada is the 2009 WSOP Main Event champion!
Joe Cada is the 2009 WSOP Main Event champion!
Posted by: James Carter. - Tue, 2009-11-10 16:44
Following a true heavyweight style battle in which frankly Darvin Moon seemed to be holding the upper hand for the better part, Joe Cada emerged victorious, taking home the bracelet, the bragging rights, the first prize and the instant celebrity that comes with this sort of an accomplishment.
The heads-up battle between the two protagonists will probably go down as one of the best ones of the
WSOP history. Darvin Moon started the last day of the Main Event holding 136,925,000 chips, which gave him a good edge over Darvin Moon who had but 58,875,000. The difference in chips was probably due to the tight approach that Moon had taken going into the final table action. While that tight approach worked well and sent him into the heads-up stage, Darvin Moon proved today that he could switch gears without any sort of problems. In the early stages of the heads-up action he was the one controlling the pace. Cada attempted to trap him several times and he never quite got there growing increasingly frustrated in the process.
Eventually, the two combatants went to a break nearly even in chips. Both of them held 90 some million chips then. Following the break, Moon continued to press his assault, and soon he managed to turn the tables on Cada completely. At one point, Moon had 127.6 million chips to Cada’s 67.2 million. A few hands later, Moon was up to 145 million and Cada slipped to 49.6 million, looking increasingly nervous. At that point it did seem like Moon was heading toward a win, but the best was still to come.
After a few more hands of give and take, a crucial hand came about. Sitting in the button, Cada made a 3 million raise and Moon called it to see a 10c,5d,9h flop. Both players checked it and a 10d fell on the turn, an early harbinger of demise for Darvin Moon. Cada bet 3 million more and in response Moon shoved all-in. After giving it some thought, Cada made the call and the hands were turned over. Moon had 7s, 8s for the open ended straight draw, and Cada was ahead with his Jh, 9d which gave him two pairs.
The 3h on the river meant that Cada was back on top with 108,300,000 chips to Moon’s 86,500,000. Three hands later, Cada extended his lead. Exactly five hands later, both players would be all-in again, this time for the last time.
The hand began with Cada in the button, raising 3 million chips. Moon re-raised that to 8 million and in response Cada shoved all-in. Considering the stakes involved, Moon made the all-in call fast. Cada tabled pocket nines against Moon’s Qd, Jd and it was on! The flop came 8c, 2c, 7s and Cada was looking better and better. The Kh fell on the turn increasing Cada’s lead, and the 7c on the river gave him the pot, and with it the 2009 WSOP Main Event title.
