When Dean Hamrick got eliminated in the 10th place on July 15, the final table of nine players was set for the delayed finals of the WSOP 2008 Main Event.

These nine players have come to be known as the November Nine.

They will reconvene on November 9 in a fight to the finish for the coveted Main Event bracelet. With less than a month to go for the awaited clash it is time to check out what some of the November 9 have been up to in the interim.

Kelly Kim, known as “KK” comes to the final table with the shortest stack. But he has demonstrated in the past that he is a great short stack player. In fact with thirteen players left in the Main Event Kim had the shortest stack. Still he hung on and saw four players leaving the table. During the waiting period Kim has played both online poker sites and live poker. He registered 4th place in the Legends of Poker Tournament at the Bicycle Casino in August. He knows that the odds are against him and he philosophically says, “I’ve already reached my goal and everything else is just gravy.”

Ivan Demidov played his first WSOP this year and cashed in an earlier event before reaching this final table in the second position. Prior to WSOP 2008 his focus was on online tournaments that run much faster. Demidov practiced for the final table by playing tournaments and coming 3rd in the WSOPE Main Event. He also worked with compatriot Alexander Kostritsyn who holds the record for the highest place Russian in a WSOP Main Event, finishing 4th in WSOP 2007.

Dennis Phillips comes into the November Nine as the oldest player, the chip leader and the favorite. He made waves when he announced that he had hired The Oracle Consulting Firm to coach him. Of the move he said, “But I’m also smart enough to know that you can always learn more.” He has also retained a publicist. Phillips is very strong on charity and giving back to the society. Not only has he has pledged to donate 1% of his winnings to Prevent Cancer Foundation but has also convinced his new PokerStars marketing team to do the same.

Of all the November Nine Scott Montgomery has had the best year so far. He has already won $1.3 million in tournament prize money. Being in the third place in the November Nine he will surely enhance this figure considerably. Since reaching the final table he finished 9th in an event in the Legends of Poker Tournament held in August. Montgomery appears to be the most confident of the November Nine. He says, “I’m going to win; I planned on winning from day one.”

Craig Marquis aged 23 and Peter Eastgate aged 22 are the youngest players in the November Nine. If either of them wins then he will displace Phil Hellmuth as the youngest player to win a WSOP Main Event, a record that Hellmuth holds since 1989.