It's here
Editor's note: You can find out more about each of these players in our main event recap. Podcasts, videos, columns, chats and more are available for each of the November Nine.
First and foremost, poker has always been about the money. Say what you will about love of the game, the spirit of competition or what have you, but poker success has always been calculated by profit margin before accolades.
Thing is, it's tough to count windfalls from afar. We can recognize that someone left Bobby's Room with the big stack on the night, but the counts are imprecise to the peering eye and while we know how much a given player has won in a given tournament, that knowledge still leaves us hanging with the question of how much they lost to get there. Truth is, no one really knows.
Reputation goes a long way in this community, but when the years pass us by and we're all long gone, the only thing to remember this era by will be its recorded history. Winning the main event, in large part, is about getting your name etched in the record books, and like November Nine member Craig Marquis daydreamed, "I'd love to have my giant face on the wall every time I play at the Rio."
Once your giant face has earned its place up on that wall, nothing can bring it down.
More than any other venue, the final table of the main event of the World Series of Poker is where poker history is made. Whether it's Johnny Moss, Doyle Brunson, Stu Ungar or Johnny Chan going back-to-back, Scotty Nguyen saying, "You call this one, it's all over, baby," Phil Hellmuth becoming the youngest champion ever, Gold winning $12 million or Chris Moneymaker bluffing Sammy Farha and making the world go boom, these are the moments we remember.
"I think history is important," said Brunson, the man who has made more of it than any other poker player. "The early years and the guys who played even before me are remembered because we appreciate history. It helps us remember them. History really matters to the poker buffs. It's just been good to me. I've enjoyed it and I'm grateful."
When bankrolls enter the millions and personal wealth is secured, there's still accomplishment to bring the best back.
"I think history is what keeps the top pros playing and gives the game its special allure," Daniel Negreanu said. "If you didn't keep track it would be boring. History, leaving your mark, is what keeps the big names playing."
The November Nine -- Marquis, Dennis Phillips, Ylon Schwartz, Darus Suharto, Kelly Kim, Peter Eastgate, Ivan Demidov, Scott Montgomery and Chino Rheem -- stand now on the precipice of new history. There are individual story lines that will become legend or forgotten this week, depending on who wins and how they win. The assorted members of the nine see the specter of history in an assortment of ways, but all agree on its relevance.
"It's huge to make history," Suharto said. "I can't put it into words. Being remembered by history would be a dream come true. If you win it all, your name is always there. That would be a big deal for me … I'd be so proud to do that."
"The history is important," Rheem said. "Where I was and the path I was headed on, I never thought poker could put me on a path where I could achieve greatness in my life. I'd rather have the money than the bracelet, but man, this one bracelet alone signifies greatness, a true accomplishment in something I love to do. Who wouldn't want to do something they love, accomplish something great and be known for it? I want to have grandkids and be able tell them, 'Grandpa was the world champion in 2008.' That would mean a lot."
To be honest, any player's triumph this year would be historic, but some would prove more memorable than others. For every Brunson or Chan, there's a Mansour Matloubi or a Hamid Dastmalchi, men who won gold and green in ways that lacked flash, and whose names have thus been forgotten by later generations.
"I'm not a big history fan," said Demidov, whose twin 2008 WSOP main event final tables in Las Vegas and London have made their own mark on the record books. "I don't know the champions from the '80s, but it still means something to me. I've been following the main event for the last five years. I know what it means. I know how big this is. Making history means a lot to me."
Demidov could prove a memorable champion by becoming Russia's first, an accomplishment many feel would inspire a boom in what's always been a strong gaming nation.
"Russia appears to be the next great gaming landscape," WSOP commentator Norman Chad said. "Ivan winning here would serve to spark its growth."
Victories by Marquis, 23, or Eastgate, 22, would force the world to sit up and take notice. Either one would be the youngest world champion in poker history, breaking a record held by Hellmuth for 19 years. "From what I've seen of Phil Hellmuth, when he's losing, it seems like a big thrill to beat him in any kind of way, so that would be quite amazing," Eastgate said.
It's funny because it's true.
"It would be great to beat Phil's record, the icing on the cake," Marquis said. "That record wouldn't be nearly as satisfying if it were held by anyone other than Phil. The thing is, anytime you play with Phil, within 15 minutes the 11 bracelets are brought up. Actually, 15 minutes is a stretch. It comes up instantaneously. To be able to bring up being the youngest champion ever as an answer would be great. I mean, right now, I have nothing to say when he brings it up."
Eastgate can be Denmark's first world champion; Suharto or Montgomery could do the same for Canada. Chip leader Phillips, 53, could give renewed hope to an older generation that seems to be losing its grasp on the game to the younger crowd. Wins by Demidov, Eastgate, Marquis or Montgomery would represent a major victory for the online poker world.
It's Montgomery who seems to best understand what's at stake here. "I'd say the history is a little intimidating," said the affable Canadian. "Ten years down the line, people will remember you won. If you come second, no one will remember."
Only the days ahead will tell what forms poker's newest history will take, but for a game for which organized play is still taking root, those events will help to continue the formation of its mythos. This is the time when legends are made. We'll find out soon enough what -- and who -- those legends will be.
Gary Wise is a regular contributor to ESPN.com. You can read more of his thoughts on poker in his blog at www.wisehandpoker.net.
