Now that the ESPN coverage is almost there and we know the personalities and stories of the November 9, who are you rooting for to win.
I like these 3:

Grinder- Obvious root for. Be great to have a pro win the main event and to win in the same year as the HORSE would be epic.

Joseph Cheong- I really feel for him after that bad beat by Candio. I think he would be a great ambassador for the game and is a good player

Jason Senti- Seems to be a very intelligent guy and would be a good ambassador. Also seems like a very good player.

But I suppose as long as Candio doesn't win, I'll be reasonably happy.

Candio would be a good winner. Might look like a cool laidback guy to general public. And really dont want Racener winning.

cheong

Duhamel had a pretty genuine story about his father passing away, and how he was very supportive of him and john wanted to really make the final table for him, etc.

Would be an awesome feel good story if he won it and after i saw that segment on him I am kind of pulling for him.

Senti is on a sick run and a 2+2 along with cheong so they round up the pack with the grinder.

the grinder is the certified "pro" out of the bunch so that might do something for poker being a skill game, lol donkaments.

I kind of had a feeling Senti was 2+2. Makes sense and I would say he represents well.

the italian donk FTW

racener seems pretty dbaggy imo

randomly picked a name that wasn't grinder

+1
anyone from 2+2 or online would be good to see tho

PHIL IVEY

id like to see candio win it cause hes easily the biggest gambler at the table. and gambling should always be rewarded.

Cheong

Please god, no Mizrachi. Please.

Jason Senti just seems like a nice guy, and someone who has put alot into his poker game, as well as being 2p2er, so Im routin for him first.

Jonathan Duhamel is a very very close second for me. Canada one time! Sure as hell not waiting on DN to do it. Plus Duhamel just seems like a cool genuine guy.

oh, and this, + 1000000000

Frank Kasella annoys the hell out of me so I'll say Grinder, even though he annoys me a bit too.

But really Cheong

i want whoever would be best for poker. would that be the candio since he's italian and kind of crazy? mizrachi just because he's a "name pro"?

no offense to dolan, i'm sure he's a nice enough guy, but god it would be awful if he won. just looking at him will bore the **** out of the average person. racener would be pretty bad also, although in addition to boring people, he will tilt them too

racener, overly acting by chewing his bubble-gum, telling the bros a cool story.
its people like him, what is wrong in the world nowadays.
there are a lot of guys like him, and thats the spiral downfall of our society. period.

Grinder is the most known, by far, so I guess him just because I want this game to be legal.

I wouldn't mind seeing Senti win tho

1) Senti - stand up guy. Even though he's really short-stacked, he seems to have been prepping Candio to gift him chips.

2) Cheong - his alien eyes spook me, but he took that bad-beat really well and def seems like he knows what he's doin

3) Dolan - i really don't understand the hate, would be cool since he's been so low since getting down to the last few tables.

4) Duhamel - fearless lag player...would rank him higher but for the beat he put on Affleck

5) Mizrachi - pretty much meh, but at least a huge sum of money wouldn't be taken out of the poker economy like with a few other of these.

6/7) Racener and/or Jarvis - both seem pretty skillful/deep thinkers about the game, but come off as real douches at the table

8/9) Candio and/or Nguyen - might as well sub in Jamie Gold and Jerry Yang


that said..i voted bastard

gogogogogo RACENER!

Cheong is my pick to win tho

I voted for me

Honestly, there are some really good players/cool guys at the table, and I would be happy to see most of them win if it can't be me.

I still really hope its me.

Anybody but The Grinder.

I said Michael only because I think it would be the best thing for poker overall as far as being considered a skill game (a player who is known wins both the 50k and the ME would have a large impact on this being a game of skill rather than gambling one could hope)

really though I hope Jason wins gl man

GL to you.

I haven't caught up on all episodes but just saw the one yesterday where you had quite a run.

Enjoyed you interview on Pokercast too. Or was it ESPN poker with Phil Gordon?