The 2009 WSOP Celebrates New Winner, Joe Cada Rules

The 2009 World Series of Poker (WSOP) finally reached its long-awaited finale yesterday. Joe Cada, a 21-year-old poker player from Michigan, nabbed the title of the youngest champion of the prestigious WSOP competition. The new poker king received the lucrative cash prize of $8.5 million for his monumental victory. Cada was also given the traditional WSOP diamond-encrusted gold bracelet, a highly coveted award among poker's most experienced pros. Cada was reported as saying that he was an avid online poker player who had honed his gaming skills over the Internet.

Darvin Moon, the final table's second place finisher, also took home a rather hefty amount of $5.1 million. A lumberjack by day and a talented poker player by night, Moon gained entry to the WSOP by winning a satellite tournament in a local gaming establishment in Maryland. Among other notable poker professionals who took part in the Main Event final table were Jeff Shulman, Phil Ivey, Eric Buchman and James Akenhead.

The World Series of Poker is the gambling industry's most important as well as profitable poker contest. The first-ever WSOP event took place in 1970 at the Horseshoe Casino in Las Vegas. Among the most popular games played during the competition are Texas Hold 'em, 7-Card Stud as well as Omaha Hold 'em. Since 2005, all World Series of Poker events have been sponsored by casino&hotel giant Harrah's Entertainment. Cada's recent victory offers him an honorary place among WSOP's most celebrated participants, such as Johny Moss, Doyle Brunson, Stu Ungar and Johny Chan.