Wednesday, August 5, 2009

November 9 Spotlight - Darvin Moon


Darvin Moon is from Oakland, MD, and is the chip leader of the “November Nine” with an astonishing 58.93 million in chips – just under a third of the chips in play. Moon has held the lead of the 2009 World Series of Poker Main Event since Day Six. The 45-year-old logger from western Maryland is a longtime poker player who learned the game at the feet of his grandfather.


Moon started in poker by playing Seven Card Stud with his grandfather and never even picked up Texas Hold’em until about three years ago. He played in tournaments around the Maryland area that were fundraisers for local fire departments and other charitable organizations. Little did Darvin know that poker would lead him to the 2009 WSOP Main Event, let alone the final table or the chip lead.


Moon played in a $130 buy in tournament in Wheeling, WV and won the event, with the prize for winning either $10,000 or the buy in to the WSOP Main Event. After a great deal of deliberation, Moon chose to take his shot at the WSOP and has been steamrolling anyone who gets in his path. In his eight days of play at the Rio, he never once had all of his chips in the center and has been able to defeat some of the toughest players in poker on the way to the “November Nine.” With his chip stack and tight playing style it will be difficult to root him out of the Number One position. Darvin once said during play that, “…I had pocket kings one time and the other guy pushed all in over the top of me. I just mucked my hand pre-flop. I mean, he has to have aces. What else can he have?”


Darvin Moon is enjoying his ride as chip leader of the “November Nine.” He commented during the play at the 2009 World Series, “I got my goals set. It’s not first. But it’s not ninth, either. I’ll be happy. I don’t care if I go out on the first hand tomorrow. I’ve had fun. It’s been worth every minute of it. I just like to play, and it’s unreal. It’s something I can’t even dream of doing, and here I am.”

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