Bodog Beat

Darvin Moon has held the chip lead for most of Day 8 of the 2009 WSOP Main Event. (Bodog Beat Image)

We are down to 15 players here on Day 8 of the 2009 WSOP Main Event, just five players shy of the mythical November Nine. Unfortunately, we have lost one of the major storylines that could've developed. Poker pro Antonio Esfandiari busted out in 24th place to earn $352,832 for his efforts.

That now leaves us with Phil Ivey as the sole hope of professional poker players everywhere in one of them taking down the Main Event. However, Ivey is no longer doing as well as he once was and has slipped to 10th place, well below the average chip stack.

The chip leader is now Steven Begleiter, followed by Eric Buchman and then the above-pictured Darvin Moon, who (we still can't get over) is a logger from Maryland. Awesome.

If Ivey failes to reach the final table this could be one of the most non-eventful final tables in recent, and possible all, WSOP history, and that would not be very good for poker.

So, let's hope that Ivey is not one of the five who have to bust out before the November Nine is set. Come back here to see what happens and check out our 2009 WSOP Main Event updates.