Bodog Beat

Russian poker player Ivan Demidov has become the first player to ever reach the final table of the WSOP and WSOP Europe. (Image courtesy of WSOP)

The final table of the 2008 WSOP Europe Main Event has officially been set and definitely does not disappoint when it comes to story lines. There are several big names pros looking to add to their already lengthy resumes and one player who has made history and done so impressively.

The pros at the table include current chip leader John Juanda, Daniel Negreanu and Scott Fischman. Juanda came into the day's play with the lead and managed to hold onto it all the way through the final table, a remarkable feat considering his opponents. Negreanu will be looking to a add a fifth WSOP bracelet to his wrist, the first on the other side of the pond from his native Canada. Fischman is after his third bracelet, his first in four years, and his second major tournament cash this year. Looks like the poker camp instructor for the WSOP Academy is drinking some of his own Kool-aid.

The major story line at the final table though is Russian poker player Ivan Demidov. He has already become part of the poker consciousness as part of the "November Nine" (well, sort of, the marketing and "awareness raising" has been a bit lacking) and has now added a second Main Event final table to his accomplishments. Demidov becomes the first player to reach the final table of the 2008 WSOP Main Event and the 2008 WSOP Europe Main Event, but could win his second final table before even playing in the first. Weird.

The rest of the final table players are important to someone, just not to us.

Due to the vagaries of "time zones" and the like, the final table has started even though we just woke up. Demidov has opened a decent chip lead, Juanda and Negreanu have dropped a bit and we've lost Chris Elliott, who is not the Cabin Boy.

Stay tuned to the Bodog Beat for more WSOP Europe updates, and if you want some poker tournament action of your own then don't forget to get in on the Bodog Poker Open II, which is currently running in the Bodog Poker room. There are BPO events running every night this week and online satellites for the Bodog Poker Open are running constantly.