The year 2009 was chock full of interesting poker news stories. From high stakes online poker drama, to the Main Event and November Nine of the 2009 WSOP Main Event, the stories have run the gamut. However, what would the top 10 stories of 2009 look like and how would they rank?

Arguments could be made that Phil Ivey in the November Nine trumps Patrik Antonius winning the largest pot in online poker history ($1.3 million). Or what about Jeff Lisandro winning 2009 WSOP Player of the Year? What else would you put in the top 10 stories of 2009? Well, Bodog Poker put together a list and did just that. So, check out the:

Top 10 Poker News Headlines for 2009

Tonight's episode picks up with only 64 players remaining, including poker pros Phil Ivey and Antonio Esfandiari, both of who are seated at the featured table, and the continued tracking of last woman standing Leo Margets as well of the emergence of the Maryland logger Darvin Moon, who is now part of the poker consciousness. Or will be for the next month or so.

These 2009 WSOP Main Event episodes will continue every Tuesday at 9pm ET until the November Nine congregate back in Vegas to play out the final table and down to the $8.5 million first-place prize.

Download Bodog Poker now to get in on some online poker tournament action of your own.

The other eight players will become a little more known to us over the next couple of months as they are hoisted upon the semi-willing poker media and desperately pitched out to the mainstream media. But really, and you have to feel at least slightly bad for them even though they are now all millionaires, the only player that most media outlets will focus on is Ivey. He is widely considered the best player in poker whether it be tournament, cash or online play and will be looking to cement that position as part of the November Nine.

Now, far be it from us to be all exclusionary of the others. You should probably know who Eric Buchman is as he's a well-respected player among those who know these things. Then there's CardPlayer editor Jeff Shulman who may or may not cause a scene if he wins. Anyway, here's the full list of who they are and what their chip counts will be when they all sit down together again:

1. Darvin Moon – 58,930,000
2. Eric Buchman – 34,800,000
3. Steven Begleiter – 29,885,000
4. Jeff Shulman – 19,580,000
5. Joe Cada – 13,215,000
6. Kevin Schaffel – 12,390,000
7. Phil Ivey – 9,765,000
8. Antoine Saout – 9,500,000
9. James Akenhead – 6,800,000

So, with all that said and done, we're outta here. It's been real and if you want to re-live any part of it or check out photos, head over over to the 2009 WSOP Main Event live updates page. Don't forget that the WPT season has kicked off and you can qualify online for the WPT at Bodog Poker.

The major storyline at the moment belongs to poker pro Phil Ivey, who is still standing strongly in fourth place with 11.35 million in chips. The current chip leader is everybody's favorite logger from Maryland, Darvin Moon, with 20.16 million in chips. He is followed by Billy Kopp with 15.97 million.

Still hanging on for dear life is the last woman standing, Leo Margets. She starts the day with the second-smallest stack at 1.53 million. The only other notable players coming into the day are CardPlayer magazine's Jeff Shulman (10.17 million), Antonio Esfandiari (4.47 million) and that's pretty much it. So much potential in the field boiled down to just this. Kinda feels like last year.

Anyway, the cards are just about ready to go in the air, so we're off to take some pics and see how this thing ends. Stay tuned for more 2009 WSOP Main Event live updates.

Joe Sebok is out. So is Dennis Phillips. There we said it, now you can go about dealing with this news. Sebok went earlier this morning in 56th place for $108,047 and Phillips a couple of hours ago in 45th place for $178,857. This was an impressive run for both of them. For Sebok because he was short-stacked for much of the previous three days and played impressively patient poker to make it to where he did, and for Phillips because it's just not easy to run deep in the Main Event two years in a row with the amount of variance and sheer luck involved.

On the flip side, the good news is that Phil Ivey and Antonio Esfandiari are still in and both looking strong. Both players would make great storylines if they reach the final table. Ivey from a pure poker dominance standpoint and Esfandiari as a well-liked charismatic player, looking for validation with a pinch of comeback.

Ivey is currently second in chips, behind chip leader Billy Kopp. Other notables remaining include Jeff Shulman, James Akenhead, Ludovic Lacay and last woman standing Leo Margets.

Stay tuned for more 2009 WSOP Main Event live updates as we creep up on the November Nine.

So, when Ivey won his second bracelet in the $2,500 Omaha/Seven Card Stud Hi/Lo 8-or-better event over the weekend (for another measly sum of $220,538), the sighs and groans coming from the wallets and bank accounts of those who had taken the action on the second bracelet feat were audible. There are not many rumors floating around as to how much he took down in side bets this time, but it has to be pretty impressive. Somebody call all the Vegas sportsbooks and tell them to expect a visitor.

Anyway, another impressive accomplishment was made over the weekend when UK poker pro Roland de Wolfe won the $5,000 Pot Limit Omaha Hi/Lo 8-or-better event, thereby completing the mythical and much-storied Triple Crown (winning a WPT, EPT and WSOP title). This feat has only been accomplished by one other person, Gavin Smith, or he-of-the-pink-hair.

De Wolfe took on one of the tougher final tables seen at the WSOP this year and walked away with the $246,616 first-place prize. Also at his table were Brett Richey, Scott Clements, Alex Kravchenko, Andy Black and John Racener.

Stay tuned for more 2009 WSOP updates.

After slugging his way up the chip counts, Ivey found himself in a marthon heads-up duel against John Monnette. However, it just seemed like destiny tht Ivey woulkd take it downm, and he did. Ivey walked with $96,361 for winning the event, but more importantly, he got his sixth WSOP bracelet. That puts him on the same level as poker pros like Men “The Master” Nguyen, T.J. "The Cookie" Cloutier, and Layne Flack at seventh on the list of all-time bracelet winners.

There's even more action happening today in the Amazon Room at the 2009 WSOP as the $10,000 World Championship Mixed event moves onto Day 2. The storylines abound in this event at the moment as we have another stacked field with 124 of the origial 194 players remaining. Poker pro Daniel Negreanu is currently one of the chip leaders and is hunting his fifth WSOP bracelet. He is joined at the tables by Jimmy "gobboboy" Fricke, Brandon Adams, Andy Black, David "The Dragon" Pham, Scotty Nguyen, Erick Lindgren, Doyle Brunson and a whole lot more names that you recognize.

We'll keep you posted at this event develops at the 2009 WSOP and don't forget that there is still plenty of time to qualify online for the 2009 WSOP through Bodog Poker and win a $12,000 WSOP prize package, the details of which we will be revealing shortly.

Here is durrrr's quote from that article:

“I’m making this heads-up challenge to the world. Anyone can accept. Four tables, minimum of $200/$400, and I’ll put up $1.5 million to their $500,000. We play 50,000 hands minimum and if they end up a dollar after rake they keep the side money or whatever. So basically, if you and I played and you won a dollar, you would get my $1.5 million and if I won a dollar I would win your $500,000. So I’m giving a million dollars free if anyone thinks they can do it.”

The point worth noting here is that the $1.5 million and the $500,000 are just a side bet. Playing $200/$400 PLO can result in swings of millions by itself and the winner gets to keep the winnings plus the side bet. So, this challenge could potentially be worth several million over the course of the 50,000 hands.

According to Phil Ivey's podcast on PokerRoad yesterday (listen here), it sounds like he was the first to jump on this challenge and has been joined by David Benyamine and Patrik Antonius. He also anticipates that someone is going to lose $3 to $4 million before this is all said and done.

To stay up to date on all the latest developments, check out the 2+2 thread here or just come back to the Beat for a much more concise and less annoying summary of what's going on.

"Zee Sports and WPTE together create a powerful partnership as the most trusted vehicles to introduce poker to India," said Steve Lipscomb, WPT Founder, President and CEO. "We are delighted to be making history together."

The poker programming will take its place alongside Zee Sports current sports lineup, which includes football (soccer), cricket, tennis, motor sports, golf and choreographed Bollywood dancing. According to the press release, the series will include episodes from Season IV of the tour, which was like three years ago. If they're that far behind maybe we shouldn't let them know that Dumbledore dies…shit, oh well.

If you want to appear in the homes of billions of people three years from now on a WPT televised final table, then head over to the Bodog Poker room and check out how to qualify online for a WPT event with a $12,000 Player's Choice package.

The twelve remaining are: Matt Glantz with 1,875,000, Eric Lindgren with 1,765,000, Ralph Perry with 1,680,000, Huck Seed with 1,650,000, David Bach with 1,450,000, Scotty Nguyen with 1,420,000, Michael DeMichele with 1,230,000, Raymond Davis with 975,000, Lyle Berman with 635,000, Barry Greenstein with 550,000, Phil Ivey with 505,000 and Patrick Bueno with 440,000.

The bubble broke earlier today and 10 time WSOP bracelet winner Doyle Brunson ended up being the first person eliminated after it burst. He cashed for $124,320 for his 16th place finish.

Next out was Andy Bloch who also earned $124,320. Then it was Joseph Michael who made$142,080 for his 14th place finish.

Then it was Daniel Negreanu who hit the rails in 13th place after getting all his chips in against Lyle Berman. Negreanu was in the lead but Berman went on to make make a full house. Negreanu also earned $142,080.

Now most recently Phil Ivey was eliminated. Ivey got into it with the Prince of Poker, Scotty Nguyen in a hand of Stud. Nguyen bet out on every street with Ivey calling the whole way down until his last chip was in the pot on fifth street. Ivey showed 3h-3s-6h-Qs-9h while Nguyen showed Kh-10h-Ac-7d-Qd. The river spelled Ivey's doom however with the Ace of Diamonds. Ivey's 12th place finish earned him $159,840.

Think you could swim in these waters? The $50,000 WSOP HORSE Championship is no joke. Here's a recap of some of the players eliminated.

TJ Cloutier and Marcel Luske we hardly knew ye.

Freddy Deeb might have won this event last year but this year he went home empty handed.

Insert joke about how Jesus failed to pull off a miracle this time.

Like sand in the hour glass… so too were Annie Duke and Doyle Brunson's tournament lives.

Team Bodog's Justin Bonomo failed take WSOP vengeance on the tournament that he bubbled in last year.

Isabelle Mercier, your cleavage was insufficient to save you.

Gus Hansen. You were chip leader and the main mark for a WSOP prostitute and then you were gone.

Play will continue tonight until the final table is set for tomorrow. Stay tuned to the Beat for up to the millisecond WSOP news.