Main Event still at 10 players; Canada’s Duhamel stays out front

Eight Americans, two Canadians and an Italian have spent almost three hours early Sunday morning playing 10-handed for nine coveted seats at the final table of World Series of Poker’s Main Event.

The chip leader in the $10,000 buy-in No-Limit Hold’em World Championship is Jonathan Duhamel, a 22-year-old French Canadian who learned how to play poker with friends and was playing in his first live tournament.

The nine survivors of a tournament field of 7,319 players will return to the Rio on Nov. 6 to play for their share of the tournament prize pool of $68.8 million. Play began on July 5 at the Rio and has included some 12 hours of play on Saturday and Sunday, The winner of the Main Event takes home $8.9 million while the runner-up collects more than $5.5 million.

Duhamel has 52.625 million in tournament chips heading to the final table. John Dolan, 24, of Bonita Springs, Fla., is in second with 45.5 million in chips. Joseph Cheong, 24, of La Mirada, Calif., is holding third with 27.35 million.

John Racener, 29, of Port Richey, Fla., is in fourth with 25.2 million.

Michael "The Grinder" Mizrachi, a 29-year-old professional poker player from North Miami Beach, Fla., holds onto fifth place with 17 million in chips.

In sixth is Soi Nguyen, 38, of Santa Ana, Calif., with 15 million in chips.

Filippo Candio, 26, of Cagliari, Italy holds seventh place is held by, with 12.6 million chips.

Matthew Jarvis, 25, of Surrey, British Columbia, Canada, who held the chip lead at several points during Saturday’s play, is in eighth with 11.575 million in chips.

Jason Senti, 25, of St. Louis Park, Minn., is in ninth with 10.575 in chips.

Brandon Steven, 36, of Wichita, Kan., is in 10th with 7.7 million.

The 10th place finisher collects $635,011.