Dennis Phillips Is Shell-Shocked

Has anyone down there seen Dennis Phillips' chip lead?

Somewhere, difficult to tell in this photo but in the stadium seating behind the final table, there are about 200 white-shirt-wearing, St. Louis Cardinals ball capped Dennis Phillips fans. Outside the Penn & Teller theater, there are probably 100 more.

All are there, of course, were brought there by Dennis Phillips.

So it kind of sucks for him that he's gone from chip leader to near short-stack, dropping to around 4M in chips.

Phillips lost a monster pot to Ivan Demidov, and has continued to slip. The once vocal Phillips minions (who we spoke with many, all good, friendly people) have gone silent.

That party Phillips promised for all if he won looks highly improbable now.

Phillips in general looks shell-shocked and a little lost. Maybe he's feeling the pressure of not having to disappoint so many supporters out there.

Follow the action here or with Dr. Pauly here.

UPDATE: Ok as soon as we posted this Phillips doubled up through Chino Rheem and is now stacked at 9M. Chino is down to around 6M.

Interview With Dennis Phillips, 2008 WSOP Main Event Chip Leader

Here's what 2008 WSOP Main Event chip leader Dennis Phillips has to say right before play begins.

Watch Dennis Phillips Chip Leader Challenge at the Hard Rock Poker Lounge on RawVegas.tv

First Member of Hostage Group The November Nine(TM) Aligns with Pros for Consulting Advice

One of The November Nine^TM, Dennis Phillips, has formally signed with Oracle Poker Consulting for 2008 WSOP final table advice.

When everyone first learned that the World Series of Poker would hold nine people hostage (later to be dubbed The November Nine^TM) from July until November this year, one of the first outcries from the public was, "Who will HELP these people???"

The first shoe has dropped (publicly at least) on Wednesday as big stack Dennis Phillips as aligned himself with Roy Winston and Joe McGowan of Oracle Poker Consulting for advice leading to the final table.

Says Dennis Phillips (of this cry for help?):

"I look forward to working with Roy & Joe and Oracle Poker Consulting over the next couple of months leading up to the Main Event. I'm confident in my game and don't intend to change it, but I'm also smart enough to know that you can always learn more. Roy and Joe's help and insight will be invaluable, not only in preparing for the final table but in helping me navigate through the many aspects of being in the poker spotlight."

How this may or may not impact Phillip's relationship with the other hostages, or when he is released back to the general poker public, remains to be seen. Will he suffer from the Stockholm Syndrome? Will he bank $9M? Will he be good or bad for poker? As John Wetton might say, only time will tell.

Read the full press release in the WCP Forum here.

Odds on 2008 WSOP November 9(TM) - UPDATE

Editor's Note: When Harrah's came to us back in April this year and said, "Hey Entities, we're going to do this thingy with the 2008 WSOP Main Event final table were we delay it till November. Can you help us come up with a cool way to brand it?" we said "Ok...but it will be our trademark." They said, "We guess that's aieght." So we said, "All right well we're naming it 'The November 9^TM'." And Harrah's was like, "Coolio. We're Audi 500." *

It took a little longer than we would've expected, but we finally have some odds on The November 9^TM for the 2008 WSOP Main Event.

Dennis Phillips, who we are slowing changing our opinion on and possibly upgrading to "Good for Poker^TM," leads "the^TM" way at 3/1. He's followed by Scott Montgomery at 4/1.

Our pick to win from the get-go, the guy you just can't get mad at although we may be downgrading to "Bad for Poker^TM" David "Chino" Rheem, is at 15/2. And with eight big blinds left, Tommy Rocky Horror Kelly Kim brings up the rear at 25/1.

Head over to Bodog Life here to view the rest of the odds. Discuss the odds or who you think has the best value in the WCP forum here.

* Conversation didn't quite happen like that. Or at all.

UPDATE: Tell us who you think will take it down. Head over to the WCP forum and cast a vote in our poll here. (Btw, the correct answer is Chino Rheem).

2008 WSOP Main Event Final Table Is Set

These guys are it.

The 2008 WSOP Main Event has it's "November Nine^TM" as the final table is finally set.

The chip leader for the next four months will be Dennis Phillips, stacked at 26,420,000. Phillips has been impressive and aggressive all today, playing the role of big stack well.

Our pick David "Chino" Rheem was up and down, but will go into final table play 7th overall with just under 11M.

The unofficial chip counts of the other remaining players are Ivan Demidov (23,920,000), Peter Eastgate (19,300,000), Scott Montgomery (19,300,000), Ylon Schwartz (13,040,000), Darus Suharto (13,020,000), Craig Marquis (10,120,000), and Kelly Kim (2,900,000).

All in all, this final table is a major bad beat considering the star power going into the last two days. But hey, that's poker.

Dennis Phillips - Bad for Poker(TM)?

Dennis Phillips wouldn't so much have a "Moneymaker Effect" as he would have a "Jerry Yang Effect."

Listen, Dennis Phillips may be the nicest guy in the world. He may have 12 super hot college-aged daughters who give bjs to all house guests. He may have created the polio vaccine. He probably stormed the beaches at Normandy. He could very well be a great U.S. American.

But if Dennis Phillips ends up the winner of the 2008 WSOP Main Event, that would probably be Bad for Poker^TM.

Again, no offense to Phillips. He could've invented the Internet for all we know. Or at least Internet porn. Perhaps he gives really sensual foot rubs. With lots of oil. Then softly kisses your neck. Caressing your hair...while blowing...in your ear.

Oh Dennis! You are such a bad, bad boy!

Wtf.

But Phillips has more of that earthy "just won the lottery now going to buy a 14 acre farm in Iowa" than that "let's go pop bottles with models for the next year and promote poker like a rock star" kind of look.

Whatever the case, we'll know in four long freaking months soon, as Phillips looks primed for a final table appearance, currently stacked over 11M.

Owen Crowe, who would've been Good for Poker^TM, was just eliminated in 15th place...