Three Poker Thrillers from 2009

2009 was a great year for those with a passion for poker and three stories in particular caught our eye.

1.    The Rise and Fall of a Newbie
2009 saw Full Tilt Poker chomping at the bit. The second largest online poker site in the industry had a year of big prizes hotly contested over by a swarm of skilled players.

The popular online poker room ensured a stomping end to 2009 with November and December having the twelve biggest pots ever offered.

Swedish player, Isildur1, caught the attention of many by being part of the action at every game. His brave performances and impressive play paid off, with him beating seasoned professionals such as Tom Dwan and Ilari "Ziigmund" Sahamies. Ultimately however, it was experience that won the day, with Phily Ivey, Brian Hastings and a few others to boot, putting the new contender firmly back into line.

The spirited newcomer captured the imagination of many. His ‘think big' attitude and perseverance was great fun to watch and his participation in big games saw his fortunes rise to $5M, only to plummet to a deficit of $3M by the end of the year.

All sports need their characters and Isildur1 certainly brought some color to the Full Tilt Poker tables, prompting many of us to cheer on the underdog.

2.  Fab Five Receive Multiple Bracelets
The 2009 World Series of Poker aimed to provide optimum entertainment and this year offered more starting chips and levels than ever before - aiming to both encourage and reward the most skillful players.

The plans paid off with an extraordinary five pros winning multiple bracelets;

• Jeffrey Lisandro led the pack with an incredible three bracelets.
• Phil Ivey created a stir with his two bracelet wins and got tantalizing close to a third.
• Brock Parker, Greg Mueller, and J.P. Kelly took two bracelets each.

Not since poker boom of 2003 had so many players won multiple events in a single World Series. Exciting stuff!

3.    Joe Cada Becomes Youngest Champ Ever
This year saw incredible success for Joe Cada, who made a swift transition from high school drop-out to 2009 champ in the blink of an eye.

Cada wowed the poker crowd with his meteoric rise to success. At 21 years of age his victory at the 2009 World Series of Poker makes him the youngest champ in history.

Not only did he coup the stunning $8.5 million prize but he did so in his own inimitable style.  Cada's main-event win saw him losing most of his chips against Jeff Shulman but the gutsy gambler kept his cool and took a few hair-raising risks to bolster his position.  Maybe it was youthful folly, or even an amateur's arrogance, but whatever lay behind Cada's tactics, it paid off and the nervy newcomer from Michigan left with the big money in his pocket.

Cada's success caught the eye of PokerStars who invited him on to their prestigious PokerStars Pro Team where he now regularly plays 2,000 hands a day.

2009 certainly contained some pulsating poker and with such a talented and entertaining bunch of regulars showcasing their skills, 2010 is awaited with baited breath.