Darvin Moon has to be feeling rather comfortable in his current chip-lead position. Owner of his own logging company, he is certainly no professional poker player. In fact, he reminds us much of last years chip leader going into the final table, Dennis Phillips. A 45 year old working man from Oakland, Maryland, he had no idea he would win a seat in the most prestigious live poker tournament in the world, much less find himself finishing 2nd at the WSOP 2009 for over $5m.
Name: Darvin Moon
Age: 45
DOB: N/A
Astrological Sign: N/A
Hometown: Oakland, Maryland
Total Live Tournament Winnings: $5,000,000+
First Place Finishes: 0
Total Cashes: 8
WSOP Cashes: 1
Darvin Moon is by no means a professional poker player – at least not yet. His performance in the 2009 World Series of Poker has placed him among the final table of competitors, affectionately termed the “November Nine” and finally finishing 2nd . He went into the 2009 WSOP final table as the chip leader, with a stack of 58,930,000.
Hailing from Oakland, Maryland where he owns his own logging company, the 45 year old first started playing poker as a young boy, playing 7 Card Stud with his grandfather. Moon did not even begin to learn the game of Texas Hold-em until about three years ago. At that time, his poker experience was limited to local tournaments, held as charitable events for the fire department and other worthy organizations.
Moon had no idea that his entertaining pastime could lead him to such an unfathomable position in the 2009 WSOP. He bought his way into a $130 live event in Wheeling, West Virginia, and whittled his way through the competition to take 1st place. The prize was $10,000 cash, or the buy-in for the 2009 WSOP Main Event.
It was not an easy decision by any means, but eventually, he choose to take aim at the WSOP. Obviously having made the right decision, Moon has bulldozed through the competition over his 8 days of Main Event play at the Rio. Eliminating some of the toughest competitors in the field, Moon has played a very smart, strategic game. Never did Moon push his entire stack into the pot, choosing to maintain a tight stance throughout.
In what had to be a heart-wrenching decision, Moon even mucked a beautiful hand of pocket kings to ensure his longevity in the Main Event.
“I had pocket kings one time and the other guy pushed all in over the top of me. I just mucked my hand pre-flop. I mean, he has to have aces. What else can he have?”
He has held the chip lead in the 2009 WSOP Main Event since day 6. He has certainly been helped along by lady luck thus far, according to his own comments throughout the Main Event.
“With the cards I’m getting it’s easy,” Moon commented. “The first hand I sat down I had pocket kings and rivered trips. Three hands later I had pocket aces and flopped trips. How hard is it?”
Moon is not simply being arrogant, he fully understood that his poker play is coming on a 100% amateur level. In fact, there is not a single documented tournament cash to Darvin Moon’s name, live or otherwise.
He said to one reporter, “I told them as soon as I go card dead you guys will eat me alive. I’m humble. I know where I stand among the class of people I’m against. I’m outclassed by so far.”
Moon also commented during the 2009 WSOP Main Event on his expectations for finishing. “I got my goals set. It’s not first. But it’s not ninth, either. I’ll be happy. I don’t care if I go out on the first hand tomorrow. I’ve had fun. It’s been worth every minute of it. I just like to play, and it’s unreal. It’s something I can’t even dream of doing, and here I am.”
It will be interesting to see how his hand plays out come this November, when he – the least experienced poker player in the November Nine, takes on the likes of Phil Ivey and other strong competitors at the Rio in Las Vegas.
