Steven Begleiter a financial businessman by trade, is another member of the WSOP 2009 November Nine with no real past experience in live poker tournaments. He has never cashed in an event, and suddenly he stands to walk away with no less than $1.2 million. Steven plays regular home games, where a league win brought him the $10k necessary to buy into the 2009 WSOP Main Event. It would seem he made the best decision of his life by doing so.
Name: Steven Begleiter
Age: 47
DOB: N/A
Astrological Sign: N/A
Hometown: Chappaqua, New York
Total Live Tournament Winnings: $ 1,616,400
First Place Finishes: 0
Total Cashes: 2
WSOP Cashes: 1
Steven Begleiter is quite suddenly a household name. Though he is by no means a professional poker player “at least not yet” but has defiantly wormed his way through a field of 6,494 to earn himself a seat in the most prestigious of all poker tables; the 2009 WSOP Main Event final table, a.k.a. the November Nine.
Steven has no plans to quit his day job, even though he is well aware that when the final table is said and done, he will be at least $1,263,602 richer. Begleiter says he will be returning to his current employment as Senior Principal of Felxpoint Ford, and investment company in New York City.
Before his current position, he spent his days at Bear Sterns & Co. as the Senior Managing Director. A hard-working man by nature, he has always put every effort into his job, but after hours, he had a whole different way of passing the time.
Steven Begleiter plays poker regularly at a local home game. Having won a league in such games, Steven found himself with the $10,000 necessary to buy-in to the 2009 WSOP Main Event – and that’s exactly what he did with it.
Begleiter certainly did not expect to be awaiting the seating of the November Nine when he started on Day 1 of the WSOP Main Event. He described much of the action throughout as, “dancing between raindrops in the middle of a minefield” . He must be one heck of a good dancer – He now sits among the famed November Nine with the third highest chip stack at the table, 29,885,000.
Steven has absolutely no documented live tournament cashes. No WSOP finishes in the money, no bracelets, no accolades to intimidate his opponents come November. Certainly nothing lie some of his final table competitors, like Phil Ivey, with 7 WSOP Bracelets, and Jeff Shulman, who is no stranger to the final table of the WSOP Main Event. Shulman finished 7th in 2000 WSOP Main Event.
One thing he does have on his side, however, is an impressive cheering section behind him. The final two days of Main Event action was often met with a loud cry of “Begs, Begs, Begs” as his family, friends and fans applauded his game. One memorable occasion came on Day 7 when he pushed his last 5 million all-in against Tommy Vedes. He was confident with A-Q, until Vedes revealed pocket Kings. The flop was no help the Begleiter, his hopes quickly fading, until an Ace fell on the Turn. The Queen on the river sealed the deal. Begleiter doubled up to 10 million, his cheering section louder than ever.
This skilled poker player makes no qualms about his experience in the 2009 WSOP thus far. Though very proud of his game play throughout, he is quick to admit that Lady Luck has shined upon him more than once. Steven Begleiter is anxious to reconvene later this year to see how the notorious November Nine plays out at the Rio.
