We're underway here at the ESPN final table area and there are just a handful of spectators on hand for the event. There's plenty of sitting room if you're at home reading this, so feel free to come on down if you're in the area.
Nielsen, our overwhelming chip leader as we begin play today, is a relative newcomer to tournament poker with just a few cashes to date. He did, however, score a nice payday this February with a fourth-place finish in the EPT's Scandinavian Open, earning the equivalent of over $300,000.
Nguyen has consistently cashed in smaller tournaments over the last five years, although today will mark his biggest payday to date, regardless of where he finishes. This marks his third WSOP cash, having made the money a couple of times in 2007. His career earnings currently top $160,000.
Tran is our most decorated participant at today's final table, though like the other eight he, too, is seeking his first WSOP bracelet. The closest Tran has ever come to a bracelet before was in 2006 when he finished second in a $1,500 No-Limit Hold'em event. Tran has to his credit one World Poker Tour title, five WPT final tables, and numerous WSOP cashes, including five already this summer -- and two other final tables! He also took down the PokerStars World Championship of Online Poker main event in 2006, netting a handsome $670,000. His total career earnings exceed $6.2 million.
Irishman John Conroy has over a dozen small cashes to his credit thus far, primarily in Europe-based no-limit hold'em events. His most significant finish previously was a third place in an EPT event in Warsaw, Poland, for which he took home the equivalent of $143,992. That cash represents about two-thirds of his overall career winnings, which total just over $226,000.
Today marks Jesper Hoog's first ever WSOP final table. He has cashed once previously in a WSOP event, having made the money last year in another $1,500 No-Limit Hold'em event.