Which players helped or hurt their brand at the WSOP final table Part 2

Nine players sat down on the main stage of the Penn & Teller Theater on Saturday in what was seemingly a contest for about $30 million in prize-money, but a deeper look at precisely what was at stake for some of these players reveals a completely different dynamic. Some of these players were playing for the future, while others have far less opportunity for sponsorship deals and future results, so the WSOP was their pinnacle, and their one true shot at glory.

 In this 2-part column I will explore which players hurt their brand or helped their brand at the WSOP final table -Although a lot will depend on how ESPN edits Tuesday’s episodes! Here are the final five players: Jonathan Duhamel, Mike “The Grinder” Mizrachi, Jason Senti, Filippo Candio, and Matthew Jarvis.

Jonathan Duhamel - Duhamel is so similar in personality to Peter Eastgate and Joe Cada -quiet, unassuming, and unfortunately uninspiring. It’s hard to root for or against any of these three, but the reality is that unless Duhamel wins a la Eastgate and Cada he is unlikely to be a high-profile figure in the poker world.

Mike Mizrachi - The Grinder had the chance for poker immortality when he found himself the chip-leader with the table down to six players. Unfortunately, the wheels came off the Grinder Express and he bowed out in 5^th place. Mizrachi definitely improved his brand in 2010, having reestablished himself as one of the top tournament pros on the circuit, but poker immortality slipped thorugh his fingers on Saturday -but there is always next year!

Jason Senti - Senti was willing to mix it up at the final table, and seemed to be the player who was helped the most on Saturday -his attitude and personality will also help with his branding. Senti came into the final table as a somewhat visible poker pro, but with the amount of times he mixed it up, as well as the legendary way he was eliminated, Senti will likely go down as a Chino Rheem/Andy Black type player in WSOP history -someone who didn’t win but was just as visible as the players who finished ahead of them, and has gone on to have good results and high visibility in the poker world.

Filippo Candio - Candio came into the final table in full-on Michael Vick mode -needing to rehab his image after penalties, wild plays, and a luckbox image. Candio was very reserved at Saturday’s final table and made a respectable 4^th place showing. I think Candio was able to do the impossible and rehab his image. I’d be shocked if he wasn’t signed after the WSOP, especially considering the premium online poker rooms are putting on international players.

Matthew Jarvis - Jarvis never really had a chance to get anything going, but one thing he does have going for him is being part of one of the sickest hands in WSOP history. People will always remember his bust-out hand against “The Grinder”. I would expect Jarvis to be signed by a Poker Room and continue to have good results, he seems like a solid player with a great attitude.