World Series of Poker: Meet the October Nine Finalists

The final nine players for the 2012 World Series of Poker Main Event, known as the October Nine, have been determined. The finalists are Jesse Sylvia, Andras Koroknai, Greg Merson, Russell Thomas, Steven Gee, Michael Esposito, Robert Salaburu, Jacob Balsiger, and Jeremy Ausmus. The final event is scheduled for October 28, 2012.

PokerStars has included German players on its .eu platform despite online poker being illegal in Germany. The platform, which launched in February, also includes players from Sweden, Finland, Poland, Slovenia, Romania, and the Netherlands. The platform is licensed under Malta's EU regulations, rather than the Isle of Man.

PartyPoker.com has removed high-stakes cash tables from its .com platform. The changes affect No Limit and Pot Limit tables above 5/10 and Limit tables above 30/60. The Sit&Go and MTT offerings remain unchanged. This move is part of an effort to improve the poker ecosystem and encourage more action at the tables. The introduction of Zoom Poker appears to have impacted their strategy, and they are working on a new fast-paced system.