"I've been playing poker for about six years now. I've been doing it for a living for four years. I started playing professionally when I was 17," says the youngest player at the Final Table of the 2009 WSOP Main Event, Joe Cada. He could very well take the record for youngest player to ever win this tournament from last year’s reigning champion, Peter Eastgate.
This likable Michigan native made the front page of the Detroit News and is very confident in his game when it comes to all of his opponents, except one—Phil Ivey. Twenty-one-year-old Cada is already a self-made millionaire just by placing in the final table. Known online as “jcada99,” he has already been quite successful winning numerous online as well as live poker tournaments. And the Main Event won’t be his only cash for this year’s series. He also won 17th place in Event #34 $1,500 No-Limit Hold ‘em, earning his $21,533 and 64th place in Event #13 $2,500 No-Limit Hold ‘em, which paid him $6,681. He also ranked number 1,352 in the POY race, which is more than some of his November opponents can say.
At only 15 years old, Cada began playing on Party Poker. Playing together with his brother, Jerome, Cada got better and better, and by the time he started Macomb Community College, he was a regular player. Moving his game live to a casino in Windsor, Michigan, he was a natural, leaving college after only two semesters to focus on a career in professional poker.
To get ready for the big game in November, Cada plans on training by playing in more live events including the WSOP Europe, the World Poker Tour Legends of Poker in LA, and the European Poker Tour Barcelona.
Though you may see him wearing the Ultimate Bet label, he says that was only a one-day deal, and he hasn’t made any permanent sponsorship deals with any site. This guy could definitely be one to watch, as he’s getting much discussion time in many online poker communities.
Read about all the WSOP 2009 November Nine.
|
