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The November Nine for the 2010 World Series of Poker Main Event have been announced, and already they are capturing headlines thanks to number of inexperienced and amateur competitors.

The young poker playing team incorporates pros from the United States, Canada, and Italy, but the one underlying similarity is that all but one have never earned a WSOP bracelet. Michael Mizrachi holds the honor as the only recognizable face amongst the November Nine, with 23 cashes and a bracelet he picked up in June.

Read on to find out more about where each November Nine participant came from, and what sort of chances they have of competing for the $9 million winner’s prize.

Jonathan Duhamel

Starting Chip Count: 65,975,000
WSOP Bracelets: 0
WSOP Cashes: 2
WSOP Earnings: $43,000
Team: PokerStars
Country: Canada

He may only be 22 years old, but Jonathan Duhamel will head into the Main Event with a strong chip lead. The young Canadian has already cashed twice at the World Series of Poker this summer, with respectable 15th and 50th place finishes at separate events. But with a massive lead on the rest of the November Nine, he is already guaranteed his highest WSOP tournament finish, and has the best chance of any player to take out the entire event.

I played a lot this summer. When I play I just want to think about the game – that is all. I’m going to play more tournaments – like EPTs. I will play much more now.

John Dolan

Starting Chip Count: 46,250,000
WSOP Bracelets: 0
WSOP Cashes: 5
WSOP Earnings: $105,340
Team: Unsponsored
Country: United States

Another youngster, but with a handful of victories already behind him, Florida-based John Dolan heads into the Main Event with the second highest chip count – almost double that of third placed Joseph Cheong. Recently, Dolan won both the Harrah’s New Orleans Bayou Challenge and Gulf Coast Poker Championship for a net profit of around $65K, but any finish at the Main Event will be the biggest cash of his career so far.

This is my third year coming out to the WSOP for the whole summer. The first summer I bricked everything and then the 2nd I cashed a couple and this year I finally broke through and final tabled a 1k. Really solid players at the final table; will have to adjust my play accordingly.

Joseph Cheong

Starting Chip Count: 23,525,000
WSOP Bracelets: 0
WSOP Cashes: 2
WSOP Earnings: $31,064
Team: Full Tilt Poker
Country: United States (born in South Korea)

Joseph Cheong has only been playing poker since 2007, but has already amassed a series of victories and high finishes to earn him a place in the final nine. The UCSD graduate saw 2010 as being his biggest year for online poker so far, winning a preliminary WSOP event in San Diego that earned him $17,541. The regular Full Tilt Poker player is known as “subiime” online and you may recognize him as being the winner of a Mini-FTOPS event in 2009 for $55K.

I was very surprised the bubble took as long as it did. I was missing a lot of hands there for a while. You c-bet once and you lose 2.5 million, so you’ve got to pick your spots. My opponents were showing me or telling me about their hands and they had me beat, but it’s tough to fold big hands.

John Racener

Starting Chip Count: 19,050,000
WSOP Bracelets: 0
WSOP Cashes: 10
WSOP Earnings: $157,528
Team: Full Tilt Poker
Country: United States

He may be just 25, but Racener is coming into the November Nine with a wealth of experience rarely seen amongst his Main Event opponents. The Tampa Bay resident is a full-time poker pro and has been winning since 2006. With various final tables and victories under his belt, including a win at the WSOP Circuit Atlantic City in 2007, and then reaching the final table in the 2009 WSOP $5,000 Pot-Limit Omaha-8 Event, the other November Nine members should be watching Racener like a hawk.

I’ll be studying these players online. I’d like to see the Grinder [Michael Mizrachi] do well, we’re friends and he’s a good kid.

Matthew Jarvis

Starting Chip Count: 16,700,000
WSOP Bracelets: 0
WSOP Cashes: 0
WSOP Earnings: $0
Team: Full Tilt Poker
Country: Canada

Matt Jarvis’s biggest dream in life has been to reach the November Nine, and now that he has achieved his goal he has a great chance to take out the entire event. The Canadian may not have any WSOP cashes to his name, but he is far from a rookie in this sport. An online veteran, Jarvis has been playing competitive poker for more than six years and is keen to get off to the best possible start this November.

This is amazing. It’s crazy it all worked out. It’s a tough table – there’s a ton of really good players, they just pound, pound, pound.

Filippo Candio

Starting Chip Count: 16,400,000
WSOP Bracelets: 0
WSOP Cashes: 1
WSOP Earnings: $3,460
Team: Full Tilt Poker
Country: Italy

As the first Italian to reach a WSOP Main Event Final Table, there is plenty of pressure riding on the back of Filippo Candio. The Full Tilt man is no stranger to the feeling however, and his victory at the San Remo IPT Main Event last year can attest to that fact. Sitting on the halfway point of all November Nine contenders, Candio will have to reproduce his Day 8 performances if he intends to take out this year’s title.

I tried very hard to play the best I know how. I am the first Italian in history to make the November Nine – I’m very proud. It’s amazing.

Michael Mizrachi

Starting Chip Count: 14,450,000
WSOP Bracelets: 1 ($50,000 Players Championship – 2010 WSOP)
WSOP Cashes: 23
WSOP Earnings: $2,271,327
Team: Full Tilt Poker
Country: United States

Without a doubt, Michael Mizrachi is the biggest name in the 2010 November Nine. He picked up his first World Series of Poker bracelet in June this year, and will be looking to follow that up with another in the Main Event. 29-year-old Mizrachi isn’t exactly hording all the chips, but with a string of good finishes under his belt, the experienced pro may very well be considered the player to beat.

I feel I’m like Phil Ivey last year. With these blinds anybody could win it. I like my chances. I want to make Frank Kassela sweat a little more.

Soi Nguyen

Starting Chip Count: 9,650,000
WSOP Bracelets: 0
WSOP Cashes: 0
WSOP Earnings: 0
Team: Full Tilt Poker
Country: United States

As one of the only amateurs to reach this stage of the tournament, Soi Nguyen knows he will have to work if he intends to stay at the table for longer than a couple of hours. For the next four months, Nguyen intends to study the game of live poker, as he had only competed in three prior to taking part in the Main Event. Inexperience isn’t stopping the part-timer though, and, if nothing else, he has already proven that he has the ability to turn an entire table on its head with just a single hand.

The bubble was tough because everyone’s strategy changes. It’s like an NFL player winning the super bowl.

Jason Senti

Starting Chip Count: 7,625,000
WSOP Bracelets: 0
WSOP Cashes: 1
WSOP Earnings: $17,987
Team: PokerStars
Country:

For online poker players, PBJaxx is probably a name you’ve encountered at some point. Jason Senti will start as the short-stack in November, but you’d better believe he’s playing to win. The former electrical engineer has only been playing poker professionally for the past couple of years, but with success both online and in live tourneys he has been able to claim the final seat in the 2010 WSOP Main Event.

I don’t think anybody expected to make it this far. I played to win all the way, then when it got close, I played for a November Nine spot. The skill gap between professionals and amateurs widens with so many hands.