However, if Eastgate should make an early exit, Hellmuth cannot breathe a sigh of relief right away, as there is another challenger to the record to deal with, 23-year-old Craig Marquis.

Who Is Craig Marquis?

Arlington, Texas' Craig Marquis is a classic Internet poker young gun. He discovered online poker in college and never looked back. Having played for only 18 months, Marquis is already making a name for himself, both on the virtual felt and in live play.

At last year's World Series of Poker, Marquis cashed twice, coming in 34th in the $5,000 pot limit hold'em world championship and 30th in the $1,000 no limit hold'em event. This year, he won his first table at the $1,500 no limit hold'em shootout, good for a $5,596 cash. Marquis was not too happy with his results in this year's WSOP prior to the main event, but he is certainly happy now.

Why Will Craig Marquis Win the World Series of Poker Main Event?

Marquis may just be too young to realize the magnitude of the accomplishment he has already achieved. While some players spend their lives trying and failing to make any World Series of Poker final table, Marquis has made the big one in just his second attempt. Not being burdened by the fear that he may never make it back may allow him to make aggressive moves that other players are afraid to make for fear of an early exit from the event.

Why Won't Craig Marquis Win the World Series of Poker Main Event?

With less than two years of poker experience, most of that through Internet play, Marquis is simply not as tested on the live tournament felt as players like David "Chino" Rheem, Scott Montgomery and Ylon Schwartz. That fact, combined with the fact that Marquis is the second lowest in chips and may quickly find himself the shortest stack after an early move by Kelly Kim, may produce a situation that Marquis is not yet skilled enough to overcome.

Copyright: CasinoGuide.com