LAS VEGAS -- The November Nine -- the final table players in the World Series of Poker -- will return to the Rio All-Suites Hotel and Casino Nov. 9 to determine the 2008 champion.

The finalists were determined in July, but WSOP officials revised the format, giving them a four-month break and setting the tournament up for what they hope will be an exciting finish -- on television. ESPN has the rights and has been televising segments of the $10,000 buy-in tournament since August.

The nine players and their chip stacks (generated by 6,844 players who started the event July 3) are:

* Dennis Phillips, St. Louis, a truck salesman, the chip leader with $26,295,000;

* Ivan Demidov, Moscow, poker pro, $24.4M;

* Scott Montgomery, Perth, Ontario, Canada, poker pro, $19.69M;

* Peter Eastgate, Odeme, Denmark, poker pro, $18.375M;

* Ylon Schwartz, Brooklyn, poker pro, $12.525M;

* Darus Suharto, Toronto, accountant, $12.52M;

* David (Chino) Rheem, Miami, poker pro, $10.23M;

* Craig Marquis, Arlington, Texas, college student, $10.21M;

* Kelly Kim, Whittier, Calif., poker pro, $2.62M.

Each player received $900,670 -- ninth-place money -- before leaving the Rio in mid-July.

The final table payouts are:

* $9,119, 517, for first;

* $5,790,024, second;

* $4,503,352, third;

* $3,763,515, fourth;

* $3,088,012, fifth;

* $2,412,510, sixth;

* $1,769,174, seventh;

* $1,286,672, eighth;

* $900,670, ninth.

The first-place payoff is second only to the $12 million Jamie Gold received in 2006; that year, there were 8,773 entries who generated a prize pool in excess of $82 million.

Jerry Yang, who won the 2007 WSOP, received $8.25M, while Joseph Hachem earned $7.5M for winning in 2005.