According to sportsbook and major news outlets, Darvin Moon is the favorite to win the final table of the 2009 WSOP Main Event, with +250 odds at BetUS. He is a logger from Maryland, which is no handicap to winning, but he also does not play online poker and only plays about 3 times a week. This is apparently all compensated for by his chip stack of 58,930,000 chips, an admittedly commanding lead considering the next closest player only has 34,800,000 chips.

What seems to be getting lost in all this is that the next player is Eric Buchman, who has 9 WSOP cashes for a total of $320,893 from that prestigious series alone. Further down in the chip counts are Phil Ivey, with 7 WSOP bracelets to his name and over $3 million in prize money from the WSOP, as well as Antoine Saout and James Akenhead who both recently played in the final table of the WSOP Europe Championship Event.

If you couldn’t tell, I seriously doubt that Darvin Moon will win the final table. I also don’t think he will finish last, as that chip lead is indeed formidable. What utterly boggles comprehension, however, is that BetUS has offered odds on which player will eliminate Full Tilt Poker’s Phil Ivey, and the favorite is still Darvin Moon at +300.

I’m sorry, but it’s one thing to believe that a massive chip stack, a bit of luck, and competent poker playing will win a tough final table against poker pros, but it’s another thing entirely to think that the least experienced player at the table is the most likely to bust out one of the greatest poker players in the world.

Let’s be realistic. I don’t think Darvin Moon will do so poorly he busts out first. I just don’t think his chip stack is enough of a reason to expect him to prevail against so many other tough competitors. If he pulls it off, I’ll be pleasantly surprised, as it’s always an interesting story to see an amateur get an WSOP win when up against seasoned pros. Having said that, I just happen to think that a victory by Moon should be considered an upset, not the expected outcome.

What do you think of Darvin Moon’s chances in the WSOP Main Event Final Table coming up in November? Do you think he will beat the likes of Phil Ivey and take the massive first place prize? Please discuss your opinion in the comments below.