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Reaching the main event of World Series of Poker (WSOP) is no easy feat and making the final table two years in a row is quite remarkable indeed. The latest player to achieve consecutive appearances in the WSOP main event is American Mark Newhouse, who recently locked up his spot. He’ll now join the eight other finalists later in the year as they attempt to win this tournament, the biggest stage for any player in poker. The last player to reach the final table in two straight years was Dan Harrington who did it back in 2003 and 2004.

In 2003 Harrington made it to the grand finale by competing in a field of 839 poker players and managed to come in third place. The next year, he played in a field of 2,576 end eventually finished the event in fourth. Newhouse has achieved the feat by competing against more than 6,000 other players as this year he played in a field of 6,683 and last year he was in a field of 6,352. This makes his consecutive appearances in final table a very tough task to pull off.

Newhouse is understandably pleased and proud of his accomplishment, but he told ESPN that it was just as hard for Harrington to do over a decade ago. Last year, Newhouse clinched his spot in the final on the seventh day of competition. He went into the final 10 with just half a dozen big blinds and then doubled up at the very last moment to keep his hopes alive. This year he was active later on and with 13 players to go made a huge call against Craig McCorkell. He then eventually knocked out Luis Velador, a two-time bracelet winner.

Las year Newhouse placed ninth as a short stack. However, he’ll enter the final table in November ranked third in chips. He said he’s looking forward to making sure he finishes anywhere but ninth place again this year as it was disappointing in 2013. The main event of the WSOP will start up on November 10 with the final table offering a prize of $10 million to the winner.

These are the nine participants, the 2014 November Nine, as well as their chip totals.

9. Bruno Politano (12.125 million)
8. Martin Jacobson (14.9 million)
7. William Tonking (15.050 million)
6. William Pappaconstantinou (17.5 million)
5. Dan Sindelar (21.2 million)
4. Andoni Larrabe (22.550 million)
3. Mark Newhouse (26 million)
2. Felix Stephensen (32.775 million)
1. Jorryt van Hoof (38.375 million)