November 7, 2008 7:53 PM
2008 World Series: Ylon Schwartz
12,525,000 chips
Ylon Schwartz has been playing competitive table games for most of his life, having started playing chess in Washington Square Park in Manhattan ever since he was 13-years-old. Now 38, the Brooklyn native reverted to the more profitable world of poker after 12 years of competitive chess and is now fifth going into the final table of the biggest show in the game.
Schwartz is already a veteran of the World Series, earning his first cash at in 2005 and recording 12 in-the-money finishes at the WSOP and its circuit events, for total winnings of $124,580. He has also cashed at the Borgata Poker Open, United States Poker Championships, World Poker Finals, Trump Classic, Bellagio Poker Open, and WPT events, bringing in $ 258,612 in lifetime winnings to date. Known as TenthPlanet at PokerStars, Schwartz is a well-known for his multi-tabling at cash games and has had impressive results in the PokerStars Sunday Million and the PokerStars Sunday Second Chance.
When he is not playing poker, Schwartz enjoys relaxing in Brooklyn and practicing yoga and meditation, which he uses to get into the appropriate mental state to play. As a result, he is always calm and focused at the table. Away from poker, Schwartz enjoys traveling and playing darts, pool, golf and backgammon - and also still plays chess to an exceptionally high level. After a 20-year stint in gambling, Schwartz says he may retire from the felt depending on his performance at this final table.
Schwartz enters the final table with 12,525,000 in chips.
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Perhaps better known online as TenthPlanet, Ylon Schwartz is no stranger to live poker. A regular on the East Coast live scene, Schwartz has been around long enough to have paid his dues. Now the chess expert, lover of all games, and PokerStars is looking to get away for a while.