LAS VEGAS — Two previously unknown 20-somethings who emerged from online cardrooms are set to fight for a gold bracelet, $9.15 million and Texas Hold 'em history Monday night at the World Series of Poker.

Peter Eastgate and Ivan Demidov were to meet to finish a no-limit Texas Hold 'em tournament that began July 3 at the Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino.

The winner gets the crown, and the loser settles for $5.8 million.

If 22-year-old Eastgate wins, he would best Phil Hellmuth as the youngest main event champion in history. If Demidov wins, it would cap a dream tournament run, with final tables finishes at the series' main events in Europe and the United States in the same year.

Both players already are famous in the poker world just for making the final table, but they rose to the top early Monday after outlasting seven other players in a marathon session filled with bluffs, big hands and fortunes changed by a single card.

"It's easier to play against less creative players," said Demidov, a 27-year-old semiprofessional from Moscow.

Demidov told The Associated Press before the final table started that Eastgate would be his toughest opponent.

Eastgate still stands in the way, and he has more chips.

"Things just went my way," said Eastgate, who said getting this far was 80 to 90 percent luck.

Eastgate, of Odense, Denmark, took out four players at the final table on his way to amassing 79.5 million chips, nearly 22 million more than Demidov. When Eastgate eliminated others, he mostly had big hands.

Demidov was no less quiet as he stayed at or near the top of the field for much of the session, but he did not eliminate any of his opponents. He held 57.7 million chips going into heads-up play.

"It's really almost their fault," said Demidov, who said he happened to be holding nearly the best hand possible in several situations when opponents tried to bluff him.

"This table was a lot more willing to gamble. It was a lot more aggressive," Demidov said.

Demidov said Monday night's showdown was less about chip stacks and more about making good moves against Eastgate.

Eastgate playfully wagged his finger at Demidov while he held the championship bracelet and mimed punching him with a stack of money at a glitzy news conference Monday afternoon.

The scene figured to be less easygoing Monday night.

"I'm just going to stick to what I've developed the last few months and play my game," Eastgate said. "I will try to play as always."