Former software analyst Hafiz Khan, from Stockton, Northern California, has been playing poker for four years and turned pro two years ago. Hafiz normally plays online. He said, "I've been enjoying the PCA. It's been long and gruelling, but fun. I expected to do well. This is my best result so far."

College student Richard, from Milford, Connecticut, says he played around 20 Double Shoot Out satellites for the PCA before finally winning a seat in October. "I came second in one, and then won one later the same day." He said he doesn't consider himself a pro but is taking some time off from studying at Boston College to focus on the game.

"This is by far my biggest win to date. I've only ever cashed once in a live tournament before this, and that was for £2,000." Richard has already bought in to EPT Dortmund at the end of January, as well as the Season 4 EPT Grand Final in Monte Carlo.

Kris Kuykendall raises to $175,000 from the cutoff and Bertrand "ElkY" Grospellier re-raises to $420,000 from the big blind. Kuykendall mulls things over and then lays the hand down, looking as though he has been completely unable to gain any traction so far at this final table.

Craig, a professional sports bettor from Chesterfield in the U.K., has been playing poker for years with friends but only four years online. He played in last season's EPT Grand Final but didn't cash. He also qualified with PokerStars for last summer's WSOP but couldn't go because it clashed with his honeymoon.

He said, "My wife Lindsey is here supporting me. She's been brilliant. I got made redundant from work two years ago and decided to take up sports betting full-time. A lot of girlfriends wouldn't be happy about that but she has been really supportive." Craig has also had tons of support from friends and family back home, some friends even had champagne delivered to him here at Atlantis. His friends now call him "The Apple" after a picture of him eating fruit appeared online on the first day of the PCA.

Kris Kuykendall raises from under the gun and the action folds around to Hafiz Khan, who makes the call in the big blind. The flop comes K 6 4 and Khan checks to Kuykendall, who makes it $210,000. Khan makes the call and the turn is the K, prompting a $450,000 wager from Khan. Kuykendall thinks things over but lays the hand down and Khan takes the pot.

Joespeh "bigegypt" Elpayaa, 19, from Chicago, has played a few big live events in Europe, including last year's EPT Grand Final and the Irish Open, but this is his first big cash. Online, he has had a lot of success and says he has won several $100k prizes in various events.

Joseph was in the top 1% of those who took the ACT college exams last year but he only attended for a week before deciding to focus on poker. He learned poker in home games with his brother Adam and friends. His preference is cash games but he says, "Being deep in a tournament beats anything else."

ElkY was a famous professional gamer until a friend suggested he try his luck at poker seven years ago. He quickly proved his skills by qualifying for the WSOP two years running. He joined Team PokerStars in 2006. Rarely without his trademark sunglasses, poker has proved a profitable career switch for the young Frenchman.

In EPT Season 3, he cashed three times including his second-place finish in Copenhagen for €309,000. ElkY is a prolific online player and said, "With gaming, I could practice 12 hours a day, but if I lost the game, the value would be zero. However, in poker every hour has some benefit".

Action folds around to Christian Harder, who open shoves for his last $700,000 from the button. The blinds fold out and "charder30" takes down the blinds and antes.

David "The Dragon'" Pham enjoyed having odds on his side at an early age, when the 17-year-old was one of only 46, out of 145, people to survive a boat journey fleeing his native Vietnam for the United States. He joined the cleaning business of his cousin Men "The Master" Nguyen, who had registered some success at the Las Vegas poker tables.

He studied the game under his cousin and learned well from the master, as he was soon wiping the floor with his opponents at the table. His breakthrough year was 2000, when his consistent performances saw him named Cardplayer's Player of the Year.

The following year saw him claim his first WSOP bracelet on the $2,000 SHOE event, and he would add his second in a No-Limit Hold'Em shootout event in 2006. He's had five WPT final tables in all and two WSOP bracelets. Pham is considered one of the most aggressive pros in the game and has earned more then $6.5 million in his tournament career.

We've reached the end of the level and the blinds are moving on up as the action continues unabated.