Hand 36

Jerry Yang raises to $1.5 million and Tuan Lam re-raises all-in immediately. Yang calls very quickly and turns up pocket eights to Lam's A Q. The crowd is on its feet and chanting "U-S-A" for Yang, while the Canadian contingent merely hollers. Lam brandishes a Canadian flag as the crowd settles (barely) to wait for the flop.

As shouts of encouragement ring out through the Amazon Room, the dealer turns up Q 9 5 sending the Canadian crowd into a triumphant roar. Yang has the 8 and can hit a backdoor flush or a set to win the title, but the 7 on the turn gives him even more outs.

It's a madhouse in the Amazon Room as partisans holler encouragement for their player and the tension is palpable as we wait for the river. Fifth Street is the 6 and this tournament is over! Jerry Yang hits runner-runner to make a nine-high straight and win the 2007 World Series of Poker Main Event!

The crowd screams alternately "U-S-A! U-S-A!" and "Jerry! Jerry!" as Yang is mobbed by his family and friends. The Californian by way of Laos earns $8.25 million for his dominant final table performance, with 10% of the winnings having been pledged to the Make-a-Wish Foundation, Feed the Children and the Ronald McDonald House charities. He also wins his first WSOP bracelet and the right to represent the game of poker for the next year and beyond. Oh yeah - immortality doesn't hurt either.

For his runner-up finish, Tuan Lam earns $4,840,981 and a slice of immortality of his own. Congratulations to both finalists and to all who cashed in the Main Event!

Stay tuned for photographs of the bracelet ceremony, interviews and analysis.

Hand 25

Tuan Lam raises to $2.25 million and Jerry Yang lays it down.

Hand 26

Jerry Yang is first to act and he takes a long time making a decision. He decides to limp and Lam checks his option. The flop comes 8 6 3 and Lam checks. Yang bets out $1.5 million and Lam lays it down. Yang takes the pot.

Hand 27

Tuan Lam raises preflop and Jerry Yang lays it down.

Hand 28

Jerry Yang is first to act and he limps in. Tuan Lam moves all-in over the top and Yang quickly lays it down. Lam takes down the blinds and antes.

Hand 29

Tuan Lam lays down the button preflop.

Hand 30

Jerry Yang raises from the button and Tuan Lam re-raises all-in. Yang asks for a count and the answer is $17,100,000. After about another minute of thought, Yang lays it down and Lam takes another pot.

Hand 31

This is the two-hundredth hand of the final table. For comparison's sake, last year's final table took 260 hands. Due to Harrah's chicanery, we are captive to the radio/video feed as we've been denied an opportunity to watch the final table firsthand. During this hand the radio/video provider decided to run commercials for tacky poker knickknacks, so the action is unknown. Thanks again, WSOP!

Hand 32

Jerry Yang calls on the button and Tuan Lam raises another $2 million. Yang lays it down and Lam takes down another pot.

Hand 33

Tuan Lam limps-in and Jerry Yang raises another $2.5 million. Lam lays it down and Yang takes the pot.

Hand 34

Jerry Yang raises $3 million and Tuan Lam lays it down.

Hand 35

Tuan Lam limps-in and Jerry Yang checks his option. The flop comes K-9-2 with two spades and Yang checks to Lam, who checks behind. The turn is the A and both players check again. The river is the 6 and Yang bets $1.5 million. Lam calls the bet and shows a king for second pair. It's good for the pot and he rakes it.

Hand 22

Jerry Yang raises on the button and Tuan Lam lays it down.

Hand 23

Tuan Lam moves all-in from the button and Jerry Yang makes the call, showing A 9 to Lam's 4 3. Lam is behind going to the flop but at the very least has two live cards. The audience, exhausted, stands and waits silently for the flop.

The flop is quick to come and brings K 8 4, pairing Lam's four and giving him a tenuous lead. Lam's crowd now chants for at trey, but Yang can still put himself back in the lead with an ace or a nine.

The turn card is the 6 and Yang has six outs for the championship. The river is the K and Tuan Lam is still alive and has doubled through Jerry Yang. The Canadian contingent cheers wildly and tries to storm the stage, much to the displeasure of the security guards charged with keeping $8 million in cash safe.

Lam doubles through Yang but is still far behind his rival, bringing his stack up to $18,100,000 to Yang's $109,000,000.

The blinds are up and the game is afoot. Stay tuned for more updates.

Check out the chip counts here .

We've reached the end of the level, and it can come none too soon for Tuan Lam, who is being completely run over by Jerry Yang in this event. Here's a rundown of the latest:

Hand 12

Jerry Yang raises to $2.6 million and Tuan Lam lays it down.

Hand 13

Tuan Lam lays down the button and Jerry Yang takes the blinds and antes.

Hand 14

Jerry Yang raises to $2.6 million and Tuan Lam makes the call. The flop comes K 2 6 and both players check the flop. The turn is the 5 and Lam bets out $3 million. Jerry Yang raises all-in. Lam gives the matter some heavy thought but eventually folds out as Yang's fanbase applauds his trickery.

Hand 15

Tuan Lam lays down the button again. Jerry Yang takes the blinds and antes.

Hand 16

Jerry Yang limps-in and Tuan Lam checks his option. The flop comes Q 7 3. Lam checks to Yang, who bets $1 million. Lam folds and Yang gets the pot.

Hand 17

Tuan Lam is on the button and he raises all-in. Jerry Yang lays it down and Lam takes the blinds and antes.

Hand 18

Jerry Yang raises $2 million and Tuan Lam lays it down. Yang takes the blinds and antes.

Hand 19

Tuan Lam lays it down on the button and Jerry Yang takes the pot.

Hand 20

Jerry Yang is first to act and he limps-in. Tuan Lam checks his option and the flop comes Q-J-7 with two hearts. Lam checks to Yang, who bets $2 million and Lam makes the call. The turn is the 3. Lam checks to Yang, who bets $2.5 million. Lam lays it down and Yang takes another pot.

Hand 21

Tuan Lam limps-in and Jerry Yang checks his option. The flop comes 9 9 9 and Yang bets $1 million. Lam lays it down and Yang takes down the pot.

Check out the chip counts here.

 

Jerry Yang has dominated the early heads-up action with ultra-aggressive play, taking advantage of the tight play of his opponent. Here's the latest:

Pot for Lam

Jerry Yang raises to $1.5 million and Tuan Lam makes the call. The flop comes 9 8 6 and both players check. The turn is the 6 and both players check. The river is the K and Lam checks again. Yang bets $1 million and Lam calls, showing 10-8 for two pair, eights and sixes. It's good for the pot and Lam rakes it.

Pot for Yang

Tuan Lam limps-in and Jerry Yang raises to $2 million. Tuan Lam makes the call and the flop comes T-3-2 rainbow and Yang bets out $5 million. Lam lays it down and Yang takes the pot.

More for Yang

Jerry Yang limps-in and Tuan Lam checks the option. The flop comes Q 8 3 and both players check. The turn is the 5 and both players check again. The river is the 7 and both players check a third time. Yang turns over 9-3 and the pair of treys is good for the pot.

Check out the chip counts here .

 

 

You played a great tournament and made some incredible calls along the way. Any regrets about pushing in with Kings with an Ace on the board?

I read him for the Ace there and I should have gone all in, but I checked (on the flop). I made a mistake because I read him for Ace-small and if I go all in there he doesn't call. But I checked and when he bet $10 million he was committed to the pot.

He leaned over and said something to you before he made the call. What did he say?

He asked me if I wanted him to call and I said to him 'it's your prerogative'. I never tempted him to call or not to call. It was a pretty tough call though. Like I said; I read him for Ace-small. I thought he would make a small bet like $3 million or $4 million and I could come over the top, but he committed too much and then I made a mistake.

Still, you made some great calls to get to this position.

I did and that's why I say I'm rather disappointed in myself. I don't know why I did it, but I did and it was the only mistake I made the whole tournament.
I should have done to him what he did to me early on. I was at a table with him in the early stages and he says to me 'if you don't call I'll show my hand'. I should have said to him 'I'm not playing on a draw and I'll show you my hand' and perhaps he would have folded.

Word is you've only been playing Hold'em for two years, did you ever imagine two years ago that you would be at the final table of the WSOP Main Event?

No I never ever dreamed of it. I started playing Online two years ago and now I'm here. It's unbelievable. It's quite an accomplishment, but I was after the gold and I missed it. Once I made the mistake I knew I made the mistake. I should have folded when he bet $10 million. Then I was just hoping I read him wrong.

So will we see you at the WSOP again?

I'll be back next year for sure!

We're about ready to start heads-up play between Jerry Yang and Tuan Lam, with chip counts as follows:

1. Jerry Yang - $104,450,000

2. Tuan Lam - $23,025,000 

You came in as the short stack, but held on like a barnacle and at one point you looked like the best player and had a legitimate shot. Were you feeling that way?

At one point I really believed that I had a great chance. I got up to about $22 million and then everything changed. I was running bad. I couldn't catch cards, hit flops and I was reraised all the time until this final showdown.

Jerry Yang seemed to want to take over the table with aggressive play from the get go. Was your strategy just to sit back and wait for a hand to pick him off?

I think No-Limit Hold'em is the kind of game where luck is such a huge factor in tournaments. If it was Limit with this kind of structure I think the skill would be much more of a factor.
It's hard to say how well he was playing because I didn't see his cards. Maybe he made a few bad calls on showdowns, but generally I think he played the best.
When I was short stacked I was certainly waiting for a chance to take a pot with a medium hand without a showdown or a really good hand with a showdown.

On your final hand you shoved with Big Slick, would you do it again if given the chance?

For sure. I knew it was a race or I was way ahead against a weak ace. I knew he couldn't have Aces or Kings.

With one bracelet this year and this huge cash you must be thinking of the 2007 WSOP as a major success?

Yes, sure. I will come back next year for sure and I will play (at the WSOP Europe).

So what's next for Alex Kravchenko?

I want to go home as soon as possible because I've been here for six weeks already and I'm tired.

Jerry Yang raises to $2.5 million preflop and Raymond Rahme re-raises to $6 million from the big blind. Yang makes the call and the flop comes A J 8. Rahme checks to Yang, who bets out a cool $10 million. Rahme grabs a stack of chips and re-raises all-in. Yang goes into the tank for a good five minutes, eying down Rahme and trying to get a read.

"Just play your hand," says Rahme.

"My decision, huh?" says Yang. "I think you're on a draw."

Finally Yang decides to call and turns up A 5. "Weak ace," he says.

Rahme shakes his head and takes a long time to turn up his hand, showing K K. The cowboys are beautiful but behind to Yang's pair of aces, and the crowd roars in approval as the men await the turn.

The turn card is the 3, which is no help for Rahme, who needs a king and a king only to stay alive. The river card is the 2 and Raymond Rahme has been eliminated in third place.

The South-African will take home $3,048,025 for his tremendous accomplishment, while the Canadian contingent cheers wildly knowing that their horse, Tuan Lam, is still alive and guaranteed at least $4.8 million.

We're now on another twenty-minute break to prepare for heads-up play. Meanwhile, sate your hardcore poker addiction with our update chip counts, right thurr ---> * .

The final triumvirate has returned to the felt and we're back in the game from the Amazon Room. Stay tuned for more updates as the action unfolds.

Pick up them chip counts on this page right hurr . 

After more than seven hours without an elimination we've lost Alex Kravchenko at about 1 a.m. PDT. Here's how it all went down:

More Aggression from Yang

As has become his custom, Jerry Yang raises to $1.5 million UTG. He's made it $1.5 million to go in the majority of the pots he's played at the final table and this time Tuan Lam makes the call in the small blind. On a flop of 8 10 7 Yang makes a $3 million continuation bet and it's enough to force the relatively conservative Lam to throw his hand in the muck.

Like he has all day, Yang is picking up pot after pot simply by opening the betting and continuing his aggressive play.

Long Play

Tournament Director Jack Effel just informed the crowd inside the Amazon Room it took 60 hands to get down to four players and since then there have been 102 hands without another elimination.

Kravchenko Wakes Up

After taking the majority of the last few revolutions off, Alex Kravchenko finally spoke up making it $1,750,000 to go pre flop. As tight as he's played lately, he couldn't find a caller and picked up the blinds and antes.

A few hands later Kravchenko moves all in from the big blind and although Tuan Lam ponders the call for a while, he lays it down.

KGB agent Kravchenko: Assassinated.

Kravchenko Goes to Sleep

The very next hand he comes out raising again to $2.1 million from the small blind. Yang moves all in and Kravchenko makes the call, showing A K to Yang's pocket eights 8 8.

The flop comes Q 9 8, giving Yang a set of eights. The turn is the 4 and Kravchenko is drawing dead. The river is the meaningless 3 and the Russian will be eliminated in fourth place.

Kravchenko will earn $1,852,721 for his efforts, while the rest of the field is now guaranteed at least $3.05 million.

The final three players are on a quick break. In the meantime, check out the chip counts right here .

 

Raymond Rahme has doubled-up through Jerry Yang, doing more damage to Yang's waning fortunes while picking himself back up off the mat and back into the game. Here's how it all went down:

Fatigue Sets In

Raymond Rahme and Jerry Yang see a flop come A Q 8 and Yang checks to Rahme, who leads out for $2 million while looking close to passing out in his seat at the table. Yang quickly makes the call and the turn is the 5 and both players check. The river card is the 6 and Yang checks. Rahme checks behind and Yang shows pocket nines. Rahme mucks and takes another hit to his already hurting stack.

Rahme Doubles Through Yang

Alex Kravchenko leads out and Jerry Yang raises from the button. The action folds to Raymond Rahme, who moves all-in over the top for $10.8 million from the big blind. Kravchenko gets out of the way as Yang stands and puts his jacket on as he ponders his options. Yang makes the call after a few minutes' thought, showing pocket queens to Rahme's A-K.

The flop comes A 9 4 and a roar from the audience accompanies Rahme's flopped pair of aces. The turn card is the 3 and the river card is a 5, doubling up Rahme and putting yet another dent in Jerry Yang's stack.

As after every key hand, the partisans from the winner's country are singing a battle song as Rahme stacks his chips. Sing your own battle song as you hit up our chip counts here .

The blinds are on their way up so stay tuned for the most ballingest poker action of the 2007 World Series.

Here are the latest updates from the Amazon Room:

Rahme Shoves

Raymond Rahme and Jerry Yang see a flop come 3-3-2 and Rahme open-shoves all-in immediately. Yang folds out and Rahme takes the pot.

Tuan Lam raises to $1.5 million from the button and Raymond Rahme moves all-in again from the small blind. Alex Kravchenko folds out in the big blind and the action is back on Lam, who lays the hand down. Rahme continues to augment his stack by moving all-in.

Nice Pot for Lam

Alex Kravchenko makes it $1.4 million to go from the button and Jerry Yang gets out of the way in the small blind. Tuan Lam calls from the big blind and the flop comes 8-7-4 with two spades. Lam checks to Kravchenko, who checks behind, and the turn is the 8. Lam bets $3 million and Kravchenko makes the call. The river card is the J, prompting a check from Lam and a check behind from Kravchenko. Lam shows A-Q and the Barnacle mucks, giving the Canadian a substantial pot.

Lam Chipping Up

Alex Kravchenko limps-in and Tuan Lam checks his option. The flop comes K-Q-8 rainbow and Kravchenko bets out $750,000. The turn is the T and both players check. The river is the Q and Lam bets $1.25 million, inducing a fold from Kravchenko and taking down the pot.

Get the latest chip counts here. 

 

Jerry Yang raises to $2.5 million on the button and Tuan Lam moves all-in over the top from the small blind for $11,600,000. Raymond Rahme moves all-in over the top from the big blind and the action is on Jerry Yang, who gets up from his seat and shakes his head as though he's considering a call.

Yang pauses before his chip stack and examines a picture of his children before finally laying down the hand, and Lam turns up A 5 to Rahme's pocket queens (Q Q). Lam will need to hit an ace or some drawing cards to win this hand and the audience stands as they've done all night to scream encouragement to their favorites.

 

The flop comes A T T to give Lam aces and tens and the lead in this hand. The turn card is the 2 and Rahme needs to spike a queen to send Lam home. The river card is the A and Lam fills up on the river to double through Raymond Rahme, dropping the Double R into last place on the chip leaderboard and staying alive once again at this final table.

Oh Canada!

Immediately after Lam doubles, the pro-Canadian contingent breaks into a rousing rendition of "Oh, Canada," the Canadian national anthem. The patriotism seems to spark Lam, who sits up higher in his chair and looks to have had his spirits bolstered by so narrowly missing elimination.

Check the new chip counts right here .

The break is over and the cards are back in the air with increased blinds and antes. Stay tuned for more updates as we work our way towards a winner.

Check them chip counts here .

"Yukon" Brad Booth is showing a little national solidarity in the Amazon Room this evening.

Booth has joined the flag waving Canadian contingent of Tuan Lam supporters in the crowd at the ESPN final table area displaying his own support for a fellow countryman.

Clad in a jacket full of product endorsement crests, Booth may be looking for a little camera time as well, but regardless of his motives the Canadians are growing stronger and getting louder.

David "Devilfish" Ulliott has even joined in on the Maple Leaf fun, although the Brit seems more interested in making time with the ladies in the group than discussing the fate of the commonwealth.

The always accomodating Canadians are pleased to have him anyway. There is strength in numbers and with a group of "Everybody Loves Raymond" t-shirt clad South Africans in the crowd rooting on Raymond Rahme, a gaggle of vodka swilling men draped in Russian flags behind Alex Kravchenko and any number of "USA, USA," chants everytime Jerry Yang drags a pot, the battle for who can be the loudest is as hotly contested as the action on the felt.

Right now the Canadians are by far the most spirited - mobbing Lam after he doubled up - But if Kravchenko's stack keeps growing it's anybody's game!

 

 

We've reached the end of Level 33 and the players will take a quick break. Here's the latest action from the final table:

Lam Takes a Hit

Jerry Yang raises to $2 million on the button and Tuan Lam makes the call in the small blind. The flop comes J 4 3 and Lam bets $3 million. Yang announces a raise and makes it $9 million to go. Lam gives the matter some heavy thought but after five minutes or so decides to lay it down, in the process surrendering a major chunk of his chip stack and putting himself on decidedly shaky ground going forward.

More Aggression from Yang

Alex Kravchenko raises to $1.4 million on the button and Jerry Yang re-raises to $5 million from the small blind. Tuan Lam gets out of the way in the big blind and Kravchenko is again put to a difficult decision. He thinks for a few minutes but lays the hand down, and Yang takes another reasonable pot by means of aggressive raising and re-raising.

Pot for Kravchenko

Alex Kravchenko, Tuan Lam and Raymond Rahme see a flop come T 6 3. Rahme bets out and Kravchenko makes the call while Lam gets out of the way. The turn is the 6 and both players check. The river is the K and both players check again. Rahme shows A-3 for a pair of treys while Kravchenko shows Q-10 for a pair of tens and takes down the pot.

Get updated chip counts right here. Action will resume in fifteen minutes.

Alex Kravchenko raises to $1.4 million from the button and Jerry Yang re-raises to $3.5 million from the small blind. Kravchenko barely pauses for a minute before shoving his stack into the middle with his trademark inscrutable expression still etched on his face.

Yang asks for a count and begins pacing and pumping his fist before making the call and turning up A T to the Barnacle's wired pair of cowboys. The audience is on its feet waiting for the flop, which comes 8 6 6. The turn is a 3, which is no help for Yang and leaves the only American at the table needing to spike an ace on the river to avoid doubling up Kravchenko again.

The river card is the 2, giving many members of the audience pause as they imagine they've seen an ace. It's no rocket, however, and Kravchenko has doubled up to around $27 million to land a heavy blow against Yang and continue his battle for the bracelet.

Get full chip counts here .

Here are the latest goings-on to have hit the Amazon Room since Tuan Lam's double-up:

Cold War Revisited

Alex Kravchenko limps-in from the small blind and Jerry Yang checks his option from the big blind. The flop comes 8 5 4 and both players check. The turn is the A and Kravchenko bets out $600,000. Yang raises to $2.6 million. Kravchenko mulls over his options and decides to shove the rest of his chips in the middle, a $7.75 million raise. Yang looks to be folding, then caps his cards, then thinks about the situation a little longer and decides to lay the hand down amidst the cheers of the assembled gallery.

100th Hand

Tournament director Jack Effel has just announced that we've played out the 100th hand of the final table. Last year's final table went 260, so if precedent holds we've still got a long way to go yet. Among those in the crowd at the moment are Mike "The Mouth" Matusow, Marcel Luske and Gus Hansen.

More Chips for Yang

Alex Kravchenko raises preflop and Jerry Yang flat-calls. The flop comes A Q 9. Both players check and the turn is the K. Kravchenko checks and Yang bets out $1.7 million. After some heavy Kravchenko-esque thought, the Russian lays it down and Yang takes the pot.

Guessing and Second-Guessing

Raymond Rahme raises and Alex Kravchenko makes the call. The flop comes K 3 2 and Rahme checks to Kravchenko, who bets $2 million. Rahme thinks things over and then mucks, shipping the pot to the Barnacle.

Jerry Yang and Tuan Lam see a flop come J 10 4. Yang bets out $1.5 million and Lam raises all-in for $6.3 million more. Yang goes into the tank but makes the call after three or four minutes of rumination, showing A T to Lam's K Q for the open-ended straight draw.

The turn is the 4, which helps nobody and leaves Lam waiting on 13 outs to stay alive in this competition. The river card is the Q and Lam pairs his queen to double up, immediately finding himself mobbed by the Canadian contingent as he realizes his new lease on life.

Get up to the minute chip counts here !

The game is afoot from the Amazon Room at the Rio, with the four surviving potential Jamie-Gold-successors having filled their bellies and relaxed their minds over the past 90-minutes. Now we're back in the game and there's no sleep 'til Championtown, so hop aboard the PokerListings.com express and keep your arms and legs inside the vehicle at all times. Here we go!

(P.S. get your chip counts here!)

It's dinner time from the Amazon Room and the four surviving players will have 90-minutes with which to relax and regroup in preparation for the long night ahead. Here are the highlights from the last few rounds of play:

Rahme Muscles Yang

Jerry Yang raises to $1.5 million and Raymond Rahme announces a re-raise. He adds $5 million to the wager and Yang lays it down. Rahme takes the pot.

Pot for Lam

Tuan Lam raises to $1.2 million and Alex Kravchenko makes the call. The flop comes A 8 5 and Kravchenko bets to Lam, who bets $2 million. Kravchenko folds and Lam takes down the pot.

Yang Continues to Exert

Jerry Yang raises to $1.5 million from under the gun and Alex Kravchenko makes the call in the big blind. The flop comes K J 2 and Kravchenko checks to Yang, who bets out $3 million. After a few moments' thought, Kravchenko lays it down and the hand is Yang's.

Pot for Rahme

Tuan Lam raises to $1.2 million and Raymond Rahme makes the call. We're heads-up going to the flop, which comes J 5 2. Rayme bets out $2.2 million and Lam lays the hand down, giving Rahme the pot.

Rahme Outmaneuvers Kravchenko

Alex Kravchenko raises to $1.1 million from under the gun and Raymond Rahme makes the call. The flop comes A 7 2 and Rahme checks to Kravchenko, who bets out $1.1 million. Rahme announces all-in and Kravchenko lays it down, again. Rahme takes the pot.

Kravchenko Shoves Back

Raymond Rahme raises to $1.5 million from the small blind and Alex Kravchenko immediately shoves all-in from the big blind for another $7.6 million. Rahme starts to talk to Kravchenko, trying to get a read on the inscrutable Russian, but Kravchenko remains stone-faced. After a few minutes of rumination, Rahme lays it down and Kravchenko takes the pot.

Action will resume at 8:30 p.m. PDT. In the meantime, grab some Cheetos and get your chip count fix here!

 

Jerry Yang raises to $1.5 million and Alex Kravchenko moves all-in over the top. Yang asks for a chip count and the answer is $7.5 million. Yang thinks for a few minutes before making the call with K Q to Kravchenko's 3 3, meaning the Russian needs to dodge a king or a queen or a strange running combination to stay alive in this match.

The audience cheers its approval as the players stand to wait for the flop, which comes 8 3 2 to give Kravchenko a set and send a huge roar through the TV final table. David "Devilfish" Ulliott approaches Kravchenko to shake his hand as Yang is drawing dead, and after the board finishes out 5 K Kravchenko has doubled up again at this final table, bringing his stack to about $18 million as he takes another bite out of Jerry Yang.

Get the updated chip counts here!

Since the elimination of Jon Kalmar we haven't seen much action, with a number of breaks and a blind increase interrupting play and keeping players from getting much traction going. Here are the highlights from the last hour of play:

Show Me the Money!

After Kalmar was fried, play was interrupted by the presentation of the money. Players will now have to contend with the presence of $8.25 million in cold, hard, cash (or the illusion thereof) on a table above the playing area. Good luck staying focused now, suckers!

Yang Muscles Kravchenko

Alex Kravchenko raises to $800,000 and Jerry Yang goes into the tank before announcing a raise. Yang makes it $3 million and Tuan Lam and Ray Rahme gets out of the way. Kravchenko thinks for a moment before laying it down and Yang takes the pot.

Kravchenko Muscles Lam

Tuan Lam raises to $1 million from the button and Alex Kravchenko comes over the top all-in. Lam gives the matter some thought but lays it down rather quickly and Kravchenko augments his stack.

Pot for Yang

Jerry Yang limps-in for the first time at the final table and Alex Kravchenko checks his option. The flop comes A-K-10 rainbow and both players check. The turn is the 3 and Kravchenko checks. Yang checks behind and the river is the 8. Kravchenko checks a third time and Yang bets $500,000. Kravchenko lays it down and Yang takes the pot.

Get exhaustively updated chip counts here. 

This up-beat British man was cheery - as he should be, after winning $1.25 million!

Here's what he had to say:

So how are you feeling now? You’re a millionaire!

Yeah I’m thrilled, yeah! I can’t complain if I wanted to!

How did your day go? What was your game plan?

I don’t buy into all this game plan stuff, you can’t dictate how you play. Other people’s cards can dictate how you play, and the way they play dictates a lot of how you play, so yeah I just tried to get a few hands.

Jerry came out of the blocks firing straight away and he never slowed down; he was very difficult to play against, so I bet a hand there, I figured I’d get a little with this one, on ace-king, and I thought, well if I double up on this one then I’m in the game and I’ve got a good shot at it.

Is there anything you would have done differently?

No, I don’t think there’s anything I woulda done differently at any point, I’ve definitely made one or two mistakes down the line but walking into an event like this, pretty good way to get away with it.

I heard you used to be in a punk rock band!

(Laughs.) Yeah! We used to do Sex Pistols covers, Flash, Green Day covers…

Yeah you were wearing a Sex Pistols’ t-shirt the other day. What do you think you’ll do with the money now?

Well I’m gonna pay my house off now, probably pay my mum’s house off, and then use the rest as a bit of a bank roll!

More poker! You gonna be at the World Series of Poker Europe?

Yeah, well everyone keeps asking me I think pretty much it’s nailed on.

Well congratulations!

Thank you! Take care.

Here is PokerListings.com's little chat with RaiNkHan - the (sort of) infamous multi-table sit-n-go player. 

Interview With Hevad “Rain” Khan: 6th Place Finisher

So why don’t you tell me what’s going on – you just won a lot of money!

I’m ecstatic. All my friends are with me, I gave it my best shot. You know, I played it the best I could – they’re all great people. They’re giving their hardest too, it’s not like I’m the only one here. Every single one of them gave their heart and soul.

I did my best to adapt and I’m glad for my finish. I could have gotten seventh, could have gotten eighth, could have gotten ninth, but I got sixth, you know? I deserve more than - I mean, I got more than I deserve.

Did you play the same way today than you do when you play, say, 26, 46 sit-n-gos?

Absolutely. Well, those I play a little bit tighter cause I don’t have enough time to really spread out my decisions. But, I was able to play just as well as I did three months ago when I started playing tournaments professionally online.

So I’m ecstatic, I’m thrilled, I’m just happy I was able to give it my full shot.

So tell me about the hand you went out on.

Um, I’m pretty sure I was ahead of Jerry’s range. And he put out so much pre-flop that I had to get it in. You know, if I just called there was so much in the pot. It would have been a losing play if I just called. I’d rather push him off the hand and increase my stack by like, 30% and if he calls anyway it’s a raise.

But he will fold to a certain amount that’s higher. I really thought about it. But I would do that move over and over again. It’s just textbook to me, you know? That’s just the textbook way to go at it. I’m glad I was able to take it well and I’m glad that he’s doing well. And I’m proud of him. And I hope he gets it, for his family. And now he stands a really good chance of winning it.

What are you gonna do with the money?

Uh, I have no idea. First figure out how I’m gonna handle the tax and stuff. I now have the money to do what I wanna do in life. I have a passion for poker. I’ll see where it takes me the next couple of years. 

Well thank you so much, and congratulations on your win.

Thank you.

Raymond Rahme opens for $2.7 million from under the gun and sees Jon Kalmar move over the top all-in for about $10,490,000. After some serious thought Rahme makes the call and turns up pocket jacks to Kalmar's A K, meaning Kalmar is racing for his tournament life with Big Slick.

The flop comes 10 9 6 and Rahme retains the advantage. The turn card is a 3 and the audience calls out encouragement to both players as they await the river. The river card is the 3 and Rahme's jacks hold up, sending Jon Kalmar to the rail in fifth place!

Kalmar takes home $1,255,069 for his accomplishment, while the rest of the table is now guaranteed at least $1.85 million for landing in the tournament's final four.

Get updated chip counts here!

Alex Kravchenko open shoves from the small blind and Jerry Yang thinks for a moment before Kravchenko starts to speak. Yang immediately makes the call and Kravchenko shows A T while Yang has J T and is dominated…not that that’s harmed him before.

The crowd chants "Sasha, Sasha," as the players await their fates, and the flop comes 8 5 3, helping neither player. The turn card is the 8 and Yang needs to hit a jack to send Kravchenko packing. The river card is the 2 and the Russian has doubled through Yang to stay alive in this tournament.

Get updated chip counts here !

Interview with Lee Childs, 7th Place Finisher

So you've had about an hour now to let it all sink in. So what are you feeling now?

Oh I feel great. I mean this is a tremendous accomplishment. My buddy mentioned to me earlier that Doyle Brunson had said that the day you bust out from the Main Event is the worst day for a poker player - and maybe for someone like Doyle and these guys who've done this for years and years and years. They just really believe that they're gonna win it. But I didn't come into this playing it like I was gonna win it. But as you saw, I did get my money in good and the guy had a three-outer. But I feel fantastic and very fortunate to be here. All my family and friends are here.

You said you left your job to come do this.

Well I was actually leaving my job just to take a couple of months off. I wanted to dedicate more time to poker, and just to study more. I was working as a vice president of applications for a division of National Geographic called the Jason Project. It was originally founded by Bob Ballard - the guy who found the Titanic. It's a great middle-school education science program. I got to the point where I felt like I needed some time off.

I had a little extra cushion from a couple of online wins that gave my wife and I time to take these couple of months, and after months of talking about it we just felt it was time to do it. So we did it, came out here for a couple of weeks. After a couple of preliminiary events didn't do anything didn't cash, and then right before we left my dad bought me in to the Main Event - so we came back two weeks later, and here we are!

So does he get a cut of it?

Absolutely.

I saw you lay down the queens. What made you do that?

You know, he could really have anything there. For him to re-raise me when I've raised under the gun, he's telling aces, kings, or ace-king. If he's playing sound, logical poker. I wanted to see a flop, see if I catch the queen, see if there's something I could get away from. When it came out the three low cards, I had to fire the bet, figure out where I was. Don't think i really figured out where I was, but figured he either had a good hand, or had a really big draw. He coulda had A K, he could have had aces, kings, or nothing.

I think he coulda had jacks as well. It's gonna be really interesting to see - Alex [Kravchenko] and I actually have a side bet on that. So we'll see what it was, whether it was a good laydown or not. Several of the top pros have said they think it was a really good laydown. For him to move all-in that quickly.

We've battled a lot and he's shown some suspect hands, so I'm not really sure. But he's got the chips to do it with now.

Seems like you have a pretty good read. On the last hand you called with K-J over J-8 - and he turned an eight. What was going on with you at that point?

Yeah, it was tough. He did turn the eight and that was tough. K-J is not something you wanna call all your chips with. But I just had a strong feeling that time that that was the best hand. And I thought he was putting a move on - and he was. When the spades didn't hit - you know, I had him dominated to begin with. And unluckily, he caught that eight. It's the way it goes sometimes.

I've been fortunate enough to get this far. That was actually the first time I've been all-in the entire tournament and had my chips at risk. And the first time that I've been in a big pot. Actually I was only behind one time in a huge pot and that's the first time that I had all my chips at risk. And I got my money in good and he just - he got lucky. Just the way the game goes.

True. Thank you very much.

You're welcome.

Jerry Yang raises to $1.5 million from early position and the action folds around to Hevad Khan, who announces a re-raise from the small blind. Khan makes it $6 million total, effectively committing himself to the pot. Raymond Rahme gets out of the way in the big blind and Yang goes into the tank for a few minutes before flat-calling.

Khan moves all-in in the dark and the the flop comes K 4 2. Yang makes the call and shows pocket jacks to Khan’s A Q, meaning RaiNKhAN will need an ace, a queen, or running straight cards to stay alive in this tournament. The turn is the 3, giving Khan a draw to the wheel straight. The river card is the 3 and Khan has been eliminated in sixth place after another questionable all-in more that, this time, backfires.

For his time, Hevad Khan earns $956,243, while the remaining five players are all guaranteed at least $1.255 million for their efforts.

We're now on a quick break. Get updated chip counts here !

Alex Kravchenko open-shoves all-in for $2.66 million from under the gun and the action folds around to Hevad Khan, who moves all-in over the top from the small blind. Ray Rahme folds out and Khan turns up pocket treys. Kravchencko has K J and is racing for his tournament life.

Khan and friends call out for a three and the flop comes Q-J-9 with two diamonds, pairing Kravchenko’s jacks and giving him the lead. The turn card is the A, which does not help Khan, who is left drawing for the two remaining treys to send Kravchenko to the rail. The river card is the 4 and Kravchenko survives his all-in encounter to double through Hevad Khan and keep his bracelet dreams alive.

Get updated chip counts here! 

The action has calmed down considerably in the last hour, with few flops being seen and plenty of preflop raises taking down uncontested pots. Here are the highlights from the last hour of action:

Pot for Lam

Hevad Khan raises preflop and is called by Tuan Lam. The flop comes Q Q 9 and Lam bets $1.5 million. Khan folds and Lam takes the pot.

Octos for Kalmar

Jerry Yang raises to $1.2 million and Jon Kalmar makes the call quickly out of the big blind. The flop comes Q 7 3 and Kalmar quickly checks. Yang checks behind and the turn is the T. Again, both players check and the river is the 3. Both players check for a third time and Yang flashes an ace. Kalmar has a pair of eights and takes down the pot.

Another Pot for Kalmar

Jon Kalmar limps-in from the small blind and Hevad Khan checks his option. The flop comes A-10-5 rainbow and both players check, but Kalmar bets out on the 2 turn and induces a fold from Khan, taking down back to back pots.

He's Gonna Blow!

Tuan Lam limps in and Jon Kalmar makes it $1,000,000 to go. Hevad Khan re-raises all-in and the action folds around, setting Khan off on another of his trademark eruptions. Khan has been quiet so far, but releases all of his pent-up rage as Kalmar and Lam fold out.

Nice Call by Kalmar

Jerry Yang and Jon Kalmar see a flop come Q-10-3 rainbow and both players check. The turn is the T, putting two hearts on the board. Both players check again and the river is the 5. Yang bets out $1.5 million and Kalmar makes the call. Yang tells him "good call," and shows nine-high to Kalmar's A-K. Ace-high is good and Kalmar takes the pot.

Kravchenko Shoves

Alex Kravchenko open-shoves all-in from the button for about $3.6 million and nobody wants to call. Kravchenko takes down the blinds and antes.

Yang Wakes Up

Jerry Yang raises to $1.2 million from the button and Jon Kalmar makes the call out of the big blind. The flop comes K J 2 and Kalmar checks to Yang, who bets $2 million. Kalmar beats him to the pot and the turn is the 7. Kalmar checks to Yang, who bets $5 million and Yang takes the pot.

Get your current chip counts here!

The cards are back in the air and the blinds and antes are up. Stay tuned for more updates as the action unfolds.

Get up to the minute chip counts here!

Jerry Yang has just eliminated another player from this final table and is ballin' early on in this event. Here are the details from the recent goings-on from the last table standing in the Amazon Room:

Pot for Rahme

Jon Kalmer raises to $750,000 from the button and Ray Rahme makes the call in the big blind. The flop comes Q 9 6 and Rahme bets out. Kalmer lays the hand down and the pot goes to Rahme.

Another Pot for Rahme

Action folds to Raymond Rahme, who raises out of the small blind. Alex Kravchenko goes into the tank in the big blind and eventually lays it down. Rahme shows pocket nines as he rakes the pot.

Kravchenko Shoves

Alex Kravchenko moves all-in from the small blind for his last $4.9 million and Lee Childs folds in the big blind. Kravchenko wins the blinds and antes. Immediately afterwards, 2000 Main Event winner Chris "Jesus" Ferguson appears in the gallery and is introduced to a standing ovation from the final table.

Yang v. Childs

The action folds around to Lee Childs in the small blind, and Childs raises to $720,000 from the small blind. Jerry Yang ruminates for a few minutes before moving all-in over the top from the big blind. This sends Childs up and out of his chair as he ponders the situation. A hush falls over the crowd and Childs tanks for three or four minutes before eventually calling and showing K J for utter domination over Yang's J 8.

Childs is in a great position to double-up and the crowd stands and cheers as both players await the flop. The flop comes 6 4 4 and Childs retains his advantage going to the turn. The turn card is the 8 and just like that, Yang takes a tenuous and unlikely lead. Childs has plenty of outs with the club-flush draw, but the river card is the 9 and Jerry Yang has eliminated yet another player from this final table!

Lee Childs finishes in seventh place and earns $705,229 for his time, while Yang adds another $5 million to his already dominating stack.

We're now on a twenty-minute break but action will resume shortly. In the meantime, check out the chip counts here .

 

The biggest name of today's final table - Lee Watkinson - was a hit with the media and was pretty much trampled as he exited the tournament, but I managed to work my way into the mosh pit and get a couple of words.

This animal-lover was playing for more than just the title - he was promised an additional $10 million if he won the title from Full Tilt.

Here's what he had to say:

How did you feel going in today as the favorite? You're the biggest name in this small field.

There was a little bit of pressure. Normally I would feel no pressure at all, being the short stack. But being the biggest name going in - that put some of the pressure back on.

What made you go all-in with A-7?

Just the fact that Jerry had played almost every hand - you know, 80% of the hands - and there was just the two of us, A-7 just figured to be the best hand. I didn't expect him to just throw the hand away and give me a walk, you know.

So when he makes a raise, I look down at A-7, and I'm like trying to guess if he hit a pair after the flop, and yeah it was possible that he woulda called me with a worse hand.

As well as the bracelet there was the $10,000,000 bonus I was gonna get from Full Tilt so the swing between cashing for a million and eighteen million is huge.

So I really felt like I had to go and hopefully win, and not be blinded and ante'd down. The $10,000,000 definitely had a factor in it, as well as the bracelet.

I hear you have monkeys.

Chimpanzees. Well we don't have them, we assist them. There are some here who we are very close to and we assist - but we don't own them.

Do you live with them?

No, they live in their own little uh, habitat, and we help with the money to build that, and I visit them regularly and make sure they're properly taken care of and fed, and stuff like that.

That's awesome, I love monkeys. Congratulations.

Thank you.

Jerry Yang raises to $760,000 and Lee Watkinson re-raises all-in for about $8 million more. Yang quickly asks for a count and after a good five minutes the answer is $8,750,000. Yang waits another minute before making the call, turning up A 9 to Watkinson's A 7!

Utter donkstrikery reigns as the audience stands to await the flop and Robert Williamson III predicts a chopped pot. As the TV cameras maneuver into position the flop comes 6 4 2 rainbow, maintaining Yang's advantage and near-deleting the possibilities for the chop. The turn card is the K and Watkinson is drawing for a seven to stay alive.

The river card is the J and Lee Watkinson has been eliminated after an aggressive all-in and a call by Yang that was either very smart or very donkalicious. Watkinson takes home $585,699 for his eighth-place finish.

Check updated chip counts here .

We caught up with the ninth place finisher as he somberly exited the tournament area.

Coming in as chip leader and busting out first is not something that happens very often at a final table. Needless to say, he was not in the best of spirits, but we managed to get a couple words out of him.

Here's what Philip had to say:

So you came in today as chip leader, and you busted out ninth - how did you feel this morning before the tournament started? What was your mind-set?

I was confident, I felt I was playing strong poker, I was obviously going for the win. The only place that matters to me is first place. The other eight places are out of the question.

Would you have played differently had you not had so many chips starting out?

No, I don't think so.

Jerry Yang came in with one of the shorter stacks but started playing uber-aggressively - what was your game plan against him?

Well I wanted to keep him down - I couldn't just let him just sit and dominate the table like that. I knew it would happen, this encounter. I'm willing to take these encounters. If I'd won that pot [his losing pot], he would have been down to almost nothing - it would have been me dominating the table instead.

So do you think you played everything the way you should have?

Yes, exactly. There's a chance - even if I had known he had A-K, I would have done the same.

How do you feel right now?

Of course I'm disappointed to bust out in ninth place, but i feel I played the right way.

Thank you so much, and congratulations on the money.

 

We've just seen a shocking collapse from the start-of-day chip leader, as Jerry Yang has rolled-over the table in the early going and just deleted Philip Hilm from the roster. Here's the latest from the Amazon Room floor:

Strength from Rahme

Hevad Khan raises to $700,000 and Raymond Rahme re-raises to $2.8 million. Action folds back around to Khan, who thinks for a few minutes before surrendering the hand.

Yang Outmaneuvers Hilm

Jerry Yang leads out for $2.5 million from the cut-off and Philip Hilm makes the call in the big blind. The flop comes A T 8 and Hilm checks. Yang counts out $3 million and Hilm makes the call. The turn is the 3. Hilm checks to Yang, who moves all-in. Hilm lays it down and Yang pumps his fist in celebration as he takes down the pot.

And then, on the very next hand...

Philip Hilm

Yang v. Hilm II

Action folds around to Jerry Yang in the hijack and he bets out $1 million. The action folds to Philip Hilm, who makes the call in the small blind. The flop comes K J 5 and Hilm checks to Yang, who bets $2 million. Hilm makes the call and the turn is the 2. Hilm checks again to Yang, who bets out $4 million. Hilm takes a minute to think before announcing he's all-in.

After another minute Yang makes the call with A K, while Hilm shows 8 5 for a pair and a draw. He needs an eight, a five or a diamond to stay alive, and the river card is the 6, sending Philip Hilm, the chip-leader at the beginning of the day, to the rail in 9th place. Hilm takes $525,934 but cannot be happy with his results after this shocking collapse.

The Big Name: Lee Watkinson

While not everyone at this final table is a name player, we are more than familiar with one of the participants. Lee Watkinson is a FullTilt pro with over $2.6 million in tournament winnings and has been playing in virtually every big buy-in tournament on the schedule. In 2006 he won his first bracelet in the $10,000 Pot-Limit Omaha event.

We heard that he qualified for the Main Event through Full Tilt, and if he wins then he's up for a $10,000,000 bonus.

Outside of poker, his loves include surfing and wresting and long walks on the strip next to the Bellagio musical fountains. Kidding, but maybe.

Philip Hilm

The Chip Leader: Philip Hilm

He's not that well-known in North America, but he may be after today. Philip Hilm is hitting the felt today as chip leader with $22,070,000 in chips.

He placed at the EPT in Copenhagen and 1st in the WCP in Barcelona, so in other parts of the poker world he is relatively famous. Keep an eye on him - this one could be good.

Amazon Room Layout

Not everyone is lucky enough to get a pink wristband and chair in the viewing area, so there are a few little "theaters" set up throughout the room.

When you enter the room, there is a WSOP "store" right in front of you in case you want to buy a sweater to last the blasting air-conditioning. To the left is one viewing area with a few rows of chairs and a television.

On the right side of the store there are about eight televisions set up, showing the final table but there is no live sound feed. If you wrap around the VIP Lounge, there is another giant viewing area with even more TV screens and chairs - but if you must cross the area, duck because you're getting in the way of the show...

There are also TVs set up outside of the tournament room, but for some reason they haven't been activated yet. We are waiting.

 

Here's the first of our Action! updates for the Main Event Final Table. We'll be posting updates of all of the most exciting action from the TV table once per hour, along with color commentary and analysis from our crack team of reporters.

KHAAAANN!!!1

Pot for Khan

Hevad Khan raises to $600,000 from early position and is called by Jerry Yang and Jon Kalmar in the big blind. The flop comes J 7 2 and action checks around. The turn is the A and Kalmar checks to Khan, who bets out $1 million and the action folds around. Khan takes the pot.

Big Fold?

Jerry Yang opens for $1,900,000. The action folds around to Lee Childs in the big blind, who makes the call and we’re heads-up going to the flop. The flop comes 7 4 2 and Childs opens for $3 million. Jerry Yang comes over the top all-in and Childs folds pocket queens face-up. Yang takes down a substantial pot as the crowd murmurs in appreciation.

Pot for Watkinson

Lee Watkinson raises to $750,000 and the action folds around to Lee Childs, who calls out of the small blind. The flop comes T 8