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 2 and Childs checks to Watkinson, who bets $1.5 million. Childs folds and Watkinson takes it down.

The King.

At the Hilm

Philip Hilm raises to $720,000 in early position and action folds around to Jerry Yang in the big blind. Yang makes the call and the flop comes Q 7 2 and Yang checks to Hilm, who bets $1.1 million. Yang folds and Hilm takes down the pot.

Last year's WSOP Main Event winner, Jamie Gold, was the natural pick to do the honors this year, and he's done it. The final table has begun, and we're all waiting to see the action.

Pre-Game Hustle

Before the action even started, the line-up for seating at the Main Event final table stretched out across the Amazon Room, out the door and into the hallway. Seats are hard to come-by, and the media is scrounging to get a good view.

Yup, it's a big deal here today - and among all the spectators we found Thor Hansen sitting on one of the top level bleachers, smiling and waving at PokerListings.com.

He says he's not here to root for anyone - he's just here to watch. But I think he's a bit overwhelmed by all the busy bodies - he says he's about to go and watch the final table on pay-per-view instead - outside, in his friend's truck. Wow, I bet it's a nice truck but I hope it has air-conditioning. It's hot out there!

Anyways, we are down to the final 9, obv, and here is a bit about a few of them - just so you can choose your favorite. Let's start with MY favorites:

RaiNKhAN!

Hevad "Rain" Khan

This guy's played 26 sit-n-gos simualtaneously. Don't believe me? Google it. There's a video. He's also an extraordinary Starcraft/Streetfighter player. Yup, this is the guy who sat in front of you in high school physics class, who had all those games on his TI-83+ graphing calculator - which he programmed himself - and now he's sitting at the WSOP Main Event final table, and you're asking yourself, why him? Why not me?

Well, because. Life's just not fair sometimes. Hevad's going into the race today with $9,905,000 in chips which puts him third to last in chip-counts.

Alexander Kravchenko

He's the first Russian to ever win a WSOP bracelet, and Russia's big. He calls himself a semi-pro, but after today, that may change, big time.

Here from Moscow, Russia, Alex's best game is Omaha Hi-Lo but it seems he's not bad at Hold'em either. His serious demeanor and natural-born poker face (or killer face!) makes him a prime candidate for top prize. Unfortunately, he is entering into the final day today with the shortest stack - $6,750,000. But we have a whole fun day of poker to turn that around.