World Series Of Poker Final Table Surprises

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Yang on the rampage as four players hit the rail

Temecula, California-based psychologist Jerry Yang (39) has so far dominated play at the World Series of Poker Main Event currently unfolding at the Rio in Las Vegas. Starting with the second shortest stack of only 8 500 000, he adopted an aggressive strategy from the moment former champ Jamie Gold made the "Shuffle Up and Deal" call just after noon Vegas time Tuesday, winning the first 3.43 million pot of the game.

Clearly it has paid off; as we went to press Yang had eliminated four opponents to corner over half the chips on the table at around 73 million, his closest rival Tuan Lam on just on 20 million, and South African Raymond Pahme on 15.955 million. With pots worth multi millions, the atmosphere in the packed Amazon Room was electric from the get go.

The first elimination occurred in the first couple of hours play and was a major shock. In a series of monster bets (one pot was worth 11.39 million) Yang took down Philip Hilm - the chip leader at the start of the final table at 22.07 million, and the player widely favoured to win the main event. The Dane, playing attacking poker, busted out on hand 15 for a 9th place check of $525 934. After busting Hilm, Yang's stack went up to 44.5 million.

Not long after, at hand 21, Yang bundled Lee Watkinson out, too leaving him with the 8th place reward of $585 699. By then Yang's stack had grown to 55 million - more than double the nearest rival, Tuan Lam.

On hand 28 it was Lee Childs headed for the exit - another victim of the still aggressive Yang, who cornered over half the chips in play at that point. Childs collected a paycheck of $705 229 for his 7th placing. By mid afternoon, tournament director Nolan Dalla described Yang's run as domination. ""He's running over the table," the WSOP exec remarked.

The $225 satellite at the Pechanga Resort and Casino that positioned Yang in the WSOP main event has turned out to be a real winner of an investment!  Yang has pledged 10 percent of his winnings from the Main Event to the Make-A-Wish Foundation, Feed the Children and the Ronald McDonald House.

Yang's run continued, and by late afternoon, at hand 56 he eliminated the 22 year old Internet whizzkid Hevad 'Rain' Khan in 6th Place for a $956 243 payout, with Yang building his stack to 73.04 million - miles ahead of the 19.915 million held by his nearest challenger, Tuan Lam and third chip leader Raymond Rahme, who is on 15.955 million

The five remaining players - Jerry Yang, Jon Kalmar, Alex Kravchenko, Raymond Rahme and Tuan Lam - have joined the World Series of Poker Millionaires Club. They will be guaranteed at least a $1.22 million payout each.

The players were taking a brief break as we went to press, and will be back in action shortly.