Posted by Andrew Feldman
Play finished up at 4:30 Monday morning here in Las Vegas, and with the elimination of Steven Garfinkle in 10th place, the final table is set. With nine men left standing (or sitting, in this case), our new world champion will be crowned Tuesday night … or early Wednesday morning, depending on where you may be logging on from.
Oh, by the way, you can watch the main event's final table unfold live on ESPN's PPV presentation of the WSOP. If you don't want to order the event, but still want to follow all the action, I'll have a running final table blog going until we crown a winner.
So what's up for grabs Tuesday night? Poker fame and fortune, of course. The winner will become a member of an elite club and can be mentioned in the same sentence with Doyle Brunson, Johnny Chan and Phil Hellmuth.
Oh, there's also a little money that goes along with the title of 2007 WSOP world champion. Here are the payouts for the final table:
First place: $8.25 million
Second place: $4,840,981
Third place: $3,048,025
Fourth place: $1,852,721
Fifth place: $1,255,069
Sixth place: $956,243
Seventh place: $705,229
Eighth place: $585,934
Ninth place: $525,934
This year's final table is sure to provide some unbelievable action. With five countries represented, the international flavor will once again be a theme at the final table.
Who's going to take home $8.25 million? Here's a quick breakdown of the final nine:
Seat 1: Jon "Scalie" Kalmar (Chorley, England)
Starting third in chips ($20.32 million), the 34-year-old professional is surprised to be here, but not for the usual reason poker players give when they're at the final table. Kalmar wasn't going to play the main event. In fact, he was trying to book his flight home when he realized that the entry fee into a main event satellite was cheaper than changing his ticket. Kalmar entered and won his seat in the event. The rest is history.
Interesting facts: Kalmar busted pro Kenny Tran (16th place) when he made a river flush. Kalmar was also the lead singer in a punk rock band.
WSOP cashes: In 2005, Kalmar finished 82nd in the main event.
Feldman's take: Kalmar has the fans behind him, but will need to play tight to avoid the more aggressive players at his table early on. If he's still alive with enough chips, and say five players remaining, I wouldn't rule him out.
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Seat 2: Lee Childs (Reston, Va.)
Childs is an aspiring professional player. His story is unlike most others: The 35-year-old left his high-tech position to pursue a career on the felt. Childs holds a BBA in computer information systems and has been living his dream at the 2007 WSOP. Childs enters play fifth in chips ($13.24 million).
Interesting fact: He worked on "The JASON Project," an educational foundation for students dedicated to scientific expeditions and research.
WSOP cashes: None.
Feldman's take: Childs can pull this one off. He's played well when the pressure was on throughout the last four days, and he's controlled pot sizes throughout the entire tournament. I like his chances, but he'll need to find a time to change gears and start swinging at the chip leaders.
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Seat 3: Philip Hilm (Cambridge, England)
Hello, Mr. Chip Leader ($22.07 million). Hilm has Scotty Nguyen to thank for essentially all of his chips. The two tangled hand after hand late on Day 6, and Nguyen paid Hilm off time and time again and propelled Hilm from ninth place (with 11 players remaining) to second. Hilm took care of business from there, chipping up to the top of the leaderboard. Can the 31-year-old online pro hold onto his chips?
Interesting facts: Hilm's previous business venture failed and left him bankrupt and selling coffee makers at grocery stores.
WSOP cashes: In 2005, 33rd in the $2,500 no-limit hold 'em short-handed event.
Feldman's take: I think at one point or another Hilm and Tuan Lam will get involved and the two aggressive stacks will eventually result in one of them being eliminated and the other a chip leader. Hilm will have to adjust his strategy against Lam to be successful, but either way, he's got the chips to make a run at the title.
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Seat 4: Jerry Yang (Temecula, Calif.)
How Yang is still alive at this point baffles me for more than one reason. Yang has been the short stack for days and each time he doubles up, he loses most of his chips and needs to start all over again. Yang doubled up off Alexander Kravchenko with 11 players left to solidify his spot in the final table. The 39-year-old psychologist and social worker won his seat through a satellite from Pechanga Resort and Casino for only $225.
Interesting facts: Yang will be donating 10 percent of his winnings to three different charities: the Make-A-Wish Foundation, Feed the Children and the Ronald McDonald House. No, he's not the Jerry Yang from Yahoo!
WSOP cashes: None.
Feldman's take: Yang will have to be hit with the deck if he's going to pull this off. Yang hasn't played great poker, but has survived this way due to his desire to win. He's been all-in behind a number of times and he'll have to avoid playing weak hands if he's going to have a chance.
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Seat 5: Raymond Rahme (Johannesburg, South Africa)
Rahme is fourth in chips ($16.32 million) and the first person to ever reach the final table of the main event from the continent of Africa. The retired businessman is the oldest player (62) at the final table and has fared well in tournaments in South Africa.
Interesting facts: Rahme has six children. As part of his fourth-place prize in the "All Africa Poker Championship," he won his seat to the WSOP main event.
WSOP cashes: None.
Feldman's take: Rahme is quiet and consistent, leaving his supporters to make the noise. He's taken a conservative approach the last two days, but his success in Africa can't be disputed. It seems he has the experience to wrap up the bracelet, but does he have the endurance for what could potentially become a 15-hour final table?
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Seat 6: Tuan Lam (Mississauga, Ontario)
The chips come and go constantly with Lam, who plays an extremely aggressive style. The 41-year-old Canadian pro is second in chips ($21,315,000) heading into Tuesday's action. His favorite words are "raise" and "reraise," and we're sure to hear each plenty during the final table.
Interesting facts: Lam was born in Vietnam on New Year's Day, 1966, and immigrated to Canada at 19.
WSOP cashes: Two: 46th place in the limit shootout in 2005 and 76th place in the $1,000 no-limit hold 'em tournament in 2005.
Feldman's take: See Hilm. I still think the two of them battle most of the night.
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Seat 7: Alex Kravchenko (Moscow)
He may be the short stack ($6.57 million), but Kravchenko has put up a fight in that position for what seems like the entire tournament. Kravchenko is one of two players at the final table with a WSOP bracelet, winning his first in an Omaha high-low preliminary event this year. The 36-year-old businessman has been playing poker for eight years and has an impressive résumé of tournament wins in Europe.
Interesting facts: Kravchenko has cashed over 30 times in his poker career, including a win in the Austrian pot-limit championship in 2001.
WSOP cashes: Seven. Kravchenko cashed five times during 2007 and twice in 2006. He has nearly $300,000 in '07 earnings at the Rio.
Feldman's take: Look out. This isn't just any short stack and his demeanor at the table makes him nearly impossible to read. Kravchenko knows how to win and he won't leave the final table without a fight. He's deliberate with his actions and it would surprise me if he makes a mistake that results in his elimination.
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Seat 8: Lee Watkinson (Cheney, Wash.)
With 36 players remaining, there were five notable names left. It's surprising that Watkinson is the only one still playing the main event. Not because it's Lee, but because I thought there would be others joining him. The bottom line is that this top professional is no joke and will be ready for anything and everything that may come his way Tuesday. Watkinson, 40, will look to win his second bracelet, but his first in no-limit hold 'em. He'll start sixth in chips with $9,925,000.
Interesting facts: Watkinson actually won a satellite into this tournament on Full Tilt Poker. There's rumors that if he wins the event, he'll win an additional $10 million, which was the promotion the site offered to its qualifiers. Watkinson holds a degree in economics and runs a farm for rescued chimpanzees that were once abused while in captivity.
WSOP cashes: 9. Two so far in 2007, not including the main event. He won his bracelet in 2006 in a pot-limit Omaha event.
Feldman's take: All eyes will be on Lee. The question of whether a well-known pro will ever again win the main event will be answered Tuesday and I think he can pull it off. The cautious Watkinson will have to earn some chips early to make an impact or else he'll be on the rail a lot earlier than expected. However, I don't expect to see him there anytime before midnight.
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Seat 9: Hevad Khan (Poughkeepsie, N.Y.)
Starting seventh in chips ($9,205,000), Khan told me he's prepared to take a coin flip for his tournament life and he just needs a good run. The 22-year-old SUNY-Albany dropout is ready to make it big time. The loud, ranting, yelling, celebratory Khan went missing on Day 6, but his antics have made him fun to watch and I'm sure he'll make for some great TV.
Interesting facts: The professional online poker player claims to have multi-tabled 43 tournaments at once, but will he be able to focus on one to the best of his ability? On a personal note, Khan is representing the Hudson Valley in New York, since I unfortunately had to cover the event and didn't play.
WSOP cashes: Two in 2007 in no-limit hold 'em.
Feldman's take: He's got the focus and the motivation, but what cards he plays early on will determine his fate. His goal is to gather chips early and often, but if he can't win some pots in the first few levels, he'll need to tame his aggression and just wait for a good spot to double up. He could be a loose cannon at the table, but even so, he's made it this far and can continue to play that style if he avoids Hilm and Lam who are ready to pick him off at any point.
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