Well, that's all folks. The crowds have come and gone, the cards have fallen, and a Champion has been crowned. Jerry Yang will make a fantastic poker ambassador. His dominance of the final table was reminiscent of Jamie Gold's performance last year, however his victory speech was the polar opposite.
Jerry is a naturally humble guy, with a firm faith and a deep respect of his fellow man. He pledged to donate 10 percent of his winnings to charity, and said that he wanted to give something back to the community. He was very appreciative, and thanked Jeffrey Pollack and his staff for all their hard work throughout the Series. He thanked his wife, who he said worked very hard, but "does not have to work anymore," and said he was going to ensure that his six children received the best education.
After all the cameras and bright lights subsided, we caught a glimpse of a real guy, with a solid foundation who loves his family -- a true Champion.
On behalf of PokerNews, we would like to thank you for following our coverage. We look forward with optimism to a new era of Tournament Reporting and hope you will stay tuned. Don't forget to check out our Final Table Live simulator, where you can see every hand from the final table.
Hand #205 - Jerry Yang has the button and raises to 2.3 million. Tuan Lam moves all in for 22.2 million, and Yang thinks for about ten seconds before he calls.
Yang shows , and Lam shows . It's a race situation, and Lam needs to improve to stay alive. The crowd erupts into chants of "U.S.A.! U.S.A.!" and something similar with "Canada! Canada!"
There is standing room only here, and everybody is on their feet, including the players. (But excluding your faithful tournament reporters.)
The flop comes , and half of the ESPN Arena erupts in applause as Tuan Lam flops a pair of queens to take the lead. He is a big favorite to double up, making this a much closer heads-up match. Yang needs an eight or something runner-runner.
The turn card is the , and Yang picks up a gut-shot straight draw, winning with an eight (for a set) or a six (for a nine-high straight).
The river card is the -- ! Jerry Yang spikes a six on the river to win the hand -- and the 2007 WSOP World Championship -- with a nine-high straight.
The crowd explodes into cheers as the house lights flood the ESPN arena. Jerry Yang is mobbed by his friends and family, and he is barely visible. A rogue person with a microphone runs up for an interview, but he is pulled back by ESPN before a security guard goes after him.
Tuan Lam is eliminated in second place, earning $4,840,981.
At approximately 3:48 pm PDT, Jerry Yang becomes the 2007 WSOP World Champion, earning $8.25 million, a customized Corum watch, the most coveted of all WSOP bracelets, and an eternal place in poker history.
Hand #204 - Tuan Lam has the button, he limps for 800,000, and Jerry Yang checks. The flop comes , and both players check. The turn card is the , and they check again. The river card is the , Yang bets 1.5 million, and Lam calls.
Yang says, "You've got it," and he shows for queen high. Lam shows to win the pot with a pair of kings.