O-Poker

I watched most of the final table last night. I found myself rooting for RainKhan and Ivan Drago (not really Ivan, but the Russian guy). I didn't really want Yang to win and I am not sure why. It might have had something to do with Phil and Ali ripping on him left and right or maybe it was the fact that he had a huge chip lead and I like to root for the underdog. The simple fact is the guy ran over the table and put a tremendous amount of pressure on the other players. I am guessing that he also had a lot of big hands early. Other than the J8, he had a hand almost every time he went to showdown. He got sucked out on a few times when they were 4 handed and it never phased him. He maintained his cool in the face of a lot of pressure.

He will be good for poker. A nice change from Jamie Gold. (I'm really going out on a limb there.)

It will be interesting to see how the non-poker (and poker) world react to him over the next year. He mentions his religion and his family every chance that he gets. He is donating 10% of sizable winnings to several charities. He has stated that he will help in the fight for poker rights however he can.

He seems like a sincere quiet guy that a lot of America can relate to. Like him or not, he should be a great ambassador for poker over the next year.