California psychologist Jerry Yang began playing poker only two years ago

"I study my opponents very carefully, and when I sensed something, when I sensed some weakness, I took a chance," said Yang, 39. "Even if I had nothing, I decided to raise, reraise, push all-in or make a call."

The ethnic Hmong immigrant from Laos had nearly the shortest stack of chips when nine finalists began play at about noon Tuesday and was surely the shortest statured at 5-foot-3.

married father of six

Jerry Yang embraced his winnings -- but also pledged to give 10 percent to charity, saying "I know what it's like to be poor."

Philip Hilm, a 31-year-old Dane making a living from poker in England, busted out after pushing all-in against Yang with a pair of fives after the flop and the chance for a flush.
Yang made the call holding an ace and king for a pair of kings and Hilm never improved, finishing ninth for $525,934.

Lee Watkinson, a 40-year-old poker pro from Cheney, Wash., pushed all-in before the flop with an ace and seven, but Yang read through the show of strength by calling with an ace and nine and Watkinson fell in eighth for a $585,699 payday.

Childs, who quit his job a month ago to play poker for a living, finished seventh with $705,229 when he went all-in with a king and jack against Yang, with a jack and eight. Childs lost when an eight came on the turn.

Hevad Khan, an Internet poker pro from Poughkeepsie, N.Y., finished in sixth when his ace and queen of spades couldn't top a pair of jacks belonging to a surging Yang. Khan didn't seem disappointed with sixth place and his $956,243 payday as he celebrated with friends in the audience.

Jon Kalmar, a 34-year-old poker pro from Chorley, England, was the only player to bust out against someone other than Yang. He lost a head-to-head bet against South African retiree Raymond Rahme when his ace and king failed to improve against Rahme's pocket jacks.

Alex Kravchenko, 36, was Yang's next victim, when he was all-in before the flop with an ace and king but Yang nailed three of a kind, holding a pocket pair of eights. Kravchenko finished in fourth with $1.85 million.

Rahme went down when he pushed all-in with pocket kings on a board with an ace. After several minutes of pacing and a stare down, Yang made the call holding an ace and a five, for two aces, and Rahme shook his head in resignation.

When play got down to heads-up, Yang face another refugee from South Asia, Tuan Lam, a 40-year-old Vietnamese Canadian online poker pro from Mississauga, Ontario.

Yang had 104.5 million in chips to Lam's 23 million and it took several hands for both players to get into an all-in confrontation.

Lam made his move with an ace and queen of diamonds and Yang called with pocket eights.

When a queen, five and nine came on the flop, it looked like Lam, waving a Canadian flag, would be on the verge of a miracle comeback.

But a seven on the turn and a six on the river gave Yang a straight, sealing a win.

Lam earned $4.84 million for his second-place finish.

From the time he made it into the money with a guaranteed $20,320 a week ago, Yang vowed to give 10 percent to charities, including the Make-A-Wish Foundation, Feed the Children, and the Ronald McDonald House.

After making $8.25 million, Yang said he planned to put his children through college, allow his wife to quit working and give back to the community.

"I had a strategy last night. The only way that I could win this tournament was by being aggressive from the very beginning and that's exactly what I did," he said. "And thank God I was also able to pick up some good cards at the same time."