Jerry Yang (poker player)

Jerry Yang
Jerry Yang at the 2008 World Series of Poker
Nickname(s)	The Shadow[1]
Hometown	Temecula, California
World Series of Poker
Bracelet(s)	1
Money finish(es)	4
Highest ITM Main Event finish	Winner, 2007
Information accurate as of 2009-07-11.

Xao "Jerry" Yang (simplified Chinese: 杨係; traditional Chinese: 楊係; pinyin: Yáng Xì; born 1967) is an ethnic Hmong poker player from Temecula, California and the 2007 World Series of Poker Main Event champion.

Yang started playing poker in 2005.^[2] An amateur player at the time, Yang entered the 2007 World Series of Poker after winning a $225 satellite at the Pechanga Resort and Casino in Temecula.^[3] Prior to the World Series, he had four cashes in local California events.^[4] At the final table, Yang went from starting eighth in chips to holding a big chip lead that he never relinquished. The process of accumulating this chip lead involved Yang knocking out seven of the eight other players at the final table.

Heads-up against Tuan Lam, he won the title with 8♣ 8♦ against Lam's A♦ Q♦ when he hit a nine-high straight on the river after Lam had caught a queen on the flop on a board of 5♠ Q♣ 9♣ 7♦ 6♥. After a 12-hour final table, Yang had won $8,250,000 for the victory. As of 2009, the majority of his live tournament winnings, $8,263,393, have come from his win at the 2007 main event.^[5]

Yang summarized his tournament strategy: "I study my opponents very carefully, and when I sensed something, when I sensed some weakness, I took a chance. Even if I had nothing, I decided to raise, reraise, push all-in or make a call....The only way that I could win this tournament was by being aggressive from the very beginning and that’s exactly what I did. And thank God I was also able to pick up some good cards at the same time."^[2] Once Yang was guaranteed a share of the prize money he pledged to donate 10% percent of his winnings to three charities (the Make-a-Wish Foundation, Feed The Children, and the Ronald McDonald House),^[2] as well as his alma mater, Loma Linda University.^[6]

Personal life

Yang, an ethnic Hmong, was born in Laos. When the communists took over in the 1970s, his family escaped to Thailand where they spent four years in a refugee camp. While living in the camp, a brother and sister of his died.

Yang currently lives in Madera, California. Yang holds a master's degree in health psychology from Loma Linda University and worked as a psychotherapist and social worker.^[7][8]

He is married and has six children.^[3]

Notes

1. ^ USA Today: Who's who at the World Series of Poker's main event final table
2. ^ ^{a b c} Yang wins $8.25 million World Series of Poker, an Associated Press article via MSNBC
3. ^ ^{a b} Pokerpages.com Jerry Yang profile
4. ^ Cardplayer.com: Jerry Yang
5. ^ "Jerry Yang - Stats". TheHendonMob.com. http://pokerdb.thehendonmob.com/player.php?a=s&n=88377. Retrieved 2009-07-11. 
6. ^ Sole survivor: Yang takes World Series of Poker, $8.25M from CBS SportsLine.com
7. ^ PE News^{[dead link]}
8. ^ "Jerry Yang's Player Info". World Series of Poker official website. http://www.wsop.com/players/playerprofile.asp?playerID=13044. Retrieved 26 October 2011. 

External links

• Official site
• Worldseriesofpoker.com profile
• Full Tilt Poker profile

Persondata
Name	Yang, Jerry
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth	1968
Place of birth
Date of death
Place of death