DON McDERMOTT / PVT Lee Childs was one of nine players remaining in the 2007 World Series of Poker, when final table action began Tuesday at the Rio All-Suites Hotel and Casino. DON McDERMOTT / PVT A scene similar to this greeted fans who watched the final table start Tuesday. Advertisement

LAS VEGAS -- The World Series of Poker was to end Tuesday, with a new champion -- $8.25 million richer -- crowned at the Rio All-Suites Hotel and Casino.

The champion is new in the sense that a former winner, and one of the game's all-time favorite players, Scotty Nguyen, was eliminated in the early morning hours Monday.

Once possessing more than $17 million in chips, Nguyen, the 1998 champion, lost three major pots, including one totaling $11.46 million to Tuan Lam. Back-to-back losses to Phillip Hilm cost Nguyen the rest of his chips and to the rail he went with thunderous applause from a big -- and weary -- crowd.

Final-table play began at noon Tuesday, with Hilm -- a member of Team Poland in the World Poker Championships -- the chip leader at $22,070,000. The prize pool is in excess of $59 million and there was more than $127 million in chips on the table when play resumed.

The rest of the lineup:

Tuan Lam, $21,315,000;

Jon Kalmer, $20,320,000;

Raymond Rahme, $16,320,000;

Lee Childs, $13,240,000;

Lee Watkinson, $9,925,000;

Hevad Rain Khan, $9,205,000;

Jerry Yang, $8,450,000;

Alex Kravchenko, $6,570,000.

Stevem Garfinkle lost $3.515 million at 4:20 a.m. Monday, when Raymond Rahme, who had pocket queens, locked up the hand when he flopped a set. Garfinkle earned $476,926 for his 10th-place finish.

A sign of how poker's popularity has proliferated: In 2002, Don Barton of Pahrump earned $70,000 when he finished 10th in the WSOP. And last year, of course, the top 12 players received at least $1 million, when a record 8,773 players generated a prize pool in excess of $82 million and the winner, Jamie Gold, was paid $12 million.

When the final entry list for the 38th annual WSOP was tabulated, there were 6,358 men and women who sought fame and fortune at the tables set up in the Amazon Room in the Rio.

When action began Sunday, there were 36 players in contention and it took more than 16 hours to eliminate 27. Which was interesting, since five were ousted in less than an hour after the tournament resumed at noon.

Kravchenko was the only player at the final table with a victory in the 2007 WSOP. The Russian-born player earned $228,446 for his win in an Omaha high-low split-8 or better tournament June 5.

Watkinson was the most seasoned of the final nine, having cashed in 20 WSOP events, including winning the 2006 pot-limit Omaha title and earning $655,746 for the victory. He has $2,662,863 in WSOP cash to his credit.

Rahme, from South Africa, is the oldest of the finalists at age 62 and is one of the fans' major favorites.

Kalmer is on Team Ladbroke and is known as "Scalie" to his poker pals.

NOTES -- In Pahrump ... Bonita Murray has taken over as acting-manager of the Terrible's Town poker room ... That 3-table room has several tournaments on its regular schedule ... The tournaments: Sundays and Tuesdays, 10:30 a.m., no-limit hold'em, one table sit-and-go; $20 buy-in, no rebuys, $500 in chips; $3 dealer add-on for $200 in chips ... Tuesdays and Thursdays, 4 p.m., no-limit hold'em, $30 buy-in, $300 in tournament chips, $5 dealer add-on for $200 in chips ... $20 re-buy (one, for $500) ... Saturdays at noon, no-limit hold'em ... $30 buy-in, $300 ... $5 add-on for $200 in chips ... $20 re-buy for $500. ... At the Nugget, the tournament schedule: daily (11 a.m.) $20 buy-in no-limit hold'em ... Tuesdays and Thursdays, 6 p.m., Omaha hi-lo split 8 or better; $15 buy-in with rebuys ($10) ... Wednesdays, 7 p.m., no-limit hold'em, $40 buy-in ...Sundays, 3 p.m., no-limit hold'em, $60 buy-in.