The WPT World Championship has wrapped up at the Bellagio and David Chiu is the big winner for 2008. Chui was able to battle back from a 6:1 chip deficit against Gus “The Great Dane” Hansen to win the $3,389,140 first prize. He also gets a new WPT bracelet and an entry into the $25,000 WPT Season 7 Championship.

Hansen had to settle for the $1,714,800 second-place money, and will likely take a little while to deal with a loss that should never have happened. Even on the last hand, Chiu had to hit a river ace to beat Gus.

Chiu is no stranger to the winner’s position. He has numerous victories including four WSOP bracelets to his credit. He was already considered one of the world’s best players, and now this impressive win solidifies his presence in the elite category of the world’s best poker players.

The hottest poker player of 2008 is eight-time WSOP bracelet winner Erik Seidel. He’s widely considered to be one of the best all-around poker players in the world, with bracelet victories in five different variations of the game. This year he’s been on fire so far, to the dismay of his opponents. Seidel just won his first WPT championship at the Foxwoods Poker Classic on April 9th, pocketing $992,890. That was just over a week after finishing 16th at the World Poker Challenge for a payday of $28,099.

Those two cashes, added to his second-place finish in the Aussie Millions last January ($880,000) has given Seidel a sizable lead on the professional leaderboards. He currently has a 660-point lead over Michael Binger.

With Seidel winning a WSOP bracelet almost every year, he could carry his lead all year long. It’s not a surprise to see him atop the tournament leaderboards.

Jerry Yang is not your average WSOP main event champion. He has shunned the spotlight since his win, which makes little sense to me. You don’t see him all over the poker shows like the other champions, and he has become known as the “Shadow” on the professional circuit.

Why this man has not taken advantage of his marketability is a surprise, but maybe he’s just quietly enjoying his newfound wealth. Yang’s appearances are random and unannounced, and he’s only had one cash since his big win. He finished 14th at the Binions Poker Open last October.

Yang remains dedicated to his family and has not let poker dominate his life since his win. Many in the industry think he has not been a good ambassador to the game since becoming champion. But he has shown the world that family comes before poker, even when you’re the champion.

Over $2M was spent on the poker room at Planet Hollywood. They have 14 tables that offer a variety of Texas Holdem and Omaha variations. It’s a spacious smoke-free room located in the main casino and managed by Director of Poker Operations, Brad Bryant, who is a veteran of many years in the Vegas gaming industry. It’s popular on weekends, but the usual wait is no more than 30 minutes to get a seat.

Situated on the Strip, Planet Hollywood was once the Aladdin. Since the buyout and renovations, the resort is finally living up to its potential. The $2M poker room investment includes 100-inch plasma televisions and cushion seating for the players.

A variety of cash games are spread including $2-$4, $4-18 and $10-$20 Limit Holdem. Omaha comes in $3-$6, $5-10 and $10-$20 structured limits. No-Limit Holdem offerings are $1-$2 with a $50-$200 buy-in, $2-$5 with a $100-$500 buy-in.