Jonathan Duhamel Wins 2010 WSOP Main Event

[Fonzi]

After four months and thousands of hands, Quebec poker pro Jonathan Duhamel finally finished off a short-stacked but gritty John Racener of Florida to win the 2010 World Series of Poker Main Event. In addition to the much coveted gold bracelet, Duhamel -- the first-ever champion from Canada -- earned a whopping $8,944,310 for his victory.

The 2010 WSOP Main Event saw a total of 7,319 players pony up the $10,000 buy-in, each with dreams of defying the odds to become the last one standing and thereby secure a permanent place in poker’s illustrious history. Two weeks of intense, hard-fought poker back in July saw that starting field whittled to nine, at which point the survivors took that almost-four-month respite before action resumed at the Rio All-Suite Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas on Saturday, November 6th.

Duhamel spent those intervening months as the overwhelming chip leader, having built his starting stack of 30,000 into a 65,975,000-chip mountain. John Dolan -- like Racener also from Florida -- was Duhamel’s closest competitor with 46.25 million, with Joseph Cheong of California in third with a little over 23.5 million.

Occupying the next three spots on the leaderboard, Racener entered the final table in fourth with just over 19 million, Matt Jarvis of British Columbia, Canada was fifth with 16.7 million, and the excitable Italian Filippo Candio was sixth with 16.4 million.

Michael “The Grinder” Mizrachi -- easily the most recognizable face among the final nine -- entered the final table in seventh with almost 14.5 million. Mizrachi, the third Floridian at the final table, had hopes of building further on an already spectacular 2010 WSOP that included a bracelet win in the $50K Player’s Championship 8-game event and two other final tables in $10K buy-in events. A win in the Main Event also would secure Mizrachi enough points to tie two-bracelet winner Frank Kassela for a share of the 2010 WSOP Player of Year.

Rounding out the final nine were the two short stacks. Soi Nguyen of California, the one true amateur among the final tablists, came with 9.65 million, and Jason Senti of Minnesota who began the day in ninth with just over 7.6 million.

Play began on Saturday with most of the nine players starting relatively cautiously, with the first three orbits marked by several all-in shoves by Jason Senti, all of which went uncalled.

The first elimination then came when Soi Nguyen open-shoved his last 7.6 million from the button with Ad-Kc and got a caller in Senti from the small blind with pocket queens. The flop came Qh-3s-10c, giving Senti a set and leaving Nguyen with a gutshot draw to a Broadway straight. But the 9s turn and Ks river meant Nguyen’s day was done in ninth place for which the amateur earned $811,823.

More action soon followed, including a hand in which Filippo Candio used pocket aces to double through chip leader Duhamel’s Ah-Kc. Then came one the most exciting hands of the entire tournament, a hand in which preflop action had resulted in Matt Jarvis being all in for 14.3 million with 9c-9h and finding himself in a race with Mizrachi who tabled Ad-Qd.

The flop came an eye-popping Qs-8d-Qc, giving the Grinder trips and an apparent stranglehold on the hand. But the 9s on the turn swung things back in Jarvis’ favor, giving him nines full. Then came the river -- the As -- giving Mizrachi a better full house and ousting Jarvis in eighth place. A gut-wrenching way to go, but Jarvis had $1,045,743 to help him get over it.

Speaking of gut-wrenching, the next elimination -- coming after the dinner break -- had a similar quality to it. After hanging tough for more than 100 hands with a short stack, Jason Senti was all in once again before the flop with Ad-Kc, hoping to survive against Joseph Cheong’s 10s-10c.

The flop came Kh-Kd-Qc, and as in the earlier hand between Mizrachi and Jarvis, things looked mighty good for the fellow with trips. The Jd on the turn gave Cheong a straight draw, but only if a nine were to come. And so it did, the river bringing the 9d and sending Senti out in seventh place for which he won $1,356,720.

John Dolan had begun the day with a big stack, but had a hard time getting things in gear and had slipped to the back of the pack when he open-raised all in from the small blind with Qd-5d and was called by Duhamel in the big blind who held 4c-4d. The board came Jh-7h-6h-9h-3c, and Dolan was out in sixth for a cool $1,772,959.

Mizrachi took the initiative following that big hand with Jarvis, and with five players remaining the Grinder had moved into the chip lead with more than 50 million, with Duhamel closely behind. Mizrachi would stumble a bit, however, his first misstep coming when he called Racener’s all-in for almost 10 million holding Ad-8d, a hand which couldn’t overcome Racener’s As-Kd.

Racener would double up once more in a hand versus Duhamel, causing the latter to slip back to the pack and allowing Joseph Cheong to move into the chip lead. On the very next hand, Duhamel would open with a small raise from the big blind, then watched as Mizrachi reraised all in from the big blind. Duhamel was covered by Mizrachi, but decided to make the call anyway with As-9h. Meanwhile, Mizrachi had pocket treys, and when a nine flopped and Mizrachi couldn’t catch up, suddenly the Grinder was the table’s short stack.

The remaining five continued to battle into the night until a hand arose in which Duhamel completed from the small blind and Mizrachi checked his option from the big blind. The flop came 5d-4s-Qc, prompting a check from Duhamel. Mizrachi bet 2 million -- about two-thirds of the pot -- and Duhamel responded by check-raising all in. Mizrachi thought about it, then made the call with his last chips showing Qd-8h for top pair. But when Duhamel showed his hand, it became clear the Grinder had been caught in the Canadian’s trap -- he had Ad-Ac. The turn was the Jd and the river the Kd, and Mizrachi was out in fifth place. There’d be no WSOP Player of the Year for the Grinder, who earned $2,332,992 for his finish.

Just three hands later the table’s short stack Filippo Candio pushed all in with Kd-Qd and needed help against Cheong’s Ac-3c. The flop came Ah-7d-2s, however, increasing Cheong’s lead in the hand, and the 5h on the turn then meant Candio was drawing dead. Candio exited in fourth place, pocketing $3,092,545 for his efforts.

With three left, Cheong and Duhamel were well ahead of Racener, and over the next lengthy sequence would trade the lead back and forth, each flirting with and at times moving over the 100 million-chip mark while Racener endured with a stack that ranged between 20 and 30 million.

Then came what was undoubtedly the biggest hand of the final table. Indeed, in terms of the number of chips that ended up in the pot, it was the biggest hand in WSOP Main Event history!

With the blinds 600,000/1,200,000, Racener folded from the button, then Cheong raised to 2.9 million from the small blind. Duhamel reraised to 6.75 million from the big blind, then Cheong made it 14.25 million to go. Duhamel contemplated the situation, then reraised once again to 22.75 million total.

Cheong considered his options. It was the first time all night Duhamel had five-bet, which seemed to indicate his commitment to the hand. Duhamel still had more than 60 million behind, though, and so when Cheong, who had Duhamel covered by only a few million, decided to six-bet all in, he may well have done so thinking his opponent was still capable of folding.

But Duhamel did not fold. He called, showing Qc-Qd, and Cheong was forced to turn over his As-7h. An ace would’ve made things all right for Cheong, but the community cards came 9h-3d-2c-6s-8s, and suddenly Cheong was down to just a few big blinds. Meanwhile Duhamel catapulted to nearly 180 million chips. And Racener, still sitting with just 30 million, had to be delighted at the surprising turn of events.

Cheong would double-up once and eventually move back over 17 million, but soon was all in again with Qs-10c against Duhamel’s As-2c. The board came Ks-9c-6c-6h-7c, and Cheong -- once a seeming lock to make it to heads-up -- hit the rail in third place for $4,130,049.

The tourney was then paused once more, with Duhamel and Racener waiting until Monday, November 8th, to decide things once and for all. Thanks to that monstrous hand with Cheong, Duhamel had an overwhelming chip lead against Racener entering heads-up play with 188,950,000 to Racener’s 30,650,000.

Although Racener did push all in on the third hand of heads-up and did not get called, he’d adopt a very cautious strategy during his battle with Duhamel, mostly limping his button and avoiding challenges from his Canadian opponent. After losing more than a third of his stack, Racener did manage to double up once with pocket queens, but Duhamel immediately started chipping away again. Things were quickly becoming urgent for the gum-chewing pro.

Finally, after 42 hands of heads-up play, Racener was down to less than 15 million when Duhamel opened by raising all in from the button. Racener thought for 15 seconds or so, then called with his remaining chips. Kd-8d was the hand that would have to save Racener, and he’d need the board to cooperate as Duhamel turned over As-Jh. However, the dealer methodically delivered the bad news to Racener in the form of five cards reading 4c-4d-9s-6c-5c, meaning Racener was runner-up, earning $5,545,955.

Duhamel’s supporters, many wearing Montreal Canadians hockey jerseys, erupted in joyous applause and song. The winner finally removed his trademark dark hoodie, grinning from ear to ear as he absorbed the moment.

It was quite a night. He’d done it. He’d won the WSOP Main Event bracelet. The $8,944,310 he’d won marked the third-biggest prize ever awarded at the World Series of Poker (behind Jamie Gold’s $12 million for winning in 2006 and the $9.1 million Peter Eastgate took for winning in 2008). For the next year he’ll be known as the reigning world champion of poker. And for all time, Jonathan Duhamel will be remembered as one of the very few who made it all of the way to become a WSOP Main Event champion.

[Bronston]

Yes!!!
Great final!!
Real good work Jonathan!!!!!!!

Quebec Rock!!!


Duhamel Duhamel!!!!

[CFB402]

Do you think Duhamel makes that call with JJ after what happened with Matt Affleck?