Jonathan Duhamel

WSOP Main Event bracelet is a hard piece of jewelry to acquire, desired by practically every poker player that walks the Earth. Jonathan Duhamel managed to squeeze his way into the select few who can proudly call themselves the owner of this sweet achievement. Canadian from Quebec, he was also the very first player to take this title back to Canada. Born on August 24 1987, he had, like many from his generation, taken up poker a few years before he turned 18 and turned his attention to live tournaments as soon as he was legally allowed. He had abandoned his studies so he could devote all his time to playing poker. His first notable result came in 2008, when he bubbled the final table of the EPT Prague Main Event. The biggest success that propelled Duhamel into the stardom came two years later, during the 2010 World Series of Poker. Playing in the field of over seven thousand players he managed to secure the place at the final table that was scheduled to take place in November of the same year. Not only that, but he was going to come back as a chip leader and battle for the first prize of $9,000,000. He had a few months to do his best to prepare for the biggest moment of his professional life and he must have done something right. He claims that he had played a lot of sit and go tournaments online and discussed the strategy a lot before turning up for the November 9. He came up on top, beating John Racener in a heads-up finale that secured him not only the huge payday but also a place in the poker history. He donated a $100,000 from these winnings to the Montreal Canadiens Children Foundation. Following on his Main Event success, he was soon signed as the Poker Stars sponsored pro and became an ambassador of the game – the roll he has always tried to enjoy to the maximum. He also published the book entitle “The Final Table” detailing his Main Event experience. Duhamel went through a traumatic experience in 2011 when his home was invaded and he was tied up and beaten. Amongst stolen property was his Main Event bracelet and although robbers were soon caught, a lot of things were missing, including the bracelet. It was found only couple of months later in the streets of Montreal, severely damaged. Always claiming to be primarily a cash game player, the 2010 World Champion has total live tournament earnings of about $12 million. Apart from his ME victory, other significant scores mostly came during the 2012 PCA, including 4th place in PCA Super High Roller event for $313,000, 2nd in the High Roller event for $635,000 as well as the win in the Event 12 for $240,000. The videos featuring Duhamel’s journey to his great victory can be found right here on PokerTube.