Jonathan Duhamel wins $8.9m at WSOP 2010
College dropout Jonathan Duhamel beats John Racener to 2010 WSOP Main Event crown
| by Alligator Blood |  November, 9th 2010 |
Overall: 4.67
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Above: Jonathan Duhamel has won the World Series of Poker Main Event
Jonathan Duhamel has won the World Series of Poker Main Event 2010 - and pocketed a staggering $8.9 million.
The 23-year-old college dropout when his A♠ J♥ held against John Racener's K♦ 8♦.
Duhamel, from Quebec, is the first French-speaker to land the WSOP Main Event title.
He said: "It's so big, it's so huge. It's a dream come true for me.
"There's a lot of good poker players in Quebec, a lot of young guns you play a lot online.
"They were all there to give me some tips when I needed it, to cheer for me and help me. I've got to give them a lot of credit for the victory. I learned a lot because of them."
The former finance student, who gave up college in his second year, also said he would donate $100,000 of his winnings to a charity - the Montreal Canadians Children's Foundation.
"I'm very lucky to be here right now," added Duhamel. "I've got to give back. I'm going to continue to give back if I have other big scores, as well."
Duhamel said his strategy of playing loose, aggressive poker in the final stages before the November Nine was decided earlier this year was instrumental in his eventual victory - because it gave him such a huge chip lead.
He said: "I started raising every hand because everyone wanted to make the November Nine and was playing so tight. It was a risky strategy, but people just kept folding and it gave me a huge chip lead ahead of this final."
Duhamel was born and raised in Boucherville, Quebec, and still lives in the town. After quitting the Universite du Quebec a Montreal (UQUAM) he struggled with a string of "bad jobs" including working in a factory before deciding to become a full time poker player two years ago.
He beat 24-year-old Racener after 90 minutes of heads-up play last night, letting out huge screams and groping his mounds of cash as he won the richest prize in poker - and in sport.
Some 7,319 entrants each paid $10,000 to contest the World Series of Poker Main Event 2010 in July, with the final nine coming back to the Penn & Teller Theater at the Rio Las Vegas for this week's final.
Duhamel was surrounded by legions of fans - dressed in Montreal Canadians jerseys - and his family, who had flown down to watch the final live.
Racener, from Florida, won $5.5 million dollars for second place.
