If you’re into poker, you’ll no doubt have heard the name, Jonathan Duhamel. He is a world famous professional poker player who has forged a very impressive career at a young age. Read on to find out everything you need to know about this Canadian poker star, who’s currently ranked number two in the country.
The Start Of Duhamel’s Journey
Duhamel was born in August 1987 in Quebec. He grew up in a moderately well-off family, with parents who were keen on teaching him the value of money and hard work. At just 13 years old, Duhamel got his first job picking strawberries and got a taste of having his own cash for the first time.
Duhamel graduated from high school before attending the University of Quebec in Montreal, where he studied Business Administration and Finance. While he was there, Duhamel started playing poker with other students in his dorm rooms. It was during this time that he became passionate about the game. He then decided to take some time out of school to concentrate on getting even better at poker, and to go for gold by trying to win as much money as possible. This turned out to be a gamble that seriously paid off!
Rising Through The Ranks
The Canadian was earning impressively right from the start. His first big win was in 2008. It was at this time that he rose to tenth place in the European Poker Tour’s (EPT) no limit Texas Hold’em main event. His efforts landed him a massive $50,000 prize.
In the years that followed, Duhamel toured around casinos across Canada, playing against the top players in the game. He made connections with many of these professionals, and he has previously said that it was their experience and the discussions they were able to have about the game that made a major difference to his ability to rise through the ranks. Poker strategy was the order of the day and Duhamel was a dedicated student, getting more skilled and winning more cash with every game.
Gaining Momentum
Things really started to take off for Duhamel when he attracted the attention of gaming giant PokerStars, who put their trust in his skills when they pledged to sponsor him in his attempts to win the biggest cash prizes.
It turned out that PokerStars were right on the money, as Duhamel then went on to win the World Series of Poker (WSOP) no limit Hold’em Main Event in 2010 against John Racener. He made almost $9 million, thanks to his passionate and strategy-orientated approach, before going on to pick up a string over other wins in other events that same year.
In the past few years, Duhamel has played professional poker with great success at venues all over the world. However, he has won the most victory and cash by playing no limit Hold’em competitions. In fact, these games have been his main source of winnings.
In 2011, for example, Duhamel won first place in the High Roller No Limit Hold’em tournament, part of the EPT. This saw him leave with winnings totalling more than $270,000.
This wasn’t the only big win for Duhamel in 2011. He also got first place in NBC’s National Heads-Up Championships No Limit Hold’em Championship. This netted him $125,000, in addition to his other earnings.
Duhamel might be the master of no limit Hold’em games, but that doesn’t mean he hasn’t smashed a few other kinds of poker events too. For example, he finished third in the $5,000 pot limit Omaha and 8-Game mixed events of WSOP 2014. Even before that, in 2013, Duhamel got tenth place in the Omaha Hi/Lo WSOP event.
The Success Continues
Despite already making loads of cash and winning several massive poker events, Duhamel doesn’t show any signs of slowing down.
In 2015, for example, he won the PokerStars Caribbean Adventure, picking up more than $110,000. Not content with that victory, he finished in seventh place at the no limit Hold’em part of WSOP’s Seminole Hard Rock Poker Shutdown later that year.
It seems safe to assume that the best is yet to come for Jonathan Duhamel. His career is still relatively new, and his success so far would suggest that we can expect to see some impressive gameplay and even bigger wins in his future.
More Notable Wins
In 2008, Duhamel used his poker playing expertise to compete in the Prague €5,000 main event. This turned out to be a great money maker. He won €42,800, finishing in tenth place.
By 2011, our poker star went straight to the top to win first prize in the Deauville €10,000 High Roller competition. His winnings totalled €200,000.
The following year, 2012, was huge for Jonathan Duhamel in terms of big wins and even bigger prizes. He got first place in the PokerStars Caribbean Adventure $5,000 no limit Hold’em 8 Max and won well over $200,000.
Second place in the PokerStars Caribbean Adventure $25,000 High Roller netted Duhamel $634,550. He also won well over $300,000 by achieving fourth place in the PokerStars Caribbean Adventure $100,000 Super High Roller.
What’s Next For Duhamel?
On career earnings to date, Duhamel is currently ranked second in Canada. He has scooped close to $18 million, with still some way to go before he overtakes Daniel Negreanu’s impressive $34 million. However, the sky really is the limit for Jonathan Duhamel, who has taken poker playing to the highest and most impressive levels.
He might be number two in Canada for now, behind pokers all-time highest earner Daniel Negeanu, but it’s a level that Duhamel has the ability to reach.
If you’re inspired by Duhamel’s rise to poker fame, why not have a go yourself with Lucky Nugget Casino? Who knows, it might just be the start of a big money adventure!
