Canadian youngster Duhamel outshines the November Nine

Jonathan Duhamel began playing poker 5 years ago, now the 22 year old from Quebec is setting his sights on winning the World Series of Poker’s Main Event Bracelet, poker’s most respected award. Two years ago and you’d have found Duhamel as a Finance Major in Quebec organising 20-30 hours a week of online poker around his timetable.

Duhamel took one year out of school to play poker full time after realising a career in finance was not for him, “I want to play poker. I really realised how important it was for me to be good at it.” The game that came so naturally to him quickly became his passion. His career has already taken him to the Czech Republic and the Bahamas.

The original 7319 players in the Main Event were reduced to the 9 finalists, the November Nine in July. The tournament will conclude in November in a four-day long final. Canadian, Daniel Negreanu, 2004 World Series of Poker player of the year has never won the Main Event, meaning if successful, Duhamel will be the first Canadian to be informally crowned as World Poker Champion.

The online poker phenomenon has seen a rise in the number of young players, such as 2008 Main Event champion, 21 year old Peter Eastgate. Duhamel plays online, 8 hours a day, 6 days a week, playing up to ten tables at a time and considers the game “like a sport.” Duhamel believes that it is of no detriment to him gaining his experience from playing online, considering himself able to learn other player’s betting patterns and strategies. 

Making it to the November Nine, of which he will be the youngest player, guarantees him at least US$800,000 and the winner will take home US$9 million.