2010 WPT Championship Won By David Williams
April 25, 2010 9:03 amDavid Williams has won the 2010 WPT Championship, after defeating a field of 195 players over seven days to take down the title and the $1,530,537 first place prize.
The Bodog sponsored pro famously “arrived” on the poker scene after coming second to Greg Raymer at the WSOP Main Event in 2004, picking up $3.5 million in the process.
He has since gone on to become one of the most successful pros on the tournament circuit and with his latest victory has amassed $7,879,552 in winnings, with around half those cashes coming at WSOP events. David Williams also added a WSOP bracelet to his impressive poker CV at the $1,500 7 Card Stud event in 2006.
After his latest victory at the 2010 WPT Championship, a clearly jubilant Wiliam’s commented:
“Winning a tournament always feels great. Even if it’s a $100 tournament, it’s an amazing feeling. To win a tournament of this caliber feels even better. Financially it’s not as awesome [as the WSOP Main Event 2004] but this feels a hell of a lot better. At that point I had just won $3.5 million but I felt miserable. I felt like I got so close to something.”
As the remaining six players took their seats at the final table, Williams found himself up against a top class line-up, which included David Benyamine, Billy Baxter, Eric Baldwin, Shawn Buchanan and John O’Shea.
Irishman John O’Shea was first to exit in sixth ($199,888), followed by Billy Baxter in fifth ($246,921) and David Benyamine in fourth ($329,228).
Shawn Buchanan very nearly made it the heads-up stage himself after being 4-bet by Williams with pocket 9’s, and then pushing all-in himself with a pair of Q’s. William’s made the call and was on the brink of disaster until a miracle 9 hit the flop to send Buchanan to the rail in third with a $587,906 consolation prize.
The final hand of the tournament finally came after Eric Baldwin pushed all-in with Ah-5h and was called by William’s with pocket deuces. With an A arriving on the flop, Baldwin could have been forgiven for feeling good about his prospects, but a 2 on the turn put paid to his tournament and he had to be content with his $1,034,715 runner-up prize.
In the meantime, William’s walked away with his first WPT title and $1,530,537 in prize money. Commenting afterwards about his victory, William’s said:
“When I saw that deuce come, it was amazing. It was weird, as soon I saw it my mind was like I just won. I couldn’t speak for a while. It was awesome.”