Tournament Details

A robust field of 96 poker players from across the globe ponied up the €10,000 entry fee, including such WPT perennials as Gus Hansen, Phil Ivey, Mel Judah, David "Devilfish" Ulliott, and Daniel Negreanu, but after three days of qualifying, here's who was left: in seat 1, Lee Salem, a former civil engineer born in Baghdad, and a longtime resident of Carlsbad, California, with the short-stack at €39,000. In seat 2, fiercely competitive, respected American pro Erick Lindgren with €123,700. In seat 3, native Frenchman David Benyamine of Paris, a former junior tennis champ who made the tourney through a satellite event, with a dominating chip lead of €366,600. In seat 4, young British investment banker and relative poker neophyte Jamie Posner, with €123,600. In seat 5, Tunisian born, adopted Parisian, considered by many the top tournament player in Europe, Jan "le Grand" Jan Boubli, with €233,100. In seat 6, from the island of Crete, tycoon George "the Greek" Paravoliasakis, with €77,500.

Short stack Lee Salem quickly doubled up on Jan Boubli when his pocket Q's held up against Boubli's A-J offsuit. But before he really had a chance to make any noise, Salem went all-in with 3-3 and ran smack into Benyamine's own Q-Q. Flopping a set with Q-6-4, the Parisian sent the Southern California liquor store owner back to the stockroom with a 6th place finish, and €35,700 for his early exit.

Seemingly involved in every hand, Benyamine, in the small blind with Th-7h, took out his troubles on young Lindgren, in the big blind with T-6 offsuit. After they both limped to see the flop, it came in encore for David, T-9-6 rainbow. Massaging, he made it €28,000 to go, and Lindgren called. After a 5 at the turn, Erick checked and David bumped it €60,000. Credit the wily Lindgren, though. After some truly excellent, baffling table talk from Benyamine, Lindgren smartly mucked his top pair. Lindgren next lost a tough head up hand to Posner, calling the Brit's all-in bet from the big blind. Erick, with wired 9's, was a slight favorite to Posner's Ac-Kh, but when the board came A-J-6-4-2, he was on life support. After a gallows reprieve, stealing a pot with 4-4, Lindgren picked the worst time to try stealing again. In 1st position, he went all-in with 8-6 offsuit, and found a table full of hungry crocodiles behind him: Benyamine, with Ah-Qs, Posner with Ac-Qd, and Boubli with A-8. It only took one of them to finish him off, though. After Benyamine called, everyone else got out of the way, and when the board went A-J-8-J-7, American Erick was sent to le Metro in 5th place, albeit with a respectable €53,600 in train fare.

On the very next hand, Benyamine raised on the button with 3-3, and the British banker went all-in over the top, making it only €21,000 to go. Benyamine took the bet, and safely navigated the board of 8-7-4-2-J to send another competitor home, this time just across the channel, deporting Posner in 4th place, with €80,500 to exchange for pound notes.

Down to three players, the wiry veteran from Crete found himself the short-stack, and when he went all-in with Kc-Jh, he felt the murmuring crowd clamoring for a Frenchman-Frenchman duel. Benyamine, as you might expect, took him on, with a dominating hand of Ah-Jd. So, when the flop came Tc-6d-4d, the Greek watched with anxious expectation as Kd came, giving him top pair, but leaving Benyamine just one diamond shy of a winner. With the audience shouting out "Diamonds forever!" George doubled up on David with another T on the river. "Crete forever!" the tenacious tycoon roared, slamming a fist on the felt, and delighting the crowd, "Till the last drop of my blood I will fight!"

From there, George went on a rampage, stealing a couple hands before going all-in with Ad-7d, where he found a quick caller in Benyamine with a monster hand, pocket A's. A huge dog to the dominating pair, it looked grim for Paravoliasakis, even after the flop came 8-7-4 with one diamond. But after the turn came 3d, he had a few outs, and wouldn't you know he caught a 7 on the river, again doubling up. And again shaking his fist, "I killed the aces! Crete forever!" Now he was a real problem for the Frenchmen, having edged into 2nd chip position. But just two hands later, Boubli crippled the crafty Cretan...

In the big blind with Ad-Td, Paravoliasakis went all-in over the top of Boubli's smallish pre-flop raise of €26,000, but found himself up against K-K when le Grand called. The flop came K-8-7 yard-sale, giving Boubli trip K's. The turn came 4, and piling on the ignominy, the 4th K came on the river, drowning the feisty Greek's hopes. With barely €30,000 left, Paravoliasakis took Ah-2h all-in on the next hand. He found two callers in Benyamine, with T-3 offsuit, and Boubli with Ad-2d. After a flop of Qh-3h-3s, Benyamine had made his set, but George was four hearts to the nut flush. No divine intervention this time, though. After Benyamine's €20,000 raise cleared out Boubli, 4th and 5th came blank-blank and the tenacious Greek went out with the bronze medal, €134,000 to the plus.

Benyamine, with a dominating €704,600 to €259,800 chip lead, found himself in the first head up hand with A-9 offsuit, facing Boubli's €41,000 raise. Benyamine went all-in. Boubli, holding As-Qs, quickly called. He was rewarded with a dream flop of Kh-Js-Th, giving him the nut straight. With blanks on the turn and river, Boubli doubled up, taking the chip lead! With antes going up to €2,000 and blinds to €8,000 and €16,000, Boubli, on the button, limped on the next hand with A-2 offsuit. Benyamine, for the second time finding A-A, set a trap with a gingerly €25,000 raise. Boubli returned the fellow Parisian's favor and pushed all-in! The board went K-8-2-J-K, and Benyamine had doubled right back.

Next, Benyamine found a nice Ah-Td and raised a smallish €38,000. Boubli, with wired 8's, went all-in again. Benyamine gulped, and called. A slight favorite, Boubli looked good with a flop of Qd-2h-2d, but a 3d at the turn was ominous, and sure enough, the double bubble blew up on the river, Ad, netting David the home town championship. Boubli strolled the boulevard home with a 2nd place check worth €178,600, and David Benyamine beamed, with a €357,200 1st place payday, and the coveted $25,000 American for a reserved seat at the WPT Championship. The satellite qualifier had also achieved an enviable feat, having dispatched each final table opponent personally!

This tournament is included in the World Poker Tour Season Two DVD Collection. Special features include commentary by Phil "The Unabomber" Laak, Antonio Esfandiari, Daniel Negreanu and Erik Lindgren.