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Jonathan Duhamel is a Canadian professional poker player from Boucherville, Quebec, born on August 24, 1987, who won the 2010 World Series of Poker Main Event for $8,944,310. He was the first Canadian to win the Main Event, and he later added two more WSOP bracelets in 2015, in the $111,111 High Roller for One Drop and the WSOP Europe €25,600 High Roller. [1][3]
Jonathan Duhamel: key facts
| Full name | Jonathan Duhamel |
|---|---|
| Country | Canada [1] |
| Born | August 24, 1987, Boucherville, Quebec [1] |
| Lives in | Greater Montreal region [9] |
| Known for | Winning the 2010 WSOP Main Event, the first Canadian to do so [3] |
| WSOP bracelets | 3 (56 WSOP cashes, 15 final tables) [2] |
| Major titles | WSOP Main Event 2010; EPT Deauville High Roller 2011; WSOP $111,111 High Roller for One Drop 2015; WSOP Europe €25,600 High Roller 2015 [3][6][7][8] |
| Live tournament earnings | $18,009,548 as of October 5, 2026 [1] |
Early life and first steps in poker
Duhamel was born in Boucherville, Quebec. He started playing poker with his high school friends and later studied business administration and finance at the University of Quebec. He did not complete the degree and chose to play poker professionally instead. [1]
The 2010 WSOP Main Event
The 2010 Main Event drew 7,319 entries. [3] With two tables left, Duhamel played a hand that PokerNews later described as one of the most viewed in WSOP history. [4] He four-bet with pocket jacks against Matt Affleck, who held pocket aces, and called Affleck’s all in for a little more than 11.6 million chips on a board of ten, nine, seven and queen. The eight on the river gave Duhamel a straight, eliminated Affleck in 15th place and pushed Duhamel further ahead in chips. [5]
He came to the November final table as chip leader, at a table that also included Joseph Cheong, Matthew Jarvis and Michael Mizrachi, and kept the lead to the end. [1] On November 9, 2010, he beat John Racener heads-up, winning the last hand with ace-jack against Racener’s king-eight of diamonds. Duhamel received $8,944,310 and Racener $5,545,955. PokerNews reported him as the first Canadian to win poker’s biggest prize. [3] He was 23 years old. [4]
A fan of the Montreal Canadiens, Duhamel donated $100,000 from his winnings to the Montreal Canadiens Children’s Foundation. [1]
After the Main Event: high rollers and PokerStars
In early 2011 he won the $10,000 High Roller at the European Poker Tour stop in Deauville, beating Alain Confino heads-up for €203,232. [6] At the 2012 PokerStars Caribbean Adventure he reached four final tables in a single week, won one event and collected about $1.2 million in total, including second place in the $25,500 High Roller for $634,550 and fourth in the Super High Roller for $313,600. [1]
Duhamel was sponsored by PokerStars for five years, and he left the site in 2015. [1][9]
Playing style
Duhamel’s biggest wins all came in No-Limit Hold’em, but his record also shows results in mixed games: fifth place in the 2017 WSOP $10,000 Seven Card Stud Hi-Lo 8 or Better Championship for $72,876, [2] eighth in the 2013 $50,000 Poker Players’ Championship for $207,630, and third places in Pot-Limit Omaha and 8-Game Mixed events at the 2014 WSOP Asia-Pacific. [1]
Duhamel himself has played down the role of skill in his Main Event title. Testifying in 2021, he described himself as the luckiest champion in the history of the WSOP and recalled the hand against Affleck, in which he had about 21% equity when the chips went in and needed the eight of diamonds on the river. [9]
Greatest achievements
Tournament results
| Year | Event | Result | Prize | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | WSOP $10,000 No-Limit Hold’em Main Event (7,319 entries) | 1st | $8,944,310 | [3] |
| 2015 | WSOP $111,111 High Roller for One Drop (135 entries) | 1st | $3,989,985 | [7] |
| 2012 | PokerStars Caribbean Adventure $25,500 High Roller | 2nd | $634,550 | [1] |
| 2015 | WSOP Europe €25,600 No-Limit Hold’em High Roller, Berlin | 1st | €554,395 | [8] |
| 2012 | PokerStars Caribbean Adventure Super High Roller | 4th | $313,600 | [1] |
| 2011 | EPT Deauville $10,000 High Roller | 1st | €203,232 | [6] |
| 2013 | WSOP $50,000 Poker Players’ Championship | 8th | $207,630 | [1] |
| 2011 | NBC National Heads-Up Poker Championship | 4th | $125,000 | [1] |
Two bracelets in 2015
On June 30, 2015, Duhamel won the $111,111 High Roller for One Drop, a field of 135 entries with a prize pool of $14,249,925. He beat Bill Klein heads-up, holding pocket kings against king-jack in the final hand, and took $3,989,985 and his second bracelet, while Klein received $2,465,522. The event raised more than $750,000 for the One Drop charity. [7]
Less than four months later, on October 23, 2015, he won the €25,600 High Roller at WSOP Europe in Berlin, beating Davidi Kitai heads-up for €554,395, with Kitai taking €342,620. It was his third bracelet. [8]
World Series of Poker record
His WSOP.com profile lists three bracelets, 56 cashes, 15 final tables and $14,862,145 in WSOP earnings. His most recent Main Event cash on that profile is 409th place in 2018 for $33,305, in a field of 7,874. [2]
Stepping away from professional poker
According to PokerNews, Duhamel stepped away from professional poker after 2018, and his last documented cash dates from November 2019. [4]
Books
Duhamel wrote a French-language book about his career and his approach to the game, Cartes sur table: Champion du monde de poker 2010. [10] An English edition, Final Table: A Winning Poker Approach from a WSOP Champion, was published by ECW Press in September 2012 (158 pages). [11]
In his own words
- “It means so much to me. It’s a dream come true for me.” After winning the Main Event, November 2010. [3]
- “I’m so happy right now. I love poker.” After winning the EPT Deauville High Roller, 2011. [6]
- “It’s probably my second-best day ever after winning the Main Event.” After the High Roller for One Drop, June 2015. [7]
- “This never gets old. It’s such an amazing feeling. Let’s go for number four.” After his third bracelet, October 2015. [8]
- “First, just have fun! The WSOP Main Event only happens once a year and for many, it could be their first time.” His advice to Main Event players, 2021. [12]
Iconic hands and moments
Matt Affleck recalls the 2010 Main Event hand (PokerGO Hand Histories)
Daniel Negreanu vs. Jonathan Duhamel (partypoker)
FAQ about Jonathan Duhamel
How old is Jonathan Duhamel?
Jonathan Duhamel was born on August 24, 1987, so he is 39 years old as of October 5, 2026. [1]
Where is Jonathan Duhamel from?
He is Canadian, born in Boucherville, Quebec. [1]
How much did Jonathan Duhamel win in the WSOP Main Event?
He won $8,944,310 for first place in the 2010 Main Event, which had 7,319 entries. [3]
What is Jonathan Duhamel’s net worth?
There is no reliable public figure for his net worth. What can be verified is his live tournament record: $18,009,548 in earnings as of October 5, 2026, according to PokerNews. Prize totals do not account for buy-ins, deals or taxes. [1]
How many WSOP bracelets does Jonathan Duhamel have?
Three: the 2010 Main Event, the 2015 $111,111 High Roller for One Drop and the 2015 WSOP Europe €25,600 High Roller. [1][2]
Was Jonathan Duhamel the first Canadian to win the Main Event?
Yes. PokerNews reported his 2010 win as the first by a Canadian. [3]
Does Jonathan Duhamel still play poker?
Not professionally. In 2021 he said he played about five times a year, recreationally. [9]
Has Jonathan Duhamel written a book?
Yes. His English-language book Final Table: A Winning Poker Approach from a WSOP Champion was published by ECW Press in 2012. [11]
Related Poker Legends
Read more about fellow Main Event champion Chris Moneymaker, Canadian player Daniel Negreanu, his opponent in the partypoker hand above, and high-stakes player Patrik Antonius.
Sources
- PokerNews, Jonathan Duhamel player profile, accessed October 5, 2026.
- WSOP.com, Jonathan Duhamel player profile, accessed October 5, 2026.
- PokerNews, Oh, Canada! Jonathan Duhamel Wins 2010 WSOP Main Event ($8,944,310), November 9, 2010.
- PokerNews, WSOP Main Event Champions 2009-11: Cada, Duhamel, Heinz, May 28, 2022.
- PokerNews, Matt Affleck Recounts Dramatic 2010 WSOP Main Exit for ‘Hand Histories’, July 24, 2018.
- PokerNews, The Nightly Turbo: Jonathan Duhamel Wins PokerStars EPT Deauville High Roller, February 1, 2011.
- PokerNews, Jonathan Duhamel Wins $111,111 High Roller for ONE DROP for $3,989,985, June 30, 2015.
- PokerNews, Jonathan Duhamel Does It Again, Winning Third Bracelet in the WSOP Europe High Roller, October 23, 2015.
- La Presse, Jonathan Duhamel dit avoir arrêté de jouer au poker « avant de tout perdre » (in French), November 2, 2021.
- Mondaq, A Canadian Tax Lawyer’s Guide To The Taxation Of Poker Winnings: Duhamel c. Canada, a case comment, 2022.
- ECW Press, Final Table: A Winning Poker Approach from a WSOP Champion, accessed October 5, 2026.
- PokerNews, WSOP Main Event Tips and Strategy From Nine Main Event Champions, November 4, 2021.
Last verified: October 5, 2026. Figures that change over time, such as career earnings, are given with the date they were checked.
