Jonathan Duhamel Takes Down PCA Side Event

French-Canadian star Jonathan Duhamel has started 2012 off with a bang at Paradise Island’s Atlantis Resort and Casino after breaking through the $10 million barrier in career winnings.

The one-time World Series of Poker (WSOP) main event bracelet winner – who was badly beaten when robbers, including former girlfriend Bianca Rojas-Latraverse, entered his Quebec home on December 21 – will certainly be happy to forget about that incident, and has most definitely started this year off in great form.

The 2010 WSOP main event champion – which gave him $8,944,310 for his success – cashed in fourth place for $313,600 at the $100,000 buy-in Super High Roller tournament last Saturday at the PokerStars Caribbean Adventure (PCA).

Fellow Team PokerStars Pro Viktor ‘Isildur1’ Blom took the top prize of $1,254,400, as well as a massive trophy and a Shamballa bracelet valued at more than $20,000, but Duhamel has now followed up that good finish with victory in the $5,000 buy-in No-Limit 8-Max side event that had a prize pool of $766,300.

Canadian Star Picks Up $239,830

The 24-year-old from Quebec outlasted 157 other players to pick up the $239,830 top prize after beating fellow Canadian Edward Kim in their heads-up battle.

Kim – who finished in 35th for $1,080 at event #2, a $560 buy-in No-Limit Hold’em tournament, of the WSOP Circuit at Harrah’s Atlantic City back in early December of 2008 – left with $134,100 for his runner-up spot.

But Duhamel had to face even stiffer opposition at the final table when overcoming players of the calibre of Team PokerStars Pros Pius Heinz – who exited in fifth for $45,980 after the German had won last year’s WSOP main event for $8,715,638 – and American star Jason Mercier.

Florida-based Mercier picked up $80,460 for his third place finish, while another American, Keven Stammen left with $57,470 in fourth, and was followed by Heinz, Canada’s Owen Crowe ($38,320) in sixth, London’s Laurence Houghton ($30,650) in seventh and eighth placed Belgian pro Kenny Hallaert ($22,990).

Duhamel Stacking up Cash on Paradise Island

Duhamel, who has now cashed for over $550,000 at this year’s PCA, will surely be aiming to up that healthy return when the $25,000 buy-in High Roller event kicks off later today.

It comes as no great surprise that the Canuck secured victory in this side event, though, as he has enjoyed a great series of results since winning the 2010 WSOP main event.

He collected $272,209 in January last year for winning the European Poker Tour (EPT) Deauville’s €10,000 buy-in High Roller event, and also came fourth for $125,000 at the $25,000 buy-in No-Limit Hold’em NBC National Heads-Up Championship in Las Vegas two months later.

Duhamel also finished in sixth place for $58,000 in the $10,000 buy-in Bounty Shootout at the Big Event in Los Angeles – also in March – was sixth again for $26,883 at EPT London’s £2,000 buy-in No-Limit Hold’em side event in October, and also left with $30,100 for seventh place at the World Poker Tour (WPT) Marrakech €3,000 buy-in No-Limit Hold’em main event in November.

NAPT Venetian Champ Tom Marchese Cashes

Other players to cash at the PCA side event included New Jersey’s North American Poker Tour (NAPT) Venetian champion from last February, Tom Marchese – which earned him $827,000 – as well as 2009 EPT Warsaw winner Christophe Benzimra, of France, Russian star Dmitry Vitkind and the PokerStars.it-sponsored Italian Poker Tour (IPT) Player of the Year Mustapha Kanit.

Top eight placings and payouts from the PCA $5,000 No-Limit 8-Max side event:

1. Jonathan Duhamel (Canada) – $239,830
2. Edward Kim (Canada) – $134,100
3. Jason Mercier (USA) – $80,460
4. Keven Stammen (USA) – $57,470
5. Pius Heinz (Germany) – $45,980
6. Owen Crowe (Canada) – $38,320
7. Laurence Houghton (UK) – $30,650
8. Kenny Hallaert (Belgium) – $22,990