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Upcoming on ClubWPT: WPT Borgata Poker Open Satellite (Sunday, July 7 @ 4:00PM ET)
| Earnings | $1,082,435 |
| Cashes | 4 |
| Final Tables | 1 |
| Titles | 0 |
| Tournaments Played | 28 |
Est. Current Chipcount
Est. Average Chipcount
19,500,000
Current Chipleader
-
Day 1
54,025
Day 2
199,300
Day 3
387,000
Day 4
880,000
Day 5
2,130,000
Day 6
4,490,000
Day 7
2nd
Level 31: 120,000-240,000, 20,000 ante
David Williams has a history of close calls. Over the course of his history with the WPT, he’s had a trio of final table appearances, including a runner-up appearance at the Borgata Poker Open in Season III and 4th place finishes at Bay 101 in Season IV and the Mirage Poker Showdown in Season V. There’s also the matter of his runner-up finish to Greg Raymer at the WSOP Main Event in 2004.
In other words, Williams had developed a reputation in the poker world for being incredibly good at making the final table, but not so stellar at closing tournaments out. After last night, that is no longer the case.
Williams came into the final table of the Season VIII WPT Championship effectively tied for the chip lead with David Benyamine. He took the chip lead on the 28th hand of play and did not relinquish it until Hand #106. For the remaining 30 hands of the tournament, Williams was almost always the man in control and his efforts resulted in his first WPT title and the honor of being the WPT World Champion.
It was not long after the Championship final table began before the first player hit the rail. Short stack John O’Shea was keen on doubling up or catching a flight back home to Dublin. O’Shea moved in from the small blind with 3
6
, but Billy Baxter woke up with AT in the big blind and eliminated O’Shea in 6th place.
That would be the peak of Baxter’s good fortune at the final table though. He dropped a 4 million chip pot to Willliams to help cement his chip lead and found himself out in 5th a short while later when Williams’ K
10 was able to get the best of Baxter’s AJ.
After that hand, Williams controlled over half the chips in play and the other three players in the field were simply trying to stay alive. Handcuffed by short stack, they could do little to defend themselves as Williams picked up pots and chipped away at his opponents. A rash of double ups shifted the chip dynamics at the table though. David Benyamine’s exit in 4th place at the hands of Shawn Buchanan put Buchanan neck and neck with Williams for the chip lead.
All eyes were on a short-stacked Eric Baldwin to be the next player to hit the rail, but a massive pot between the two chip leaders in which Buchanan moved all-in with pocket queens and Williams called with pocket nines would trim the field to two. Buchanan had the best of it preflop, but a nine on the flop would give the hand to Williams and set him up with a nearly 4-1 chip lead going into heads-up play. Buchanan’s elimination in 3rd place also meant that Faraz Jaka earned the honor of WPT Player of the Year.
Baldwin had a major chip deficit to overcome during heads-up play and, while he was making progress chipping up, the one-on-one battle would be a short-lived affair, lasting just 22 hands. On the final hand of play, Baldwin pushed all-in over the top of a raise from Williams with A5 and Williams called with pocket deuces. An ace on the flop gave the advantage to Baldwin, but a deuce on the turn sealed up the victory for Williams, who was overcome with emotion as his mom Shirley rushed the stage to give him a congratulatory hug.
For Williams, it is a landmark win and, of course, a nice prize of more than $1.5 million. It is more than just money and a win though. It is affirmation that the longtime poker pro can find a way to win, even if it is at one of the more stacked final tables the WPT has seen over the course of Season VIII.
Level 31: 120,000-240,000, 20,000 ante
Williams raises to 500,000, Baldwin moves all in for 4,765,000, and Williams thinks for more than a minute before he calls with 2
2. Baldwin shows A5, and Baldwin needs to improve to stay alive.
The flop comes A76, and Baldwin pairs his ace to take the lead, and his friends in the stands go wild. Baldwin is a huge favorite to double up and take over the chip lead.
The turn card is -- the 2!
David Williams turns a set of deuces to clinch the hand, and his friends and family explode into celebration in the stands. (The meaningless river card is the 4.)
David's mother Shirley runs up to the stage to give him a bear hug, while Eric Baldwin walks over to his friends and family on the rail to receive warm congratulations of his own.
Eric Baldwin finishes as the runner-up, earning $1,034,715 in a very strong showing after winning Card Player's Player of the Year award last year.
David Williams wins the WPT World Championship, earning $1,530,537, a WPT bracelet, a watch from Bellagio, and the title of Season VIII WPT World Champion.
Congratulations also go out to Faraz Jaka, who went very deep in this event, finishing in 14th place, and won the WPT Player of the Year award.
1st Place: David Williams - $1,530,537
2nd Place: Eric Baldwin - $1,034,715
3rd Place: Shawn Buchanan - $587,906
4th Place: David Benyamine - $329,228
5th Place: Billy Baxter - $246,921
6th Place: John O'Shea - $199,888
Level 30: 100,000-200,000, 20,000 ante
The crowd is pretty evenly divided between Baldwin and Williams fans and both groups are riled up and ready to go. The whole crowd is eagerly applauding and cheering their respective players on and the Baldwin crew even got a group to chant "Let's go Baldy" for a couple of minutes before heads-up play commences.
Sorted In: Eric Baldwin, David Williams, Tournaments, Bellagio, WPT World Championship, Season 8 on FSN, Season VIIILevel 30: 100,000-200,000, 20,000 ante
The final two players have been interviewed by Kara Scott, and the money has been placed on the table. Heads-up play will be starting soon, with the blinds at 100,000-200,000 and a 20,000 ante.
Eric Baldwin - 4,395,000 (21 bb)
David Williams - 15,105,000 (75 bb)
1st Place: $1,530,537
2nd Place: $1,034,715
3rd Place: Shawn Buchanan - $587,906
4th Place: David Benyamine - $329,228
5th Place: Billy Baxter - $246,921
6th Place: John O'Shea - $199,888
Reminder: In heads-up play, the button has the small blind and acts first before the flop.
Level 30: 100,000-200,000, 20,000 ante
Shawn Buchanan completes the small blind to 200,000, and Eric Baldwin checks his option in the big blind. The flop comes Q85, Buchanan checks, Baldwin bets 275,000, Buchanan raises to 875,000, and Baldwin thinks for about a minute before he calls. There is already 2.2 million in the pot.
The turn card is the J, Buchanan thinks for a bit before he moves all in for 6,075,000, and Baldwin thinks for about 45 seconds before he folds. Shawn Buchanan takes the pot.
Pot Size: 2,210,000
Seat 3. Eric Baldwin - 4,145,000
Seat 4. David Williams - 7,070,000
Seat 6. Shawn Buchanan - 8,285,000
Level 30: 100,000-200,000, 20,000 ante
David Williams took the chip lead on Hand #28 of play and held onto it until Buchanan seized the lead briefly on Hand #106. Buchanan's reign on top was a short-lived though, as it took only two hands for Williams to seize it back from him.
The stacks are evening out right now though. A few hours ago, Williams held over half of the chips in play. Now let's take a look at how the chips are spread around through Hand #108:
David Williams - 6,870,000 (35.2%)
Shawn Buchanan - 6,700,000 (34.4%)
Eric Baldwin - 5,930,000 (30.4%)
Level 29: 80,000-160,000, 15,000 ante
Eric Baldwin moves all in under the gun for 1,745,000, and David Williams calls from the button with AK. Baldwin shows QJ, and he'll need to improve to stay alive.
The board comes Q9974, and Baldwin pairs his queen on the flop to win the pot and double up in chips.
Seat 3. Eric Baldwin - 3,790,000
Seat 4. David Williams - 8,310,000
Seat 5. David Benyamine - 3,740,000
Seat 6. Shawn Buchanan - 3,660,000
Level 29: 80,000-160,000, 15,000 ante
Eric Baldwin moves all in from the button for 770,000, David Williams moves all in over the top for 11,140,000, and David Benyamine folds the big blind.
Baldwin shows A5, and Williams shows QJ. Baldwin needs to win this pot to stay alive.
The board comes A982J, and Eric Baldwin pairs his ace on the flop to win the pot and double up in chips.
Seat 3. Eric Baldwin - 1,760,000
Seat 4. David Williams - 10,370,000
Seat 5. David Benyamine - 2,180,000
Seat 6. Shawn Buchanan - 5,190,000
Level 29: 80,000-160,000, 15,000 ante
Shawn Buchanan completes the small blind to 160,000, Eric Baldwin thinks for a bit before he moves all in from the big blind, and Buchanan immediately calls all in for 2,430,000 with 88. Baldwin shows A2, and Buchanan is a favorite to double up here.
The board comes 10628K, and Buchanan wins the pot with a set of eights to double up in chips.
Seat 3. Eric Baldwin - 880,000
Seat 4. David Williams - 11,330,000
Seat 5. David Benyamine - 2,370,000
Seat 6. Shawn Buchanan - 4,920,000
Level 27: 50,000-100,000, 10,000 ante
Eric Baldwin raises from the cutoff to 240,000, and David Williams calls from the button. The flop comes 322, Baldwin bets 375,000, and Williams calls. The turn card is the 5, and both players check.
The river card is the K, Baldwin bets 740,000, and Williams calls with AK for two pair, kings and deuces. Baldwin mucks, and David Williams takes the pot.
Seat 2. Billy Baxter - 3,130,000
Seat 3. Eric Baldwin - 3,845,000
Seat 4. David Williams - 5,925,000
Seat 5. David Benyamine - 4,170,000
Seat 6. Shawn Buchanan - 2,430,000
