Faraz Jaka Survives A Record Number of Challengers to Win WPT Player of the Year

Level 31: 120,000-240,000, 20,000 ante

By BJ Nemeth

When Faraz Jaka finished third at the WPT Doyle Brunson Five Diamond World Poker Classic back in December, he probably gave little thought to the WPT Player of the Year race. It was the second time in five months that Jaka had reached the final three of a WPT, but he failed to win both times.

Even though he failed to capture his first title, Jaka was able to open  up a thin lead in  the POY race. His lead would survive challenges from dozens of  players over the next six events, making it one of the most contested Player of  the Year race in WPT history -- a race that wouldn't be decided until  there were two players left in the final event of the season.

Shawn Buchanan was the last surviving challenger in the WPT World Championship, making it all the way to the TV final table. He would need a victory to pass Jaka in the POY race, and with three players remaining, victory seemed to be within Buchanan's grasp. Buchanan was jockeying with David Williams for the chip lead when they got it all in preflop -- Buchanan's QQ against Williams' 99. The winner would have a massive chip lead, and the loser would be eliminated or nearly so. 

The 9 that fell on the flop changed the fates of three people -- Buchanan was eliminated from both the WPT World Championship and the WPT Player of the Year race, Williams went on to win the WPT World Championship, and Faraz Jaka officially became the WPT Player of the Year. 

Jaka had a fantastic year on the World Poker Tour, with 2 WPT final tables, 4 WPT cashes, and more than $1.42 million in WPT earnings. In addition to his third-place finish mentioned earlier, Jaka was also the runner-up in the first event of the season -- the WPT Bellagio Cup V. Jaka becomes the first Player of the Year to win the award without a WPT victory. 

While Jaka won the award based on his two final tables relatively early in the season, he never rested on his POY points lead. In the final event of the season (the WPT World Championship), there were more than 30 players within range of Jaka's points lead, and six of them survived into the money. But Jaka wasn't finished yet; not only was he still in the tournament -- he was the chipleader with 18 players left.

When Jaka busted in 14th place (his flopped set of aces fell to David Williams' turned straight), there were four contenders left -- Olivier Busquet, Shawn Buchanan, Scotty Nguyen, and Phil Hellmuth. Busquet, who won the WPT Borgata back in September, needed to finish sixth or higher, but busted out in 11th. The final three contenders would need a victory to catch Jaka, but they all fell short -- Nguyen in 8th, Hellmuth in 7th, and Buchanan in 3rd. That was the moment when Jaka officially won the award. 

As the most recent WPT Player of the Year, Faraz Jaka's name has been added to an illustrious list that includes some of the best players in the game: 

Season I POY:  Howard Lederer
Season II POY:  Erick Lindgren
Season III POY:  Daniel Negreanu
Season IV POY:  Gavin Smith
Season V POY:  J.C. Tran
Season VI POY:  Jonathan Little
Season VII POY:  Bertrand "Elky" Grospellier
Season VIII POY:  Faraz Jaka

Early next year, Jaka will be part of another elite group, as his victory in the WPT Player of the Year race earns him a coveted invitation to the 2011 NBC National Heads-Up Poker Championship. 

While Jaka has won one of the highest honors on the World Poker Tour, he won't be resting on his laurels. He'll start Season IX with his eyes set on a different goal -- winning his first WPT event.

David Williams Finds a Way to Win at the WPT Championship

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 36, 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’ K10 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.

David Williams is the Season VIII WPT World Champion!

Level 31: 120,000-240,000, 20,000 ante

Hand #136: David Williams Wins!

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 22. 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

Hand #135: David Williams

Level 31: 120,000-240,000, 20,000 ante

Baldwin raises to 525,000, Williams reraises to 1,540,000, and Baldwin folds.

Eric Baldwin - 4,780,000
David Williams - 14,720,000

Hand #134: David Williams

Level 31: 120,000-240,000, 20,000 ante

Williams raises to an unknown amount, and Baldwin folds.

Eric Baldwin - 5,325,000
David Williams - 14,175,000

Hand #133: David Williams

Level 31: 120,000-240,000, 20,000 ante

Baldwin folds, giving Williams a walk.

Eric Baldwin - 5,585,000
David Williams - 13,915,000

Hand #132: Eric Baldwin

Level 31: 120,000-240,000, 20,000 ante

Williams raises to 500,000, and Baldwin thinks for a bit before he calls. The flop comes 1084, Baldwin bets 400,000, and Williams calls. The turn card is the 3, and both players check.

The river card is the J, Baldwin thinks for a bit before he bets 850,000, and Williams quickly folds. Eric Baldwin takes the pot.

Eric Baldwin - 5,725,000
David Williams - 13,775,000

Level 31 Begins

Level 31: 120,000-240,000, 20,000 ante

Level 30 comes to an end, and Level 31 begins with increased blinds of 120,000-240,000 and a 20,000 ante. Play continues without a break.

Hand #131: Eric Baldwin

Level 30: 100,000-200,000, 20,000 ante

Baldwin raises to 450,000, and Williams calls. Both players check to the turn on a board of K95K, Williams checks, Baldwin bets 425,000, and Williams folds. Eric Baldwin takes the pot.

Eric Baldwin - 4,805,000
David Williams - 14,695,000