It’s hard to have a much better start to a year than what David Coleman’s done to kick of 2024. In one of the first notable tournament series of the year, the PokerGO Tour Kickoff, Coleman rattled off a pair of wins, a second-place finish and a fifth-place across four consecutive events.
The PGT Kickoff run came directly on the heels of a CardPlayer Poker Tour victory on January 7, as he outlasted a field of 457 players for the victory. What makes these three wins all the more impressive is that when the year began, Coleman, who had over $3.1 million in recorded live tournament results dating back to 2017 coming into this year, had never secured a single live win.
“I felt like it was a long time coming,” said Coleman, “And it was a big monkey off my back. That’s the word,the terminology I’d use. I felt amazing, and I’m super grateful. These other two wins [in the PokerGO studio] have really felt equally as amazing. It’s just been an insane run.”
While Coleman didn’t make it five-for-five final tables at the PGT Kickoff, he made the most serious statement of his career since a trio of top-three finishes in $50,000 High Roller events back in 2021. The PokerGO studio has become a testing ground for many skilled poker players looking to pit themselves against the best in the world, and a string of successes along the lines of what Coleman has done make him feel secure that he belongs in that room.
“I love playing here for that reason,” said Coleman. “Yeah, it’s tough. Yeah, you’re probably not winning as much as you would be in a big $1K field, in terms of return on investment. But it’s just a great place to improve your game and learn from others – absorb not only the way they play, but the way they act, and pick their brains.
“It’s a very friendly and fun environment where everyone really likes to play here,” Coleman said. “And you get free food.”
The New Jersey native has made Las Vegas his home in the last few months, and taken full advantage of the multitude of tournament offerings on tap. While his January has been off-the-charts good, you can trace his run of successes back to November, when he finished third in the North American Poker Tour Las Vegas Main Event. Coleman also cashed in both the WPT Prime Championship and WPT World Championship, and wrapped the festival at Wynn Las Vegas with a $255,796 cash for third place in a $1,600 side event – his biggest result since 2021.
“I moved here a few months ago, and it’s been a great decision that I’m super happy with,” said Coleman. “I have roots in New Jersey – it’s where I was born and raised, and I definitely will be going back and forth. But I love living here, just endless fun things to do and endless poker, and the weather has been great.”
Coleman’s recent run of success has produced some of his most notable results, and there may well be something to be said about proximity to greatness. That notion goes beyond playing inside the PGT studio as well, as for the last few months one his roommate in Vegas has been Bin Weng, who is coming off a year in which he won almost every major Player of the Year award that poker has to offer, including WPT Player of the Year honors.
Regardless of where his newfound confidence and success may come from, Coleman remains grounded about his abilities and where he stands in bigger buy-in tournaments. He feels considerable pride about what he’s done thus far in January, but it seems unlikely he’ll be swept away by any excess ego.
“My game hasn’t changed much over the last two months,” said Coleman. “I’m kind of just doing my thing. I definitely think confidence plays a small factor, but the vast majority of turning that into wins is just running hot, winning all-ins, getting dealt good hands in big spots. The game of poker can just be so silly in that regard.”