A robust field of 96 poker players from across the globe ponied up the €10,000 entry fee, including such WPT perennials as Gus Hansen, Phil Ivey, Mel Judah, David “Devilfish” Ulliott, and Daniel Negreanu, but after three days of qualifying, here’s who was left:

Seat 1 - Lee Salem €39,000
Seat 2 - Erick Lindgren €123,700
Seat 3 - David Benyamine €366,600
Seat 4 - Jamie Posner €123,600
Seat 5 - Jan Boubli €233,100
Seat 6 - George Paravoliasakis €77,500

The first player to go was Salem, he went all-in with 3’s and Benyamine’s called with Q’s. The flop came Q 6 4 the turn and river were no help and, Salem finished in 6th for €35,700. Next to go was Lindgren, he went all-in with 8 6 offsuit, and Benyamine called with A Q, and when the board went A J 8 J 7, Erick was sent to the rail in 5th place, with €53,600.

On the very next hand, Benyamine raised on the button with 3-3, and Posner went all-in over the top, making it only €21,000 to go. Benyamine called, and the board was 8 7 4 2 J to send Posner home in 4th place, with €80,500.

In the big blind with Ad Td, Paravoliasakis went all-in over the top of Boubli’s smallish pre-flop raise of €26,000, but found himself up against K’s when le Grand called. The flop came K 8 7, giving Boubli trip K’s. The turn came 4, and piling on the ignominy, the 4th K came on the river. With barely €30,000 left, Paravoliasakis took Ah 2h all-in on the next hand.

He found two callers in Benyamine, with T 3 offsuit, and Boubli with Ad 2d. After a flop of Qh 3h 3s, Benyamine had made his set, but 4th and 5th came blank-blank and Paravoliasakis went out in 3rd and won €134,000.

Benyamine, with a dominating €704,600 to €259,800 chip lead, found himself in the first head up hand with A 9 offsuit, facing Boubli’s €41,000 raise. Benyamine went all in. Boubli, holding As Qs, quickly called. He was rewarded with a dream flop of Kh Js Th, giving him the nut straight. With blanks on the turn and river, Boubli doubled up, taking the chip lead.

Boubli, on the button, limped on the next hand with A 2 offsuit. Benyamine, had A A, he set a trap, with a €25,000 raise. Boubli then pushed all-in! The board went K 8 2 J K, and Benyamine had doubled right back up.

Next, Benyamine found a nice Ah Td and raised a smallish €38,000. Boubli, with a pair of 8’s, went all-in again. Benyamine gulped, and called. The board then came Qd 2h 2d 3d Ad. Boubli took 2nd place worth €178,600, and David Benyamine took €357,200, 1st place and the coveted $25,000 entry fee into the WPT Championship.

- Thomas Hardy