WSOP 2010 Champion Jonathan Duhamel Joins PokerStars
PokerStars made exceptionally bold headlines recently when the world’s largest online poker room signed the likes of Viktor “Isildur1” Blom in December of 2010, but the poker room didn’t stop there. 2011 is a brand new year, and with it comes additional Team PokerStars Pros, including the most recent signing of Jonathan Duhamel.
For anyone who has been buried under a rock for the last few months, Jonathan Duhamel is the 2010 World Series of Poker Champion, having outrun more than 6,000 competitors in the last WSOP Main Event. PokerStars has just announced that Duhamel has signed on with the poker site to be the latest face of Team PokerStars Pros.
Duhamel joins one of the most impressive pro poker player line-ups in the world, consisting of more WSOP champions than any other online poker site. In fact, PokerStars has successfulyl acquired the endorsement of the last three consecutive WSOP Champions; Peter Eastgate (2008 WSOP Champion), Joe Cada (2009 WSOP Champion) and Jonathan Duhamel (2010 WSOP Champion). Other WSOP extraordinaires at PokerStars include Joe Hachem (2005 WSOP Champion), Greg Raymer (2004 WSOP Champion) and Chris Moneymaker (2003 WSOP Champion).
Jonathan was never really a spotlight poker player before attaining his ultimate victory in Las Vegas last November, but the young pro did make a final table appearance at the 2008 EPT Prague event, as well as finishing 15th in a WSOP preliminary event for $2,500. He also grabbed a little attention early on when ousting Matt Affleck with a bad beat that turned Duhamel’s way.
Duhamel was asked how he felt about becoming an official member of the Team PokerStars Pros, to which he replied that he is extremely excited about receiving a sponsorship to participate in the biggest live poker tournaments around the world, and that he hopes to bring home another big score in the near future.
Duhamel recently busted out of the PokerStars Caribbean Adventure with a 42nd place finish, but the Crown Aussie Million striking up in Melbourne will give him something more to look forward to as the new year has just gotten underway.
Pro endorsements have always been a big deal for major online poker rooms, and Full Tilt Poker had the market cornered for several years running over the last decade. Being the world’s largest online poker site, it’s no surprise that PokerStars has put a lot more emphasis on its pro team, taking the time to scoop up the best of the best to endorse its elite online poker room.