David Benyamine overcame a tough final table at the PartyPoker Premier League IV, to take the title and $400,000 in prize money. The Frenchman defeated the young British player Luke “FullFlush” Schwartz heads up, despite being around 2:1 down in chips, in an epic battle which is sure to make for compelling viewing when it eventually hits the screens.
The in form Phil Laak, who had destroyed the PartyPoker Premier League heats, winning three of his four matches, was the first to fall. It was a classic coin flip scenario, Laak making a stand with a pair of tens and Benyamine racing with Ace King. The turn brought an Ace and that was the end of Laak.
Daniel Negreanu busted Roland de Woolfe in fifth place, to take control of the chip lead but he would soon become embroiled in a huge pot with Schwartz, both players getting all in preflop with pocket pairs. Schwartz had KK and Negreanu’s 77 had no help from the board. Benyamine finished the job to take the chip lead with three remaining.
Giovanni Safina got his money in ahead against Schwartz, but the youngster caught lucky to take a mammoth chip lead into the heads up duel. It was the end of a dream run for Safina, who had gained entry to the competition for just a €100 buy-in online and who was playing live poker for the first time in this competition.
A series of three big hands turned things for Benyamine. One was an open shove from Schwartz holding a suited King, which the Parisian called with a King and a better kicker. The second saw Benyamine turn a straight, trapping the Brit who had top pair with a draw to the wrong end of the straight, which hit on the river, prompting fireworks. Not stopping to draw breath, the third consecutive hand brought more action and ended the contest. Schwartz got it all in on the flop with top pair, but Benyamine had a dominating top pair and made the call.
Benyamine, who is predominantly a cash game player, said “It feels really good winning a title, I’m not used to it”. Schwartz said that he felt “really, really disappointed”, adding “I think I played the best this week and deserved to come first”.
Despite rarely appearing in tournaments, David Benyamine still has a World Poker Tour title (2003 Grand Prix de Paris) to his name, as well as a World Series of Poker bracelet, for the 2008 $10,000 Omaha High Low event. His total live earnings are a little under $4 million.
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