Duhamel more than a champion

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If you're the kind who keeps close tabs on poker world achievements, you know Jonathan Duhamel just put in a landmark, event-long performance at the PokerStars Caribbean Adventure. The young Canadian, removed 14 months from winning his world championship and only two months from his reign, won north of $1.2 million in less than two weeks. The results impressed all.

Granted, it's not the best week of his professional life, but it's not a bad second place.

"I was just more determined than I've ever been before," Duhamel said. "I felt like I needed some scores. I was on a cold streak for the previous few months, so I wanted to do well."

Duhamel had previously established himself as more than a one-hit wonder with a high roller victory at EPT Deauville in January 2011, but the 2012 PCA took him to another level. His performance there was the kind that garners attention regardless of a player's prior status, but the world champion label only augments the attention attracted. In an era accustomed to seeing world champions who transcend on ESPN broadcasts only to come back to earth afterward, Duhamel has withstood the rigors of fame (In December, for example, Duhamel was attacked and robbed in his home) and is already forcing us to examine whether his might be the most successful post-championship career in the poker-boom-and-later era.

Duhamel's two major tournament victories are as many as any champion in the last decade has mustered (see table below). His total winnings in the aftermath of the title rank third behind Joe Hachem and Greg Raymer, two players who have had many more years to pile up their numbers. Despite Raymer's longevity, Duhamel has almost caught the "Fossilman" in non-championship career winnings, while compiling more cashes than Jamie Gold and Jerry Yang despite their respective many-year head starts. In short, Duhamel's had a superstar-caliber career in the wake of his greatest accomplishment.

Chris Moneymaker is amongst those who have experienced those difficulties firsthand. While the hype has died some since the 2003-05 glory years, he knows what Duhamel has done is made more impressive by the crown. "It's still tough," he said. "You get a 15-minute break and that break is filled with interviews and photo requests … it's an added obstacle for champions to overcome. You [don't have time] play every day, so you can't get in the zone like you otherwise would."

Where Moneymaker wasn't able to make the time to play, Duhamel's obviously made it his top priority. He's been notorious in prioritizing his play over media engagements, and that's shown in the volume of his play. According to Duhamel's records, the 24-year-old has played 91 live tournaments since his championship victory. Additionally, he has played 385 online tournaments since the start of 2011 (at home in Canada, he's still able to play on PokerStars, his sponsor site). It's an amazing display of tenacity in a period of his life in which it would be difficult for most to muster the same.

Duhamel's background prior to his WSOP victory was in online play and cash games. Ironically, winning the biggest live tournament in the world forced him to set new goals: improve as a live player and a tournament player.

"I wanted to see how I could do on the circuit," Duhamel assessed. "I was a cash player and tournaments were a new challenge. That made me want to play. It was a new challenge for me. I didn't think the main event was an end, it was a beginning. It was amazing to win, but for me being good is defined by consistency. I didn't want to just play the biggest games online. I wanted to keep getting better. I think I'm 10 times better than when I won it. I just want to improve all the time."

[+] Enlarge

AP Photo/Isaac BrekkenJonathan Duhamel has earned $1.7 million since claiming the WSOP main event title in November 2010.

2009 world champion Joe Cada is amongst those who are impressed by what Duhamel is playing through. "There are people out there who, when they accomplish something big, they want to be the best in the world, to prove their success wasn't a fluke," said Cada, who won his first post-championship tournament at the 2012 PCA. "That's a step in the right direction. You can see that Jonathan has that mindset. He's putting his mind and all his time into it, traveling, playing tournaments and being a great player. Poker's a game of the least mistakes and he's doing a great job of putting in his time.

"After the main event, I had a different mindset. I wore myself out a bit, so I didn't play as many tournaments. I wasn't winning and couldn't blame it on variance. I didn't put in the time to weigh out the variance. Jon has and he's done it well."

He's done it for himself. Duhamel is obvious in his disregard when it comes to how others view him. He plays to improve as if to prove he can do so to himself, with his being the only opinion on his game that matters. In being asked whether the suggestion he might end up being the greatest champion of this era was a gratifying one, he was blunt. "I care zero percent," Duhamel spat. "[My fellow former champions] are all great. They all won the biggest tournament out there. Some were pros, some were amateurs, but I don't want to prove myself against other people, I want to play in a way that makes me proud of myself."

His results at PCA suggest he's done that and whether he cares, he may just be on the verge of leaving his fellow champions in his wake.

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Gary Wise

ESPN Poker Club

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Gary Wise has contributed to ESPN.com since 2007. He is well-studied in the history of poker and presents a unique tableside view of the goings-on in the poker community.