Associated Press
Published on: 03/13/06 A 19-year-old freshman from the University of Georgia has won more than $1 million and the top spot in the European Poker Tour's Grand Final.
Jeff Williams of Dunwoody started play in third place Saturday, the final day of the tournament in Monte Carlo, Monaco, according to officials from the Web site PokerStars.com, which sponsored the event. The nearly 300-player tournament, which included 38 other Americans, began Wednesday.
Williams earned more than $1 million (900,000 Euros) for the victory.
On the final hand of the tournament, which came shortly before 5 p.m. EST, Williams put all of his chips at risk with an ace and a ten, dominating an ace and an eight held by second-place finisher Arshad Hussain of Great Britain, according to the website.
Neither player made a pair with any of the five shared "community cards" that followed.
Several hours earlier, Williams said he liked his chances — despite being so young he can't legally enter a casino in the United States.
"When you get down to it, everybody is dealt two cards, so I think I've got a good chance," Williams said Saturday morning by phone from Monte Carlo.
The teenager won entry to the 10,000-Euro ($11,914) tournament by winning a $40 online poker tournament last month on the Web site PokerStars.com. The smaller tournament granted him entry into a larger, $650 online poker tournament that allowed its top nine players to play in the EPT Grand Final.
Winning entry to the expensive tournament in such a manner is similar to the story of 2003 World Series of Poker main-event champion Chris Moneymaker, who qualified for that tournament's $10,000 buy-in fee through a $40 online tournament also on PokerStars.
"People are saying I'm the 'Chris Moneymaker' story right now," Williams said Saturday morning.
He outlasted three World Series of Poker world champions, including American Greg Raymer and last year's winner, Joseph Hachem of Australia. Marcel "The Flying Dutchman" Luske, the final table's most well-known professional player, was eliminated in seventh place.
Williams said playing live poker is very different than playing online because players can see each others' faces and how they handle poker chips.
Williams, who said he has not played many large-player tournaments, said the only thing keeping him from playing other tournaments in the future is his age — he must be 21 to play in U.S. casinos. In Europe, the legal age is 18.
"I'm still 19, I can't enter the World Series yet," he said.
Published on: 03/13/06 A 19-year-old freshman from the University of Georgia has won more than $1 million and the top spot in the European Poker Tour's Grand Final.
Jeff Williams of Dunwoody started play in third place Saturday, the final day of the tournament in Monte Carlo, Monaco, according to officials from the Web site PokerStars.com, which sponsored the event. The nearly 300-player tournament, which included 38 other Americans, began Wednesday.
Williams earned more than $1 million (900,000 Euros) for the victory.
On the final hand of the tournament, which came shortly before 5 p.m. EST, Williams put all of his chips at risk with an ace and a ten, dominating an ace and an eight held by second-place finisher Arshad Hussain of Great Britain, according to the website.
Neither player made a pair with any of the five shared "community cards" that followed.
Several hours earlier, Williams said he liked his chances — despite being so young he can't legally enter a casino in the United States.
"When you get down to it, everybody is dealt two cards, so I think I've got a good chance," Williams said Saturday morning by phone from Monte Carlo.
The teenager won entry to the 10,000-Euro ($11,914) tournament by winning a $40 online poker tournament last month on the Web site PokerStars.com. The smaller tournament granted him entry into a larger, $650 online poker tournament that allowed its top nine players to play in the EPT Grand Final.
Winning entry to the expensive tournament in such a manner is similar to the story of 2003 World Series of Poker main-event champion Chris Moneymaker, who qualified for that tournament's $10,000 buy-in fee through a $40 online tournament also on PokerStars.
"People are saying I'm the 'Chris Moneymaker' story right now," Williams said Saturday morning.
He outlasted three World Series of Poker world champions, including American Greg Raymer and last year's winner, Joseph Hachem of Australia. Marcel "The Flying Dutchman" Luske, the final table's most well-known professional player, was eliminated in seventh place.
Williams said playing live poker is very different than playing online because players can see each others' faces and how they handle poker chips.
Williams, who said he has not played many large-player tournaments, said the only thing keeping him from playing other tournaments in the future is his age — he must be 21 to play in U.S. casinos. In Europe, the legal age is 18.
"I'm still 19, I can't enter the World Series yet," he said.
