Two WPT final table appearances
Being a professional comes naturally to Frenchman David Benyamine. And sometimes it lands him in trouble.
Before becoming a professional poker player, he was one of the top 10 billiards players in France and a professional tennis player. Due to severe back pain, he had to cut his tennis career short. But still, his years as a top pro meant he could take a nice, leisurely retirement.
Au contraire
His competitive streak brought him to the poker table. Having learned the game at the age of 12, David developed his poker skills for many years before deciding to move to the next level. At his first WSOP, David didn't make much of a splash at any of the daily tournaments, but the $4,000 he brought to play in late-night cash games turned into almost $300,000 by the time he was ready to go home.
His new career was picking up speed, but that's not to say there weren't some bumps in the road. In 2004, he stepped off a poker cruise in San Diego and was stopped by immigration agents. Because he was in the U.S. to work as a professional, he needed a different type of visa than the one he had. He was deported back to France, but not before spending several days in a California jail.
But that's all behind David. He prefers to looks to the future. And his future looks very green. He is known as one of the best high-stakes cash players in the world. Recently, he was one of the largest winners in the Big Game, a regular Las Vegas game that is legendary for having some of the highest stakes in the world.
David is no slouch at tournament play either - he's won more than $1 million and he's a WPT champion. This leaves some of his opponents wondering when his current visa is going to expire.
