Eric Weber's journey from kitchen table poker games to winning a WSOP gold bracelet

Eric Weber won the $600 Super Deepstack event, which attracted 8,007 entries, earning his first WSOP gold bracelet and $400,000 in prize money.

After seven hours of intense competition, the #86:$600 Super Deepstack No-Limit Hold'em tournament concluded successfully in Horseshoe and Paris Las Vegas, with one final player emerging victorious. Eric Weber of the United States triumphed over a massive field of 8,007 participants, winning his first World Series of Poker (WSOP) gold bracelet and the $400,000 first-place prize, the largest sum of his poker career.

The tournament's total prize pool reached $4,035,528. Weber defeated Henry Benamram of France after a nearly three-level heads-up battle. Benamram finished as runner-up, earning $260,000, which was also the biggest prize of his career, while Mikko Torkki of Finland finished third, earning $193,000.

Final table results

Final Day Results

Sixteen players returned to the final day, but the official final table was quickly formed.

Weber started the day with sixth place in chips, and there was still a lot of work to be done. However, ever since he heard Chris Moneymaker's legendary winning story when he was 17, he had been used to climbing higher and higher.

"I grew up playing cards with my father and uncles around the kitchen table. When Moneymaker won the Main Event, I fell in love with the game. I come to Las Vegas twice a year to play in every World Series tournament, mainly playing daily tournaments and honing my skills, hoping to one day play in bigger events."

One of Weber's biggest obstacles that day was Sriharsha Doddapaneni from India, who got off to a fast start and quickly built one of the largest chip stacks in the tournament.

Doddapaneni's rise began when he hit trips on the flop with pocket eights, eliminating Japan's Kazuto Takeuchi's AK and finishing in 16th place. Shortly after, he beat his compatriot Amit Kaushik's QJ with KJ, sending Kaushik out in 14th place.

Between these eliminations, Weber attacked Doddapaneni's growing stack, going all-in with pocket 7s and securing a crucial double-up. This early boost gave Weber the ammunition he needed in the increasingly tough tournament.

Weber later admitted that Doddapaneni was his most feared opponent. "I know he plays in a lot of big tournaments and has a lot of winnings." When the unofficial final table was formed, Doddapaneni controlled about a quarter of the chips and continued to apply pressure.

Weber chose the perfect moment to fight back—Doddapaneni went all-in from the button, and Weber called with AK from the big blind. His big slick beat Doddapaneni's QJ, winning Weber another crucial double-up.

The turning point between the two came shortly after Doddapaneni lost a big pot to eventual runner-up Benamram.

"In the hand against the runner-up, he lost a big pot. The next hand I had pocket kings and tried to make it look like a bluff. I knew he was a bit tilted, so he had a chance to make a mistake."

After Weber 3-bet, Doddapaneni responded all-in with A-8, unaware that he was facing Weber's pocket kings. This cold hand gave Weber a huge double-up, propelling him to the chip lead.

After that blow, Doddapaneni's tournament life was in jeopardy, and he ultimately finished in fourth place.

Meanwhile, Benamram was also accumulating his chip stack. The Frenchman eliminated Daniel Biddle in 12th place, Glenn Thompson in 7th, Michael Helander in 5th, and Mikko Torkki in 3rd. By carefully choosing his timing, Benamram completed the most eliminations at the final table, which propelled his journey deeper and ultimately led him to the final two – initially holding a chip lead until Weber caught up.

Therefore, when heads-up play began, Weber and Benamram were almost evenly matched in chips, and the outcome of the tournament was completely open.

One-on-one duel

This match proved to be a test. Unlike his previous in-depth explorations, Weber entered this day with a different mindset.

"In the past, I would feel frustrated and feel like I needed to win. This time, if I lose a hand, I'll just move on to the next one."

This approach worked in his favor during the match. "After a while, I could tell my opponent was getting tired and exhausted, so I was just waiting for him to make a mistake."

The battle lasted for nearly three levels, with many pots ending before the turn. Weber's timely aggression gradually turned the tide, although Benamram continued to fight back and repeatedly caught up in chips, including in the penultimate level.

Ultimately, the mistake Weber had been waiting for occurred.

After enduring constant pressure throughout the game, Benamram went all-in with J-9, only to run into Weber's pocket kings. With no help from the board, Weber's kings held, securing the championship.

Reflecting on his victory, Weber laughed and revealed that he almost missed it all.

"I was supposed to go home this morning, but we made it to the final day. I had to change my flight and book another room. Aside from the money, winning a gold bracelet is every poker player's dream. So it doesn't matter whether it's the Main Event or this event. A gold bracelet is a gold bracelet. Thousands of people come here every year, so it means a lot."

As for the celebration? "I'll definitely go out for dinner and a few drinks. After that, I don't know. My flight is early tomorrow morning."

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