David Benyamine

[The Baron]

My initial post was hoping to find out how Benyamine had become able to sit in the big game in Vegas with the best players in the world.  No one seems to know how this occured.

The argument over wether me calling him the best in Europe because he is playing in this game has been sidetracked because it seems like posters are ignoring the fact Benyamine is sitting in a game where 1 million swings are common in sessions. Tournament poker is way below the games these guys are playing. Put in context Joe Hachems victory could also be a months winning streak in this game.

This is specualtion but if there was only tournament poker most of the table would have upwards of 10 bracelets in lots of different disciplines. Ivey and Brunson have only played about 30 tournaments this year and their results are unbelievable. Who knows what Greenstien would have won if he had been a tournament player from the start?

Im suprised at how niave some of the replys have been really I thought it was almost taken for granted that the guys playing in this game were the best in the world because they were competing with the best with the most amount of money on the line.

I wouldn't call people's opinions of what makes a player the best in the world "naiive" - it's just their view. Personally I dont think cash games even remotely compare to tournaments as a measure of skill.

[wsopin07]

I dont play cash but that is the life blood of poker. I just dont enjoy them to much, its like WORK! It is way to hard to know who the best players are at anytime. Poker is very streaky and its real good when its good, real bad when its bad, just ask Gus H.

DC is not on the good right now(keeps cashing the bubble money / nothing), is he the best player in Europe, the standings say so? Just watch his heat from the 888.com and then tell me what you think!!!!!!!!!!!! One of the sickest beats I have evr watched in my life!!!!!!!!!!!

Rookie

[Balloo]

[/quote]

I wouldn't call people's opinions of what makes a player the best in the world "naiive" - it's just their view. Personally I dont think cash games even remotely compare to tournaments as a measure of skill.
[/quote]

You think it takes greater skill to be succesful in tournaments? Why?

[JP]

David Benyamine has been playing the 25/50 and 50/100 NL games on UB for a while now as 'MagicPitch'. Over a year since I first seen him on there and from what I gather is a big winner on there. Hope that helps Balloo.

[Harry Demetriou]

I have been in conversations w/ other players who know him, they have all had very positive things to say about him, he is considered top notch w/ other top pros.

100% correct

[Harry Demetriou]

There was also a recent rumour that he was relocating to England

Again True

[Harry Demetriou]

Now he is playing 4k8k with the best in the world. How did this happen? Has he been staked? Is he indpendantly hugely wealthy? Has he been crushing live games?

When going to Vegas WSOP time he jumped into the 300/600 and 400/800 game and said that when he got his bankroll up he would move to the 1k/2k game and then when he got to an even bigger bankroll he would go to the biggest game.

This he did and he then went on to win/lose/win/lose/win/lose etc etc in the 4k/8k game.

I will not disclose the exact details of how he did overall but I have no doubt whatsoever of his top class credentials as a world class poker player both in cash and tournament games.

I have sweated him a few times when he has been playing short handed in cash games against some other top class players and have personally seen him lay down huge hands that would have been impoossible for me and 99.99% of other players to do in games like stud and he's been proved right. He is light years ahead of me and most other players that I know in terms of ability and thinking about the game.

My prediction is that he is going to get even better because in recent months he has lost a lot of weight and trained for those long gruelling sessions that they tend to play in those big games in Vegas and know people who would queue up to back him if he ever needed backing.

[I KNOW IT]

I remember P Maxfield telling me about 2 years ago about D B. He said he was absolutely different class heads up. Total world class player.

Nice imput Harry, its good to have you regulary posting here on Blonde.Inviting us to your insights from across the pond.
Are you going to attend our xmas party?

[ACE2M]

Joe Hachem might be considered the best player in the world. He is the world champion after all and won an event that every other great player was in.

Joe Hachem is clearly not the best player in the world in most peoples book but he is the one with the title.

Simply it is impossible to quantify and decide on simply who is the best.

[Harry Demetriou]

At the Aviation Club in Paris this year I sat down and played in a short handed game with David and a few others.

Because I was sitting in and there were only 3 of us to start with they agreed to play Limit Holdem only. which I consider to be my best game. We were playing either 200/400 or 400/800 and they wanted to have a rotation but as I knew how good David was (he's a personal friend) I felt that I was already at a big disadvantage but whilst I would not object to adding Omaha hi/lo I didn't want the other games as I would be at a very big disadvantage..

Anyway I said I would help them get started and when more joined in I would drop out and let them play their rotation game.

I was neither lucky nor unlucky but proceeded to win a nice amount in this game in the few hours that we played which was mostly 3-5 handed prior to dinner.

However despite having a winning session I was under absolutely no illusions. I left the game for dinner feeling like I was playing with my cards face up. Not only that but David was calling out my and other opponents hands and regularly exposing top pair and good solid made hands before laying them down and making a statement to the effect that he KNEW he was beat. If you know Limit Holdem you will appreciate just how hard it is to fold a good solid made hands as you invariably are getting great pot odds to make a call and particularly when playing a very aggressive short handed game. Perhaps this just goes to show that a good deal of your profits come from saving of big bets as well as winning extra big bets.

I have never felt so inferior to anyone EVER when playing against them and know full well that if I play against the likes of David Benyamine then I am going to go broke very quickly.

[wsopin07]

At the Aviation Club in Paris this year I sat down and played in a short handed game with David and a few others.

Because I was sitting in and there were only 3 of us to start with they agreed to play Limit Holdem only. which I consider to be my best game. We were playing either 200/400 or 400/800 and they wanted to have a rotation but as I knew how good David was (he's a personal friend) I felt that I was already at a big disadvantage but whilst I would not object to adding Omaha hi/lo I didn't want the other games as I would be at a very big disadvantage..

Anyway I said I would help them get started and when more joined in I would drop out and let them play their rotation game.

I was neither lucky nor unlucky but proceeded to win a nice amount in this game in the few hours that we played which was mostly 3-5 handed prior to dinner.

However despite having a winning session I was under absolutely no illusions. I left the game for dinner feeling like I was playing with my cards face up. Not only that but David was calling out my and other opponents hands and regularly exposing top pair and good solid made hands before laying them down and making a statement to the effect that he KNEW he was beat. If you know Limit Holdem you will appreciate just how hard it is to fold a good solid made hands as you invariably are getting great pot odds to make a call and particularly when playing a very aggressive short handed game. Perhaps this just goes to show that a good deal of your profits come from saving of big bets as well as winning extra big bets.

I have never felt so inferior to anyone EVER when playing against them and know full well that if I play against the likes of David Benyamine then I am going to go broke very quickly.

I think we have an answer, Thanks Harry

[Balloo]

Thanks Harry for such a detailed response. This makes sense as I have heard through the poker grapevine that he has almost a perfect personality for poker; disciplined, competitive and totally unflappable. I hoped he had played his way into the big game and you confirmed it.

On a side note Harry this discussion went the way of "how can he be consideed the greatest etc" I wondered how highly you personally rank his rise through the limits into the big game and wether this makes him a candidate to be considered best in Europe?

thanks again


The Bear