Canadian amateur upsets Vegas pros at poker championship

An amateur player, who blocked distractions out with sunglasses and headphones, beat a Vegas star to capture the 2009 Canadian Open Poker Championship in Calgary.

Benjamin LaBlond, 22, of Hull, Que. - whose only real experience is playing poker online - took home $100,000 in tax-free cash after winning the tournament at the Stampede Casino on Sunday. His next biggest previous win was $500, he said.

'I don't really know how to read people, but I just play the cards.' -Benjamin LaBlond, poker champion

LaBlond beat Jeff Madsen, the youngest ever winner of a World Series of Poker bracelet, from Santa Barbara, Calif. Madsen, 23, is a huge name in Las Vegas, having already amassed $2.3 million in winnings.

LaBlond hid himself behind sunglasses and headphones - which played hip-hop music - throughout much of the tournament.

"I don't really know how to read people, but I just play the cards," he explained.

The Quebecer attributed his success to practising poker online, playing heads-up - or one player at a time.

"I play pretty low stakes online - head-ups for anywhere from $30 to $200, so this is definitely a big win for me. I spent anywhere from five and 10 hours a day playing head-ups online, playing six tables at once," he told CBC News on Sunday.

Full house gave Quebecer the win

LaBlond also knocked off favourites Phil Hellmuth and Brad Booth on his way to the final.

At one point, LaBlond was down to almost nothing but managed to come back, going all in, blind, four times in a row.

In the final hand, LaBlond had pocket fours against Madsen's 10 and an ace. The flop gave LaBlond three fours, and the river sealed the win, completing a full-house fours over 10s, beating Madsen's triple 10s.

LaBlond said he plans on using his winnings to cover the entry fee for the annual World Series of Poker event in Las Vegas, where a buy-in costs $5,000. Madsen, who won $50,000 for placing second in Calgary, also plans to be there. With files from Falice Chin



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