The Final Three of the 2006 WPT

With three players left, Joe Bartholdi held $18 million in chips to Davidson Matthew's and Roland de Wolfe's $6 million each. Play was suspended for almost an hour as the crew replaced the mixing soundboard, which temporarily knocked out the microphones. After all, this was a TV event. During the break Bartholdi chatted with his parents and his large contingent of rooters.

When play resumed, de Wolfe's pocket sixes lost to Bartholdi's Hilton Sisters or pocket queens. Bartholdi flopped a set, but de Wolfe picked up a gutshot straight draw on the turn. The river didn't help and he finished third, winning $1,025, 205. With that cash, he joined the exclusive WPT Millionaires Club.

When play reached heads-up, Bartholdi had $21 million to Matthew's $8 million, but Matthew turned up the aggression and picked up two big pots by reraising Bartholdi all-in preflop. Bartholdi folded both times. After Matthew won an $8 million pot, he took over the lead, but he would not have it for long. Once Bartholdi regained the lead, he never looked back.

After 42 quick hands of heads-up play, Bartholdi won the championship with his second gutsy call of the final table. With a board of Ah-9c-8h, Matthew pushed all in with 10h-4h and a flush draw. Bartholdi went into the tank for a few minutes before he called with 9-5 offsuit. His second pair was good at the time, but Matthew still had outs. The turn was a blank, and the young pro's railbirds started cheering louder and louder. When the river showed a blank, Bartholdi's pair held up and the room erupted.

Matthew, a small-business owner from Toronto, Canada, turned $25 into $1,903, 950. Talk about a great investment! Bartholdi won $3,760,165 and a free seat into the 2007 WPT Championship. He took a few moments to hug his mother and talk to his friends before he posed for a winner's photo. He mentioned that he was going to buy a house, while members of his support group kept hinting at trips to the Caribbean.

Bartholdi had been paying his dues over the past few years both online and in live games around Vegas and California, and he finally hit big by taking down the largest prize in the history of the WPT. Only Greg Raymer (2004 WSOP champion), Steve Dannenmann (2005 WSOP runner-up) and Joe Hachem (2005 WSOP champion) have won more money in a single-tournament.

Time will tell if Bartholdi becomes one of the poker greats, but for right now, he's king of the world.