Scheduling the tournament so close to the start of the 2007 WSOP meant just 227 players turned up to play, with the crowds suffering as a result, and the usual seven-figure first prize stripped down to just $768,755.

In that respect the Championship’s were something of a let down, but try telling that to Shawn Buchanon.

The young Canadian enjoyed the best week of his poker career, ending Day One as the chip leader and never leaving the top five from that moment on. Even when all the momentum seemed to have shifted to the unstoppable Jared “Wacokid” Hamby Buchanon kept his head, and eventually brought the trophy home.

It was fitting that it was Hamby and Buchanon who made the final two, as they were probably the two best players throughout the tournament. Hamby started the heads-up battle with the chip lead, but Buchanon started chipping away from the off before he won a monster pot in a hand that probably decided the destination of the title.

In the tournament’s key hand Buchanon raised to $150,00 preflop, Jared Hamby re-raised to $350,000 and Buchanon called. The flop came Qs-9h-4h and Hamby fired out a $410,000 bet. Buchanon quickly called and Hamby fired $600,000 at the 9c on the turn; Buchanon called again. When the king of diamonds fell on the river Hamby gave up and checked, with Buchanon quickly checking behind.

“No pair”, said Hamby, accepting the pot was lost. Even so, he must have been somewhat surprised to see Buchanon tabole a solitary pair of pocket threes. Hamby had played conservatively for most of the heads-up thus far, but Buchanon had decided to look him up at precisely the time he went for a big bluff. Timing, as they say, is everything. In this case Buchanon’s was perfect.

A few hands later it was all over. Hamby moved all-in preflop for $865,000 and Buchanon looked down to a pair of threes once more. He gave the decision a good deal of thought, but eventually decided to make the call. The Wacokid tabled Kh-8h and it was a straight race. Fortunately for Buchanon the board blanked out and victory was his. Hamby, ever the gentleman, was nothing less than classy in taking the defeat, congratulating Buchanon immediately and with no sign of bitterness whatsoever. Congratulations to both of them; a fine display.

The final table payouts were as follows:

Shawn Buchanon - $768,755

Jared Hamby - $459,080

David Levi - $229,540

Thayer Rasmussen - $131,170

Davi Haddad - $98,375

Danny Wong - $76,515