Courtenay Williams

Courtenay Williams is a 45-year-old poker player based in Los Angeles, California. He works in the television industry and describes himself as a recreational player rather than a professional. Before his breakout win, Williams had accumulated $122,220 in live tournament earnings, built largely through regular participation in events around the Los Angeles area. He frequently plays at the Bicycle Casino and the Commerce Casino, and previously at the Hustler Casino in Commerce Park before it stopped running tournaments. When working, he fits in a few multi-day events that rotate around his schedule.

The defining moment of Williams' career came in June 2025 at the World Series of Poker in Las Vegas. He entered Event #19: $500 Colossus, a massive tournament that drew 16,301 entries over four days of registration, creating a prize pool of $6,644,102. The top 2,326 players cashed, but Williams outlasted them all to claim his first WSOP bracelet and a career-best score of $542,540.

Williams began the final table in eighth place out of nine players. Early in the final table, he was all in with the worst hand against eventual runner-up Ramaswamy Pyloore, but managed to get a fold, which propelled him up the counts. He later reflected on that hand: "I found out about that hand at the first break. I think I talked him into a fold, which played into some other stuff later. When we got heads up, it played to my advantage because I think he thought I was going to be bluffing a lot."

When asked whether the money or the bracelet meant more, Williams said, "I honestly don't know which means more. I think the bracelet is really cool, the money is really cool, at this moment they are both equal."

The final table of the 2025 Colossus featured several notable players. The complete results were:

Williams' approach to poker is characterized by a relaxed, unbothered attitude. He admitted that he doesn't pay much attention to the Hendon Mob database or player rankings: "I don't really get caught in the Hendon Mob mob stuff. It is what it is. I think not knowing who anyone was also really helped me out, because I can just play and not be intimidated by anyone." This mindset allowed him to make bold decisions at the final table, including the key fold he induced from Pyloore.

His tournament strategy is selective; he rarely plays the full WSOP schedule, preferring smaller local events. He noted, "I'm usually off for a few months a year. I'll come here for a week, but I barely fire in the WSOP. I usually fire the smaller stuff around the city."

Williams' victory in the Colossus was his first WSOP bracelet and his first cash in a WSOP event, despite years of playing tournaments. The win more than quadrupled his lifetime earnings, bringing his total to over $660,000. He acknowledged the financial relief the win provided, especially given the recent downturn in the television industry: "It's a great start to the summer and to the year. I'm not working at the moment and while I do have money, this is going to make it easier to not be so stressed."

Williams' story is a testament to the value of persistence and a level-headed approach in poker. Even though he almost skipped the final flight after busting twice, his friends convinced him to play, and he turned a $500 buy-in into a six-figure payday and a coveted WSOP bracelet.