The event #12 final table was a cinch for Arthur W.  He was hitting everything and could not seem to go wrong.  He eliminated most of the players on the final table, which is a good thing in a bounty tournament for sure. The heads-up action lasted only a few hands.  Both Andy d’Alessandro and Arthur were definitely not afraid to gamble.  Andy did manage to pick up a few hands, but it was not enough. Peeking at an acceptable hand, Andy made his move and Arthur did not hesitate long before calling. Andy: Arthur: Board: Andy got his straight, but unfortunately for him Arthur hit a flush and that put an end to it all.  The hand, the heads-up, the tournament, and, the MILLIONS North America Event were over. Congratulations to all the winners! Event #12 Champion: Arthur W, $4,254 Last Hand of Play: Second Place: Andy D’Alessandro, $3,230

The cards were in the air at 11:00am with players starting with a 30,000 chip stack playing on six-handed tables through 30 minute blind levels. There were single re-entries available until the close of late registration and with 114 total entries (including 11 re-entries), the $50,000 guaranteed prize pool was surpassed, creating an up top first place payout of $13,260. The action was aggressive and the lead changed many times throughout the day. First it was local regular Yannick Labattaglia who was in the lead, and then later on local Mehdi Badreddine, but neither of them made it into the money. Once the money bubble burst, the bustouts happened rapidly and soon the final table was formed. When the tournament was down to only five players, an ICM deal was reached as all players were quite evenly stacked save for one, local Mark Fitzpatrick, who was the only player close […]

After more than 11 hours of play, Marc Saddik is the Event #10 champion. In total, 214 players fired a bullet and got into the action.  As is customary with bounty tournaments, the action was intense, swift, and without reprieve.  Bounty chips were exchanging hands at an impressive rate.  Ranking among the most affordable of this event’s tournaments, many of the local players showed up to have some fun tonight. The final table was a swift and tidy affair.  No more than 15 or 20 minutes went by without one person leaving the table.  The chips changed owners very often and the balance of power shifted accordingly. The heads up match lasted only a few hands between Ayo Smith and Marc Saddik. After eliminating Mohammed Alamelhuda a few hands prior, Marc’s stack was huge. He had most of the chips on his side of the table and obviously did not […]

Tonight was Event #8, the $100 + $60 + 500 Big Bounty tournament, which proved to be a great success, attracting a total of 185 runners. The players started with 25,000 chips and played through 20 minute blind levels. The prize pool was made up of $100 of the buy-in, and there was a $500 bounty on each player that was knocked out. Players loved the format and the room was full of excitement all night long. There was enough money in the prize pool that players took the game seriously and played to win, but there is no question that when the opportunities presented themselves, the tables saw many all-in moments. It was common to arrive at a table to see three or four players all-in at the same time. Often the player who won the main pot would be short stacked and that allowed the player who won […]

Event #5 of the MILLIONS North America, the $500 + $50 8-Max, guaranteed a prize pool of at least $50,000 and attracted 138 runners. Offering players a starting stack of 30,000 in chips and 20-minute blind levels, this single-day event created a prize pool of $69,000. The chip lead changed hands many times throughout the day; by the time the final table was formed, a friendly spirit developed between the nine players who were battling for the top spot. One player, however, stood out from the rest thanks to his very colourful presence; Thomas Cemm of Mission, British Columbia, was in great spirits all day long. He came to Playground to have fun at the poker table, something that nobody could stop him from doing, that was for sure. He kept players laughing while carrying himself with a true happy-go-lucky spirit, all the while being a gentleman, which is always good for the game. The heads-up […]