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The $200 + $20 Grand Prix Canada was the marquee event of the 2020 World Cup of Cards, featuring a $500,000 guaranteed prize pool. This epic event was presented in conjunction with partypoker LIVE and five online starting flights were presented on partypoker. Along with the 10 live Day 1s at Playground, this edition of the Grand Prix Canada collected 2,990 entries, which was more than enough to surpass the massive prize pool guarantee. 

In all, 410 players advanced stacks to Day 2 and reached the money. Day 2 was a frantic affair that took the qualifying players down to the final 16 in about 11 hours of play. 

Day 3 also got off to a fast start, with tournament lives at risk from the very first hand of play. The final table arrived quickly and put some high-level poker on display, as the finalists demonstrated great skill and determination. With major pay jumps from one spot to the next, the stakes were high. But everyone involved played their best poker when it mattered most. 

Eventually, it came down to a heads-up match between Prosper Azoulay and Alexandre Fournier. Azoulay had a chip lead of more than 2:1 over Fournier, and the two players agreed to an ICM chop of the remaining prize pool, which left an additional $14,000 for the eventual champion. The ICM numbers were as follows:

After play resumed, the heads-up match continued for quite some time. The final hand came about after Azoulay had lost a series of pots. He moved all in with in hopes of picking up the blinds and ante, which were now quite substantial, however, Fournier made the call with . The board ran out . Fournier took it down thanks to a pair of jacks that gave him an additional $14,000, the stunning Grand Prix Canada trophy and life-long bragging rights. Congratulations!

Grand Prix Canada Champion: Alexandre Fournier, $70,800

Second Place: Prosper Azoulay, $69,210

Last Hand of Play:

The Final Table:

The players asked the floor staff to pause the clock so that they could discuss a deal. Azoulay has a little more than a two to one chip lead over Fournier.

After looking at the numbers, they decided to make the deal and play on for an additional $14,000 for the event champion.

Here are the chip stacks and ICM chop amounts:

Jared McDonald started Day 3 with 34,700,000 chips and when the final table was formed, he was playing a stack of 29 big blinds. By the time play became four-handed, he was third in chips. As the blinds were impacting his stack, he moved all in with on a flop and was quickly called by Alexandre Fournier who had an overpair, . McDonald had running outs but the turn and river didn’t help him out and he finishes in third place.

Third place: Jared McDonald, $38,000

Valentino Pedicelli was the shortest stack of the four players when they had looked at the ICM numbers. He tried his best to spin it up and secure a higher payout but with less than five big blinds in front of him, he put his chips in with and was called by Alexandre Fournier who had . It looked really good for Pedicelli until the dealer flopped to make trip jacks for Fournier.  The turn and river were bricks for Pedicelli and he finishes in fourth place.

Fourth place: Valentino Pedicelli, $29,000

When play became four handed the players decided to look at the ICM numbers. Here are the chip counts:

After looking at the numbers and thinking it through, the players decided to continue playing.

Maxime Chartrand played a great game. He was second in chips when the final table started and it looked like he had the potential to go all the way. He was supported by a great rail that kept cheering him on with lots of positive vibes. He lost a few hands over the last level and decided to make a move shoving his stack under the gun with . Unfortunately for him the timing was off as Prosper Azoulay woke up with and made the call. The board ran out and Chartrand’s deep run came to an abrupt end. Azoulay is now the massive chip leader.

Fifth place: Maxime Chartrand, ($21,000)

Scott Shein played his A-game. He started on the final table as the shortest stack and secured double-ups along the way. As others were eliminated, he laddered up until finally the fateful hand came to be. The chips went in pre-flop when Shein picked up and Maxime Chartrand called with . The flop came giving Chartrand a set of eights.  As poker players all know, there is always a sweat as Shein was open-ended but the turn and river were of no help to him.

Sixth place: Scott Shein, $15,000

In what has been the largest pot so far on the final table, all the chips got in between Wafic Fala, Francis Dery and Maxime Chartrand. With Dery already all in with his short stack with , Chartrand shoved the flop for 29,000,000 which put Fala deep into the tank. After what seemed like close to two minutes, Fala made the call.

Chartrand:
Fala:

Chartrand flopped top-two and Fala made the call with a spade draw. The turn and river though were bricks for Fala who is now severely crippled while Chartrand pulls in a huge pot.

Fala ended up busting out a few hands later.

With a lot of pressure on the players nursing smaller stacks, the all ins keep happening. Valentino Pedicelli picked up and ripped it in, and Scott Shein made the call with and 15,600,000 in chips. Shein hit a king on a flop, and two pair on the turn. The river was just a formality and Shein’s stack keeps growing. He now has over 30,000,000.

The players have just returned from their first break of the evening. Play on the final table has been aggressive and although there are short stacks, they are in no rush to leave and they somehow keep finding badly needed double-ups. The blinds are getting high so the pressure is on!

Here are the updated chip counts:

Scott Shein loves the game and has had some nice online scores. Right now he is hoping for a big live score. Starting the final table with the smallest stack, he put in his 8-big blind stack with and was called by Alexandre Fournier who was way out in front with .

When the dealer fanned out the flop, Shein was heard saying “a club or a ten please”. When the dealer turned the , he then said “OK, that also works!”. The river completed the board and Shein is alive and kicking and looking to keep running it up.

Shein on you crazy diamond!

Paul Manoian started the final table as the second shortest stack. After a few orbits he was starting to blind down and when he looked at his hand and saw a suited ace, he pulled the trigger. Unfortunately for him, Wafic Fala woke up with a hand and made the call.

Manoian:
Fala:

The flop brought out the , making a set of jacks for Fala, and giving Manoian a gutshot straight draw. He was looking for a queen but the dealer peeled a on the turn and a on the river and Manoian is the first to leave the final table.

Ninth place: Paul Manoian, $5,500