Event #9

Levesque in the Lead

Level: 5
Small Blind: 800
Big Blind: 1.6K
BB Ante: 1.6K
Chip Average: 131K
Remaining: 118
Entries: 154

January 23, 2020 | 2:23pm | Playground

New players and re-entries continue to fill in the ranks on Day 1C, as play is set to resume following the first break of the day.

Despite the large starting stacks, the players in this field that they were not shy about putting their tournament lives on the line in their pursuit of chips. Driven by 26 re-entries through the first four levels of play, the early levels were action-packed. Of course, some players benefited from these dynamics more than others, but none more than Jean-Francois Levesque. Levesque could do no wrong in the early stages, as he run up a stack over of 290 big blinds.

First Name	Last Name	Stack
Jean-Francois	Levesque	470,000
Kathy	Sawers	350,000
Olivier	Lamarre	309,000
Francois	Bergeron	269,500
Francisco	Cabrera	249,700
Michael	Boyle	230,000

Over 100 Entries and Counting…

Level: 2
Small Blind: 500
Big Blind: 1K
BB Ante: 1K
Chip Average: 107K
Remaining: 101
Entries: 108

January 23, 2020 | 12:51pm | Playground

As the timer wins down on the second level of play on Day 1C, there are 101 players involved. In all, this flight has collected 108 entries, including six re-entries. So far, this flight is shaping up much like yesterday’s Day 1, which also took in over 100 entries in the first level of play and wound up with a total of 196 entries.

Players will be taking advantage of the extended late registration and re-entry period, which is open until 5:30pm for Day 1C, so expect a massive amount of chips in play today.

Here is a look at some of the action from level 1:

It’s Time for Day 1C!

January 23, 2020 | 12:10pm | Playground

The Grand Prix Canada shifts into the next gear today with two more live starting flights and the final online starting flight. Day 1C kicked off at noon, Day 1D gets going at 5:00pm, and your last chance at an online starting flight on partypoker is this evening at 7:00pm.

So far, 100 players have advanced stacks to Day 2, and they will be joined by many more following this action-packed day. To see the combined Day 1 results, click here.

For all live starting flights, players will start with 100,000 in chips to play through as many 30-minute levels as needed to reduce the field to one in seven entries, at which point the money will be reached and the remaining players will advance to Day 2. Each live Day 1 will start 10-handed and move to 9-handed play as soon as possible.

The Grand Prix Canada is a re-entry event with unlimited re-entries permitted until the end of the late registration period at the beginning of level 11, which will arrive at 5:30pm on Day 1C. Players may enter additional Day 1s even if they have survived a previous Day 1 with chips. Players who qualify for Day 2 more than once resume play on Day 2 with their largest qualifying stack; all other qualifying stacks are forfeited. Players would, however, retain the associated cash prize for every forfeited stack.

Good luck to all!

Pengue bags the lead to take 26 more Day 1 qualifiers into Day 2

January 23, 2020January 27, 2020 | 3:16am | Playground

Day 1B of the $200 + $20 Grand Prix Canada attracted a total of 179 entries (including 53 re-entries). Play was action packed and stacks started to get built right from the start. Having unlimited re-entries allowed some of the players to take some chances and for a few of them, it paid off nicely.

There were two all in hands on two different tables when the tournament was on the bubble and the bustout hand happened when Alexandre Henry three-bet with and was taken all in by Adam Hussen who was holding . The board ran out and Henry exited just shy of bagging for Day 2.

Michele Pengue was on top of the leaderboard for most of the night and in the end he bagged the lead with an impressive 1,876,000 chips.

To see all of the combined day 1 results, click here

There are more Day 1 starting flights on Thursday, Friday and Saturday. To see the structure sheet and schedule, click here

Three millionaires at the final break

Level: 17
Small Blind: 10K
Big Blind: 20K
BB Ante: 20K
Chip Average: 526.4K
Remaining: 34
Entries: 179

January 23, 2020January 23, 2020 | 2:13am | Playground

There are only 34 players left in the room with the play ending once the field drops to the final 26.

The average stack is a little over 500K and three players are millionaires; Ryan Lashmar has taken the lead with 1,046,000 chips, followed by Mike Mellor with 1,015,000 chips and Michele Pengue with 1,011,000 chips.

Here are the leaders:

First Name	Last Name	Stack
Ryan	Lashmar	1,046,000
Mike	Mellor	1,015,000
Michele	Pengue	1,011,000
Alexandre	Bertrand	951,000
Bill	Kontoratos	908,000
Alexandre	Henry	842,000

The first millionaires

Level: 15
Small Blind: 6K
Big Blind: 12K
BB Ante: 12K
Chip Average: 447.5K
Remaining: 40
Entries: 179

January 23, 2020January 23, 2020 | 1:08am | Playground

With only 40 players remaining and play scheduled to end once the field drops to the final 26 players, there are now two millionaires in the room. Michele Pengue maintains the pole position with 1,250,000 chips, followed closely by Ryan Lashmar with 1,1050,000 chips. The next break is scheduled for 1:45am at which point there will be a new leaderboard posted.

Pengue takes the lead and moves away from the rest of the field

Level: 13
Small Blind: 303.4K
Big Blind: 4K
BB Ante: 8K
Chip Average: 8K
Remaining: 59
Entries: 179

January 23, 2020January 23, 2020 | 12:01am | Playground

The players have just had the third break of the night and with 59 still left in contention, the average stack is now just over 300,000. Michele Pengue has taken the lead with a stack of 859,000 chips, good for 172 big blinds.

These are the top stacks now in play:

First Name	Last Name	Stack
Michele	Pengue	859,000
Tae	Cha	709,000
Hugo	Dumoulin	626,000
Bill	Kontaratos	543,000

26 players will be in the money and bag for Day 2

Level: 11
Small Blind: 2K
Big Blind: 5K
BB Ante: 5K
Chip Average: 248.6K
Remaining: 72
Entries: 179

January 22, 2020 | 11:10pm | Playground

The late registration period has now closed and the total number of entries hit 179 (including 53 re-entries), with 72 players still fighting it out on the felt. The top 26 finishers will be in the money and will bag their chips for Day 2. Any player who bags more than one stack will play Day 2 with their largest stack and still receive a min-cash of $400 for each additional bag.

St-Francois Leads 28 Day 2 Qualifiers From Day 1A

January 22, 2020 | 10:05pm | Playground

Play has just ended on the first live starting flight of the Grand Prix Canada, Day 1A. This flight proved to be tremendously popular, taking in a total of 196 entries, which put over 19 million in chips in play.

The early levels were full of wild, loose action, as everyone in the field was looking to run up their stacks as quickly as possible. Thanks to the extended late registration and re-entry period, this dynamic kept up all the way until the late stages of play when the end of the flight came into sight.

Shortly after level 18 began, this flight was brought to an end without a delay thanks to back-to-back eliminations just before hand-for-hand play was set to begin. When the chips went in the bag, Michel St-Francois emerged as the chip leader with nearly 1.7 million in chips ready to go to Day 2. To see the combined Day 1 results, click here.

Lashmar takes the lead at the second break

Level: 9
Small Blind: 1.5K
Big Blind: 3.5K
BB Ante: 3.5K
Chip Average: 191.8K
Remaining: 86
Entries: 165

January 22, 2020January 22, 2020 | 9:55pm | Playground

The stacks have changed around and with an average stack just below 200,000 chips, Ryan Lashmar, coming off of a third place finish in Event #8 last night, has jumped out in front with a stack of 514,000 chips, equal to 147 big blinds.

Bar Brill, the chip leader from the first break ran into trouble and has recently busted out however the two other leaders, Bill Johnston and Olivier Monfet, are still grinding away. There is one more level remaining in the late registration period

Here are the top stacks in play at the start of level nine:

First Name	Last Name	Stack
Ryan	Lashmar	514,000
Driss	Aber	503,500
Ara	Asatoorian	501,500
Mark	K.	418,000
Graham	Thomson	391,500
Michael	Meo	385,000

Lajoie Takes the Lead

Level: 17
Small Blind: 10K
Big Blind: 20K
BB Ante: 20K
Chip Average: 576K
Remaining: 34
Entries: 196

January 22, 2020 | 9:04pm | Playground

After 16 levels of play, there are only 34 players remaining on Day 1A, and there is a new chip leader.

Alexandre Lajoie went from having a relatively small stack to the top of the leaderboard in less than two levels of play. The hot streak put him in great position to qualify for Day 2 with ease, as he now has over 76 big blinds in his possession, and the end of play for the day is only six eliminations away. Former chip leader Samuel Pouliot navigated a rough patch that put a dent in his stack and recovered to become one of only four players in this flight with a seven-figure stack.

First Name	Last Name	Stack
Alexandre	Lajoie	1,525,000
Yvon	Marceau	1,305,000
Amin	Mirshahi	1,235,000
Samuel	Pouliot	1,085,000
Richard	Chabot	910,000
Arnold	Yaxley	880,000
Marco	Sirois	860,000
Guillermo	Mendoza	775,000
Michel	St-Francois	790,000

94 of 157 players remain after seven levels of play

Level: 8
Small Blind: 1.5K
Big Blind: 3K
BB Ante: 3K
Chip Average: 172.5K
Remaining: 91
Entries: 157

January 22, 2020January 22, 2020 | 8:58pm | Playground

Play is now in level eight with 97 players still in contention out of the 157 entries (including 39 re-entries). Players can enter and re-enter right up until the start of level 11 at 10:30pm so there is still plenty of time to join the action. The starting stack is 100,000 chips and blinds in level 11 will be at 2,000/5,000.

The stacks have been shifting and with a break coming up shortly, we will produce a new leaderboard of the top stacks in play. Here are some of the players still alive and kicking in level eight: