Playground Poker Spring Classic: Nick Nickoletopoulos Wins Final Event
The 2017 Playground Poker Spring Classic presented by partypoker LIVE has come to an end, crowning the final champion early Thursday morning.
Event #9: $330 NL Hold’em Bounty kicked off at 7 p.m. Wednesday, gathering a field of 222 players. At just past 6 a.m., Nick Nickoletopoulos eliminated his final opponent to claim the title and a prize of CA$6,998.
The win marks Nickoletopoulos’ eighth career live-recorded tournament cash according to The Hendon Mob, all of which have come at Playground Poker Club. It is, however, not his largest, as Nickoletopoulos placed fifth in a 2012 $2,100 Deepstack event for CA$12,000.
| Place | Name | Prize (CAD) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nick Nickoletopoulos | $6,998 |
| 2 | Sébastien Drolet-Poitras | $7,205 |
| 3 | David Beaulieu | $5,571 |
| 4 | Christian Rho | $4,302 |
| 5 | Arthur W | $5,162 |
| 6 | Pierre-André Prévost | $2,240 |
| 7 | Sébastien Khoury | $1,670 |
| 8 | Sergio Iannetti | $1,250 |
| 9 | Qiang Dong | $930 |
| 10 | Robert Amireault | $700 |
Just 23 players earned a visit to the payout desk. Once again, Bill Kontaratos picked up a cash to add to his all-time leading record in Playground events; the seasoned veteran earned a 17th place score of $550. Recent Event #7 champ, Mitchael Ferguson also tried to make another deep run, fizzling out in 16th but also making $550.
The final table was set when 10 players remained. Robert Amireault and Qiang Dong were quickly relieved of their chips. In a span of four hands, Sergio Iannetti, Sébastien Khoury and Pierre-André Prévost were sent packing, enticing the final five to pause the clock and look at the numbers.
ICM numbers were provided and all five players agreed without any negotiation, leaving $850 and the trophy to play for. Arthur W was the first to bust as Playground dealer, Sébastien Drolet-Poitras, continued to pile up chips. Christian Rho fell in fourth, starting a great battle between the final three.
Drolet-Poitras, Nickoletopoulos and David Beaulieu fought for the better part of an hour, trading the chip lead and doubling up when all in. The ice finally cracked underneath Beaulieu and his run ended in third.
Only three hands into heads-up play, Nickoletopoulos caught a three-outer on the river to best Drolet-Poitras and claim the extra $850, the title, and the champion’s trophy.
That wraps up PokerNews’ coverage of the 2017 Playground Poker Spring Classic presented by partypoker LIVE.
Image courtesy of Playground Poker Club
