WSOP-C Playground Breaks Entries Records, Awards Seven Rings
The WSOP International Circuit kicked off its 2018-2019 season at the ever-popular Playground Poker Club in Canada from Aug. 23 – Sept. 3, in partnership with partypoker LIVE, and drew some record-breaking numbers. The series wrapped up on Monday, when the final four rings of seven were awarded.
The $4,992,493 in prize money paid out exceeded the $4 million that was guaranteed, with the help of 8,169 total entries tallied across all events. Each of the seven ring events hit their guarantees, the highlights being the $1 million guaranteed $330 buy-in Colossus and the $2 million guaranteed $1,100 Main Event.
The record single-flight entries record at Playground was broken not once, but twice, during the series, starting with 712 entries recorded for the opening Colossus Day 1G. Just five days later, Main Event Day 1D attracted 1,016 entries to eclipse the previous recently set record. The 2,401 Main Event entries also broke the WSOP Circuit’s all-time record for total Main Event entries. See below for a look at the ring winners of the series, as well as the numbers for each event.
WSOP-C Playground Event Winners and Information
| Event & Buy-in | Entries | Prize Pool | In the Money | Winner | Top Payout in CAD (USD) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Event #1: C$330 Colossus | 3,503 | $1,019,373 | 351 | Jason Mandanici-Turcot | C$125,130 ($95,241) |
| Event #2: C$1,100 Main Event | 2,401 | $2,328,970 | 287 | Danny Freitas | C$294,930 ($224,481) |
| Event #3: C$660 Monster Stack | 454 | $264,228 | 55 | Dallis Kerbrat | C$38,650 ($29,417) |
| Event #4: C$5,300 Super High Roller | 75 | $363,750 | 9 | Marc-Olivier Carpentier-Perrault | C$100,000 ($76,114) |
| Event #5: The Closer - C$330 | 1,262 | $367,242 | 151 | Robert Cheung | C$45,500 ($34,632) |
| Event #6: C$2,200 High Roller | 288 | $558,720 | 39 | Raymond Latinsky | C$78,000 ($59,369) |
| Event #7: C$550 Pot-Limit Omaha | 153 | $90,210 | 23 | Gino Roland Frenette | C$20,000 ($15,223) |
C$1,1000 Main Event Highlights
The record-breaking Main Event attracted 2,401 entries across four online Day 1s and nine live starting flights. A total of 287 players got paid, and the final two made an ICM deal before playing it out for C$50,000 and the ring.
Danny Freitas of Wasaga Beach, Ontario came out with the victory to collect a payout of C$294,930, while Maxime Boulais took runner-up honors and C$210,070. It was a breakthrough series for Freitas, who not only shipped the Main Event for six-figures, but also took sixth in the Colossus for C$22,000.
More Ring Winners
Also collecting six-figure scores were the winners of the Collosus and the Super High Roller. Jason Mandanici-Turcot, a local pro and Playground regular in cash and tournaments, outlasted a massive field of 3,503 in Event #1: The Colossus to pocket C$125,130. Another local, Marc-Olivier Carpentier-Perrault, emerged victorious in Event #4: Super High Roller to collect an even C$100,000.
Other ring winners during the series included Circuit regular and 2007 bracelet winner Robert Cheung, who won his second Circuit ring in Event #5: The Closer for a payday of C$45,500. Dallis Kerbrat from British Columbia claimed his first major victory in Event #3: Monster Stack at the age of 19, cashing for C$38,650.
Raymond Latinsky of Thornhill, Ontario bested a field of 288 entries in Event #6: High Roller after battling for over 20 hours on Day 2. His win was worth C$78,000 with the event doubling its guarantee. The final event of the series, Event #7: Pot Limit Omaha, also proved popular, drawing 186 entries to nearly double the guaranteed prize pool. Gino Roland Frenette from New Brunswick outlasted the field after 17 hours of play to claim the C$20,000 first-place prize.
While the season-opening series at Playground Poker Club is a wrap, the WSOP International Circuit has moved on to Rotterdam, South Holland. You can follow the live updates for the Main Event right here at PokerNews.
Lead image and tournament information courtesy of Playground Poker Club.
