Raphael Duval Wins partypoker Grand Prix Canada
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The latest partypoker Grand Prix Canada champion is Raphael Duval. Duval prevailed over a total field size of 3,746 entries to claim the title at Playground Poker Club Monday evening. Duval banked a top prize of $200,000 CAD, a huge return on his investment of just $220 CAD.
Final Table Results:
| Place | Name | Country | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Raphael Duval | Canada | 200,000 CAD |
| 2 | Debra Ann Holman | Canada | 125,000 CAD |
| 3 | Brandon Aaron Kitchen | Canada | 84,000 CAD |
| 4 | Jeff Cuccurullo | Canada | 52,000 CAD |
| 5 | Sean Burstein | Canada | 38,000 CAD |
| 6 | Anatoly Zharnitsky | Canada | 28,000 CAD |
| 7 | Paul Scott | Canada | 21,000 CAD |
| 8 | Said Michailidis | Canada | 16,000 CAD |
Duval, who primarily is a cash game player, earns just his second live-recorded cash ever according to his Hendon Mob page. "My friend told me there was an overlay so I decided to do it [play] on Friday," Duval said about entering the event.
"Funny fact. My brother called me because I had a big game of deck hockey all around Quebec so I wasn't sure if I wanted to make Day 2." When asked about what he's currently doing in life, Duval stated, "I am a student (Finance). I don't have a job. My work is poker.
"I didn't have a coach but I have a lot of friends who are good in tournaments and I'm good in cash games so we help each other. Because I was chip leader I was very deep so I was able to play like it was a cash game. Thank you to all my supporters who were there. All my family were there. It was a big experience for me. I'm in a dream, I'm in a dream. Thank you."
Another big story heading into Day 3 was the two online qualifiers who were the only two players to make it through the online Day 2 played out on partypoker. The United Kingdom’s Nicholas Riseley was unable to make it to Playground to play so his stack blinded out into a 16th place score of $7,000.
The other qualifier, Canadian Jeff Cuccurullo, entered Day 3 second in chips and propelled himself into a final table appearance that not only banked him his tournament prize but also a $10,000 partypoker Caribbean Poker Party (CPP) package worth $10,000 as a Golden Chip holder.
There was also a last longer promotion available to any player who wore a Caribbean Poker Party patch throughout the event. In the end, it came down to Holman and Duval. With the win, Duval earned a bonus $1,000 ticket to an online $10,000 CPP package satellite.
Day 3 began with 27 players remaining and Duval sitting on top. Duval cruised through the early and mid-stages of the day easily accumulating a monster chip lead heading into the eight-handed final table.
Said Michailidis was the first member of the final table to depart. Michailidis picked up pocket nines but ran into the pocket aces of Jeff Cuccurullo. Paul Scott was eliminated soon after, moving all-in with pocket fours but unable to win a race against Brandon Aaron Kitchen's ace-ten.
Anatoly Zharnitsky also fell victim to a lost race, unable to hold with his pocket nines against Duval's ace-queen. Sean Burstein was the next to go, picking a bad time to move all-in with second pair while Duval had flopped top pair.
It had been mostly smooth sailing for Jeff Cuccurullo until his untimely demise at the hands of Duval. After sweating his Golden Chip $10,000 CPP package all the way to the final table, Cuccurullo found a great spot with pocket jacks, getting all-in against Duval's ace-four. Unfortunately, Duval flopped a gut shot and hit his straight on the river.
It seemed as though Duval just couldn't lose a hand all day. No matter which side of the race he was on, Duval had the edge. Kitchen was the next witness to feel Duval's heater. Kitchen put himself at risk preflop with ace-jack, looked up by Duval holding pocket fours. Kitchen flopped a gutshot but Duval flopped a set of fours and Kitchen was unable to find any help and his elimination set up a heads-up battle between Holman and Duval.
Duval began heads-up play with a six-to-one chip lead and dominated the play until Holman was down to just a few big blinds. Holman eventually got it in with ace-jack, ahead of Duval's king-eight. Holman even paird her ace on the turn but it gave Duval a flush draw which was completed on the river and Duval was crowned the latest Grand prix Canada Champion.