After just nine hours of play, Jean Francois Daunais topped a field of 105 to claim the World Cup of Cards (WCC) Event #20: $110 NL Hold'em 8-max champion's trophy and a top prize of $2,090.
Originally paying just the top 11, once down to 12, the remaining players agreed to remove $40 from the top three prizes and pay the bubble $120. The final table got underway with the elimination of WCC leaderboard front-runner Joey Boczek in 10th.
1
Jean Francois Daunais
2,090
2
Mario Page
1,420
3
Tony Farcy
1,800
4
Matthew Bracanovic
1,625
5
Eric Lacombe
850
6
Karyn Gemmill
650
7
Marco De Pasquale
500
8
Peter Zelmer
380
9
Gilles Paige
290
Gilles Paige was the first casualty of the final table. Paige ran his pocket sixes into the pocket kings of Tony Farcy and couldn't spike any help on the board. Peter Zelmer departed in eighth when his ace-king could not connect to beat Karyn Gemmill's pocket sevens.
A short-stacked Marco De Pasquale got into a blind versus blind battle with Matthew Bracanovic that ended his hopes of the title. Bracanovic had pocket sevens and held to best the queen-ten of De Pasquale.
Daunais' move to the top occurred after he eliminated Gemmill in sixth. Daunais had open-shoved with king-jack of spades and hit a king to crack the pocket tens of Gemmill. After being crippled the hand before, Eric Lacombe found himself all-in on the small blind, unable to afford even half of it. Action folded around to Lacombe and he was up against Bracanovic in the big blind. Lacombe could only muster jack-six and Bracanovic won the pot with his king high.
Being a very shallow event, the final four decided to pause the clock to look at the numbers and agreed to a deal based on an ICM chop. Each locked up a slice of the prize pool and left $400 and the trophy to be played for.
Bracanovic was the first to fall after the deal was made, shoving deuces into Farcy's fives and not getting any help from the board. Heads-up play was set when Mario Page called an all-in preflop shove from Farcy with ace-six, ahead of Farcy's nine-ten. Page faded the board and his ace-high was good.
One heads-up began, Daunais and page played ping pong with the chip lead for five straight hands, Daunais was finally able to bust Page.
Daunais had Page all-in and at risk preflop. Daunais tabled and had Page's dominated. Daunais picked up an ace on the board and with that, captured the champion's trophy and the extra $400 on top.
After playing ping pong with the chip lead for five straight hands, Jean Daunais was finally able to bust Mario Page.
Daunais had Page all-in and at risk preflop. Daunais tabled and had Page's dominated. Daunais picked up an ace on the board and with that, captured the champion's trophy and the extra $400 on top.
Matthew Bracanovic open-shoved preflop with and was called Tony Farcy holding . The board ran out and Bracanovic was eliminated, though getting a boost from the deal.
A hand after being crippled by Jean Daunais, Eric Lacombe was all-in in the small blind, not even being able to afford it. Action folded around and Lacombe and he was up against Matthew Bracanovic in the big blind.
Bracanovic:
Lacombe:
Lacombe was in trouble and would take his leave getting no help from the board.
Marco De Pasquale opened to 35,000, Karyn Gemmill three-bet shoved for a little over 100,000, Peter Zelmer called all-in for less, and De Pasquale folded.
Gemmill:
Zelmer:
The board ran out , giving Gemmill a set of seves on the flop, good enought to take the pot, and send Zelmer home.