Event #9: $1,700 Main Event
Day 3 Completed
2024 WSOP-C Playground
Event #9: $1,700 Main Event
Day: 3
Event Info
Final Results
Event Info
Level Info
Players Info - Day 3
2024 WSOP-C Playground
Buy-in
1,700 CAD
Prize Pool
1,500,000 CAD
Entries
1,503
Level
35
Blinds
250,000 / 500,000
Ante
500,000
Entries
20
Players Left
1
Level 35
: Blinds 250,000/500,000, 500,000 ante
The World Series of Poker Playground Main Event has come to an end after an exciting five days of in a bustling poker room full of action. The huge field of 1,503 was conquered by James Pillon after about 9 hours of action on the final day.
"I finally won one of these" said Pillon afterwards. "I play here a lot and have been close a lot of times, if I lost this one I don't now what I would have done."
And indeed Pillon's poker resume is full of final tables, eleven in total, but no first place finishes until today with his closest call coming in January with a second place finish here at Playground in a high roller event. With results dating back to 2018, Pillon says that he plays quite a bit, mainly in Canada with some trips to Vegas and Florida thrown on occasion as well.
Pillon entered the day as chip leader and he was asked if he had any strategy going into the day.
"I just didn't want to give away any chips. Just play steady and smart. That's pretty much it." Which he did for the most part, as he stayed among the big stacks throughout the day and despite a few surges from other players to take the chip lead at different points, Pillon was always still there in striking distance, never dropping too far behind.
This first place prize of $333,240 beats his previous best cash by more than four times ($75,000) which he enjoyed celebrating after the win with a few people on his rail.
It was truly a day of firsts for Pillon. Beyond winning the ring, he also got what he said was his first career royal flush early in the day.
Final Table Results
| Place | Player | Hometown | Prize Money |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | James Pillon | Windsor, ON | $333,240 |
| 2 | Lucas Constable | Peterborough, ON | $266,580 |
| 3 | Jishant Sapra | Scarborough, ON | $170,000 |
| 4 | Di Zhang | North York, ON | $125,000 |
| 5 | Arnaud Bonhomme-Lemieux | Quebec, QC | $95,000 |
| 6 | George Caragiorgas | Sainte-Dorothe, QC | $75,000 |
| 7 | Fabrizio Bruno | Lacal, QC | $60,000 |
| 8 | George Lagos | Stouffville, ON | $45,000 |
| 9 | Tommy Nguyen | Mississauga, ON | $31,000 |
Action of the Day
The final day began with 20 players left and steadily went down to the final table, which was reached after about three hours. From there Tommy Nguyen and George Lagos were the first two to depart.
Fabrizio Bruno was next to go in seventh after he had taken the chip lead in the early part of the day. George Caragiorgas followed him as he was able to ride a short stack most of the day to a nice ladder up to sixth place.
Arnaud Bonhomme-Lemieux made headlines early in the day after he won a bombastic three-way all in with aces over queens and jacks to take a big chip lead at that point. He remained among the top stacks in the final table until things got short-haded where he began to lose some pots and eventually lose a chunky one to be cut down to a short stack.
Di Zhang was eliminated in fourth place as he was able to recover from that big three-way all in. He lost that battle but won the war as he actually ended of besting Bonhomme-Lemieux's finish by one spot.
Jishant Sapra became a force at the final table and took a big chip lead at one point after winning some big pots. But during four-handed play, fortune would turn on him as he lost two straight key all ins, both to Lucas Constable which knocked Sapra down to the short stack of three-handed play where he would eventually bow out.
Heads-up play began between Pillon and Constable with Pillon holding a slight chip lead. Constable took control quickly though as he won most of the hands to take the lead. He had a lead as large as 41 million chips to 19 million before he made an incorrect call with ace-high to give Pillon the lead back. Pillon capitalized from there by taking the title the very next hand with top two pair when Constable's combo draw missed.
That wraps things up for the PokerNews coverage in the Playground Main Event. Stay tuned for more action in Quebec as the circuit stop finishes up tonight with the high roller.
Level 35
: Blinds 250,000/500,000, 500,000 ante
Full recap to come shortly.
Level 35
: Blinds 250,000/500,000, 500,000 ante
James Pillon opened from the small blind, Lucas Constable called.
The flop came 9♦7♥3♠. Pillon bet, Constable called. The turn was the Q♦. Pillon bet, Constable jammed all in and Pillon snap-called.
Lucas Constable: 8♦6♦ 
James Pillon: Q♥9♣
Pillon had top two pair while Constable had the combo draw. The river was the 9♥ to fill Pillon up and give him the title.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
60,120,000
24,120,000
|
24,120,000 |
|
Busted |
Level 35
: Blinds 250,000/500,000, 500,000 ante
Lucas Constable had opened up a lead after a string of small hands in a row. He raised to 1,250,000 from the small blind. James Pillon called in the big blind.
The flop came 2♣4♥9♠. Constable fired 2,000,000 and was called.
The turn was the 8♣. Constable bet 3,500,000. Pillon jammed all in for 14,150,000. Constable took a moment and called.
James Pillon: 9♣2♥
Lucas Constable: A♥5♣
Constable had ace high and was drawing only to a wheel but the river was the 4♠ to give Pillon a big double.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
36,000,000
10,000,000
|
10,000,000 |
|
|
25,100,000
-10,000,000
|
-10,000,000 |
Level 35
: Blinds 250,000/500,000, 500,000 ante
The flop showed 8♦7♥9♦. In the small blind, Lucas Constable called the bet of 2,000,000 from James Pillon.
The turn was the 3♣. Constable called another bet, this time for 3,000,000.
The river was the 3♦. Constable slid out 10,000,0000 after a check which got an instant fold from Pillon.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
35,100,000
4,000,000
|
4,000,000 |
|
|
26,000,000
-3,000,000
|
-3,000,000 |
Level 35
: Blinds 250,000/500,000, 500,000 ante
Hand #1: Walk for James Pillon
Hand #2: Pillon made it 1,100,000 from the small blind, Lucas Constable called. The flop came 4♣K♥6♠. Pillon bet 1,100,000 and Constable called. The turn was the 8♣. It went check-check. The river came the J♣. Constable fired 2,600,000 and Pillon folded.
Hand #3: Constable made it 1,250,000 preflop and Pillon defended. The flop came 5♠J♦10♣. Pillon bet 1,250,000 and Constable called. The turn was the K♠. Pillon bet 2,800,000. Constable raised to 7,500,000 which got a quick fold.
Hand #4: Constable folded to Pillon's preflop raise.
Hand #5: Constable raised to 1,250,000. Pillon called. The flop came 8♦9♦4♦. Pillon bet 1,500,000 and Constable folded.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
31,100,000
3,400,000
|
3,400,000 |
|
|
29,000,000
-3,370,000
|
-3,370,000 |
Level 35
: Blinds 250,000/500,000, 500,000 ante
The two players have made a heads up deal. James Pillon is guaranteed at least $273,420 while Lucas Constable is guaranteed $266,580.
They will play for $60,000, the circuit ring and the spot on the tournament of champions.
Level 35
: Blinds 250,000/500,000, 500,000 ante
The two heads up players have taken a brief break before heads up play starts.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
32,370,000 | |
|
|
27,700,000
1,500,000
|
1,500,000 |
Level 35
: Blinds 250,000/500,000, 500,000 ante
Jishant Sapra moved all in from the button for 1,925,000. James Pillon called in the small blind and the big blind folded.
Jishant Sapra: J♦3♦
James Pillon: 9♠9♥
The flop came 7♦K♥10♠. The turn was the 5♥ and the river came the 8♦ as the last card of Sapra's tournament.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
32,370,000
-630,000
|
-630,000 |
|
Busted |