Day 3 of the CAD $3,500 buy-in, CAD $1.5 million GTD World Poker Tour (WPT) Playground Championship had 53 gamers from the 840-entry subject return to motion, however by the top of the evening simply the ultimate desk of six remained with Baron Ha and his stack of 11,625,000 main the way in which.
One other participant returning is poker professional Michael Wang (lead picture), who has been touring the world not too long ago for poker and opted to make a pitstop at Playground on his method again house to Las Vegas.
“I am glad I got here. I used to be type of on the fence between coming right here and simply going house,” he admitted. It was a proud second for Wang, who has been enjoying the WPT for over a decade however has by no means made a remaining desk.
“Feeling like I bought somewhat little bit of a monkey off my again as a result of I have been enjoying WPT for like a bajillion years and I’ve by no means gotten to the ultimate six,” he shared. “I got here shut, I bought seventh and ninth, nevertheless it was a primary for me. Feeling like I already gained one thing despite the fact that I’m making an attempt to get somewhat bit extra. There’s nonetheless a variety of work to be performed.”
All of the remaining gamers are assured CAD $84,000 (US $60,464) in prize cash however after all, everyone seems to be aiming to etch their title on the Mike Sexton’s Champions Cup and declare the CAD $412,300 (US $296,779) prime prize, which additionally comes with a seat within the WPT World Championship.
WPT Playground Last Desk Chip Counts
Firstly of the day, all eyes had been on four-time WPT champ Darren Elias, who was searching for his record-extending fifth title. He confronted an uphill battle coming in short-stacked, and in the end his run led to thirty first place for $14,756.
Based on the stay updates, Elias fell in Degree 23 (20,000/40,000/40,000) when he raised to 200,000 from the cutoff and left himself a paltry 15,000 behind. Bradley Ellis then moved in from the large blind and Elias burned a while extensions earlier than calling off.
Darren Elias: Ok♣4♥Bradley Ellis: 8♠8♣
Elias was in want of some assist, primarily a king, however the one factor he bought on the two♣A♦Q♣ flop was backdoor straight and flush attracts. The 4♠ flip left him seeking to pair both of his complete playing cards on the river, nevertheless it didn’t occur because the J♠ peeled off.
Others to fall on Day 3 had been Salomon Benarroch (twelfth – $25,553), Adam Cader (fifteenth – $22,674), Dominic Lussier (twentieth – $17,276), Senthuran Vijayaratnam (twenty sixth – $14,756), Michael Khan (thirty fifth – $12,453), Zak VanKeuren (forty third – $10,365), and Duff Charette (forty eighth – $8,782).
For Vijayaratnam, it was the end result of back-to-back deep match runs. Days earlier he had completed fifth out of 1,587 entrants within the CAD $1,100 WPT Playground Prime Championship for US $46,253 and instantly jumped into CAD $5,300 WPT Prime Championship. He made it deep into Day 3 earlier than in the end shedding a flip with pocket fives to the ace-king of Ari Shin. Vijayaratnam completed twenty sixth out of 840 entries for $14,756.
The ultimate 9 gamers mixed right down to a single desk, however three of them wanted to go earlier than the official remaining desk. Connor Daynard, the 25-year-old electrician apprentice profiled by PokerNews right here, was the primary to go in ninth place for $28,433 after shedding ace-right to the king-queen of Baron Ha, after which Georgees Zero exited in eighth place for $35,991.
Within the remaining hand of the evening, which was Hand #63, Wang limped the small blind with king-queen and Antoine Sankari raised to 450,000 holding ace-jack. Wang moved all in, Sankari known as off for two.6 million, and a king spiked on the river to burst the ultimate desk bubble and ship Sankari out in seventh place for $46,788.
“I really do not assume he was gentle fairly often,” Wang instructed PokerNews concerning the hand. “So, I nearly simply flatted [the raise], however I feel it is only a adequate hand, and it is so fairly, so I jammed and a king on the river. It feels nice.
The ultimate desk will now go on hiatus for someday earlier than returning to play right down to a winner at 11 a.m. native time on Wednesday.
Right here’s a take a look at the remaining payouts:
WPT Playground Championship Payouts
PokerNews might be on-site on the WPT Playground providing content material all through, so remember to test again every day as we carry you updates and tales straight from the match flooring.
*Pictures courtesy World Poker Tour (WPT) / Alicia Skillman
PR & Media Supervisor
