One peak at Micheal Wang’s Hendon Mob profile, and it’s straightforward to see that the Las Vegas professional is to not be trifled with on the poker desk. Since 2009, Wang has wracked-up dozens of victories, two World Sequence of Poker bracelets, two WSOP Circuit rings, and two PokerGO Tour high-roller titles.
Now he will get so as to add a World Poker Tour title to his trophy case after he took down the WPT Playground Championship for CAD $412,300 final week. That quantity features a $10,400 entry into the WPT World Championship at Wynn Las Vegas in December. It wasn’t solely his first win at a WPT occasion, however the first time he made a closing desk in a single.
“Proper now, it nonetheless feels a bit surreal. I’m certain it is going to hit me a bit extra after I go dwelling or take it in a bit extra,” Wang advised the WPT after his victory. “I’ve been coming to WPTs for thus a few years and haven’t had a closing desk, so it means the world to me. I can’t imagine it occurred.”
The CAD $3,500 WPT Playground Championship attracted a subject of 840 entrants by means of three beginning flights who constructed a prize pool of CAD $2,688,000 (US $1,934,857). The highest 105 made the cash.
After Baron Ma (CAD $196,000), Jordan Grant (CAD $146,000), Zachary Fischer (CAD $111,000), and Amirpasha Emami (CAD $84,000) have been knocked out, Wang and Santiago Plante agreed to an ICM deal that allowed them to play for the title and the entry into the WPT World Championship.
The winner additionally would get their identify on the Mike Sexton Memorial Cup.
“Thanks to Playground and the great participant base that made for one more spectacular competition in Montreal,” mentioned WPT CEO Adam Pliska. “Congratulations to Michael for cementing his identify within the WPT Champions Membership, and good luck to him at Wynn in December.”
Different notable gamers who cashed within the WPT Playground Championship have been four-time WPT Champion Darren Elias (thirty first), Dan Stavila (76th), and WPT World Ambassador Patrick “Egption” Tardif (one hundred and first).
“We’re extremely grateful and thrilled to see the WPT and Playground collaboration ship yet one more distinctive collection this 12 months,” mentioned Ryan Bevens, VP of Gaming Operations at Playground. “This partnership continues to develop stronger, and we eagerly anticipate constructing on this success collectively in 2025.”
Bevens isn’t simply blowing smoke — the fields have been swollen. The CAD $590 WPT 500 Playground occasion attracted 1,598 whole entries. Travis Macmillan was the winner for CAD $100,860. And the $1,150 CAD WPT Prime Playground attracted 1,587 entrants. It was gained by Yunkyu Music (CAD $227,270).
The WPT subsequent hits Jacksonville, Fla., for the bestbet Scramble Championship Nov. 15.
