$600 No-Limit Hold'em
Day 2 Completed
PlayNow Championship Winnipeg
$600 No-Limit Hold'em
Day: 2
Event Info
Final Results
Event Info
Level Info
PlayNow Championship Winnipeg
Buy-in
600 CAD
Entries
195
Level
25
Blinds
25,000 / 50,000
Ante
50,000
Micky Gagic is the Winner of the $600 NLHE
Level 25
: 25,000/50,000, 50,000 ante
Day 2 of the $600 NLHE lasted for just over an hour, and Micky Gagic has won the first Championship ring and trophy from the 2019 Fall PlayNow Poker Championship.
Play got underway on Day 1 with about 130 players sitting at the tables, but those numbers swelled to 195 by the time registration closed. That put more than $100,000 in the prize pool, and more than $28,000 up top for first.
Action played down pretty quickly early on Day 1, with hand for hand play on the money bubble getting underway before midnight. Less than half a dozen hands later, the money bubble was burst, and it kept going from there. Dave Shiska and Mel Podaima were the first two players to collect money from the event, after a brutal hand where the both ran into the pocket aces of Mark Charles.
The final table was set by 1 a.m., and for a time it looked like it might all end on Day 1, given the pace of play. But things slowed down considerably as the final few levels of the night approached. There were still five players left going into the final level, but it would prove deadly for two of them.
Codey Chief ended his solid run in 5th place when he ran his ace-rag into the pocket aces of Micky Gagic. Chief was one of the satellite winners from Wednesday night, and so he's already made good on his discounted entries.
Paul Esposti very nearly made the Day 2 play, but was eliminated on one of the last hands of the night after his suited king-ten ran into the big slick of Zoe Chua.
When the final three returned to the felt for Day 2, they decided to reduce the variance a bit. Each players agreed to $18,000 which left $4,820 on the table, as well as the trophy, ring, and player of the series points up for grabs.
Mark Charles was the first to exit from the final three. He got his chips in with king-four on a king high flop, but he ran into the flopped flush of Zoe Chua.
The final two battled heads up for more than 30 minutes before Micky Gagic finally managed to take it down. Chua got his money in with king-deuce on a king high flop, but was facing pocket aces in Gagic's hand. Chua couldn't find any more help, and he had to settle for second place, while Gagic took down the big prizes.
Here are the full payouts:
| Place | Player | Prize |
|---|---|---|
| 20 | Dave Shiska | $1,367.00 |
| 19 | Mel Podaima | $1,367.00 |
| 18 | Nick Lahowy | $1,408.00 |
| 17 | Tyler Odell | $1,458.00 |
| 16 | Jim McCarter | $1,519.00 |
| 15 | Jeremy Plett | $1,594.00 |
| 14 | Mark Andrade | $1,687.00 |
| 13 | Ron Lauzon | $1,807.00 |
| 12 | Alex Tong | $1,956.00 |
| 11 | Khai Nguyen | $2,152.00 |
| 10 | Charles Rinn | $2,410.00 |
| 9 | Keith Sanburn | $2,758.00 |
| 8 | Anders Prokopowich | $3,237.00 |
| 7 | Eddy Watt | $3,910.00 |
| 6 | Anthony Joubert | $4,884.00 |
| 5 | Codey Chief | $6,336.00 |
| 4 | Paul Esposti | $8,576.00 |
| 3 | Mark Charles | $18,000.00 - Deal Adjusted |
| 2 | Zoe Chua | $18,000.00 - Deal Adjusted |
| 1 | Micky Gagic | $22,820.00 - Deal Adjusted |
Zoe Chua Eliminated in 2nd Place for $18,000
Level 25
: 25,000/50,000, 50,000 ante
Zoe Chua limped his button, Micky Gagic raised to 150,000 and Chua called. The flop came 
and Gagic moved all in. Chua snap called off his last 530,000 and they turned their cards over.
Chua: 
Gagic: 
Chua needed to improve, but the 
turn and 
river completed the board and he was eliminated in 2nd place for $18,000.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
2,925,000 | 1,545,000 |
|
Busted |
Level: 25
Blinds: 25,000/50,000
Ante: 50,000
Chua Gets Huge Runner-Runner Double
Level 24
: 20,000/40,000, 40,000 ante
Zoe Chua opened to 100,000 and Micky Gagic made the call. When the flop came 
Gagic shoved, and after just a few seconds of thought Chua called.
Gagic flopped huge with 
but Chua was still drawing very live with a pair of jacks. The turned a gutshot draw for Chua, and 
river hit Gagic right in the gut, giving Chua the straight, and the chip lead.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
1,700,000 | 600,000 |
|
|
1,380,000 | -160,000 |
Gagic Check-Shoves for the Win
Level 24
: 20,000/40,000, 40,000 ante
Zoe Chua made it 100,000 to go from under the gun, and Micky Gagic made the call. The flop was all diamonds 
and Gagic checked to Chua.
Chua fired out another bet of 100,000, but Gagic came over top with a shove. It took Chua a few seconds, but eventually he released his hand.
Mark Charles Eliminated in 3rd Place for $18,000
Level 24
: 20,000/40,000, 40,000 ante
Mark Charles limped the button and Zoe Chua checked his option in the big blind. The flop came 
and action was checked to Charles who bet 70,000. Chua check-raised to 170,000 and Charles moved all in for his last 500,000. Chua snap called.
Charles: 
Chua: 
The turn card locked it up for Chua 
and the meaningless river was the 
. Charles was eliminated in 3rd place for $18,000.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
1,100,000 | 50,000 |
|
Busted |
Preflop Aggression Wins It
Level 24
: 20,000/40,000, 40,000 ante
Zoe Chua was on the button, and under the gun, and made it 120,000 to go. Micky Gagic came back over top from the big blind with a raise to 400,000, around a third of his stack.
It took Chua nearly a minute to make a decision, but he finally elected to release his hand, giving Gagic more than 150,000 extra chips.
Level: 24
Blinds: 20,000/40,000
Ante: 40,000
Gagic Wins a Flip
Level 23
: 15,000/30,000, 30,000 ante
Micky Gagic raised the button to 100,000, Zoe Chua moved all in from the small blind. After some thought Gagic called it off for his last 755,000.
Gagic: 
Chua:
The board ran out clean for Gagic 
and he is now the chip leader.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
1,540,000 | 890,000 |
|
|
1,050,000 | -610,000 |