$550 NL Hold’em 8-Max Freeze
Day 1 Completed
$550 NL Hold’em 8-Max Freeze
Day 1 Completed
Playground Poker Club has crowned another champion at the 2017 World Cup of Cards (WCC). The winner of Event #8: $550 NL Hold'em 8-Max Freeze is Samuel Roussy-Majeau. After a 15-hour grind, a long bubble, and a wild three-handed battle, Roussy-Majeau defeated Matthew Wilkins heads-up to claim the title, the trophy, the glory, and a top prize of $17,100.
Final Table Results:
| Place | Player Name | Country | Prize (CAD) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Samuel Roussy-Majeau | Canada | 17,100 |
| 2 | Matthew Wilkins | Canada | 12,900 |
| 3 | Daune Fernandez | Canada | 9,800 |
| 4 | Adam Hussen | Canada | 7,400 |
| 5 | Niko Ghag | Canada | 5,550 |
| 6 | Adam Podstawka | Canada | 4,150 |
| 7 | [Removed:263] | Canada | 3,150 |
| 8 | Joseph Abou Khalil | Canada | 2,350 |
| 9 | Thundup Ringpa | Canada | 1,800 |
For Roussy-Majeau, this is just his fourth live-recorded tournament cash. With previously recorded earnings totalling just over $28,000 USD, the majority of which coming off a cash in the 2016 WSOP Main Event, Roussy-Majeau will add a nice chunk to his lifetime earnings.
A number of familiar faces and notable names took part in the popular event including Ruben Perceval, Dave Jeanneau-Cyr, Tuesday's back-to-back WCC trophy winner Andrew Watt, Peter Chien, and World Poker Tour Champion's Club Member Eric Afriat, all of whom departed before the money.
The event drew a total of 150 entries and paid the top 16 spots. Once the field reached 17 players left, hand-for-hand play kicked off and then dragged on for a full two levels. After several double-ups, Jonathan Marrie found a pair of tens but Wilkins had found a pair of queens and the money bubble burst.
Yan Touchette fell in 10th place ($1,350) to bubble the final table after running ace-ten into pocket kings and the final nine was set!
Sammy Roussy-Majeau came into the final table with a million chips for the chip lead, and Thundup Ringpa had just 43,000 as the shortest stack. Ringpa was next to go as a result of losing a flip with ace-queen against Daune Fernandez's jacks and took home $1,800 for his ninth place finish.
In eighth place ($2,350), Joseph Abou Khalil got it in with king-ten of spades and found himself up against Adam Hussen's jacks. Khalil picked up a flush and straight draws but the river was a brick and he was on the rail. [Removed:263] was next to go in seventh place after piling it in with two nines. Roussy-Majeau flipped with king-ten and found a pair on the flop to send Weese packing.
Adam Podstawka was the next to collect his payout of $4,150 for sixth place. He went deep but couldn't get king-ten to connect against Matthew Wilkins' ace-high. He flopped a straight draw but the board produced a deuce and a four for a couple of bricks to send him home. Fifth place ($5,550) belonged to Niko Ghag. He found two live cards in jack-ten and went with it. He found himself flipping with Roussy-Majeau's fours, but the board ran out dry for him and the table was left four-handed.
Hussen was next to go in fourth place ($7,400) as another casualty of chip leader Roussy-Majeau. Hussen held ace-six of clubs and out-flopped his opponent but Roussy-Majeau was running hot and turned a straight to end the hand.
The final three players battled for a while. All of them doubled up to lead and hold 50% of the chips at one point. Once it finally ended, it was quick! Fernandez hit the rail in third place ($9,800) after running into Roussy-Majeau's pocket queens with queen-ten.
Wilkins and Roussy-Majeau played just one hand, as they got it in right away with Roussy-Majeau ahead in chips by almost two-to-one. Wilkins was ahead with ace-nine, up against Roussy-Majeaou's queen-jack of diamonds. The board came king-high but the turn was a jack and Wilkins couldn't find an ace on the river to hold on. He pocketed $12,900 for his runner-up finish, while Roussy-Majeau earned himself $17,100 and all of the glory that comes with a tournament win.
Just one hand into heads-up play, Matthew WIlkin's put his tournament life on the line, calling a jam from Samuel Roussy-Majeau.
Wilkins: ![]()
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Roussy-Majeau: ![]()
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Wilkin's was poised to score a double up and swap positions with his opponent but a jack on the turn of the ![]()
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board gave Roussy-Majeau the best hand.
Wilkins earned $12,900 for his runner-up finish while Roussy-Majeau takes home the title, the trophy, the money, and all the glory.
Daune Fernandez has had a wild ride throughout the day. With just 12 players left, Fernandez was all-in with just one big blind. A third place finish is an amazing job well done after coming back from that.
Three-handed play was even more of a roller coaster as Fernandez once more bounced back from a crippling stack. Just a few hands before, Fernandez had just 4 big blinds and ran it back up after doubling twice.
In his last hand, Fernandez got his chips in the middle with ![]()
, running into Samuel Roussy-Majeau's ![]()
. The board ran out ![]()
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and Fernandez's miracle run came to an end in third place.
Level: 27
Blinds: 30,000/60,000
Ante: 10,000
On the flop of a ![]()
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board, all of Daune Fernandez's and Samuel Roussy-Majeau's chips went in the middle.
Fernandez: ![]()
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Roussy-Majeau: ![]()
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Both players had nailed the flop but Roussy-Majeau had hit it best, making a straight, and it held through the
on the turn and
on the river.
Level: 26
Blinds: 25,000/50,000
Ante: 5,000
Samuel Roussy-Majeau open-jammed on the button and Matthew Wilkins called all-in out of the small blind.
Roussy-Majeau: ![]()
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Wilkins: ![]()
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A race for the chip lead was up for grabs as the dealer fanned out a ![]()
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board and Wilkins' pair held up to give him the double up and propel him into the chip lead, holding more than half the chips in play.
Daune Fernandez returned from the break as the shortest stack and quickly got the rest of his chips in the middle, put at risk by Samuel Roussy-Majeau.
Fernandez: ![]()
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Roussy-Majeau: ![]()
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The board ran out ![]()
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and Fernandez found a queen to stay alive and double up.