The traditional first event in a major festival at Playground Poker Club is a $135 + $15 Re-entry event that has come to be known as “The Wild $150.” One of the best values in poker the tournament gives everyone the chance to play Big Event poker at an accessible buy-in.
Event 1 of the Playground Winter Festival was held between February 27th and March 3rd and as usual it attracted a huge number of entries – 1141 this time around. This generated a prize pool of $188,699.00 well surpassing the $100K guarantee!
Of the 1441 entries 341 players were left to begin Day 2 and as is typical for this event the action was fast and furious as play moved towards the money bubble which they reached at the end of the 6th level of play on Day 2.
Day 3 began with Jean-François Marin as the leader with just 14 players remaining. Play on the final day of the event wasn’t nearly as fast as it had been the previous day as the payouts grew ever and ever higher. Jean-Fran ois had an up-and-down day and lurking in the field all the way to the end was Brian Bond who had won this event in the past.
At the end of the affair it was Jean-François and Francis Dery playing heads up for the championship! In the last hand of the event Francis limped from the small blind and the two players went to see a flop. With the board showing 
Jean-Francois check-raised all-in and found a snap call. He tabled 
and needed some help to overcome Francis’ 
. The 
on the turn changed nothing, however, the 
on the river gave Jean-Francois a straight awarding him the pot and the first place prize!
