The heads up match between Daniel Pépin and Pierre-Luc Bourgeois lasted less than a complete level. Both players were eager to push chips in the pot and the tide of power kept changing hands. Eventually, though, all good things must come to an end, and the same can be said about poker. After missing a few key spots, Daniel was down to only a few bb’s and he had almost no choice but to go all in with a face card.  Holding a monster hand, Pierre-Luc called immediately and both men tabled their hands. Daniel: Pierre-Luc It was over even before it began, and it kept getting worse with every street…    So Bourgeois finishes on a high note, and a boat of queens over aces. Pierre-Luc Bourgeois, Event #8 Chamption – $3,180 Daniel Pépin, 2nd position – $2,370 The last hand of play

Event #7 was a Deepstack Re-entry event, offering a guaranteed $15,000 prize pool.  Players started with 30,000 chips and played through 20 minute levels. The tournament attracted a total of 134 runners, making for an actual prize pool of $25,996, paying the top 17 places, with $6,126 for the 1st place finisher, and a min-cash of $360 for the 16th and 17th place finishers. When play got into the money, action was fast and furious and players were busting out at a rapid pace. The final table saw five fast eliminations, and the players realized that no matter how many chips they had, the swings were just really big and they decided to talk “deal”. They agreed upon doing an even chop, and as per Playground tournament policy during events, 2% of the prize had to be reserved for the 1st place finisher, and the tournament was required to play […]

The tournament heated up after the final break of the night and stacks started to grow. There were a few of the usual coolers along the way, with Aces getting cracked more than once. The play was aggressive as everyone wanted the top prize of $3,443, and not just settle for a min-cash of $260. When the final table was finally formed, it only took about 20 minutes or so to reach 6 players. There were many stacks similar to each other and the players decided to look at the ICM chip chop numbers as there was good money up top, but the players were not so excited at the prospect of potentially being the next bustout, which was only paying out $860. The floor staff crunched the numbers, and, reminded the players that 2% of the prize ($300) would also have to be left for the eventual winner. After […]

The day started at 4:00pm with 66 entries generating a prize pool of $6,402, with the top 9 players being paid. When the final table was finally formed, the players decided to make a bubble deal so that all 10 finalists would get paid, with the 10th place finisher receiving $110, which essentially paid back the buy-in. Play was mainly passive, with no explosions taking place.  One by one each player was sent to the rail and to the cage to collect their payout. At 3-handed play, the players asked to have the clock stopped so that they could discuss making a possible deal. The tournament director crunched the numbers and returned to the table to let the 3 players know what the ICM chip chop payouts would be, keeping in mind that 2% of the prize pool had to be left for the eventual winner, and that the tournament […]

Event #4 was a traditional 1-day freezeout turbo tournament. 131 players showed up for the afternoon-long event, all vying for the lion’s share of the $8,000 guaranteed prize pool. When the numbers were crunched, almost $13,000 in prize money were accumulated, and split among the top 17 players. The competition sped up noticeably when the last 2 tables were formed. Chips were flying, and soon there were only 3 players left: Christian Rho, Steven Taylor, and Jonathon Mclean. Rho took out Taylor and as a result, enjoyed a 3 to 1 advantage at the start of the duel. Mclean, however, pulled a rabbit out of his hat and hit a 3-outer after committing pre-flop with a dominated hand. He kept accumulating chips until he showed a decent lead. At that point, he increased the pressure, and was finally in a position to call any all-in with the majority of hands. […]

Heads up play lasted only a few hands between Goran Brestovac and James Belanger, before both men were all in. They almost had exactly the same amount of chips, but Goran was ahead. Both men tabled their hands: Goran: James: The flop spelled good news for James: , who hit an open-ended straight draw, but he did not like Goran’s 2 pairs. The brick on the turn change nothing, but the river was a disaster for James , which gave a boat to Goran. So Goran Brestovac is the Event #3 PLO Bounty winner! Goran Brestovac, Event #3 Winner, $1,868 James Belanger, 2nd place – $2,025 The last hand of play

Event #1, the $100 + $10 Mix Max Re-entry, got this latest edition of the Power Weekend off to a fast start. Drawing a field of 63 entries, enough to easily surpass the prize pool guarantee, the Mix Max Re-entry put the players to the test, as they worked their way through full ring, 8-handed, 6-handed and 4-handed play to determine a champion. Although other players were faster out of the gate, Jonathan Jette-Prince was able to find the right pace to finish strong. He made appearances on the leader board throughout the afternoon and found a way to save the best for last to beat the other four finalists and emerge as a Power Weekend champion. Congratulations! Event #1 Champion: Jonathan Jette-Prince, $1,601 Last Hand of Play: