The World Poker Tour (WPT) is back at Montreal’s Playground! The WPT Playground festival started back on October 24, but today the CAD $3,500 buy-in WPT Playground Championship, which offers a guarantee of CAD $1.5 million, officially kicked off.
Some familiar faces were in action from the start including Griffin Benger, Chanracy Khun, Eric Afriat, Mark Bailey, Daniel Gagne, and four-time WPT champ Darren Elias. You can follow live updates from the WPT Playground Championship here.
“It was such a pleasure hosting a WPT Championship festival at Playground back in May, that we embraced the idea of returning for a second 2024 showing,” WPT CEO Adam Pliska previously said. “Players will once again have a chance at three different WPT titles, including the most prestigious honor of being immortalized on the Mike Sexton WPT Champions Cup.”
In May, British Columbia's David Dongwoo Ko continued his breakout year by taking down the WPT Montreal Championship for CAD $434,900. The event drew 882 entrants for a prize pool of $2.8 million and had a field that included Darryll Fish, Xuan Liu and three-time WPT champion Eric Afriat.
Read About the WPT Montreal Championship Earlier This Year!
While the Main Event is just getting underway, the CAD $1,100 WPT Prime Playground Championship saw just 200 players from a 1,587-entry field (comprised of four starting flights) return for Thursday’s Day 2 action.
Kevin Rivest sat atop the counts with 960,000 followed closely by Bibek Kari with 947,000. Others to return with big stacks were Boyd Rose (859,000), Senthuran Vijayaratnam (853,000), Saiteja Keetha (827,000), and reigning WPT Montreal Champion David Dongwoo Ko (744,000).
Everyone returning for Day 2 was guaranteed CAD $1,445 in prize money, but everyone was hoping to finish as the last player standing to capture the title and CAD $164,251 up top for the winner.
Follow live updates from the WPT Prime Playground Championship here.
The WPT Prime Playground Championship isn’t the only tournament of its kind happening right now. Across the Atlantic the €1,100 buy-in WPT Prime Paris Championship is taking place. That tournament is still in its early stages but got off to a good start by attracting 204 entrants on Day 1a, up from 185 the year before.
According to updates from that event, Mathias Moutaoukil bagged the chip lead with 917,000 while Niko Koop was hot on his heels with 880,000. Others to make it through the day were Samuel Fournier (476,000), Thomas Perrin (360,000), and Thomas Santerne (218,000).
However, others such as NAPT champ Sami Bechahed, Julien Martini, defending champion Fabrice Bigot and last year's runner-up Sabare Atmani all hit the rail, meaning they’ll need to fire again if they hope to make Day 2.
PokerNewswill be on-site at the WPT Playground for the next week offering content throughout, so be sure to check back daily as we bring you updates and stories straight from the tournament floor.
*Photos courtesy World Poker Tour (WPT)
