Event 1 Champion: Mathieu Tanguay!

Event 1 has come to an end, and Mathieu Tanguay has come out as our first Playground Poker Fall Classic champion of 2013! Congratulations on your $30,320 prize!

Event 1 Champion: Mathieu Tanguay, $30,320

Mathieu Tanguay, Event 1 ChampionMathieu Tanguay, Event 1 ChampionMathieu Tanguay and his railFinal Hand of Event 1

We have a deal… and a winner!

  • Level: 36
  • Small Blind: 200K
  • Big Blind: 400K
  • Ante: 50K
  • Chip Average: 28M
  • Remaining: 1
  • Entries: 1400


  • Heads-up play started very well for Mehdi but after Mathieu’s double, things started to tilt in his direction and the players were close to even – and then Mathieu moved ahead… and talk of a deal was resuscitated. They quickly agreed to reserve $3,500 plus the bracelet for the winner and chop the rest of the prize pool evenly between them. That is to say the players each took $26,820 with an additional $3,500 for the winner.

    Almost as soon as the deal was done the players got involved in a hand that ended the tournament. On a flop of 8 of Clubs 6 of Spades 9 of Clubs, Mehdi bet out and then Mathieu quickly raised all-in. Mehdi called for his tournament life.

    Mathieu had hit two pair on the flop, holding 8 of Hearts 9 of Hearts while Mehdi had 9 of Diamonds 3 of Spades for just top pair. The turn came Jack of Spades and the river was the 3 of Clubs.

    1st place: Mathieu Tanguay, $30,320 and the championship bracelet

    Mathieu Tanguay

     

    2nd place: Mehdi Alami, $26,820

    Mehdi Alami

    Mathieu doubles

  • Level: 34
  • Small Blind: 125K
  • Big Blind: 250K
  • Ante: 25K
  • Chip Average: 14M
  • Remaining: 2
  • Entries: 1400


  • After a rough start to the heads-up session, Mathieu has doubled through Mehdi to return his stack close to where they started a few minutes ago.

    Mathieu raised to 650K from the small blind and Mehdi shoved. Mathieu didn’t take long to call, flipping over Ace of Diamonds Queen of Hearts. Mehdi had the 7 of Clubs 7 of Spades and was well placed to end the affair then and there.

    It wasn’t to be, however, as there was an Ace of Clubs on the flop (along with 10 of Spades and Jack of Clubs) and the 2 of Spades 10 of Clubs turn and river ensured that Mathieu would live to play more hands as he has climbed to 7.3M

    We are now heads-up

    After taking a 15 minute break, the two finalists are back at their seats to play out this heads-up match. Mehdi is starting with roughly a 2-1 chip advantage over Mathieu, but as we all know, anything can happen in heads-up.

    Best of luck Medhi and Mathieu!

    Mathieu TanguayMehdi AlamiThe Fall Classic Event 1 Bracelet

    3rd Place: Martin Giguele

  • Level: 34
  • Small Blind: 125K
  • Big Blind: 250K
  • Ante: 25K
  • Chip Average: 14M
  • Remaining: 2
  • Entries: 1400


  • Martin had been extremely short stacked for some time but was managing to win some well-timed pots to climb the pay ladder considerably, until finally his stack was too short to fold any two cards. Mehdi has a monster stack and when he raised pre flop, Martin didn’t have much of a choice but to shove. Mehdi insta-called and the cards were flipped.

    Martin: Queen of Diamonds 7 of Diamonds
    Mehdi: King of Diamonds 5 of Hearts

    The board ran out 3 of Spades 10 of Clubs 10 of Diamonds Jack of Hearts 6 of Hearts and Mehdi eliminated another player.

    3rd place: Martin Giguele, $15,820

    Martin Giguele

    4th Place: Marilyn Joannette

    Marilyn was just eliminated in 4th place, as she made a call on the river for her tournament life, and was behind. On a 8 of Hearts 10 of Hearts Ace of Hearts  3 of Diamonds  Queen of Spades board, Mathieu Tanguay shoved all in and got called. He turned over King of Clubs Jack of Hearts for broadway, which was better than Marilyn’s Ace of Clubs 5 of Hearts for top pair. She will take home $11,640 for her impressive 4th place finish.

    4th place: Marilyn Joannette, $11,640

    Marilyn Joanette

    5th Place: Simon Pier Belair-Grondin

  • Level: 34
  • Small Blind: 125K
  • Big Blind: 250K
  • Ante: 25K
  • Chip Average: 7M
  • Remaining: 4
  • Entries: 1400


  • Two big stacks just clashed, and Mehdi Alami came out with the best of it. Mehdi button-raised to 550K, and Simon Pier defended from the big blind. The flop came Ace of Hearts Jack of Spades 5 of Spades, and Simon Pier led out with 750K. Mehdi thought about it for a minute, and raised to 2M. Simon Pier then three-bet shoved for just over 5M total, and Mehdi snap called. Mehdi turned over Ace of Clubs Jack of Diamonds for top two, and Simon’s Ace of Spades 9 of Diamonds needed some serious help if he was to survive this hand. The turn came 7 of Hearts, and the river 6 of Clubs, giving Mehdi the win. Simon walks out with $8,575 for his efforts.

    5th place: Simon Pier Belair-Grondin, $8,575

    Simon Pier Belair-Grondin

    6th Place: Phannasophea Muong

  • Level: 33
  • Small Blind: 100K
  • Big Blind: 200K
  • Ante: 25K
  • Chip Average: 5.6M
  • Remaining: 5
  • Entries: 1400


  • After losing 90% of his stack with pocket jacks versus the pocket kings of Mathieu Tanguay, Phannasophea was trying to grind his short stack back up. He did manage to double up once, but eventually he shoved King of Hearts Jack of Clubs, and got called by Mehdi’s Ace of Diamonds 3 of Clubs. The board ran in the favour of Mehdi’s hand, showing 8 of Spades 9 of Spades 3 of Hearts  Ace of Spades  7 of Hearts, and Phannasophea got sent to the rail in 6th place, collecting $6,320.

    6th place: Phannasophea Muong, $6,320

    Phannasophea Muong

    7th Place: Mathieu Leclerc

    After losing a few pots, Mathieu was left with 275K, less than 2 big blinds. Marilyn limped from the high-jack, and Mathieu shoved what he had left from the small blind. Mehdi called from the big blind, as did Marilyn. Both players checked it down to the river, at which point Mehdi placed a small bet of 300K. Marilyn folded, and Mehdi turned over King of Hearts 9 of Diamonds for a straight on the 7 of Diamonds 5 of Spades King of Spades 6 of Diamonds 8 of Spades board, and Mathieu flashed Queen of Hearts Jack of Spades and threw it into the muck.

    7th place: Mathieu Leclerc, $4,655

    Mathieu Leclerc

    8th Place: Erica Freeman

    Erica’s deep run came to an end, as she three-bet shoved her 1.675M stack after Marilyn opened to 300k from UTG. Marilyn called and turned over Ace of Hearts King of Hearts, and was up against the 9 of Hearts 9 of Diamonds of Erica. The board ran 4 of Spades 2 of Hearts 8 of Hearts  10 of Diamonds  6 of Hearts, giving Marilyn the nuts and the pot.

    8th place: Erica Freeman, $3,425

    Erica Freeman