2018 MILLIONS North America News

Food! One of the key benchmarks for measuring how great a city truly is. Not only does Montreal have a ridiculous number of places to eat – there’s one restaurant for every 6 Montrealers – the quality and standard of both casual and fine dining establishments is world class.

When Canada’s 100 Best released their list of top restaurants earlier this month, it came as no surprise that Montreal restaurants occupied 21 spots on the list, including 4 in the Top 10. Now if our Glorious Habs could up their game to the same level as our local chefs, we would be perennial Stanley Cup contenders. But that’s a story for another day… now’s the time to dig in.

Montreal foodie landmarks: Smoked Meat, Bagels, and Poutine

Schwartz’s is the place to go to enjoy the classic taste of Montreal smoked meat. Open for over 90 years, the oldest deli in Canada will serve you what renowned Montreal writer Mordecai Richler sardonically described, in his novel Barney’s Version, as a “maddening aphrodisiac” to be bottled and copyrighted as “Nectar of Judea”. ‘Nuff said.

Bagels! Believe it or not, one of the most polarizing topics in Montreal is who makes the best Montreal-style bagels. However, most will agree the top two contenders are St-Viateur and Fairmount Bagel, located just two blocks from one another in Mile End. Either way you can’t go wrong, both are out of this world. True Fact: Montreal-style bagels are currently the only style of bagel known to have ventured into space. It’s true – you can look it up!

Last but not least: Poutine. French fries, cheese curds and gravy are the classic ingredients in poutine, but over the years, delicacies like smoked meat, lobster, duck sausage, and pretty much everything else has been added to this iconic dish. You can find poutine just about anywhere in Montreal, but you don’t have to go far during the MILLIONS North America – The Rail Coal Fire Bistro, located right here in the Playground Poker Complex, serves up several fine varieties – and it’s FREE while playing at our cash game tables.

The most important meal of the day – Breakfast!

If you want to visit a place just as iconic to Montreal as Schwartz’s, try Beauty’s Luncheonette. Open since 1942, they serve up a classic Montreal breakfast like nobody’s business. Recommended is their classic mish-mash omelette.

If crepes are your thing, then Spanel is the place to start your day – and if you need a little “Waffle-therapy” then Engaufrez-Vous is just what the Doctor ordered. Don’t forget that for any of the above, The Rail Coal Fire Bistro has it all.

Last but not least: Dinner!

First let me say, there are TOO MANY choices! I can barely wrap my head around how many great restaurants can be found in Montreal – I’m getting hungry just thinking about the duck magret at Toqué! or Joe Beef’s signature dish, spaghetti lobster-homard. Or Joe Beef’s sister restaurant, the Liverpool House, which famously hosted Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau for a dinner with former US President Barack Obama. Rumour has it that even those high profile guests has trouble getting a table, if you can believe it!

Other great choices for fine dining in our fine little city include Montreal Plaza, Maison Publique, Nora Gray, Bouillon Bilk, Tuck Shop, Brasserie Lucilles, Sea Salt and Cheviche, and of course Au Pied de Cochon, to stop at just a small sample of great foodie spots in Montreal. But I have to stop now – I’m hungry and need to have something to eat. Bon appetit!

When Prohibition came into force at midnight on January 17, 1920, in the United States, no one expected it to kick-start the Montreal cabaret scene – but that is exactly what happened.

The Quebec government created La Commission des liqueurs du Québec (Quebec Liquor Commission) to allow legal, controlled access to alcoholic beverages for everyone of legal age, and once it did, cabarets started popping up all over town, mostly around the southern portion of St-Laurent Boulevard (The Main), and made Montreal one of the most lively, thrilling, and somewhat decadent cities in North America.

Now that was a long, long time ago and times have changed, but one constant remains: you will always have a great time at night in Montreal, especially during the MILLIONS North America from April 21st to May 2nd.

If you still have enough energy after a long day of raising and re-raising and you’re looking to hit the club scene for a night of dancing and drinks – and you really want to party – then check out the following Montreal hot-spots:

• Club École Privée
• New City Gas
• Le Rouge Bar

If you want to grab a bite, a few drinks, and a good time after you’re done on the felts, we recommend you stay in the Playground Poker Complex and spend an evening at The Rail Coal Fire Bistro. But if you need a change of scenery, the following places are definitely worth a visit:

• Big in Japan
• The Burgundy Lion
• Atwater Cocktail Club
• Bord’Elle Boutique Bar & Eatery

If wine is your drink of choice and you’d like a little variety after your opponent hits a 2-outer on the river, then the following choices should more than make you happy:

• Pullman
• Le Vin Papillon
• Bar Furco

Looking to unwind with a few cocktails after a long session on the felt? Check out these unique spots:

• La Distillerie
• Bar Le Lab
• Le Sainte-Elisabeth

And if you like candy in your martini? Or maybe you feel like riding a mechanical bull? Or maybe you just want to sip on some Champagne… well… we have some of that too!

• Candi Bar
• Chez Serge
• La Champagnerie

This is only a very small sample of what the Montreal Nightlife has to offer, but no matter where you end up, you will be greeted by that special Montreal hospitality. And remember: when you’re done for the night, call an Uber, a taxi, or walk but please don’t drive.

As we close in on the MILLIONS, the list of confirmed players gets longer as more and more players let us know they’re coming or secure their Main Event seats via satellite. We constantly strive to offer the best poker experience in North America, and having these individuals within our walls is our hard-earned reward.

Antonio Esfandiari

As we are closing in on the MILLIONS North America, the list of confirmed players gets longer as players from around the world win their seats in the Main Event. We constantly strive to offer the best poker experience in North America, and having these individuals within our walls is our hard-earned reward.

Antonio is currently ranked 4th on the All Time Money List. His $27M in Live Earnings include, of course, his win at The Big One for One Drop in 2012, worth $18,346,673 – the largest single payout to date. He is well known for his unbelievable chip tricks, which he mastered during his career as a magician, prior to his shift to a poker career. He’s even better known, however, for his world-class poker skills, which put him in a very select club of no more than a handful of players.

He appeared on countless TV shows, played high stakes cash games with the best players in the world, and counts two WPT Championships plus three WSOP bracelets to his name. Any venue would roll out the red carpet for Antonio, and we take a lot of pride in the fact that he has placed Playground Poker Club on his travel schedule since 2012.

Check out this great archive video of Antonio getting dunked in a pool of icy water right in front of our main entrance, after losing a prop bet to his good friend Phil Laak.

Michael Watson

Michael ‘SirWatts’ Watson is a Canadian poker player from St. John’s, Newfoundland. With $10,998,941 in Live Earnings, he places 5th on Canada’s All Time Money List, which is pretty impressive considering that he is primarily an online player! Michael has been killing it for over a decade. He won the 2008 Bellagio Cup for $1,673,770 and the 2012 WSOPE Super High Roller 8-Handed Event in Cannes for $1,304,648.

Last year (2017) was very good to Mike. He had a great result at the Aussie Millions, finishing 2nd in Event #12 for $399,668, and in October, he made a killing in Macau in the Triton High Roller Series, adding almost a million dollars to his Live Earnings. SirWatts sure travels a lot – but he will be in his home country in April to be part of the biggest poker event in Canadian history: the MILLIONS North America.

Samuel Chartier

Samuel is a well-known Montreal player, prolific at Playground Poker Club in both the High Stakes Room and big buy-in tournaments. He has accumulated almost $3M in Total Live Earnings, including a win in a 5K WSOP Circuit Championship Event in 2009 at Caesars Palace for $322,944 and countless money finishes here at Playground, including a win at the PokerStars Canada Cup 10K High Roller Event in 2014.

He is known for his preference for late registration, his high-volume chatting and generally genial nature, and of course his deep tournament runs. He qualified for the MILLIONS through a partypoker MILLIONS North America Final satellite on March 11th, and will be closely monitored by our Event Blog team.

Mark Radoja

Mark is a Canadian poker pro from Ontario with two WSOP bracelets on his resume, from events 2011 and 2013. Last December, he finished 2nd in a $3K event at the December Extravaganza in Las Vegas, for $115,035. This concluded a year that saw him score prize money in many Aussie Millions and WSOP events.

Mark has competed on the Playground felts many times over the years. In 2016, he finished 2nd in a WPT Montreal High Roller Event, losing the heads-up match to his friend Pascal Lefrançois, a runner-up finish that got him $120,000. His $2.7M in Total Live Earnings are sure to grow, and it just might be at the MILLIONS North America!

Richard Dubini

Richard Dubini is an Argentinian player and a member of Team partypoker. His Total Live earnings enjoyed a solid boost last year when he finished in 12th place at the 48th WSOP Main Event for $535,000. Back in 2015, he bested a field of 510 players to win a €2,000 + 200 Event in Barcelona, emerging as Champion only after outlasting a Final Table plagued with sharks.

His ascent on the tournament scene was noticed by partypoker, and it is no surprise that he is now a member of their team. His presence at the MILLIONS North America will mark his Playground Poker Club debut, and we know it will be a good match!

Jean-Philippe Piquette

Jean-Philippe has been a mainstay of the local poker scene since before the poker boom began. He is a very experienced pro, known for his calm approach and hard work. PiquetteAces will play practically any game if he thinks his expected value is positive.

The highlight of his career was probably when he performed his famous double whammy at the Playground Poker Classic in 2012, winning both the $2,200 Main Event and the $10,300 High Roller Event, which he qualified for through a satellite! Six months later, the Playground Poker Club Tournament Hall was constructed in time for the 2012 WPT Montreal, and his feat was commemorated for several years in the form of a greater-than-life-sized poster on one of the walls!

This tweet from Scott Blumstein was nice to see the other day:

I’m ashamed to say that I’ve never been to Canada before. Excited that will change in a few weeks when I visit @PlaygroundPoker for the Party Poker 10 mil guarenteed tourney. #MILLIONSNorthAmerica

— Scott Blumstein (@SBlum2711) April 5, 2018

Scott Blumstein is a name that should be familiar to anyone remotely interested in the poker scene. Blumstein is the reigning World Champion, having bested a field of 7,221 players in the Main Event at the 48th World Series of Poker in 2017 – the third largest field in history.

Before his unbelievable run that snagged him the most coveted prize in the game – plus $8,150,000 in cash – his biggest prize came from his win in the $560 buy-in $1 Million Deepstack Kick Off at the Borgata Summer Poker Open in July of 2016. The sweet $199,854 first place money jump-started his poker career in a very significant way.

Blumstein kept grinding online, and kept his buy-ins on the “affordable” end of the scale, and just one year later it was time for the WSOP Main Event. His decision to play didn’t come easily, but it ended up putting his name in the history books.

In the press conference following his victory, when asked if he would start playing High Roller Events, his answer was very humble:

I don’t have an ego in this game. I know where I stand. I know two weeks ago I was just a New Jersey online grinder and nothing’s really changed […] This is just one poker tournament. It takes variance and luck and playing your best. And all those things came together.

He also thanked his friends for helping him prepare for the Final Table. To be fair, these people had quite an incentive, having each bought $60 worth of their friend’s action, an investment that returned over $40,000 before tax!

At Playground Poker Club, we are happy to welcome World Champion Scott Blumstein to the MILLIONS North America!

Montreal was founded in 1642 and just celebrated its 375th Anniversary. Granted, the city is not as old as some of the other stops on the circuit (such as Barcelona, the host of the MILLIONS Grand Final) but it’s just as enchanting; helping make MILLIONS North America one of the must-play poker events of the year.

Montreal is filled with history, culture, and tradition; all of which are on full display in Old Montreal. No visit to our city would be complete without a trip through the cobblestone streets filled with charming little shops, bistros, and cafés that take you back to another time.

The original site of Montreal, named Ville-Marie at the time, is precisely known, and as expected, it is located in Old Montreal. Start your journey through time at the Pointe-a-Callière Museum by exploring an original underground circuit leading through archaeological excavations. It’s very cool.

There are obviously plenty of museums and historic sites in Old Montreal and some, like the Château Ramezay, the Sir George-Étienne Cartier National Historic Site and the Notre-Dame Basilica were covered in Historic Sites & Landmarks at #7 a few weeks ago.

Visit Bonsecours Market; inaugurated in 1847, the Market is one of Canada’s finest heritage buildings and contains restaurants and bars along with over a dozen boutiques featuring some of the best made-in-Quebec creations you will find. On your way out, head west along Saint-Paul Street and take in its picturesque architecture and ambiance. This will take you to Place Jacques-Cartier, one of the most popular gathering spots in Montreal.

Old Montreal is also home to some of the best restaurants in the city and finding something good to eat will not be a problem – deciding which to try though is another matter. But we will help you out with that in the coming weeks.

While technically not part of Old Montreal, the Old Port is only a hop, skip and a jump away, and can add a few thrills and chills to your travels.

The Montreal Observation Wheel offers a breathtaking view of the Saint Lawrence River, Old Montreal, downtown and the mountains. Take the ride in the evening for a magical experience. And don’t worry about the weather – cabins are air-conditioned in the summer and heated in the winter. Do some ziplining at Tyrolienne MTL Zipline, right above the Bonsecour Basin. You could also rent a pedalo or quadricycle for a little exercise.

Whether you are in Old Montreal or the Old Port, there’s always something to see or something to do and no matter how often you go, it never gets old. So make sure to take an afternoon or evening while in town for MILLIONS North America and visit a truly beautiful place.