There are a few big names in the top of the leaderboard, starting with Jean-Philippe Piquette, who is leading the Bounty with over 3 times the average. His 150K stack looks pretty impressive at a table where no one else is especially well off. David Bonneau also had a very good start, and is right on Piquette’s heels with 141K. These two sure know how to work a big army of chips, and we look forward to see how they use them.

Slowly but surely, tables are closing in the Bounty. Less than 200 players are left, as the second segment is towards the end. We will soon be able to publish the first leaderboard of the night. In the meantime, here are some more photos of the field:

The Bounty format of the closing event attracted 245 players. Although registration slowed down a bit in the last level before the break, we are proud to announce a $47,530.00 prize pool, spread across 25 payouts, and $24,500 worth of Bounties! Here are the payouts:

The tournament hall is swarming with Bounty hunters, on both sides of the aisle. This evergrowing field has hit the 200 mark some time ago, and with almost a half-hour to go before the end of late registration, we should have around 275 players, which means 275 Bounties to be won, and a humongous prize pool, providing excellent value for your dollars.

Here is a gallery of early photos, featuring regular and occasional players, as well as staff members disguised as poker players:

The 2017 Playground Poker Winter Festival is almost over. It is with mixed emotions that we present the last Event of this successful series, the legendary Bounty! It is tradition at Playground Poker Club to close a festival with a tournament of this format, and we are pleased to announce that our off-the-clock staff will get to mingle with our player base, playing alongside them, to celebrate the tremendous success that was this edition of the Winter Festival.

35K guarantee, 25K starting stack, and 20-minute levels. Come take a shot at the last of this series’ Champion Trophies. Come have a good meal in good company, or just a few drinks… they’re on the house! Over 100 players started on time, and while the guarantee covers 175 players, we expect around 250 entries in this closing Event.

Dealers are ready, and cards are in the air. Good luck!

Tonight at 7:00pm, the final event in the 2017 Playground Winter Festival will get underway in the Tournament Hall. The event is a $200 + $30 + $100 NL Hold’em Bounty tournament with $200 going to the “normal” prize pool and $100 given to players as bounty chips that must be awarded to the player that eliminates them from the tourney.

An event in this format is the traditional closing event in poker festivals held at Playground Poker Club, and over the years this event has proven to be extremely popular. The capacity for this tournament is 220 players plus alternates, and players should aim to register on time to avoid any delay in taking their seats.

Good luck to everyone who plays tonight!