GPI First Look: partypoker WPT Montreal

With stops in Jacksonville and the Caribbean behind us, the World Poker Tour heads north to Canada for what may very well be one of the most anticipated poker events in WPT history:

MONTREAL CALLING

There was a buzz surrounding WPT Montreal last year. Several big name pros has already indicated they were making the trek to Montreal to play in the very first edition of the event. Many pros were lured by the fact that they would be able to visit the lovely city of Montreal, most of them for the first time, and play at Playground Poker Club, which was getting worldwide attention as a great place to play poker.

However, the fact that the event was being played during the last weekend of November, which is Thanksgiving weekend down South, meant a lot of American pros were planning on spending the weekend with their loved ones, choosing to skip the event … that all changed, and fast!

Close to 500 players entered Day 1A play with rumours of more, many, many, more players on their way for Day 1B … suddenly, those US players who had first decided to stay home couldn’t stay away anymore and they made their way up North, hoping to get their hands on what would become a huge prize pool. In total, just under 1,200 entries and suddenly, Montreal was on the map as a poker destination the world over.

Borgata currently holds the record for the biggest field ever in WPT history – there is a chance that this record gets broken this weekend … 1,200 entries? 1,500? 1,600? Dare we even suggest 2,000? This year’s tournament includes three Day 1’s and does offer re-entry so those numbers are certainly within reach.

KING FOR ONE LAST DAY

One more day before Jonathan Roy (GPI#139) has to put his belt on the line … that’s right, Playground Poker Club gives Championship Belts to its winners. After his Montreal win last November, Roy would move on to final table the EPT PCA Main Event before making a lot of noise, once again, on the WPT when he finished second in the WPT Player of the Year race in what was a photo finish when he was eliminated third at the WPT World Championship; a win and he would have taken the PoY title away from Matt Salsberg (GPI#31), who is also expected to make his way to Montreal over the weekend.

Defending that title won’t be easy for Roy as, other than Salsberg, over 60 of the top poker professionals in the world – including four of the Top 10 players (Marvin Rettenmaier, Shannon Shorr, Michael Watson and Jonathan Duhamel) – are confirmed for Montreal. You can bet that the pressure will be on the two Canadians in the Top 10, especially Duhamel, who’s home is minutes away from Montreal, to keep the title in Canada.

Other Canadians making their way to Montreal include: newly crowned partypoker Premier League Champion Sorel Mizzi, Griffin Benger, Marc-Andre Ladouceur, Timothy Adams, Mike McDonald and bracelet winners Mark Radoja, Gavin Smith, Jason Duval, Philippe Boucher and Pascal Lefrançois.

Other big names expected in Montreal include: Scott Seiver, Antonio Esfandiari, Vanessa Selbst, Scott Clements and recent WPT Grand Prix de Paris winner Mohsin Charania.

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