All-In: Highlights from the WPT Prime Playground Championship
The World Poker Tour (WPT) Prime Playground Championship in Montreal has once again unveiled some of the best talents in poker as it crowned its champion this past Friday. The tournament, featuring a CAD $1,100 buy-in, attracted an impressive 1,587 entries across four starting flights, showcasing the popularity and vibrant atmosphere of the poker scene in Canada. Ultimately, Yunkyu Song emerged victorious, pocketing a hefty CAD $241,620 along with a coveted seat at December’s WPT World Championship in Las Vegas.
With the PokerNews team on the ground capturing all the high-stakes action, this article takes a closer look at some of the pivotal hands that defined the tournament. From hero calls to heartbreaking bad beats, these moments illustrate the intensity and excitement of live poker at its finest.
What a Hero Call!
As Day 2 progressed in Level 23, the tension thickened with only 34 players left in contention. Enter Timothy Rutherford and Senthuran Vijayaratnam, two players embroiled in one of the tournament’s most critical hands. Rutherford, attempting to chip up, min-raised to 80,000 from the cutoff, only to face a defense from Vijayaratnam in the big blind.
The flop of 10♦, 7♣, 4♥ saw Vijayaratnam check-call Rutherford’s first bet of 110,000. The pressure intensified on the 8♦ turn as Rutherford upped the ante with a subsequent bet of 325,000, which Vijayaratnam again called. On the final 2♠ river, ruminating over his options, Vijayaratnam checked once more, leading to Rutherford’s hefty bet of 850,000. After taking his time—using a time extension—Vijayaratnam made the call with Q♦, 4♦ for fourth pair, perfectly read the table, and beat Rutherford’s bluff with his air hand of A♥, J♣. This daring hero call not only solidified his chip stack but also sent Rutherford out in 31st place.
Cooler Deep on Day 2
As the tournament thinned to 30 players during Level 24, the pressure further mounted. Yunkyu Song (who would later win the entire tournament) raised to 100,000 from the cutoff, and Srikanth Gundela moved all-in for 705,000 from the button. With both blinds folding, Song’s snap-call revealed a classic cooler: Gundela’s pocket queens (Q♦, Q♠) against Song’s pocket kings (K♠, K♣).
The flop of 10♠, 9♠, J♠ gave Gundela a chance with a straight flush draw, yet he needed the 8♠ to complete it—however, the next two cards were 10♦ and 10♥, and Gundela was eliminated from the tournament in 30th place, taking home CAD $6,287 as a consolation prize.
Raymond Carter’s Kings Deposed
Moving onto Day 3, with only 13 players left and the blinds increasing to Level 28, things heated up further at the table of Raymond Carter and Zeyu Huang. After Carter opened to 300,000, Huang check-raised to 850,000, only for Carter to shove for a total of million chips. Huang thought critically before calling, showcasing his nerves and skill under pressure.
Carter revealed his kings (K♦, K♣) while Huang displayed A♥, 9♥—in a high-stakes battle with Carter ahead. The turn brought K♠, adding to his set, but Huang got incredibly lucky on the river with a 3♥, making a flush and eliminating Carter in 13th place for CAD $15,400.
Huang Set Up to End Four-Handed Play
As we reached the final table with only four players remaining, the pace picked up considerably. Zeyu Huang and Yunkyu Song, along with their contesting dynamics, highlighted the intensity of the finals. In an aggressive exchange, Huang opened under-the-gun, and Song, residing in the small blind, called.
After a flop of Q♣, 6♠, 3♠, Huang bet 1.8 million, and Song raised rapidly to 4.6 million. The subsequent all-in saw Song turn up with a set of sixes after revealing 6♣, 6♦, while Huang’s K♥, K♣ couldn’t hold. Huang exited in 4th place, earning CAD $85,000 but feeling the sting of a poorly-timed showdown.
Another Bad Beat to End the Tournament
Finally, the climactic conclusion of the tournament came during Hand #167 of the final table. With blinds at 250,000/500,000, Kevin Rivest put in a substantial raise to 1.5 million, then found himself all-in against Yunkyu Song—who held A♣, J♣, in what initially seemed like a relatively favorable situation for Rivest holding A♦, Q♦.
However, fate twisted unpredictably as the flop delivered K♣, J♠, 5♦—pairing Song and foiling Rivest’s chances. Rivest faced elimination after two additional inactive streets of run-out (3♠, 4♥), finishing as the runner-up for CAD $152,000 while Song celebrated his well-earned victory and the spotlight that comes with it.
As the dust settles over the WPT Prime Playground Championship, it’s evident that this was not just a showcase of poker talent, but also a beacon drawing attention to the thriving scene in Montreal. With PokerNews continuing to provide close coverage of events, the excitement surrounding the WPT is sure to keep fans riveted until the next big showdown.
Photos courtesy of World Poker Tour (WPT) / Alicia Skillman
Author: Chad Holloway
PR & Media Manager for PokerNews, Podcast host & 2013 WSOP Bracelet Winner.
1
20
20
