Jiachen Gong Ends Playground Poker's World Cup of Cards in Style; Wins the Quantum Tournament (C$50,000)
Jiachen Gong is the winner of Event #1 of the World Cup of Cards at Playground Poker Club. He took home CAD $50,000 for winning the Quantum No-Limit Hold'em tournament. The event started the World Cup of Cards 29 days ago and finished it, as the event ran throughout the entire festival.
The Quantum had several buy-in options during the series. Several of the flights were $170, a few were $250 and $350 and one was $550. The players could also direct buy in to Day 2 for $2,200 and start the day with 62 big blinds. The final option was one mega satellite that awarded nine $2,200 seats.
After all the registration was over, the Quantum gathered 1,023 entries over the last month. Jiachen Gong - one of 29 players who bought in directly for Day 2 - was the one who took home the trophy and the $50,000 prize on the final day of the WCC.
| Place | Name | Prize (CAD) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jiachen Gong | C$50,000 |
| 2 | Armand King | C$33,000 |
| 3 | Marc-Olivier Carpentier-Perrault | C$21,000 |
| 4 | David Cadoche | C$15,165 |
| 5 | Reid Fortin | C$10,800 |
| 6 | Noeung Troeung | C$8,800 |
| 7 | Eddie Daldalian | C$7,000 |
| 8 | Albert N | C$5,400 |
| 9 | Mathieu Leclerc | C$4,000 |
| 10 | Dave Graham | C$3,100 |
Throughout the series, several players turned up for Quantum starting flights and took a chance at cashing for just bagging a Day 2 stack. Timothy Deering and Alain Louis Levesque took full advantage of that and bagged three different stacks. They collected $400 for bagging a Day 2 stack, but they also collected an additional $1,500 per stack. They both cashed for $4,200 before Day 2 even started.
Several players bought directly into Day 2 and made deep runs. Sam Chartier, who finished in 20th place and took home $2,000, just missed getting his money back when he got it in with king-high against Douglas James who held tens.
First to go on the final table was Dave Graham, the 10th place finisher. He doubled through Gong, but got all in with aces against Gong a few hands later. Gong had pocket 10s and caught a 10 to eliminate Graham.
Eddie Daldalian would battle another short stack in Mathieu Leclerc. Leclerc was the second player in a row to be eliminated holding aces when Daldalian flopped a pair and went runner-runner to a full house.
Daldalian was next to go and it was again Gong who would get in pair versus pair and catch a set to come from behind to eliminate his opponent. Daldalian's queens couldn't keep up with the flopped set of fives for Gong.
Noeung Troeung finished in sixth place when he was eliminated by Armand King. Troeung opened from middle position and King defended the big blind. The flop was all low cards and both players checked. King led the turn when he completed a six-high straight and Troeung shoved over the top with pocket aces, drawing dead.
After that, Gong won the hand that set him up for the home stretch of the tournament. He busted Reid Fortin in fifth place just before a break. Fortin four-bet shoved with ace-king and Gong called with jacks. Gong won the hand and took an amazing chip lead, holding half the chips in play going into four-handed play.
David Cadoche was very short going into four-handed play and would be eliminated by Marc-Olivier Carpentier-Perrault. Cadoche got it in nine-high from the big blind against the king-high of Carpentier-Perrault. Neither player connected with the board and Cadoche hit the rail in fourth.
Carpentier-Perrault himself was next. During three-handed play Armand King took control and amassed a two-to-one chip lead before he doubled up Carpentier-Perrault, who then busted to Gong and left the two heads up with fairly even stacks.
Armand King and Jiachen Gong played heads up for about three hours and finally Gong won the tournament when he got all in with pocket sevens against the ace-nine of King. Gong claimed the trophy and became the winner of Event #1 of the World Cup of Cards.
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