On Friday night, the CAD $1,100 World Poker Tour (WPT) Prime Playground Championship, which had attracted 1,587 runners over four starting flights, crowned a winner in Yunkyu Song, who won a CAD $241,620 first-place prize plus a seat into December’s WPT World Championship at Wynn Las Vegas.
PokerNews was on-site for the action-packed tournament, and during that time the WPT Live Reporting Team (shoutout to Liam Gannon, David Salituro, and Ryan Lashmar) captured some game-changing hands.
Here’s a look at five big hands from the WPT Prime Playground Championship as reported in the WPT live blog.
What a Hero Call!
On Day 2 in Level 23 (20,000/40,000/40,000), 34 players remained when Timothy Rutherford min-raised to 80,000 from the cutoff and Senthuran Vijayaratnam defended the big blind to see a flop of 10♦7♣4♥.
Vijayaratnam check-called a bet of 110,000 and then check-called one of 325,000 on the 8♦ turn. When the 2♠ completed the board on the river, Vijayaratnam checked for a third time and Rutherford bet 850,000.
Vijayaratnam burned a time extension before calling with the Q♦4♦ for just fourth pair, but it was the right call as Rutherford had been bluffing with his A♥J♣.
It was a massive pot that put Vijayaratnam up to 111 big blinds, while Rutherford busted a short time later in 31st place.
Cooler Deep on Day 2
With just 30 players remaining in the tournament, it was Level 24 (25,000/50,000/50,000) when Yunkyu Song raised to 100,000 from the cutoff and Srikanth Gundela jammed for 705,000 from the button. Both blinds folded and Song quickly called.
Srikanth Gundela: Q♦Q♠
Yunkyu Song: K♠K♣
It was a cooler and Gundela was on the bad end of it. He was looking to get lucky and picked up a seat when the 10♠9♠J♠ flop delivered him a straight flush draw, though only the 8♠ would help him as Song had the better flush draw with a king.
Unfortunately for Gundela, neither the 10♦ turn nor 10♥ river helped him and he hit the rail in 30th place for $6,287.
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Raymond Carter’s Kings Deposed
On Day 3, just 13 players remained in Level 28 (75,000/125,000/125,000) when Raymond Carter and Zeyu Huang saw a flop of Q♠6♥4♥. The former bet 300,000 from the under-the-gun-position and the latter check-raised to 850,000 from the big blind. Carter proceeded to moved all in for 3.6 million and Huang burned a few time extensions before making the call.
Raymond Carter: K♦K♣
Zeyu Huang: A♥9♥
Carter was ahead with pocket kings but Huang had a flush draw with an over. The K♠ was good for Carter as it improved him to a set, but unfortunately for him, the river was the 3♥ to give Huang a winning flush.
“Nasty, Ray. What are you going to do?” Robin Wezelenburg offered from across the table. Carter received CAD $15,400 for his 13th-place finish.
Huang Set Up to End Four-Handed Play
Four-handed play at the final table began on Hand #39 And the next player didn’t fall until Hand #123. It happened in Level 33 (200,000/400,000/400,000) when Zeyu Huang raised to 800,000 under the gun and Yunkyu Song called out of the small blind.
When the flop fell Q♣6♠3♠, Huang bet 1.8 million and Song raised to 4.6 million. The former then moved all in and the latter snap-called while saying, “I have a set.”
Indeed, Song tabled the 6♣6♦ for a set of sixes and was ahead of Huang’s K♥K♣ overpair. The J♦ turn left Huang looking for a king on the river, but it wasn’t in the cards as the 9♥ peeled off instead.
Huang was eliminated in fourth place for CAD $85,000.
Another Bad Beat to End the Tournament
The final hand of the tournament, which was Hand #167 of the final table, took place in Level 34 (250,000/500,000/500,000). Kevin Rivest raised to 1.5 million and Song three-bet to 5.5 million. Rivest then moved all in for 12.5 million total and Song called.
Kevin Rivest: A♦Q♦
Yunkyu Song: A♣J♣
Rivest had the best of it, but unfortunately for him, the flop came down K♣J♠5♦ to pair Song. Neither the 3♠ turn nor 4♥ river changed a thing and Rivest had to settle for second place and CAD $152,000 in prize money.
PokerNews will be on-site at the WPT Playground for the next week offering content throughout, so be sure to check back daily as we bring you updates and stories straight from the tournament floor.
*Photos courtesy World Poker Tour (WPT) / Alicia Skillman
PR & Media Manager
