In Season XI, the inaugural partypoker.net WPT® Montreal made poker history, attracting the largest field to ever play in a live poker event in Canada. Now, with World Poker Tour’s cameras set to capture every second of the action, Playground Poker Club is poised for another record-setting turnout when play begins on November 29.
With 1,173 entrants all aiming to add their name to the prestigious WPT Champions Cup, last season’s partypoker.net WPT Montreal generated a total prize pool worth nearly $3.4 million and a first-place prize of $779,710. Despite being filled with talented and notable players including event champion Jonathan Roy and former WPT Player of the Year Gavin Smith, the final-table action was nearly overshadowed by Jeff Gross’ cheering section, which included his friends Phil Laak, Antonio Esfandiari, and Olympic legend, Michael Phelps.
Featuring a buy-in of CAD $3,500 + $350 and three Day 1s, this year’s tournament is once again expected to draw a record field filled with some of the most notable names in poker, including Esfandiari, Gross, Roy, Jonathan Duhamel, Faraz Jaka, Moshin Charania, Kara Scott, and WPT Ones to Watch Athanasios Polychronopolous and Christina Lindley.
“We were thrilled with last season’s turnout for this event,” said WPT President Adam Pliska. “We always knew poker was popular in Canada, but the level of enthusiasm and the warm reception we received was beyond our expectations. Now, with the addition of our cameras and partypoker’s decision to hold its seventh-annual Premier League in Montreal, players and viewers around the world will be able to see for themselves why Playground Poker Club is one of the most exciting and unique venues anywhere.”
Running from November 20 – 26, the partypoker Premier League VII will bring 12 of the biggest names in poker to Montreal for a unique, $125,000 buy-in event that will be taped for broadcast as part of World Poker Tour Season XII on FOX Sports Network. Confirmed players for this year’s event include Tony G., Antonio Esfandiari, Phil Laak, Jeff Gross, Vanessa Selbst, Sam Trickett, and Montreal native, Jonathan Duhamel.
All Main Event players are invited to join WPT Royal Flush Girls Angelique Velez and Ivy Teves at The Rail at Playground Poker Club for a player party beginning at 9pm on Saturday, November 30 followed by an after-party in downtown Montreal for all WPT Champions Club members, ClubWPT and partypoker qualifiers.
Players can view Playground Poker Club’s schedule of preliminary events online, and can contact [email protected] for assistance with their tournament and hotel reservations for the partypoker.net WPT Montreal event.