Friday, November 22, 2013 11:22 PM Local Time
Charles Sylvestre Wins Casino Lac Leamy WSOP Circuit Event
The day started with Charles Sylvestre on top and the day ended with the Charles Sylvestre on top. The Quebecois WSOP bracelet winner ruled the tournament and never slowed down as he battled his way through the Final 18. Sylvestre takes home the $122,435 first place prize, a WSOP Circuit gold ring and on top of that he earns a berth into the WSOP National Championship.
The final day of play started with 18 hopefuls and Sylvestre with a two-to-one chip lead over his nearest challenger, Mike Leah. French Canadian Claud St-Pierre was the first player to hit the rail as the short stack ran his ace-six into Gabriel Menard’s queens. Menard collected $6,400 for his efforts.
In the second level of play we witnessed an epic clash between Daniel Charette, who held the chip lead for quite a while on Day 2, and Leah. Leah crippled Charette who bluffed all in on the turn against Leah’s set. Charette was knocked out not too long after this while Leah was now very close to Sylvestre. In a matter of hands we also said goodbye to Gabriel Menard (16th - $6,400), Jeremie Trepanier (15th - $7,691) and Jason Sagle (14th - $7,691), the latter finished 23rd in the WSOP Main Event won by Greg Raymer in 2004.
After Richard Reimer busted in 13th ($7,691) place two six-handed tables remained. When short handed play begun it became ever so clear that Sylvestre showed up to win. Sylvestre kept pounding on his opponents and chipped up nicely during this phase. Things did not go so well for Antonio Della Sciucca who was knocked out in 12th place for $9,371. Della Sciucca’s jacks failed to hold up against Vladimir Faubert’s king-queen and 11 players remained.
On the final table bubble we said goodbye to Robert Repaci who was short for quite a while before hitting the rail. Finally Repaci shoved with ace-three only to get called by Sylvestre’s pocket treys.The board brought no help for Repaci who took home $9,371.
Here’s a look at the final table seating:
Seat 1: Charles Sylvestre - 1,700,000 (85BB)
Seat 2: Adam Podstawka - 215,000 (11BB)
Seat 3: Justin Dean - 443,000 (22BB)
Seat 4: Vladimir Faubert - 481,000 (24BB)
Seat 5: Sol Bergren - 911,000 (45BB)
Seat 6: Bryan Moon - 725,000 (36BB)
Seat 7: Dinara Khaziyeva - 720,000 (36BB)
Seat 8: John Pentefountas - 455,000 (22BB)
Seat 9: John Nelson - 1,060,000 (53BB)
Seat 10: Mike Leah - 736,000 (36BB)
Right at the start it was local favorite Faubert who fell to Sylvestre’s ever growing stack. Sylvestre had his opponent crushed in a pre flop confrontation holding kings to Faubert’s queens. The board brought blanks and Faubert took home $9,371. Sylvestre had amassed 2.1 million chips already at this point, with 7.4 million in play.
Leah had lost quite a few chips since doubling through Charette but he pulled another trick out of his hat to stay alive. Leah moved all in from early position with two fives and Ioannis Pentefountas called with ace-king suited. Leah’s hand held up, Pentefountas was crippled and knocked out two hands later. Pentefountas cashed $14,491 for his ninth-place finish.
Adam Podstawka was next to go in eighth place when his queen-eight did not improve versus Justin Dean’s king-queen suited. Podstawka cashed $14,491 and more importantly he also leads the Casino Leaderboard here in Lac Leamy. Five events still need to be completed but if Podtawka remains at the top he secures himself a berth into the National Championship next spring.
Right after the dinner break Bryan Moon ran out of steam. Moon finished seventh for $18,398, as he lost his final chips with eight-seven of hearts versus Sylvestre’s king-four. Just a few hands later Dean was knocked in sixth for $23,690 when he could not win a flip holding nines versus Sylvestre’s ace-ten.
With five players left there seemed to a battle for second place behind the immense stack Sylvestre had gathered. Leah was one of the contenders but he ran ace-king into John Nelson’s aces. Nelson now sat firmly in second place while Leah was eliminated in fifth place cashing $30,953.
Sol Bergren had moved up the payladder nicely but he could not prevent getting knocked out by, who else, Sylvestre. This time Sylvestre woke up with ace-queen when Bergren moved all in. Bergren held ace-six and did not improve. Bergren walked away $41,047 richer as just three players remained.
The last lady standing, Dinara Khaziyeva, fought a tough fight but eventually she lost a big coinflip to end her impressive run. Khaziyeva pocket tens seemed safe against Nelson’s ace-queen when the flop brought mere low cards. The turn did not change anything either when a king popped up, but on the river the ace of spades knocked her out. Khaziyeva walked away with $55,283, her biggest live tournament cash to date.
Because of Nelson’s late surge he started with the chip lead going into the heads-up battle.
John Nelson - 5,200,000 (130BB)
Charles Sylvestre - 2,200,000 (55BB)
The total final table lasted just over six hours and the heads-up portion no more than 30 minutes. Sylvestre turned things in his favor and came out victorious catching Nelson on a big bluff. On the final hand Nelson three-bet the river all in with just six high and Sylvestre called with trip deuces. Nelson was knocked out in second place for $75,656 and Sylvestre was crowned WSOP Circuit Main Event champion! The French Canadian now has a WSOP bracelet and a WSOP Circuit Main Event title, which is of course a very impressive feat.
1st: Charles Sylvestre - $122,435
2nd: John Nelson - $75,656
3rd: Dinara Khaziyeva - $55,283
4th: Sol Bergre - $41,047
5th: Mike Leah - $30,953
6th: Justin Dean - $23,690
7th: Bryan Moon - $18,398
8th: Adam Podstawka - $14,491
9th: Ioannis Pentefountas - $11,575
10th: Vladimir Faubert - $9,371