Canada’s Jean-Pascal Savard secured the largest poker tournament cash of his career on May 10 when he topped a field of 1,168 entries in the partypoker Million North America Main Event and got his hands on a massive CAD$956,000 prize.
partypoker Million North America Main Event Final Table Results
| Place | Player | Prize (CAD) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jean-Pascal Savard | $956,000* |
| 2 | Jonathan Bussieres | $693,950* |
| 3 | Philippe D’Auteuil | $450,000 |
| 4 | Louis Boutin | $335,000 |
| 5 | Ari Engel | $238,350 |
| 6 | Niall Farrell | $160,000 |
| 7 | Matthew Waxman | $110,000 |
| 8 | Rayan Chamas | $80,000 |
*reflects a heads-up deal
The 1,168 entries were spread across online satellites, Phase 1 qualifiers and online Day 1s at partypoker and live satellites, Phase 1s and Day 1s at the amazing Playground Poker Club in Montreal, Canada. Of those entries, only 119 players received any prize money for their substantial efforts so spare a thought for the United Kingdom’s Steve Warburton who bust in 120th place to burst the money bubble.
Warburton’s exit on Day 3 locked up CAD$10,000 for the remaining players and the likes of former World Series of Poker Main Event champion Ryan Riess, partypoker Million North America High Roller champion Mike McDonald, Darren Elias, Sam Chartier, Jason Koon, partypoker MILLIONS UK High Roller winner Vojtech Ruzicka, partypoker ambassador Sam Trickett, Carlos Mortensen, Sam Greenwood and Scott Montgomery navigated their way into the money places.
By the time Day 5 came around, only eight players were in the hunt for the title and each of these hopefuls was guaranteed $80,000.
partypoker Million North America Main Event Final Table
| Seat | Player | Chips |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ari Engel | 252,500,000 |
| 2 | Jonathan Bussieres | 108,700,000 |
| 3 | Rayan Chamas | 168,400,000 |
| 4 | Philippe D’Auteuil | 142,500,000 |
| 5 | Louis Boutin | 43,900,000 |
| 6 | Niall Farrell | 69,200,000 |
| 7 | Matthew Waxman | 115,300,000 |
| 8 | Jean-Pascal Savard | 243,100,000 |
It took 52 hands before a player was eliminated from the final table and that player was Rayan Chamas who raised to 10 million from under the gun at the 2,000,000/4,000,000/400,000a level with 
and then moved all-in for 129.2 million after Savard three-bet to 31.7 million with what turned out to be 
. Savard called and when the board ran 
it was game over for Chamas.
Ten hands later, Matthew Waxman moved all-in for 26 million (slight more than five big blinds at the time) from under the gun with 
and Niall Farrell made the call from the big blind with the 
. Waxman’s hand remained best on the 
flop but fell behind on the 
turn. The 
river confirmed Waxman’s exit in seventh place.
Sixth place was settled on the 92nd hand of the final table and it was Farrell who fell in this position. Farrell limped in from the small blind for 6 million with 
, Savard moved all-in from the big blind with 
and Farrell snap-called for 213 million. Savard shot into the lead on the 
flop and stayed ahead through the turn and river.
Start of the day chip leader Ari Engel was the next to fall and he did so at the hands of Philippe D’Auteuil. Engel pushed all in for 11 big blinds from the button with 
and D’Auteuil called from the big blind with . Engel did pair his six on the turn of the 
board but it was too little too late for him and he headed to the cashier’s cage.
Four handed play ended with the elimination of Louis Boutin who lost a coinflip against Jonathan Bussieres. The latter moved all-in from the button with 
in an attempt to steal the ample blinds and antes, but Boutin called with 
in the big blind. A board reading 
sent Boutin to the rail.
Heads-up was set on hand 156 when Bussieres moved all-in from the small blind with to put D’Auteuil to the test for his last 19 big blinds. D’Auteuil had been dealt 
so made the call, but a six on the flop of the 
board bust him in third place.
Savard held a 747 million to 395 million chip lead over Bussieres but despite this the heads-up duo struck a deal that locked up CAD$693,950 for Bussieres, CAD$791,000 for Savard and left CAD$165,000 and the trophy for the champion.
On the 21st hand of heads-up play, with blinds at 6,000,000/12,000,000/1,000,000, Savard raised to 33 million and then called when Bussieres shoved for 444 million. Bussieres showed , Savard the and when the five community cards fell 
, Bussieres fell in second place and Savard was crowned the partypoker Million North America Main Event champion.
Head to the partypoker LIVE section of the partypoker website to discover where the tour heads next. There are events in Germany and Russia on the horizon, plus let’s not forget about Las Vegas and the Caribbean Poker Party. Fun times are ahead.
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