Big Hand Early Keeps Darren Elias’ Quest for No. 5 Alive at WPT Playground

The CAD $3,500 buy-in, CAD $1.5 million GTD World Poker Tour (WPT) Playground Championship kicked off on Thursday with Day 1a action. The first of three starting flights attracted 143 runners to the Montreal poker mecca, and after 10 levels of play just 44 remained with Giuseppe Corapi and their stack of 401,000 leading the way.

Some others to bag big were Zak Vankeuren (370,500) and Tommy Nguyen (342,500), while Rayan Chamas (177,000), Mark Bailey (172,000), Jeremy Platt (87,000), and Casey Yenta (57,500) all punched their ticket to Day 2.

WPT Playground Top 10 Chip Counts

Place Player Count
1 Giuseppe Corapi 401,000
2 Zak Vankeuren 370,500
3 Tommy Nguyen 342,500
4 Jatinder Singh 301,000
5 Kevin Javier 276,500
6 Maher Achour 274,000
7 Ari Shin 263,500
8 Michael Zahir Hasan Khan 254,000
9 Georgees Zero 251,000
10 Santiago Plante 235,500

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Giuseppe CorapiAnother player who survived the night was four-time WPT champ Darren Elias (lead photo), who bagged up 193,000. In Level 2 (200/300/300), reporter Liam Gannon saw Nick Skodatikas call from early position before Elias raised to 1,300. Jatinder Singh called from the button, Skodatikas called the additional 1,000, and it was three-way action to a flop of A*♥6K♣*.

Elias continued for 1,000, both his opponents called, and the 3*♣* appeared on the turn. Skodatikas shifted gears by betting out 2,100 and Elias raised it to 9,000. Singh got out of the way but Skodatikas called to see the A*♦* pair the board on the river.

Skodatikas bet again, this time 6,000, and Elias raised to 25,000. Skodatikas hit the tank before going all in for 28,300 total and Elias snap-called. Skodatikas showed the A*♠8♠* for trip aces but it was no good as Elias rolled over the A*♣3♠* for a full house. Skodatikas exited the tournament while Elias vaulted into the early chip lead.

Among those to fall on Day 1a were Igor Tregoubov, Mike Leah, Griffin Benger, Jason Sagle, Ema Zajmovic, Chanracy Khun, three-time WPT champ Eric Afriat, and defending champ David Dongwoo Ko.

Eliot HudonAnother player to fall on Day 1a was 2022 WPT World Champion Eliot Hudon, who busted in Level 9 (1,000/1,500/1,500) at the hands of Tommy Nguyen. In a four-bet preflop pot, the flop fell seven-high before Hudon bet 18,000, Nguyen raised to 40,000, and Hudon jammed for 123,000. Nguyen called with pocket aces and was ahead of Hudon’s kings. Neither the turn nor river changed a thing and Hudon exited late in the night.

The Day 1b flight will kick off at 11 a.m. local time on Friday with the third and final flight taking place at the same time on Saturday. The surviving players from all three flights will then return for Day 2 on Sunday, October 27.

PR & Media Manager for PokerNews, Podcast host & 2013 WSOP Bracelet Winner.

FAQ

Can you win real money at WPT Global?

Can you win real money at WPT Global? Yes, you can win real money at WPT Global. WPT Global also offer the chance to win seats in any number of exciting live tournaments.

Can you withdraw from WPT Global?

Can you withdraw from WPT Global? Before making your first withdrawal, WPT Global, as a licensed operator, requires new customers to verify their account by providing the necessary documentation. This includes: Documentation that proves your identity such as a driving licence or passport.

How to play okey online?

How to play okey online? During the game each player receives a hand of 14 tiles. The objective of the game is to form a hand that consists entirely of sets of equal numbered tiles and runs of consecutive tiles of the same color. This can be achieved by drawing and discarding tiles. The first player to complete their hand wins the game.

How much is the WPT diamond membership?

Who owns the WPT? In 2021 the World Poker Tour was sold to Element Partners for $105 million.

Can I use tracking software or a HUD?

Can I use tracking software or a HUD? No, the use of third party software is prohibited.

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