United Kingdom's Jack Hardcastle became the latest poker player to join the exclusive WPT Champions Club after he came out on top of a field of 888 entrants to win the WPT Montreal $3,200 Main Event at partypoker for his biggest poker tournament cash to date of $447,859.
Hardcastle is one of poker's latest success stories with one big online poker tournament score after another in recent months. Less than a month ago, he managed his previous biggest score in his poker career at the time after he finished in fourth place after agreeing to a four-way deal at the final table in the PokerStars Blowout Series: $109 NLHE – The Big Blowout! to win $270,764.
The WPT Montreal is typically held at the popular Playground Poker Club but for obvious reasons was held online this year for the first time at partypoker. This fact wasn't lost on Hardcastle who is known to not only be one of poker's sharpest minds but also a quick wit as well.
"I’m so good that I managed to win WPT Montreal without leaving my house," Hardcastle said on Facebook to his friends after the win.
WPT Montreal Main Event Final Table Results
| Place | Player | Country | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jack Hardcastle | United Kingdom | $447,859 |
| 2 | Rayan Chamas | Canada | $308,703 |
| 3 | Daniel Shak | Canada | $212,459 |
| 4 | Felix Daniel Schulze | Austria | $139,164 |
| 5 | Andrei Kriazhev | Germany | $95,673 |
| 6 | Charles Chattha | United Kingdom | $74,119 |
| 7 | Jakob Miegel | Austria | $58,650 |
| 8 | Marcel Kunze | Germany | $46,685 |
| 9 | Upeshka De Silva | Mexico | $37,024 |
WPT Montreal Main Event Action
The WPT Montreal Main Event attracted 888 entrants via two opening flights. This generated a massive $2,664,000 prize pool to smash the already generous $2,000,000 guarantee.
A total of 133 players advanced to Day 2 with the field whittled down to just 23 hopefuls on Day 3. Day 3 played down to a final table and Hardcastle nearly didn't make it there. Near the end of the day, Hardcastle was at risk with eights against two players holding jacks and kings. An eight hit the board and instead of hitting the rail, Hardcastle temporarily snagged the chip lead.
The final table took slightly more than five hours. Dan Shak kicked off the action with the chip lead with Rayan Chamas, Andrei Kriazhev, and Hardcastle all close behind.
Very soon into the action, Kriazhev, who was the chip leader entering Day 2, won a big pot against Charles Chattha to become the table captain.
Chamas also chipped up very quickly into the final table after he eliminated the short-stacked Upeshka De Silva in a huge cooler with both players holding the big slick. Chamas' big slick was suited and he improved to a flush to send De Silva packing in ninth place for $37,024.
Marcel Kunze was next to go in eighth place when his ace-nine couldn't get there against Kriazhev's big slick to collect $46,685.
Shortly after Chattha claimed the chip lead and Hardcastle and Jakob Miegel held the two short stacks in play. Hardcastle then began his run at the final table by eliminating Miegel (seventh - $58,650) when his ace-king suited held against ace-three.
Chattha's chip lead didn't last long with Hardcastle temporarily claiming the honors for the first time at the final table before Khiazhev once again took the lead. Hardcastle then claimed the lead back while sending Chattha to the showers in sixth place for $74,119 when his cowboys held against king-queen suited.
Khiazhev then hit a bit of a cooler to lose most of his stack to Shak after a failed attempt with limping aces. Shak held a suited big slick and improved to a flush to get close to the chip lead. Shortly after, Khiazhev dusted off his short stack and collected the fifth-place prize of $95,673 when his jack-ten couldn't get there against the ace-ten suited held by Felix Schulze.
It was then Schulze who hit the rail next in fourth place for $139,164 on a bad beat while also giving Chamas a small chip lead in three-handed play. Schulze was committed with ace-jack suited on a jack-high flop but didn't hold when Chamas improved to two pair holding king-ten suited.
Hardcastle then took the lead back once again and extended it further heading into heads-up play against Chamas after he eliminated Shak in third place for $212,459 when his ace-five suited held against king-jack.
Heads-Up Action
The heads-up action began with Hardcastle holding about twice as many chips as Chamas. Hardcastle extended his lead and seemed to be cruising to victory before Chamas doubled up to bring the stacks close after jamming against Hardcastle with a gutshot straight draw and two counterfeited over-cards which were counterfeited) and getting there.
Chamas was unable to gain momentum and was eliminated in second place after two failed bluffs against Hardcastle. Although Chamas wasn't able to claim the title, he did walk away with a healthy runner-up payout of $308,703 for his valiant effort.
Meanwhile, congrats to Jack Hardcastle on a huge win and joining the exclusive WPT Champions Club.
WPT Montreal Online Schedule
While the Main Event is a wrap, there are plenty more exciting tournaments on the WPT Montreal Online schedule, including the $10,300 buy-in Mike Sexton Classic. This charity tournament takes place on Jan. 31 and the $300 registration fee from all entries will be donated to the Nevada Partnership Homeless Youth charity.
The event comes with a $1 million guarantee and the final table will be live-streamed on Feb. 1.
Related: You Don't Need a Huge Bankroll to Become partypoker's Legend of the Week
| Date | Time (GMT) | Event Number | Event | Buy-in | Guarantee |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan. 28 | 7:05 p.m. | 17 | 6-Max High Roller | $5,200 | $250,000 |
| 9:05 p.m. | 18 | High Roller Turbo | $2,100 | $100,000 | |
| 10:05 p.m. | 19 | 7-Max Turbo | $265 | $30,000 | |
| Jan. 29 | 7:05 p.m. | 20 | Playground Closer Day 1A | $530 | $250,000 |
| 10:05 p.m. | 21 | 7-Max Turbo | $162 | $20,000 | |
| Jan. 30 | 7:05 p.m. | 20 | Playground Closer Day 1B | $530 | $250,000 |
| 10:05 p.m. | 22 | 6-Max Turbo | $162 | $25,000 | |
| Jan. 31 | 4:05 p.m. | 20 | Playground Closer Day 1C | $530 | $250,000 |
| 7:05 p.m. | 23 | Mike Sexton Classic | $10,300 | $1,000,000 | |
| 8:05 p.m. | 20 | Playground Closer Day 2 | - | $250,000 | |
| 9:05 p.m. | 24 | High Roller Turbo | $3,200 | $150,000 |
