Yunkyu Song Clinches Victory at the 2024 WPT Prime Playground Championship

A Record-Breaking Turnout

The 2024 WPT Prime Playground Championship, held in Canada, marked a significant milestone for the World Poker Tour and the poker community at large. The tournament boasted a staggering 1,587 entries, successfully eclipsing the CAD 800,000 guarantee with a prize pool exceeding CAD 1.1 million. Such a turnout not only signifies the growing popularity of poker but also highlights the appeal of well-structured events that combine skill, excitement, and substantial rewards.

The Journey to Victory

Emerging triumphant from this enormous field was Yunkyu Song, a resident of Washington State. Song’s remarkable performance throughout the tournament culminated in a top prize of $164,251, bringing his career earnings to over $1.1 million. This victory stands as his third-largest cash to date, but it also reflects the culmination of a stellar year on the poker circuit.

Thus far in 2024, Song has made a name for himself by reaching nine final tables, and this championship marked his first outright victory. His year has included impressive finishes, such as a third-place finish at the World Series of Poker, where he earned $197,443, and another third-place showing at the Borgata Winter Poker Open, netting him $181,430.

Climbing the Leaderboard

Yunkyu Song’s win at the WPT Prime Playground earned him 1,080 Card Player Player of the Year points, catapulting him into 36th place in the ongoing Player of the Year race presented by Global Poker. This points tally signals a significant transition for Song; before this breakout year, he was relatively unknown with only eight recorded cashes totaling around $60,000.

Final Day Showdown

As the tournament headed into its final day with only 16 players remaining, Song started with a precarious position. He was the second-shortest stack when the final table was set, but he quickly turned things around. His first pivotal moment came during eight-handed play when he doubled up by besting an opponent’s A-K with A-Q. This moment not only expanded his chip stack but also instilled a newfound confidence as he navigated through the increasingly competitive final table.

One of the most thrilling moments occurred when Song squared off against Rene Gauvin, who held pocket aces. With 10-9 in hand, Song flopped trips and eventually rivered quads, a pivotal hand that left Gauvin short-stacked and eventually eliminated in sixth place for $35,413.

As the final table progressed, Song continued to build his stack, doubling with pocket jacks against Zeyu Huang’s pocket sevens. A decisive hand later saw him eliminate Huang with a set of sixes against an overpair of kings, taking him one step closer to the championship.

Heads-Up Battle

Entering the heads-up match against Kevin Rivest, Song held a 37,500,000 to 27,300,000 chip advantage. Rivest made an aggressive move by raising to 1,500,000 with A-Q. Song, recognizing an opportunity, three-bet to 5,500,000 holding A-J. After Rivest four-bet shoved for 12,500,000, Song made the call. The board ran out K-J-5-3-4, allowing Song’s pair of jacks to secure the victory, while Rivest walked away with a commendable second-place prize of $109,852.

The Final Table Results

Here’s a breakdown of the final table payouts and points awarded:

Conclusion

Yunkyu Song’s triumphant victory at the 2024 WPT Prime Playground Championship is a reminder of the thrill and uncertainty of live poker. His journey from a relatively unknown player to a champion with a significant win underscores the depth of talent and competitiveness present in the game today. As the year progresses, many will undoubtedly keep an eye on Song, eager to see what further accomplishments lie ahead for this rising star in the world of professional poker.

Photo credit: World Poker Tour