Day 2 Highlights: WPT Playground Championship at Playground Poker Club
The buzz around the CAD $3,500 buy-in, CAD $1.5 million guaranteed World Poker Tour (WPT) Playground Championship intensified on Day 2, showcasing the resilience and determination of professional poker talent. After attracting a massive total of 806 entries, the tournament witnessed an increase in participation as 34 additional players opted for late registration, bringing the total field up to an impressive 840 hopefuls.
A Booming Prize Pool
The surge in entries resulted in a staggering CAD $2,688,000 prize pool, significantly surpassing the initial guarantee. The top 105 finishers were set to take home a share of this pool, with a lucrative CAD $412,300 designated for the eventual champion — a carrot that all players were eager to chase.
As Day 2 unfolded over ten levels of play, the competition became fiercer, and the player count dwindled. By the end of the day, only 53 players remained, led by none other than Zhi Gang Yang, who amassed a formidable stack of 2.15 million chips to secure the chip leader position heading into Day 3.
Chip Counts and Standout Players
Yang’s ascent to the top of the leader board was closely followed by formidable rivals, including Stephen Dauphinais (2.14 million) and Connor Daynard (2.06 million). Renowned WPT player Darren Elias, who is on a quest for his fifth WPT title, ended Day 2 with a healthy stack of 365,000. Elias’s history at this event brought with it a wave of optimism; his last major victory in Canada was at the 2017 WPT Fallsview Poker Classic where he clinched a first-place prize of $335,436.
End-of-Day 2 Chip Counts
| Place | Player | Count |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Zhi Gang Yang | 2,150,000 |
| 2 | Stephen Dauphinais | 2,140,000 |
| 3 | Connor Daynard | 2,060,000 |
| 4 | Zachary Fischer | 1,965,000 |
| 5 | Johan Lees | 1,760,000 |
| 6 | Antoine Sankari | 1,650,000 |
| 7 | Patrick Nguyen | 1,470,000 |
| 8 | Ari Shin | 1,340,000 |
| 9 | Zak Vankeuren | 1,245,000 |
| 10 | Jason Alvarez | 1,230,000 |
End-of-Day 2 chip leader Zhi Gang Yang
Notable Eliminations and Near Misses
As expected in tournaments of such magnitude, Day 2 wasn’t short on drama. Notable players who returned for Day 2 but ultimately fell short of making the money included former NHL star and WPT Global Ambassador Phil Kessel, as well as defending champion David Dongwoo Ko. Veteran players like Mike Leah, Eric Afriat, and the unfortunate bubble boy Frederic Harvey also exited without a cash prize.
Afriat’s exit was particularly noteworthy; eliminated just shy of the money, he was caught in a critical hand involving high stakes and shining cards. His all-in move with Q♣9♣ was called by Patrick Nguyen, who held pocket jacks, leading to Afriat’s untimely demise after the board ran out unfavorably for him.
Eric Afriat
Players Cashing In
Despite the heartbreak for some, other competitors found their way into the money. Players such as Sergei Gurin (65th – CAD $6,190) and Michael Farrow (70th – CAD $6,190) celebrated their cashes while looking forward to advancing further into the tournament.
The following payouts were set for those who remained:
Remaining Payouts
| Place | Prize in CAD |
|---|---|
| 1 | CAD $412,300 (US $296,779) (including a seat in the WPT World Championship) |
| 2 | CAD $265,000 (US $190,750) |
| 3 | CAD $196,000 (US $141,083) |
| 4 | CAD $146,000 (US $105,093) |
| 5 | CAD $111,000 (US $79,899) |
| 6 | CAD $84,000 (US $60,464) |
| 7 | CAD $65,000 (US $46,788) |
| 8 | CAD $50,000 (US $35,991) |
| 9-10 | CAD $39,500 (US $28,433) |
| 11-12 | CAD $35,500 (US $25,553) |
| 13-15 | CAD $31,500 (US $22,674) |
| 16-19 | CAD $27,500 (US $19,795) |
| 20-23 | CAD $24,000 (US $17,276) |
| 24-31 | CAD $20,500 (US $14,756) |
| 32-39 | CAD $17,300 (US $12,453) |
| 40-47 | CAD $14,400 (US $10,365) |
| 48-53 | CAD $12,200 (US $8,782) |
Looking Ahead
The remaining 53 players are set to return for Day 3 at 11 a.m. local time, where the stakes will be heightened with tables transitioning to eight-handed play and level increases to 90 minutes once the player count drops to 40.
As anticipation builds for Day 3, PokerNews will provide on-the-ground coverage, bringing up-to-the-minute updates and insights from the tournament floor. The stage is set for an exhilarating continuation of the WPT Playground Championship, with a captivating mix of skill, strategy, and unpredictability awaiting the players.
Photos courtesy of World Poker Tour (WPT) / Alicia Skillman
