Sam Chartier won the MSPT Canadian Poker Championship with a record prize

Sam Chartier claimed victory at the MSPT Canadian Poker Championship 2023 at Playground Poker Club, earning the biggest prize on home soil.

From October 20 to 23, 2023, the second-ever MSPT Canadian Poker Championship took place at Playground Poker Club — the Main Event of the Major Series of Poker: The Tour (MSPT) with a buy-in of C$1,150. The tournament attracted 809 entries, resulting in an impressive prize pool of C$1,000,000. Sam Chartier’s Road to Victory Professional poker player Sam Chartier started Day 2 of the tournament with a short stack, among the 90 remaining participants. Despite his unfavorable position, Chartier quickly built up his stack and made it to the final table. Throughout the final, he stuck to a patient strategy, avoiding risky hands unless necessary. The key moment came when only three players remained: Chartier became the chip leader for the first time. In one of the decisive hands, he hit top pair on the flop against Mohamed Kechiche , who had a straight draw. Both players went all-in: on the turn, Kechiche made top pair, but on the river, Chartier improved to two pair and knocked out his opponent, entering heads-up play with a solid chip lead over Adil Morkos . The Final Table Showdown Heads-up was decided rather quickly. In one of the first hands, Adil Morkos went all-in preflop with two black sevens against Chartier’s ace-jack . After a safe flop for Morkos, a queen hit the turn, giving Chartier a pair. The river changed nothing, and Morkos finished in second place, earning C$124,000. For Chartier, this victory was his biggest on home soil and the fifth largest of his career, which began back in 2007. The first-place prize was C$175,000, bringing Sam Chartier’s total tournament winnings to over $3.5 million (according to The Hendon Mob). Tournament Results and Payouts Below is a list of some players who made the money: 1st place: Sam Chartier — C$175,000 2nd place: Adil Morkos — C$124,000 3rd place: Mohamed Kechiche — amount not specified 12th place: Ilan Goldman (last American in the tournament) — $14,500 15th place: Eric Callejas — $12,000 22nd place: Omri Cohen — $7,000 30th place: Xuan Dang — $5,000 33rd place: Merritt Kuhn — $5,000 49th place: DJ Buckley — $4,000 112th place: Griffin Benger — $14,500 A total of 90 players made it into the money (ITM). Tournament Features and MSPT Format MSPT (Major Series of Poker: The Tour) is one of the most popular poker series in North America, regularly attracting the region’s top players. The Main Event of the series is known for its affordable buy-in and large prize pool thanks to a high number of entries. In this case, the buy-in was C$1,150, which brought in 809 participants and created a million-dollar prize pool. The tournament format includes several playing days: the first day (or multiple starting flights) and Day 2, where the best performers from the initial stage advance. The main prizes are played out at the final table, and the battle for the title often lasts late into the night. Upcoming MSPT Stops The 17th season of the MSPT will continue from October 28 to November 1 at the festival in Grand Falls Casino, located near Sioux Falls. The next stop will take place from November 3 to 8 at Riverside Casino in Iowa. In addition, for the first time ever, there will be a joint MSPT and Seminole Hard Rock event — the Rock ‘N’ Roll Poker Open, scheduled for November 17 to December 2 . What This Means for PPPoker Club Players This news clearly shows that even players who start the final day with a short stack can achieve major victories through smart strategy and patience. For PPPoker club members, it’s a great example of why you should never give up after a rough start and should seize every opportunity to build your stack. Moreover, the MSPT structure with its affordable buy-in and large prize pool demonstrates that mass tournaments with accessible entry can bring big winnings and are open to players of all skill levels. This can inspire PPPoker club members to take part in major online events, where they can also realize their potential. Finally, the success of professionals like Sam Chartier highlights the importance of continuous improvement and analyzing your own game. Follow major series, study the hands of finalists — and apply this knowledge in PPPoker club tournaments to raise your own level and results.