INAUGURAL WPT CANADA TOURNEY WON BY VANCOUVER PLAYER

16 May 2008

With an entry field of over 300 players and a prize-pool of almost $850 000, WPTC Coast to Coast was a winner


The inaugural WPT Canada Coast to Coast tournament up there at the River Rock Resort in the Great White North drew top poker names prepared to make a pricey main event buy-in investment of $3 000 for a crack at the $845 000 prize-pool, including Gavin Smith who is the current WPT Season IV Player of the Year; Canadian Poker Tour Player of the Year Brad Booth and 2007 Mandalay Bay WPT Champion Shawn Buchanan. Other well respected players included Jody Trainer and Antonio Esfandiari.

But it was Vancouver pro Keith Wintermans who took the title and the $224 100 main prize in an exciting and protracted heads up with second placed Patrick McCaw, who collected a second placing check for $139 545 for his time and effort.

The tournament consisted of seven events, and marked the launch of the WPT franchise in Canada as an extension of the popular U.S. company's events played at locations around the world.

Players started with $15 000 chip stacks and hour long blinds in the event, which took place over three days, with day 2 comprising an arduous 18 hours of play to decide the six-player final table. Joining Wintermans and McCaw at the final table were Tyler Hamade, Chris Chang, Tyler Patterson and Nigel Vonas.

Eight hours later it was all over, and a delighted Wintermans claimed his rewards and a striking improvement to a cv that has previously included a seventh placing in the 2007 Johnny Chan Poker Classic. The Vancouver player can also boast cashes in seven tough tournaments - including three at the World Series of Poker - and is looking forward to this year's event.

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