2009 North American Poker Championship News:
2009 North American Poker Championship has been canceled
We recently received an email from the Shift Manager at the Fallsview Casino in Niagara Falls, Ontario with this unfortunate news:
To whom it may concern,
The WPT event at Fallsview Casino will not be offered this year, (2009). Please remove any advertising for this event from your website.
Thank you,
Robert Kipp
We have contacted Robert for further details on this situation, and will keep you informed with any updates on the situation.
2008 North American Poker Championship News:
Canadian Amateur Beats Gavin Smith Heads Up for the Title
Six days of poker with three day-one flights whittled a field of 454 players down to the final six for the final table of the World Poker Tour North American Poker Championship. These final players in the $10,000 no-limit hold’em championship event were all gunning for the $1,090,589 first-place prize, and at the end of the night it would come down to two Canadian players to see who would walk away with that and the NAPC championship title. The 2008 final table had much in common with 2006, as five Canadians joined one veteran tournament professional from the United States as the television cameras got rolling just after 4 p.m. Here were the chip counts at the start of play:
Seat 1: Kathy Liebert -- 1,620,000
Seat 2: Gavin Smith -- 2,815,000
Seat 3: Marc Karam -- 1,850,000
Seat 4: Glen Witmer -- 3,710,000
Seat 5: James Trenholm -- 1,365,000
Seat 6: Ryan Fisler -- 2,285,000
The blinds began at 15,000-30,000 with a 5,000 ante, ensuring each player remaining the chance to play deep-stack poker at the final table. It took 38 hands for the first player to fall, short-stacked James Trenholm. He ran pocket sevens into the pocket kings of Gavin Smith, and he was eliminated in sixth place ($133,137).
Canadian professional Marc Karam has had a history of success at the NAPC. In much the same way he has made a habit of making final tables at the European Poker Tour Grand Final year after year (fourth in 2006, second in 2007), Karam cashed for the third year in a row in Niagara. He was one of the five Canadian at the final table in 2006, where he finished in sixth place and he followed that up with a 25th-place finish last year. This was his second final-table appearance at the NAPC, but he was only able to make it to fifth place ($171,175). Karam’s fate was decided when he moved all in with pocket queens against the A-K of Glen Witmer, who hit an ace on the flop to win the hand.
During four-handed play Witmer continued to win big pots, many of them from Smith, and he ran his stack up to 7 million (more than all three of his opponents combined). Witmer raised to 200,000 on the button on hand 98 and Ryan Fisler reraised to 775,000 from the small blind. The flop was dealt J
9
2
and Fisler moved all in. Witmer quickly made the call and turned over A J. Fisler held A K and he was drawing to slim outs until the J
on turn ensured that he was drawing dead, and Fisler was eliminated in fourth place ($228,234). Witmer was now up near 10,000,000, almost 75 percent of the chips in play.
Kathy Liebert’s fate was decided when Smith doubled up through her with A-9 over Q-J when an ace came on the flop of hand 105. Two hands later Witmer finished the job when Liebert called off her short stack preflop with 8 7. Witmer held Q J and the board was dealt K Q 3 5 10. Liebert was eliminated in third place, taking home $277,684 in prize money.
Heads-up chip counts:
Glen Witmer: 9,830,000
Gavin Smith: 3,815,000
Smith was focused and quiet as he grinded his chip stack back up to 5,500,000 at one point against his amateur opponent. The crowd cheered him on loudly, as he had the lion’s share of the support in his corner as well. In the end, the huge chip stack of Witmer proved too much to overcome, and 49 hands into heads-up play things came to an end. Smith limped on the button and Witmer raised to 500,000 from the big blind. Smith moved all in and Witmer made the call. Their cards:
Smith: 5 5
Witmer: A K
Board: Q J 2 J A
Witmer hit an ace on the river to win the tournament and $1,090,589 in prize money. Smith received $532,545 in prize money for his runner-up finish. The win was Witmer’s first major tournament title. Here are the final-table results:
1st: Glen Witmer -- $1,090,589
2nd: Gavin Smith -- $532,545
3rd: Kathy Liebert -- $277,684
4th: Ryan Fisler -- $228,234
5th: Marc Karam -- $171,175
6th: James Trenholm -- $133,137
NOTE: All prize money is in U.S. dollars.
The next stop on the WPT schedule is the Festa al Lago $15,000 no-limit hold'em championship at Bellagio, which runs from Oct. 20-26, and it will be a Card Player live coverage event.
2007 North American Poker Championship News:
Scott Clements wins 2007 North American Poker Championship
The stage was set, the players ready to go as the final table of the World Poker Tour's North American Poker Championship got under way on Friday.
After seven total days of play, just six players remained in the fight for a first place prize of $1,361,724:
| Seat | Player | Chips |
| Seat 1 | Kofi Farkye | 1,504,000 |
| Seat 2 | Jonathan Little | 2,616,000 |
| Seat 3 | Jeff Garza | 1,320,000 |
| Seat 4 | David Cloutier | 1,614,000 |
| Seat 5 | Barry Greenstein | 447,000 |
| Seat 6 | Scott Clements | 2,483,000 |
There was certainly no shortage of star power at this final table.
Jonathan Little already had one World Poker Tour title under his belt, and going into this final day with the chip lead his chances at taking down a second looked promising.
But Scott Clements, who has earned more than $2.5 Million in his career, including two World Series of Poker bracelets and a World Poker Tour title, came into the day in a very close second. Jon Little would have his work cut out for him.
Barry Greenstein, who needs little introduction given his success in the sport of poker, entered the day as the short stack with less than 500,000 in chips.
As play began, the action was present but the going was slow, as the players were playing quite conservatively, no one eager to sacrifice their chips.
Of course, we had to lose five players to crown our winner, so it was only a matter of time...
 |
||
| Jonathan Little |
8
2, Garza checked, and Clements bet 150,000. After consideration, Garza moved all-in and Clements made the call. Garza held 9
10 for the straight draw, while Clements held A 9 for ace high and the nut flush draw. It wouldn't take long to seal the deal for Clements, as the 3 fell on the turn to give him the flush. Jeff Garza, drawing dead, finished in 6th place, taking home $170,216. Scott Clements would continue to exert his dominance over the table, taking out yet another player just a few moments later.
When the action folded around to Scott in the big blind, he made it a total 80,000 to go. With only Kofi Farkye in the big blind making the call, the heads-up players saw a flop of 10
8 7. Clements checked, while Farkye moved all-in. Clements insta-called, showing 10
8 for top pair, while Kofi held only 5 6 for a straight draw. The Ks on the turn didn't change much, but the 7 on the river was the deciding factor. While Scott Clements' stack increased, Kofi Farkye was elminated in 5th place, earning $218,849. No doubt pleased to see two players make their exit before him despite having started the day with the short stack, Barry Greenstein would give himself a little breathing room after doubling through Scott Clements. His stack moved up to more than 1 Million following that double-up. Unfortunately for Barry, it wouldn't be enough...
David Cloutier raised to just shy of 150,000 in what would prove to be Greenstein's last hand. Barry moved all-in for roughly 1.4 Million and Cloutier made the call, showing K
9 against the A 9 of Greenstein. With the flop bringing out Q 10 6, Cloutier picked up the gutshot straight draw. The turn further improved Cloutier's hand, being the K to give Cloutier a pair. Barry would need some help on the river, but the 5 offered none and Barry Greenstein was eliminated in 4th place, walking away with $291,798. Despite having earned the chip lead through a series of aggressive plays, at one point moving his stack to above the 6 Million mark, David Cloutier would fall short of the first place prize after doubling up Jonathan Little and then seeing his way to the exit after a hand with that same player.
Jonathan Little raised to 180,000 from the small blind, and David Cloutier moved all-in for around 1.7 Million. After mulling it over, Little made the call and showed J
9. Cloutier held A 10, so both players had live cards.The flop was 8
6 3, and Cloutier earned a flush draw. With a Jack hitting the turn, Little picked up a pair. Cloutier still had many outs, but the 3 on the river wasn't one of them. David Cloutier finished in 3rd place, taking home $355,021. And then there were two...
As we entered heads-up play, Scott Clements had roughly a 2-1 chip advantage over Jonathan Little.
Scott Clements 6,400,000
Jonathan Little 3,685,000
The two went back and forth for about ten hands, little to no action, when finally came the deciding moment.
Jonathan Little raised to 180,000 from the button and Scott Clements made the call. On the 7 5 5 flop, both players checked to see the 4 hit the turn. Clements checked, and Little fired out 250,000. Clements made a raised to a total of 550,000, but Little wasn't comfortable playing for such small stakes and moved his remaining 1.5 Million into the pot. Clements called.
Jon was drawing dead. He held only the K 4, while Clements held Q 5 for three of a kind. The turn and river mattered none, as Scott Clements was already the winner. Jonathan Little finished in second place and took home $680,862.
Scott Clements earned his second World Poker Tour title with this victory, earning $1,387,224 in the process. With his win came an entry into the $25,000 World Poker Tour championship in April.
Congratulations to Scott and to all the other players to cashed in this spectacular North American Poker Championship!
2006 North American Poker Championship News:
Soren Turkewitsch winner of first ever WPT event in Canada: The 2006 North American Poker Championship
North American Poker Championship Final Table
It was fitting that 5 Canadians were at the final table for this first WPT event being held in Canada. Play was held in the Fallsview Casino Hotel’s Avalon Ballroom which was packed with Canadian fans, many who waited hours in advance for their seats. After lots of very loud cheers during the introduction of the players, things got started at 5:00 p.m. with $15,000/$30,000 blinds and $3,000 antes. Marc Karam was the first elimination in 6th when his all in move with pocket J's was met by the pocket A's of Soren Turkewitsch, with Soren ending up with a better pair by the end of the hand. John Juanda left to a standing ovation in 5th after his A Q lost to Soren's pocket 9's when the board failed to improve either player. James Worth left in 4th when his Ah Qh lost to James Sagle's Ac Kc. John Lam, (3rd place), became another victim of Soren when his 10h 5s met Soren's Ah Qh.
From this point it was heads up between James Sagle and Soren Turkewitsch. The blinds were at $300,000/$600,000 and $50,000 antes. Things were going well for Sagle until a hand that many said he played correctly went against him and left him crippled with close to 400,000 chips. Sagle did manage to double up on the next 2 consecutive hands but it was the 3rd hand that determined the champion. Here is what happened, Soren Turkewitsch (Kh 2d) was on the button and moved all-in which was called by James Sagle (As 5d). Board showed 7d 6c 2h 4h Js which did not improve the hand of either player and Soren Turkewitsch became the WPT champ and an instant millionaire in the process!
- Soren Turkewitsch -- $1,352,224
- James Sagle -- $676,107
- John Lam -- $352,541
- James "KrazyKanuck" Worth -- $289,760
- John Junada -- $217,320
- Marc Karam -- $169,027