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Jinrong Zhang Takes Down First MSPT Championship on International Soil

David Parker
David Parker
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This event was the first time the Major Series of Poker has left the US

Poker history was made in Montreal this week when Jinrong Zhang captured the first-ever Major Series of Poker: The Tour (MSPT) Championship title held outside the United States. The $1,150 Canadian Poker Championship at Playground attracted an impressive 1,057 entries, creating a prize pool of just over CAD1 million (US$700,000). Zhang’s victory earned him CAD165,000 (US$118,000)and his place in the MSPT record books, marking the biggest win of his career less than two years after his first live tournament cash.

The final table was filled with experienced Canadian players, and Zhang had to navigate through several tough opponents to secure the win. Early on, Alexandre Fournier was the first to exit when his ace-jack fell short against pocket nines, followed by Pierre Alexandre Lessard, whose pocket sixes couldn’t withstand Zhang’s ace-queen. From there, Zhang built momentum, eliminating Carter Swidler in sixth place and Scott Babbitt in fifth to take command of the table.

When the field was down to three, Zhang, Sebastien Proulx, and Webster agreed to an ICM deal, leaving CAD39,000 (US$27,800) to play for and the MSPT trophy still on the line. In the end, Zhang held strong and defeated Proulx heads-up to claim the title. “It’s a very hard final table because I know most of the players who were here,” Zhang said after his win. “This is a really big score for sure. To all the players, hold onto your dreams.”

The event capped a successful first international stop for the MSPT, which featured more than a dozen side tournaments and CAD2 million (US$1.4 million) in total prize pools. Other champions included Bryan Robitaille-Fequet, Giovanni Petrell, and Senthuran Vijayaratnam, who won the $2,200 High Roller for CAD63,440 (US$45,000). The landmark event at Playground showcased both the strength of the Canadian poker community and the MSPT’s growing global presence.

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