Eric Afriat has won the 2020 World Poker Tour (WPT) Fallsview Poker Classic $5,000 CAD NLH Main Event, joining the list of players to have won three World Poker Tour titles. The Canadian outlasted 594 entries, including Marc-Olivier Carpentier-Perraul in heads-up to win CA$508,021 in top prize.
“It’s surreal. It just feels incredible. Three-time WPT champion.When I sat down, I said to myself, I just want to win in Niagara Falls. I just want to win in my country. To win in Canada, with the Canadian flag, it’s amazing. It’s a great, great feeling. I haven’t been happy like this in a long time,”Afriat said.
The final day began with 15 players, with Afriat sitting in 10th chip position. However, Afriat managed to survive to six-handed play as the shortest stack, bringing around 15 BBs to the final table. The first to exit FT was Zuhair Al-Pachachi whose A10 lost to AK of Trung Hien Nguyen.
Going out in 5th place was Demo Kiriopoulos, the defending champion of WPT Fallsiew, and he was busted by Afriat whose Jacks were up against Kiriopoulos’ 10s 9s and held on a J7527 board. Following him in 4th and 3rd places were Trung Hien Nguyen (4th) and Adam Hui (3rd), leaving Afriat in heads-up with Marc-Olivier Carpentier-Perrault. Afriat held the lead of 13.15 million to Carpentier-Perrault’s 10.625 million chips. The heads-up did not last long and was all over in just four hands.
On the final hand of the tournament, Afriat had pocket sevens against Carpentier-Perrault’s Ad 5c. The board ran Qh 10h 2d 8d 2c where Afriat’s held to win him the third WPT title for CA$508,021.
Top 75 places were paid out in the tournament and some notables among them included the likes of Vanessa Selbst (22nd for CA$19,756), Christopher Lockhart (43rd for CA$12,096), Mike Leah (49th for CA$10,617), Kevin Rabichow (55th for CA$9,193), Jeff Madsen (56th for CA$9,193), Ben Farrell (69th for CA$7,929) and Alex Foxen (75th for CA$6,720). Paul Brar (7th for CA$84,939) exited as FT bubble.
Final Table Payouts (CAD)
1. Eric Afriat – CA$508,021*
2. Marc-Olivier Carpentier-Perrault – CA$356,180
3. Adam Hui – CA$229,013
4. Trung Hien Nguyen – CA$163,965
5. Demo Kiriopoulos – CA$125,850
6. Zuhair Al-Pachachi – CA$103,217