WPT Montreal: Hands of the week

The WPT Montreal final table went through several lead changes and one long power outage.
Matt Hansen
Matt Hansen
Posted on: May 22, 2024 20:10 PDT

The team at World Poker Tour (WPT) has been at its best all series long with coverage of the tour's return to Montreal for the first time since 2019. 

The world-class WPT live reporting team was joined by photographers Enrique Mafavon and Miguel Cortes throughout the week and they tirelessly covered every room from top to bottom. 

To close out the series, we took a moment to comb through the archives and present some of the best hands and photos captured at WPT Montreal.

Prathumma quadruples up (Day 1A)

Trent Hopper (left) and Chitsanupong Prathumma (right) clashed in the opening flight. Trent Hopper (left) and Chitsanupong Prathumma (right) clashed in the opening flight.

In Level 5 of the opening flight of the Main Event, Jonathan Camara raised to 1,400 from under the gun before Trent Hopper moved all in from the cutoff for 3,900. Chitsanupong Prathumma made it 8,000 from the button and Baseem Nsier called from the small blind before Camara came along after the original raise. 

With 16,800 in the pot and 12,300 in the side pot, all three players checked to the river on a board of .

Prathumma fired 20,000 on the river and that pushed Nsier and Camara out of the pot before the cards were turned up. Hopper showed to take the pot after his hand went from two pair to a flush draw and finally a full house. The hand tripled Hopper's short stack. 

Straight flush lifts Plante (Day 1B)

Jean Rene Plante (left) and Natasha Tatta clashed in Level 8. Jean Rene Plante (left) beat Natasha Tatta with a straight flush on Day 1B.

It was Level 8 during the second of three flights and the board was showing on the turn when Steve Daoust bet 16,000 from the big blind with the required bets at 600/1,200/1,200. Jean Rene Plante raised to 40,000 from under the gun and Natasha Tatta called from the next seat over before Daoust folded. 

The river was and Plante shoved 79,500. Tatta asked for a count and went into the deep tank. 

Tatta then called with for a jack-high straight. Not to be outdone, Plante flipped over to double up with a straight flush. 

Plante stacked up 311,000 after the hand and Tatta was left with 139,000. 

Buckner pulls 'The Ol' Stand-up Move' (Day 1C)

Steve 'Cuz' Buckner went deep into his bag of tricks to stay alive. Steve 'Cuz' Buckner went deep into his bag of tricks to stay alive.

During Level 8 of Day 1C, Steve "Cuz" Buckner and Weituoxin Wu traded raises until Buckner was all in. 

  • Steve "Cuz" Buckner:
  • Weituoxin Wu:

Wu was ahead on the flop of and he stayed ahead with on the turn — but Buckner stood up to gather his belongings and the fell on the river to give Cuz a double. 

"Just the ol' stand-up move!" Buckner yelled. "That's all, I couldn't win a flip to save my life earlier!"

The hand sent Buckner above 100K in the late stages of Day 1C, but he didn't make much more noise at WPT Montreal. 

Zhang wins WPT Prime with aces (WPT Prime Final Table)

Jikai Zhang survived a small sweat with pocket aces to win WPT Prime. Jikai Zhang survived a small sweat with pocket aces to win WPT Prime.

Jikai Zhang raised to 2,000,000 in Level 36 of the WPT Prime Montreal Championship with blinds at 400,000/800,000/800,000. Adam Cader moved all in and Zhang called without hesitation. 

  • Adam Cader:
  • Jikai Zhang:

The board ran out and Zhang dodged the gutshot straight draw to win the tournament. 

18-year-old runner-up Adam Cader more than held his own at the grownup table. 18-year-old runner-up Adam Cader more than held his own at the grownup table.

Carlos Correa bows out in 10th place (Day 3)

Carlos Correa, like many others before him, ran into Dongwoo Ko on Day 3. Carlos Correa, like many others before him, ran into Dongwoo Ko on Day 3.

Carlos Correa moved all in for 465,000 and Dongwoo Ko shoved the big stack from the small blind. The big blind got out of the way and the cards were turned up. 

  • Carlos Correa:
  • Dongwoo Koo:
Correa's kings needed to beat ace-seven. Correa's kings needed to beat ace-seven.

The board ran out and Correa flopped a set of kings but that still wasn't enough to stop Ko and his runner-runner straight. Correa hit the rail in 10th place and Ko went on to bag the biggest stack for the final table. 

Photos courtesy of World Poker Tour/Enrique Malfavon and Miguel Cortes