The WPT Montreal No Limit Hold’em High Roller Event has concluded, one of the last events before wrapping up the 2013 WPT Montreal tour, and Govert Metaal has delivered a very impressive performance against fifty-six players over the course of three days to win the tournament and earn a cool $184k payday in the $10k buy-in High Roller event at WPT Montreal.
It’s been a good several years for Metaal, especially in these High Roller events, where he has had good results in 2011/2012 at the $25,000 PokerStars Caribbean Adventure High Roller Event as well as at the Campione High Roller Event. Recently he also finished in second place at the Master Classics of Poker High Roller event where he took home €77k.
Day 1 at the WPT Montreal High Roller Event Metaal started as well as he could have hoped. After the first day of play the veteran pro was the chip leader and by the end of the second day of play his chip stack didn’t move too much relative to the field, and was still one of the top chip stacks by the end of Day 2.
His commanding chip stack got him to Day 3. Once reaching the nine player final table of the WPT Montreal High Rollers Event, Metaal had to outlast another three players if he was to be guaranteed a share of the half a million dollars in prize money. A key moment happened when young poker pro Connor Drinan became the unfortunate bubble boy, busting out in seventh place, when his Kings got cracked by Ace Queen.
With a guarantee of a payday for all the remaining players including Metaal, a crucial hand took place at the final table, which was to have a huge impact on the outcome of the High Rollers events. The hand involved Govert Metaal and Matt Marafioti. Maat with pocket Queens was up against Marafioti with his pocket Kings, leaving Metaal in very bad shape, being a 20/80 underdog. But when a Queen came in the hole, it automatically reversed the winning chances for both players. That immediately changed when Marafioti quickly regained the lead when a King also came on the flop setting up a set over set situation. However, lady luck was definitely on Metaal’s side as the case Queen incredibly came on the river to give him the winning hand with quad Queens. As a result, Marafioti’s stack was crippled and only lasted a few more hands and ended with him busting out of the tournament in fourth place still with a $65k payday.
Metaal, obviously with fortune on his side, managed to keep the pressure on at the final table, and the heads up action ended up being decided between Govert Metaal and Martin Jacobsen after Jacobsen busted Tim Reilly when his pocket Jacks held up against the pocket Sevens of Reilly.
Heads up play was over in the blink of an eye, lasting only 5 hands. With the momentum already with Metaal, the chips got in the middle in a matter of minutes. Metaal’s Ace Nine were up against the pocket Queens of Jacobsen. But when the flop came down A-9-6, giving top two pair for Metaal, things were looking grim for Jacobsen. The turn and river were blanks, meaning Govert Metaal claimed the first place prize money for $184k and the coveted WPT Montreal High Rollers title. Martin Jacobsen’s second place meant he had to settle for a $124k payday.
The results at the WPT Montreal High Roller Event final table were as follows:
1st Govert Metaal – $184k
2nd Martin Jacobson – $124k
3rd Tim Reilly – $81k
4th Matt Marafioti – $65k
5th Pratyush Buddiga – $48k
6th Gregory Marcus – $38k