Canadian veteran Sam Chartier won the second-ever MSPT Canadian Poker Championship at Playground, collecting C$175,000 in a field of 809 entries that built a C$1,000,000 prize pool. PokerNews reports it as his largest score in Canada and his biggest in a decade, the fifth-largest of a career that dates to 2007, and it lifts his lifetime tournament earnings above $3.5 million according to The Hendon Mob.
For Canadian poker, it is a satisfying result: a home-grown player with nearly two decades of experience winning one of the country's marquee events, in front of a field that included a notable contingent from France and a strong Canadian showing at the final table.
Final Table Payouts
The nine-handed final table paid out in Canadian dollars as follows:
| Place | Player | Country | Prize (C$) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | Sam Chartier | Canada | $175,000 |
| 2nd | Adil Morkos | Canada | $124,000 |
| 3rd | Mohamed Kechiche | France | $80,150 |
| 4th | Yanis Mouddakir | France | $58,000 |
| 5th | Anas Slaoui | Canada | $45,000 |
| 6th | Alec Brandstatter | Canada | $36,000 |
| 7th | Elie Kortbawi | Canada | $28,000 |
| 8th | Pierre-Paul Paulin | Canada | $22,000 |
| 9th | Nassim Hafici | Canada | $17,500 |
The event had a $1,150 buy-in, and 809 entries produced a prize pool of exactly C$1,000,000, which suggests the guarantee was just met. Our earlier preview of the series, the Canadian Poker Championship at Kahnawake with a C$1M guarantee, outlined the structure and expectations. The result confirms the event hit its target.
The Key Hands
Chartier was a shorter stack on Day 2 but built momentum at the final table. Two hands defined the finish.
Taking the chip lead three-handed
With three players left, Chartier took the chip lead in a confrontation with France's Mohamed Kechiche. Chartier flopped top pair against Kechiche's open-ended straight draw. Kechiche then turned a bigger pair, which put him ahead. But Chartier rivered two pair, eliminating him in third place for C$80,150.
This is a typical example of how final-table hands unfold. Kechiche's open-ended straight draw gave him multiple outs on the flop, and he improved on the turn to take the lead. But Chartier retained outs of his own, and the river made the difference. In percentage terms, a player holding top pair against an open-ended draw is usually a modest favorite on the flop, and the lead can change on the turn and river. That variance is the reason chip counts swing so violently late in tournaments. You can model scenarios like this with the poker odds calculator and read more about pot odds.
Heads-up against Adil Morkos
Heads-up play against Morkos was brief. Morkos held two black sevens against Chartier's ace-jack preflop. A jack on the turn decided the hand in Chartier's favor, and Morkos finished second for C$124,000.
A pair of sevens against ace-jack is a classic race, in which the pair is typically a slight favorite, around 55 percent. Chartier's jack on the turn flipped the outcome. It is another demonstration of how many tournaments end on a single card, and why the best players think in terms of long-run equity rather than individual results.
Chartier's Career Context
Sam Chartier has been competing since 2007, and this win is his fifth-largest score ever, with lifetime tournament earnings now exceeding $3.5 million. The fact that this is the biggest win of his career in a decade suggests that his career has had long stretches of consistent but less spectacular results, and a relatively late-career high. That is not unusual in poker: players who stay in the game for nearly 20 years benefit from experience and continue to have chances to peak.
It is also his largest score on home soil, a detail that gives the win particular meaning in Canada. The country has a deep tournament scene, and Canadian players have long been prominent on the international circuit. For the sake of accuracy, the source material does not detail Chartier's other titles or his recent results, so we will not speculate on those.
Canada's Poker Moment
The MSPT Canadian Poker Championship arrives in a busy period for Canadian poker. Ontario's regulated market has become one of the world's most closely watched online poker jurisdictions, and the country's Supreme Court has been considering a major case on shared liquidity. Alberta, meanwhile, just saw its first regulated online poker room launch, with 888 going live in the province. We covered both stories in detail: see our posts on the Canada Supreme Court poker liquidity hearing and 888poker's launch in Alberta.
For live poker, the strong turnout in a C$1,150 event suggests continued demand for mid-stakes tournaments in the country. Playground, which has also hosted WSOP Super Circuit events this year, has become a major venue. Our report on the WSOP Super Circuit Montreal at Playground covers its large-scale series earlier in the season.
If you are looking for resources specific to Canadian players, our Canada poker page lists recommended sites and explains the regulatory landscape by province.
What This Means for Players
Chartier's win has some practical lessons for readers.
Experience pays off, even late in a career. A player who has been at the tables since 2007 can still have a career-high score. If you are an improving player, consistent study and play over time can pay off.
Variance runs both ways. Kechiche's open-ended draw, Morkos's pair of sevens, and Chartier's rivered two pair all show that the best hand at one moment may not be the best at the end. When you evaluate your own results, think in terms of decisions, not outcomes. Our poker strategy hub has more.
Position yourself for late-stage shots. Chartier was a shorter stack on Day 2 and still ended up with the chip lead at three-handed. That is possible when you stay patient, avoid unnecessary risks, and pick the right spots. Understanding ICM is essential in those stages.
Diversify your buy-ins. An event with a C$1,150 buy-in and C$175,000 top prize is attractive for players with moderate bankrolls. If you are building a schedule, our tournaments page and bankroll management guide can help you choose events sensibly.
The Event in Perspective
The MSPT Canadian Poker Championship is only in its second year, but a field of 809 entries paying a C$1,000,000 prize pool suggests it is becoming established. A strong showing from both Canadian and French players at the final table also indicates the event draws internationally.
For Chartier, the result adds a significant chapter to a long career. For the tour, it is another example of the formula that has worked in the U.S. Midwest, bringing that format north of the border. And for Canadian poker fans, it is a reminder that the best moments of the live scene are not limited to Las Vegas. Sometimes the best story of the week is right at home.
Sources: PokerNews coverage of the MSPT Canadian Poker Championship at Playground.