From Screen to Felt: GGPoker Qualifiers Dominate WSOP Circuit Montreal Main Event
The numbers tell an incredible story. When the final cards were dealt at the WSOP Circuit Montreal Main Event, 74 GGPoker qualifiers had made the money, earning a combined $1,824,510 CAD, representing over 40% of the entire prize pool. But the real headline? Both finalists earned their seats through GGPoker satellites, proving that the online qualification path delivers championship-level results.
Jacob Hobday captured the title and $620,000 CAD after winning his seat in a $75 satellite, while runner-up Adrian Ottorino also qualified through the GGPoker system to earn $402,000 CAD. Together, these two satellite qualifiers claimed over $1 million of the record-breaking prize pool, showcasing just how effectively online qualification prepares players for live tournament success.
WSOP Circuit Montreal Main Event: Record-Breaking Numbers
The WSOP Circuit Montreal Main Event at Playground Poker Club delivered historic numbers that reflected the massive success of GGPoker’s qualification pipeline. The event drew 1,978 entries to build a massive $4,450,500 CAD prize pool, the largest in WSOP Circuit Main Event history.
Jacob Hobday won his way into the event on a single bullet in a $75 satellite on GGPoker and parlayed it into victory in the $2,500 WSOPC Playground Main Event for a record $620,000 CAD first prize. The champion also earned the Main Event ring and a $5,000 package to WSOP Paradise in the Bahamas, extending the value of his satellite investment far beyond the immediate prize money.
The tournament structure featured multiple starting flights and a deep-stack format that gave qualified players ample opportunity to showcase their skills. Players began with substantial starting stacks and reasonable blind levels, creating an environment where satellite qualifiers could compete effectively against direct buy-in opponents.
GGPoker Qualifier Domination
The qualifier performance in Montreal was nothing short of remarkable. From the 74 GGPoker satellite winners who cashed, several delivered standout performances that extended well beyond simple min-cash appearances.
Top Qualifier Performances:
- Jacob Hobday claimed the championship for $620,000 CAD
- Adrian Ottorino finished 2nd for $402,000 CAD
- Feizal Satchu placed 4th for $207,000 CAD
- Nicholas Teeuwen finished 10th for $40,000 CAD
- Michael Khan earned 18th place for $21,500 CAD
The deep runs weren’t limited to the final table. Dongchang Li finished 21st for $26,590 CAD, while Felix Des Rosiers-Belair placed 26th for $21,500 CAD. Mario Lim and Arash Zanjani both earned $17,900 CAD for finishing 27th and 33rd respectively.
What makes these results particularly impressive is the consistency of performance. GGPoker qualifiers didn’t just get lucky with a few big scores—they demonstrated depth throughout the prize pool structure. From the championship down to the bubble, qualified players showed they belonged at every level of the competition.
The Heads-Up Battle
The dramatic climax featured two GGPoker qualifiers battling for the title. Finally, with a nearly 6:1 chip lead versus runner-up Adrian Ottorino, Hobday completed his victory by flopping a set of deuces and leaving Ottorino drawing dead on the turn to finish their match in less than 15 minutes and claim the title.
This Texas Hold’em heads-up finish showcased the quality and preparation level of players earning seats through the satellite system.
The $75 Success Stories
Jacob Hobday’s journey exemplifies everything compelling about satellite qualification. He’s been playing full-time for just over two years, and with what he says is an average buy-in of $100. His previous biggest score was approximately $60,000, making the Montreal victory a career-defining moment.
“Honestly, I don’t even know. My biggest score before this was around $60,000, and this is just absolutely insane,” Hobday told us afterwards. The win marked his second Circuit ring, but represented a massive step up in both prize money and prestige.
Starting Day 3 in 17th place out of 18 remaining players with just 12 big blinds, Hobday demonstrated the value-conscious approach that makes satellite qualifiers dangerous opponents. His path included eliminating several former champions and final tablists, proving that qualification doesn’t mean intimidation when facing established players.
Many other qualifiers followed similar paths through the $75 satellite system. From the participant data, players like Alexandre Lavigne, Felix Clavet, and Jean-Francois Khalil all earned their seats through the same $75 qualification route that Hobday used successfully.
Qualification System Success
The GGPoker satellite structure proved its effectiveness through both accessibility and results. GGPoker’s satellite structure offers high accessibility, with buy-ins starting at just C$1 for Canadian players on the dot-com platform and C$3 on GGPoker Ontario. Players can progress through affordable qualifiers at C$10 and C$75, all leading to a seat in the C$2,500 Main Event.
The Target Stack format used in these satellites rewards skill over survival. Players qualify by reaching a specific chip threshold rather than outlasting the field, encouraging aggressive tournament play that translates well to live events.
Of the 1,978 player field in the Main Event, a total of 274 players qualified through GGPoker. This means that just 14% of the field captured over 40% of the prize pool, proving that players on GGPoker are anything but fish.
Building on Success
The Montreal results reinforce GGPoker’s track record of creating pathways to major tournament success.
WSOP Express, the most recent innovation in Satellite tournaments, is designed to turn dreams into reality, making the pinnacle of poker truly accessible for everyone, offering multiple package types including Ring Pass ($5,000), Bracelet Pass ($10,000), and Super Pass ($30,000), all of which can be used at events around the world, including WSOP Paradise.
WSOP Paradise 2025, the next major WSOP opportunity, comes with a record-breaking $60 million guaranteed Super Main Event in the Bahamas. The Super Pass (valued at $30,000), which can be used to enter the WSOP Paradise Super Main Event, also includes accommodation at the Atlantis Paradise Island resort in the Bahamas.
The 274 players who qualified and the 74 who cashed in Montreal proved that online satellites aren’t lottery tickets. They are skill-based pathways that reward solid tournament fundamentals, reward players who understand value, and solid proof that playing at GGPoker improves your game.
