WPT Fallsview

A 67-year-old retired real estate broker
from Kitchener-Waterloo took home
the North American Poker Championship
title and $1.2 million at the Fallsview
Casino in Niagara Falls this week.

Glen Witmer survived a strong field
of 454 players, competing in only his
second major poker tournament.
Witmer and fellow amateur player
Jim Trenholm, a Toronto firefighter,
were the only two amateur players
to make it to the final table, going
against four experienced professionals.

Unfortunately for Trenholm, he didn't
last long and was the first to be eliminated
from the final table. He was followed by
Ottawa poker pro Marc Karam who headed
for the rail in fifth place earning $171,175.

Next to go was another Canadian Ryan Fisler
who pocketed $228,234 for fourth place.
(Yet another poker pro coming out of
Waterloo, ON. What's in the water there?)

Highly respected US player Kathy Leibert
finished in third place earning $277,684.
This made way for heads up combat between
Witmer and well known tournament pro
Gavin Smith (originally from Guelph,ON),
who resides in Las Vegas.

In the final hand, both players were all-in
with Gavin holding pocket 5's to Glen's AK.
The cards fell Gavin's way, until an Ace on
the river sent Smith home with $532,545
and gave the WPT championship and
$1.2M paycheque to Witmer.

It was an huge return for a small investment.
Glen won his way into the event through a
$170 Step A satellite qualifier.