By Alex Drummond, Editor-in-Chief · April 12, 2026 · Fact-checked by Maya Chen
Allen Shen from Toronto went wire-to-wire to win the WSOP Circuit Playground Main Event on April 7, 2026, collecting C$605,000 and his third Circuit ring. The C$2,500 buy-in event drew 1,781 entries and generated a C$4,042,870 prize pool, the second-largest in WSOP Circuit Main Event history.
Shen bagged the chip lead after Day 1 Flight A, extended it across Day 2, and walked into the final table carrying 19 million chips - roughly 76 big blinds. From there, it took just over four hours to close it out. "Smooth sailing," was his own description of the run.
Wire-to-Wire Dominance
Shen entered Day 1 Flight A as one of the early chip leaders and never let anyone else hold that position for long. He carried the lead into Day 2, and when the final nine players took their seats, he had more than double the next stack.
For a player who has been grinding professionally for roughly three years, the result is a significant milestone. "I've been playing poker professionally for about three years now," he said after the win, "and to 2X my previous best feels amazing." His career live earnings now sit above C$1.2 million, which places him inside the top 100 all-time among Canadian players.
The Pivotal Hand
With five players remaining, Shen picked up 6-7 suited and called a shove from Weiping Gu, who held pocket aces. The board ran out to give Shen a runner-runner flush, cracking the aces and handing him a 12-million chip pot that effectively ended any remaining competition for the title.
Shen didn't pretend otherwise. "That six-seven suited hand was really lucky to get there versus aces," he said. "That was a very fortunate turn of the chips." After that pot, heads-up against Jerry Pei Li lasted barely 20 minutes.
A Star-Studded Final Table
The final nine included a strong Canadian contingent alongside some notable international names. Brett Apter, who finished third, holds a WSOP bracelet, three Circuit rings, and over $2.5 million in career earnings. Heads-up opponent Jerry Pei Li, from Calgary, also holds a bracelet and three Circuit rings, all won in PLO events.
Sebastian Crema, who finished fifth for C$145,000, is known outside poker as a former number one ranked Pokemon TCG player in Canada - he now has over $631,000 in career poker earnings. Aaron Gao, who took fourth, has a string of notable results including a runner-up at the Potomac Winter Open, fifth at WSOPC Baltimore, and second at Triton Jeju.
| Place | Player | Country | Prize (CAD) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Allen Shen | Canada | C$605,000 |
| 2 | Jerry Pei Li | China | C$400,000 |
| 3 | Brett Apter | USA | C$278,293 |
| 4 | Aaron Gao | USA | C$200,000 |
| 5 | Sebastian Crema | Canada | C$145,000 |
| 6 | Weiping Gu | Canada | C$115,000 |
| 7 | Renhao Zhang | Canada | C$96,000 |
| 8 | Julien Cargnelutti | Canada | C$78,000 |
| 9 | Omid Shabazian | Canada | C$60,000 |
Seven of the nine finalists were Canadian, a fact that underlines how dominant the domestic field has become at Playground.
High Roller Goes to Guillaume Nolet
Alongside the Main Event, Event #13 - the $5,000 Mega Stack High Roller - drew 239 entries and built a C$1,099,400 prize pool. Local player Guillaume Nolet took the title and C$243,018, earning his first gold ring in the process. William Blais finished second for C$159,060.
Nolet's win rounded off a strong series for Quebec-based players at their home venue.
What This Means for Ontario Players
Shen is from Toronto. Last August's winner, Jacob Hobday, was also from Toronto - and Hobday qualified for that event through a C$75 satellite on GGPoker. The pattern is worth noting: Ontario players are consistently reaching and winning the biggest events at Playground, which sits about five hours from Toronto in Kahnawake, Quebec.
GGPoker runs exclusive online qualifiers for Playground WSOP Circuit events. For players who want a path to a major live series without the full C$2,500 buy-in, those satellites are the practical option - as Hobday demonstrated last year.
Shen said he'll return for the next Montreal Circuit series. That next stop runs May 10-25. After that, the WSOP Super Circuit Canada arrives August 24 through September 9, built around a $10 million guaranteed prize pool - the biggest tournament Canada has ever hosted. The Ontario poker tournament schedule has full details on both events.
Players looking to qualify online can review the GGPoker Ontario page for current satellite schedules, or check the best poker sites in Ontario overview for the full regulated market. The tournament guide covers the broader live circuit calendar.