As 2024 winds down, the Alberta poker scene is heating up with the final series of the Pure Poker Tour (PPT) season. The trophy events kick off at Pure Casino Yellowhead on November 21 with the Seniors First event, followed by 11 days of action-packed poker, and highlighted by the $1,100 Main Event starting on November 29.
Check out live updates and reporting from the 2024 Pure Poker Tour Series #6 by Lyle Bateman. Chose an event of your choice down below:
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Big Turnout for Turbo Side
Level: 4 (200/400/400) Entries: 67/85 Prizes: $15,960 The side game is filling up the room with 85 entries so far and just under an hour left to enter the game. Level 4 is nearly complete with two more levels of entry before the break following Level 6. Entries will be closed when they sit down for Level 7 at about 8:15 PM.
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Down to 21 Left
Level: 11 (1000/2000/2000) Entries: 21/73 Prizes: $41,610 ($27,010 prizes, $14,600 bounties) The PLO Big Bounty is down to 21 players left now with about 10 minutes to play in Level 11. The next break is following Level 12 and I’ll try to get some chip counts then. At the moment, it looks like Garry Sandhu has the big stack with around 200k in front of him.
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Three Tables Left
Level: 10 (1000/1500/1500) Entries: 27/73 Prizes: $41,610 ($27,010 prizes, $14,600 bounties) The PLO Big Bounty is down to the final three tables with 27 players left in the action. Level 10 has just begun with blinds at 1k/1.5k/1.5k. They’ll take another break at the end of Level 12, and I’ll do my best to grab a full set of chip counts at that point.
Among the players still fighting for prizes tonight are Deven Lane, PLO ring and bracelet winner Jerry Li, Ryan Smith, Marc Lavergne, Brady O’hara, Alex Liu, Colten Yamagishi, Garry Sandhu, Michael Khan, Mike Malm, Stefan Maloney, Daniel O’Leary, Thomas Taylor, Nick Milkovich, Tiny Comely, Preston Stevenson, Ryan Comely, and Mike Kim.
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Side Game is Underway
Level: 1 (100/100/100) Entries: 25/25 Prizes: $4,750 The side game is now underway with 25 players to start the game and prizes closing in on $4,750. Entries are open for a bit more than 2 hours with the desk set to close at about 8:15 tonight.
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73 Entries After Dinner
Level: 9 (600/1200/1200) Entries: 29/73 Prizes: $41,610 ($27,010 prizes, $14,600 bounties) Entries are now closed for the PLO Big Bounty with 73 on the board. That puts the combined prizes at $41,610 with 7 players getting paid from $27,010 in the prize portion. There are $14,600 in bounties out there to be won throughout today’s game.
First place later tonight will pocket $9,726 with the min-cash set at $810.
PLO Big Bounty Payouts
Place Payout 1 $9,726 2 $6,752 3 $4,321 4 $2,701 5 $1,620 6 $1,080 7 $810 -
A Bit More than an Hour to Enter
Level: 7 (400/800/800) Entries: 28/64 Prizes: $36,480 ($23,680 prizes, $12,800 bounties) Level 7 is about half complete now with 64 entries on the board and 28 players still at the felt. That puts the combined prizes at more than $36k with $12,800 of that in the bounty pool.
Entries are open until the start of Level 9, which is now about 1 hour and 15 minutes away.
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Turbo on the Side
Event: Event #13: $230 NLH Turbo ($200 + $30) Date: Nov 28, 6 PM Blinds: 20 Minutes Starting Stack: 20k Late Entry: 6 Levels(~8:15 PM) Day 1 Ends: One-day Event The side game on Thursday is a $230 NLH Turbo game that starts at 6 PM. There are 6 levels of late entry with the entry desk shutting at the start of Level 7. Including the break, that should put the last chance to enter at about 8:15 PM.
Players start with 20k in chips to play 20-minute levels throughout the game. Once entries close at about 8:15 PM it will be a race to the trophy, which will be awarded before the end play for the day.
This game is on the side with the PLO Big Bounty game running as the main game. That game promises to go pretty late, so I’m not sure whether I’ll make it over to cover much of this one, but I’ll try to keep up with the numbers and get a winner’s pic at least.
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56 Entries to Start Level 6
Level: 6 (300/600/600) Entries: 31/56 Prizes: $31,920 ($20,720 prizes, $11,200 bounties) Level 6 has just kicked off with 56 entries on the board and 31 players still at the felt. That puts the combined prizes at almost $32k with almost $21k in the prize pool ate $11,200 in bounties.
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50 Entries on First Break
Level: 5 (300/500/500) Entries: 32/50 Prizes: $28,500 ($18,500 prizes, $10,000 bounties) The players are on their first break of the day with 50 entries on the board for combined prizes of $28,500. Marc Lavergne is among the players I spotted before the break, having just arrived from Ottawa.
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Nearing 50 Entries in Level 4
Level: 4 (200/400/400) Entries: 32/46 Prizes: $26,220 ($17,020 prizes, $9,200 bounties) They are about 15 minutes away from the first break of the day following Level 4 and the field is at 46 entries now. That puts the combined prizes at more than $26k with $17k of that in prizes and the rest reserved for bounties.
I’ve just arrived but my first scan of the room has revealed Malcolm Bolger, Brady O’hara, Ryan Smith, Nick Milkovich, Stefan Maloney, Ryan Comely, Mike Malm, Leonard Siebenga, Daniel O’Leary, Tony Comely, Colten Yamagishi, Alex Liu, Mike Kim, and Ron Lauzon.
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More Head-Hunting, but with Four Cards
Event: Event #12: $560 PLO Big Bounty ($400 + $200 + $60) Date: Nove 26, 1 PM Blinds: 30 Minutes Starting Stack: 30k Late Entry: 8 levels (~5:45 PM) Day 1 Ends: One-day event Thursday is another big bounty day but this time with four cards. The PLO Big Bounty puts $400 to prizes and $200 on each player’s head.
The cards go in the air at 1 pm with entry open until the start of Level 9, which should be about 5:45 pm. Players start the day with 30k in chips and blinds are 30 minutes long for the whole game.
This should be my main focus for Thursday though I will be late getting to the Pearl room. Once I arrive, I’ll be working on this one until it ends.
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Deal Time
Level: 22 (15000/30000/30000) Entries: 1/120 Prizes: $57,000 ($33,000 prizes, $24,000 bounties) The final four players cut a deal tonight. Dan Martel had the most chips and took $6,400 while the other three chopped the rest evenly for $5,466 each. They played one all-in hand for the trophy once the deal was struck, and Mal Hagan took the official win for the trophy while Deven Lane took second, Ron Lauzon took third, and Dan Martel got fourth, but the most money.
Mal Hagan (seated), Ron Lauzon (L), Deven Lane (M), Dan Martel (L), chopped E11 four-ways with Martel taking $6,400 and the rest taking $5,466 each -
Lauzon Rides River to a Million
Level: 21 (15000/25000/25000) Entries: 4/120 Prizes: $57,000 ($33,000 prizes, $24,000 bounties) Ron Lauzon raised to 70k from the button, and Dan Martel called before big blind Mal Hagan shoved the big stack. Lauzon snap-called with less and Martel got out of the way.
Lauzon had jacks against ace-king for Hagan, and it looked like Lauzon would be heading home in fourth on the flop with the board of 9♥4♥A♦9♠J♠ but Lauzon boated up on the river for a huge double to over a million. Hagan is down to about 500k now.
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Break Chips for the Final Four
Level: 20 (10000/20000/20000) Entries: 4/120 Prizes: $57,000 ($33,000 prizes, $24,000 bounties) Chips from Break
T-S Player Cjips 11 – 2 Dan Martel 817,000 11 – 3 Mal Hagan 975,000 11 – 4 11 – 5 Deven Lane 520,000 11 – 6 11 – 7 11 – 8 11 – 9 Ron Lauzon 680,000 -
Wilfred McNeely Out in 5th Place for $2,437
Level: 20 (10000/20000/20000) Entries: 4/120 Prizes: $57,000 ($33,000 prizes, $24,000 bounties) 
Wilfred McNeely Wilfred McNeely was short after the previous hand, and he got it in against Deven Lane when they both flopped two pair on a board of Q♣2♣7♠3♥6♥. McNeely was on queen-deuce, but Lane was on queen-seven.
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Martel’s Deuce takes It
Level: 20 (10000/20000/20000) Entries: 5/120 Prizes: $57,000 ($33,000 prizes, $24,000 bounties) Wilfred McNelly raised to 50k from the button and Dan Martel called to see 6♠2♠5♦ on the flop. Martel fired 30k on the flop and McNeely called to the 8♦ turn.
Martek bet another 30k and got the call, then fired 40k on the 8♥ and got another call. Martel’s ace0deuce was good for the win.
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Hagan Shoves River
Level: 19 (10000/15000/15000) Entries: 5/120 Prizes: $57,000 ($33,000 prizes, $24,000 bounties) Mal Hagan opened the button to 30k and Wilfred McNeely called from the big blind. The flop was Q♥8♠4♥ and McNeely check-called for 22k.
He check-called again for 36k on the A♣ turn but switched to a check-fold line when Hagan shoved a covering stack om the 3♠ river.
Level 19 is nearly complete and the players will be moving to poker when it finishes.
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Steve Chung Out in 6th Place for $1,931
Level: 19 (10000/15000/15000) Entries: 5/120 Prizes: $57,000 ($33,000 prizes, $24,000 bounties) 
Steve Chung Steve Chung limped from the middle, then called when Dan Martel raised to 40k from the cutoff. The flop came 10♥3♦A♥ and Chung check-shoved the smaller stack. Martel called him off with ace-ten for two pair against ace-seven for Chung. Martel held and Chung was done in 6th place.
Because of an issue with the clock in the Pearl room, the remaining players will be moving to poker at the end of this level.
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Ian Alvarado Out in 7th Place for $1,519
Level: 19 (10000/15000/15000) Entries: 6/120 Prizes: $57,000 ($33,000 prizes, $24,000 bounties) 
Ian Alvarado They are down to 6 now after Ian Alvarado hit the cage for 7th place money tonight.
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McNeely Shoves on Lane
Level: 18 (6000/12000/12000) Entries: 7/120 Prizes: $57,000 ($33,000 prizes, $24,000 bounties) Deven Lane raised under the gun to 24k, then called when Wilfred McNeely, to his left, three-bet to 60k. They both checked the J♠A♥3♥ flop, but when Lane led the 2♦ turn for 50k, McNeely shoved and Lane quickly mucked.
