Dustin Melanson Crushes an Action-Packed Final Table to Become WSOPC Playground Main Event Champion

Jeremy Geist

Level 37 : Blinds 400,000/800,000, 800,000 ante

On Day 1 of Event #8: $1,700 No Limit Holdem Main Event at the World Series of Poker Circuit Playground, one of the many excellent floor staff at Playground flagged down PokerNews to point out one specific player out of the 1,660-player field to keep an eye on as the tournament progressed. They explained that this player seemed always to find a way to run deep in all of their major series.

That player was Dustin Melanson.

A quick look at his Hendon Mob will show you that he seems to have an uncanny ability to crush events at this venue. He has multiple wins inside these four walls, along with all the biggest cashes of his career. With this win, he more than doubles his career live earnings and can now add World Series of Poker Circuit Main Event Champion to his already successful career.

Melanson returned for Day 3 as the overall chip leader of the last 22 players in the field. He did not hold that lead the entire day, but his ability to battle adversity as the day went on was remarkable. After multiple bad beats and a few rough spots, he battled all the way to heads-up play with a sparring partner, Sergei Gurin, who also played excellent the entire day and was a force on the final table.

Before play began they agreed to an ICM chop, minus 10% that they would play for, along with the ring. The players were almost even at the start of heads-up play, and Gurin actually held the chip lead. Melanson had every chip in play about an hour and a half later. He was crowned champion, put on the ring, and collected his massive prize of $339,770.

Final Table Results

Place	Name	Country	Prize
1	Dustin Melanson	Canada	$339,770*
2	Sergei Gurin	Canada	$285,230*
3	Mohammad Feizi	Canada	$181,600
4	George James	Canada	$140,000
5	Nghi Van Tran	Canada	$105,000
6	Joey Messina	Canada	$82,500
7	Israel Pantaleon	Canada	$65,000
8	Matthew Paplyk	Canada	$50,000
9	Robert Wong	Canada	$35,000

*Denotes a heads up deal

Winners Reaction

"I felt like I was at my best, and I felt like my opponents couldn't really keep up with my aggression and the pressure I was putting on.��

Melanson was asked to share some things that added to his success as the day went on, and he was very candid about what he felt he did well.

��I think I was very consistent with switching gears at the right time. Couple good spots along the way that helped me. Sure, a nice ace from space on the river during the final table. You know, you need the run good, feel good, and I felt great.��

When there began to be a sweat that Melanson may win it all, his long-time significant other, Emily, made her way to the rail. It was apparent early on that this meant a lot. He even sprinted for a good luck kiss just before the final hand was dealt and it seemed to work as he came out champion. He spoke to the significance of her presence after being crowned champion.

��It meant the world to me. She��s been sick and out of commission the past few days, so to have her by my side for the love and support was amazing.��

After all of his success in this room, he spoke about the significance of Playground and how it has changed his professional poker career and his personal life as he met Emily in this very room.

��It means everything. I mean, these guys, and this poker room, essentially, groomed my game and the player I am today. I watched and felt myself making a lot of mistakes and seeing certain people consistently run deep, and one day, it just clicked, and I just kept my aggression up, and here we are, man. These guys are fantastic. They run tournaments better than anybody else in the world. Their staff, top to bottom, is incredible. The dealers are second to none. I mean, you can't find them anywhere like this, and yeah, it means a lot, man. This place is, uh, one of a kind, that's for sure.��

Final Table Action

The ten-handed final table started with Pietro Lo Giudice's elimination in tenth place, as his ace-queen could not improve against George James' pocket nines. The table would then see wildcard Mohammad Feizi show a stone cold bluff with seven-duece to get the action moving. Robert Wong would thenfall to Feizi in 9th after his ace-jack was pipped by the ace-queen of Feizi.

Melanson would then encounter his first jumping-off point of the day when he was all in and at risk against Matthew Paplyk��s pocket tens and hit the ace from space on the river to secure the double he needed to stay alive. The roller coaster would then go the other direction when Melanson got cooled off in a nasty spot when Joey Messina hit a three outer on the turn to double through him.

Matt Paplyk would then fall in eighth place after a classic cooler spot with aces versus kings. A few hands later, Israel Pantaleon got set over set to fall in seventh place after a gross run out. Messina then fell in sixth at the hands of Melanson who got the revenge after getting cooled off a bit before. Local legend, Nghi Van Tran, lost a flip to Melanson to fall in fifth place before James was eliminated in fourth by Gurin. Feizi fell in third at the hands of Melanson when he cracked Feizi's aces, and then it was down to heads-up play.

Melanson started heads-up play with a small chip disadvantage and got cut down a few times on his way to being all-in for his tournament life. He got the pure double to get about even with Gurin. He then grinded through a few small pots to gain the lead, and he would never lose it again. In the final hand, he was able to drill the wheel on the river to best the pair of Gurin.

What followed was overwhelming excitement, an embrace with his partner on the rail, and putting the World Series of Poker Circuit Main Event Ring on for the first time as champion.