Robert Notkin, a Toronto grinder who secured a seat in the $3,300 buy-in Pokerstars Canada Cup in a $30 online satellite competition, has bested a 577-strong entry field and a tough final table to take home $366,660 – the lion’s share of a $2 million guranteed prize pool.
The closing stages of the game saw a rare occurrence – four players all-in at once, resulting in three of them busting out in the course of a single hand, and giving Notkin the victory.
Played at the Playground Poker Club in Kahnawake, the event took five days to play to a conclusion, producing a final table that included Notkin and Vincent Jacques, Ryan Rivers, Justin Miller, Rayan Chamas, Ankush Mandavia, Thiago Nishijima, Francois Goulet and James Armstrong.
The epic finale occurred when play stood at four-handed and involved Justin Miller, Vincent Jacques, Ryan Rivers and Notkin, who all went all-in. Notkin’s hand prevailed and he knocked out three opponents in a single move to claim the title and the first prize.
The runner-up, thrid and fourth prizes were decided on stack size, with Jacques taking second for $257,280; Rivers third on $165,280; and Miller fourth on $122,410.
It was a memorable win for Notkin, representing almost an order of magnitude greater than all his career earnings to date combined.