Jonathan Jaffe, a 27-year-old internet professional player from Vermont, has triumphed in the C$3,500 buy-in World Poker Tour Montreal tournament, claiming a main event prize worth C$463,432 after defeating Ratharam Sivagnanam in a fiercely fought heads up.
The event attracted 732 entries, which over several days distilled to a final table on which Jaffe and Sivagnanam faced Mukul Pahuja, Kevin MacPhee, Samuel Chartier and Guillaume Nolet.
The 81-hand heads up started when Mukul Pahuja was eliminated at third for C$201,920, with Jaffe holding an almost 3 to 1 chip lead.
That meant little to 24-year-old Sivagnanam, who played with aggression and talent to close the gap and then contest the game fiercely, with the lead changing several times before Jaffe was able to hang onto and then build an advantage to victory, sending a very worthy opponent home with the runner up prize of C$313,318.
It was Jaffe’s first major live tournament title and his biggest career win to date. He was also rewarded with a seat in the $15,000 WPT World Championship next spring.