Jacob Hobday turns a satellite entry into the biggest WSOPC win ever at Playground
Jacob Hobday topped a 1,978-entry field to win a record $620,000 in the WSOP Circuit Playground Main Event Mike Patrick Posted on: September 2, 2025 08:02 PDT
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The ring is Hobday’s second of his career, following a $53,197 CAD victory in a $400 event at WSOPC Calgary in 2023. He’s since had another sizeable five-figure score, but nothing quite like what he’s earned this weekend at Playground, something he will need time to process.
“Honestly, I don’t even know. My biggest score before this was around $60,000, and this is just absolutely insane,” Hobday told us afterwards.
The champion celebrates with his friendsWhile he acknowledges that the money is life-changing and bankroll-changing, he says he won’t be relocating his regular tournament action from his hometown Pickering Casino Resort to the PokerGO studio just yet.
“Yeah, this absolutely changes a lot. I’m not gonna go right away and start firing high rollers; I don’t think I’m ready for that. I probably ran better than I am, to be honest.”
The tao of rungood
While Hobday knew that he had good fortune on his side throughout the tournament, he explained how it was a lot of smaller things that helped propel him to victory.
“Running good’s not always about winning the all-ins," he said. “It’s about your three-bet bluffs getting through and your C-bets getting through, especially on final tables. Just taking it down when you’re opening up with 14-15 big blinds, just taking it with a C-bet, that’s running well.”
Jacob HobdayThat last point is exactly what Hobday had to do on Day 3 as he entered the day in 17th place out of 18 returning players, and with just 12 big blinds to his name.
His day saw nothing dramatic in the early going; he was simply doing what he needed to do to give himself a chance until the cards fell his way. He made it to the final table still with the second-shortest stack, but finally, after chipping up a bit through a series of all-in shoves with the blinds escalating, the rungood manifested itself in more than just getting C-bets through.
Better to run good late than early
After flopping a flush to win a big pot from eventual 8th-place finisher William Meeks, Hobday had chips to do some damage, and do damage he did.
Hobday wiped out the entire murderer’s row of former WSOPC Playground Main Event champions and final tablists in quick succession, starting with April 2024 winner, Dustin Melanson in sixth place, April 2025 tenth-place finisher William Blais in fifth, and that event’s third-place finisher Jorge Pacheco in third again.
Jorge Pacheco has finished 3rd in back-to-back WSOPC Playground Main EventsHobday had praise for all his opponents, but singled out Pacheco.
“I was happy that (Jorge) was on my right. I thought he was probably the best player on the table. Everybody was pretty solid. I was just picking spots and things were working out for me.”
Finally, with a nearly 6:1 chip lead versus runner-up Adrian Ottorino, Hobday completed his victory by flopping a set of deuces and leaving Ottorino drawing dead on the turn to finish their match in less than 15 minutes and claim the title.
Jacob Hobday’s winning momentHobday’s triumph at Playground ties a big, bright, shiny bow on what’s been an incredible series at the GPI award-winning poker room with massive fields and huge prize pools throughout the 18-event Circuit series that will return in November.
Hobday says he wouldn’t miss the chance to come back to defend his title. “I’ll definitely be back. I would say no poker room really compares to it in Canada.”
You can watch his winning hand below.
FAQ
Can you play GGPoker in Ontario?
Download the GGPOKER.CA app for the best real money poker games on mobile, and the chance to play in the World Series of Poker in Las Vegas. 19+. Please play responsibly, Ontario Only.
In which countries is GGPoker available?
Albania, Belgium, Bolivia, Croatia, Cyprus, Finland, Germany, Gibraltar, Guernsey, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Isle of Man, Jersey, Luxembourg, Malta, Montenegro, Netherlands, Norway, and United Kingdom. New Zealand.
Is GGPoker Ontario down?
No downtime recorded on this day.
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Yes! GGPoker Ontario was one of the first online gaming brands licensed by the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (ACGO) in 2022, allowing it to legally operate within the province.
Is GGPoker Legal in the USA? Current Rules for 2026
GGPoker does not hold a license to operate its primary real-money platform for players located within the United States, meaning residents cannot sign up or play on the site legally. While the brand is well-known internationally, it has not met the specific regulatory requirements set by individual US states to offer its services directly to the public. As of April 2026, anyone attempting to access the main GGPoker client from within the country will find that the platform is geo-blocked and unavailable for registration.
Can Americans Play on GGPoker? The Truth in 2026
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Is GGPoker in Canada?
GGPoker is available in Canada, but the main real-money version is tied to Ontario, where online poker is regulated separately from the rest of the country. For example, if you are in Ontario, you can use the Ontario-specific GGPoker platform, while players in other provinces may not have the same access. In simple terms, yes, GGPoker is in Canada, but it is not a single nationwide Canadian poker site. Ontario has its own licensed version, and that version is designed for local players under provincial rules.
Does Daniel Negreanu Own GGPoker? The Truth About Pokers Biggest Ambassador
No, Daniel Negreanu does not own GGPoker. He is the company’s global brand ambassador and spokesperson, a role he has held since 2019, but he is not an owner. Key facts about the ownership and Negreanu’s role: Aspect Detail GGPoker Owner GGPoker is owned by NSUS Group Inc., a private company that operates the platform Negreanu’s Role Global Ambassador and prominent face of GGPoker since 2019 Contract Status Re-signed with GGPoker in April 2025 to extend his partnership WSOP Ownership NSUS Group (GGPoker’s parent company) bought the WSOP brand from Caesars Entertainment for $500 million in 2024 Public Image Negreanu routinely wears GGPoker-branded hats while playing, making it a staple of his later-career image Negreanu was previously the face of PokerStars for over a decade before joining GGPoker, signaling a major industry shift when GGPoker overtook PokerStars in player numbers.
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How to Download WSOP NV 1. Visit the WSOP site 2. Locate the download link and click on it 3. When the download completes, run the installation on your device 4. When the installation completes, you can log in with your existing account or register if you do not already have one 5. Make a deposit via the mobile interface to fund your account 6. You will have access to all tournaments and cash games available via the desktop software
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