The headliner for the opening of the GGPoker Spring Festival on Saturday was deadmau5 but once action got underway the poker players took over and one Canadian stole the show and walked away with a seven-figure score.

Canadian Guillaume Nolet outlasted 197 other entries to win Event #6-High ($25,500 Sunday Five Million) for $1,084,891.90. Andras Nemeth finished in second place for $813,553.79 while Francisco ‘VaPaCooler’ Benitez came in third place for a $610,079.27 payday. The event fell just two players short of meeting the $5,000,000 guarantee making it the only High level buy-in event to have an overlay.

The honor of winning the first event on the schedule went to Jon AV Santos. Beating out a 744-runner field in event #1-High ($1,050 Bounty Kickoff) earned the Brazilian $99,285.56. Pablo Navarro fell one spot short of the title and had to settle for adding $47,825.75 to his bankroll. Darren ‘avocadotoast’ Rabinowitz earned enough to afford a down payment on a house after banking $36,804.20 for his third place finish.

‘Elkymara‘ defeated Ivan Zufic heads-up in Event #2-High ($1,500 Sunday Marathon) to bank $136,102.56. Zufic also managed to squeak into a six-figure cash by earning $102,062.24. The final spot on the podium went to ‘S Margereson‘ who walked away with $76,535.88 for coming in third place.

Reigning World Series of Poker Main Event champion Damian Salas almost continued his amazing 2021 but ultimately came up short of adding another title. ‘K Maslak‘ worked their way through 323 other runners in Event #3-High ($5,250 Bounty Hunters Main Event) to find himself heads-up with the Argentinian. ‘K Maslak‘ defeated Salas to win $229,531.42 while Salas took home $150,385.03. ‘Urmo Velvelt‘ wound up in third place for $83,393.94.

The final table of Event #4-High ($1,050 GGMasters High Rollers) was a star-studded affair.  ‘Yataro‘ worked their way through 1,126 other entries and earned the title and $155,843.48 in the process. Canadian Timothy Adams finished in second for $116,865.52 while Elio Fox came in third place and earned $87,636.69.

Every Spring, the PocketFives Rankings see a number of major shifts thanks to the sheer number of big buy-in, large field events. This year will be no different and it didn’t take long to see the first contender make a move. Current #2-ranked Rui ‘RuiNF’ Ferreira defeated Ami Barer heads up to win event #7-High ($2,100 PLO-NL Bounty) for a $108,522.63. Barer added $56,036.36 to his bankroll and Nemeth, a former #1 himself, came in third for $30,941.91.

Russian Aleksei Barkov made quick work of Event #8-High ($2,100 Sunday Heater – Bounty Turbo) for a $67,918.59 score. The event drew 162 runners with Darren Elias finishing in second place for $37,417.46 and Velvelt picked up his second bronze medal of the day along with $24,413.97.

Renan Bruschi banked $178,494.20 for taking down Event #9-High ($5,250 Bounty Hunter SHR). His last victim, ‘JESUSYAAZY‘, earned $92,938.27 as the runner-up while Ankush Mandavia walked away with $67,613.44 for coming in third place.

One of the smallest events to wrap up on Monday was Event #10-High ($1,050 PLO-NL). The 164 entries built up a $164,000 prize pool. Kazakhstan’s Shyngis Satubayev and Kamel Mokhammed chopped up nearly $70,000 with Satubayev grabbing the title and $35,540.73. Mokhammed didn’t get the title but did bag $33,173.94. Third place finisher ‘F Gonzalez’ earned $20,847.74 in what would just be a precursor for something bigger.

‘F Gonzalez’ quickly got over the disappointment of being eliminated to win Event #12-High ($2,100 Bounty) for $122,358.25. Runner-up Juan Dominguez scored $54,367.51 and ‘KennyKaarten‘ earned $42,274.23 for finishing in third place.

Event #1 (High) – $1,050 Bounty Kickoff
Entries: 744
Prize pool: $744,000

1. Jon AV Santos – $99,285.56
2. Pablo Navarro – $47,825.75
3. Darren ‘avocadotoast’ Rabinowitz – $36,804.20

Event #2 (High) – $1,500 Sunday Marathon
Entries: 525
Prize pool: $748,125

1. Elkymara – $136,102.56
2. Ivan Zufic – $102,062.24
3. S Margereson – $76,535.88

Event #3 (High) – $5,250 Bounty Hunters Main Event
Entries: 325
Prize pool: $1,625,000

1. K Maslak – $229,531.42
2. Damian Salas – $150,385.03
3. Urmo Velvelt – $83,393.94

Event #4 (High) – $1,050 GGMasters High Rollers
Entries: 1,127
Prize pool: $1,127,000

1. Yataro – $155,843.48
2. Timothy Adams – $116,865.52
3. Elio Fox – $87,636.69

Event #6 (High) – $25,500 Sunday Five Million
Entries: 198
Prize pool: $5,000,000

1. Guillaume Nolet – $1,084,891.90
2. Andras Nemeth – $813,553.79
3. VaPaCooler – $610,079.27

Event #7 (High) – $2,100 PLO-NL Bounty
Entries: 244
Prize pool: $488,000

1. Rui Ferreira – $108,522.63
2. Amichai Barer – $56,036.36
3. Andras Nemeth – $30,941.91

Event #8 (High) – $2,100 Sunday Heater [Bounty Turbo]
Entries: 162
Prize pool: $324,000

1. Aleksei Barkov – $67,918.59
2. Darren Elias – $37,417.46
3. Urmo Velvelt – $24,413.97

Event #9 (High) – $5,250 Bounty Hunters SHR
Entries: 175
Prize pool: $875,000

1. Renan Bruschi – $178,494.20
2. JESUSYAAZY – $92,938.27
3. Ankush Mandavia – $67,613.44

Event #10 (High) – $1,050 PLO-NL
Entries: 164
Prize pool: $164,000

1. S Satubayev – $35,540.73
2. Kamel Mokhammad – $33,173.94
3. F Gonzalez – $20,847.74

Event #12 (High) – $2,100 Bounty
Entries: 384
Prize pool: $768,000

1. F Gonzalez – $122,358.25
2. Juan Dominguez – $54,367.51
3. KennyKaarten – $42,274.23