When the final table of the partypokerLIVE MILLION North America began Wednesday after at Playground Poker Club just outside of Montreal, all eyes were on Ari Engel. The 2016 Aussie Millions Main Event champ was chip leader and on the verge of his second seven-figure score in the last 17 months.

Nobody was talking about Jean-Pascal Savard though. The local was second in chips and had already has some success in Playground events over the years. By the end of the day, everybody was talking about him as he earned the largest score of his career and first major title.

It took almost three hours before the first player was eliminated. Rayam Chamas opened to 10,000,000 from UTG before Savard re-raised to 31,700,000 from the button. Chamas moved all in for 129,200,000 and Savard called instantly and tables as Chamas showed . The flop kept Savard ahead and the p turn flipped each players respective outs. The river gave Savard broadway and sent Chamas out in eighth place.

Just ten hands later, with blinds of 2,500,000/5,000,000 (500,000) Matthew Waxman moved all in from UTG for 26,000,000 and Niall Farrell called from the big blind. Waxman showed while Farrell turned over . The flop kept Waxman ahead but the turn gave Farrell second pair. The river was no help for Waxman and the 2011 World Poker Tour Paris champion was eliminated in seventh.

Six-handed play continued for about 2.5 hours before the next elimination. Action folded to Farrell in the small blind and he limped, Savard moved all in from the big blind. Farrell called all in and showed . Savard was behind with . The flop changed that though and Farrell wasn’t able to catch either of his two outs on the turn or river to exit in sixth.

An hour later the player who started the final table with the chip lead saw his run end prematurely. Ari Engel moved all in for 66,000,000 from the button and Philippe D’Auteuil called from the big blind. Engel showed while D’Auteuil turned over . The board ran out to send Engel, a former #1-ranked player on PocketFives, out in fifth place.

It took almost exactly one hour to lose another player. With blinds of 4,000,000/8,000,000 (1,000,000), Jonathan Bussieres moved all in for 168,000,000 from the button and Louis Boutin called from the big blind. Bussieres showed and Boutin had his tournament life on the line with . The flop came to put Bussieres ahead. The turn and river were no relief and Boutin’s run at the $1,000,000 first place prize ended with a fourth place finish.

Bussieres, D’Auteuil and Savard played three-handed for another hour before the next elimination. Savard folded his button, Bussieres moved all in fro 234,000,000 from the small blind and D’Auteuil called from the big blind for his last 155,000,000. Bussieres showed while D’Auteuil tabled . The flop put Bussieres ahead with a pair of sixes. The turn was the and the river was the to eliminate D’Auteuil in third and send Savard and Bussieres to heads up.

When heads up play began, Savard had 750,000,000 of the 1,140,000,000 chips in play but the two players quickly struck a deal that saw Savard guaranteed $791,000 and Bussieres $693,950 with $165,000 left to play for.

Just 22 hands into heads up play, with blinds of 6,000,000/12,000,000 (1,000,000), Savard raised to 33,000,000, Bussieres moved all in for 444,000,000 and Savard called and was happy to learn he was ahead with against Bussieres’ . The board ran out to give Savard the title and eliminate Bussieres in second place.

Final Table Payouts

Jean-Pascal Savard – $956,000
Jonathan Bussieres – $693,950
Philippe D’Auteuil – $450,000
Louis Boutin – $335,000
Ari Engel $238,350
Niall Farrell – $160,000
Matthew Waxman – $110,000
Rayan Chamas – $80,000