When it comes to Meet-Up Games (MUGs), Brad Owen was one of the early pioneers. He’s played in MUGs all around the world, most recently at Playground during the World Poker Tour (WPT) Montreal.
On Monday, October 21 at 1 p.m., the poker room was packed with players battling in $1/$3 and $2/$5 cash game action. More than 40 tables were used with Owen, along with fellow WPT Global Ambassadors and prominent Canadian poker players Patrick Tardif and Xuan Liu, rotating tables every 30 minutes.
“I always have a great time at Playground,” Owen said when speaking to PokerNews. “I’ve gotten to know a handful of the local players over the last few years. In addition to their hospitality, they continue to bring the energy at the meet-up games, which makes it fun for me to keep coming back. This event I got off to a slow start, but ending the day winning a $1,000 flip at the MUG’s most rambunctious table more than made up for it.”
Check out footage of that flip here:
https://twitter.com/TheBradOwen/status/1848794647663132962
“MUGs are such a special way to connect with players at the grassroots level, even if they are mostly there for Brad,” Liu told PokerNews. “I always have fun and splash around a bunch, but I also kind of tried this time and booked a pretty nice win. I was showing one card each time I won a pot, and even once when they were contemplating calling my all in – he snapped after he saw the 5x– so I don't feel too bad about winning money off them this time.”
Complimentary food and drinks were available at the cash game tables, and players were able to sign up either through the Poker Atlas app, on the Playground website, or with in-person registration at Playground.
Even WPT Executive Tour Director Matt Savage got in on the cash game action.
"I had a great time playing in the meet-up game. I played a little bit with Brad, 'Egyption', and also with Xuan Liu. We had a lot of fun,” Savage told PokerNews. “I dusted off my chips a couple of times, but the cash action here is off the charts. It's actually better than I've seen in most places. Happy to come back here and play that again."
Here’s a look at some pictures from the WPT Montreal MUG taken by talented poker photographer Alicia Skillman.
PokerNewswill be on-site at the WPT Playground for the next week offering content throughout, so be sure to check back daily as we bring you updates and stories straight from the tournament floor.
*Photos courtesy World Poker Tour (WPT) / Alicia Skillman