Daniel Lefebvre has been having a great end to his 2023, at least in High Roller branded events on the PPT. This was his third straight victory after taking down the High Roller games in Sept here at Yellowhead and October in Calgary. Now he's added this Super High Roller to the list.

It was a great run for Lefebvre who ran pure in several spots to get there for huge pots. He was getting cards at the right time for most of the day, but also made disciplined laydowns to preserve his stack when needed. He used aggression to his advantage, shoving blind-on-blind against the card-dead Josh Starborn for much of the final table, and used his big stack to pressure other players as well.

This was the fourth career win for the 2018 SIGA Champion and will push his lifetime earnings close to $225k.

Level 21: 10000/20000/20000
Entries: 2/22

Josh Starborn was card-dead for a lot of the day, but in a way, it paid off for him. He nursed the short stack through the bubble and managed to ladder up to second place over DJ Sharma, but he just couldn't stop the Daniel Lefebvre freight train.

In one of the final hands, Starborn flopped two pair and tried to lay the trap for Lefebvre but the board ran out to Broadway for Lefebvre to take a big pot.

Shortly after, the money went in with Lefebvre on pocket fours against the ace-six for Starborn and the race was on. Lefebvre turned a set on .

Level 21: 10000/20000/20000
Entries: 2/22

The blinds have dropped to 20 minutes with the new level now that they are heads up.

Level 20: 10000/15000/15000
Entries: 2/22

Daniel Lefebvre was up over 900k after he hit a five on the river to cap Josh Starborn's turned deuce with 50k of value on the river. In the next hand, Starbor doubled back when he hit a ten with his jack-ten and held.

They just chopped a massive pot in a very odd runout. Starborn was in with ace-king against ace-ten for Lefebvre and Starborn flopped it with ace-king-king. After a brick turn, the river came the case ace, giving them both aces full of kings.

Level 21 is about to begin with blinds at 10k/20k/20k.

Level 20: 10000/15000/15000
Entries: 2/22

DJ Sharma limped to trap blind on blind against Daniel Lefebvre, and he snapped off the call with ace-ten when Lefebvre shoved his big blind with . The gave Sharma 2nd pair but ran out to the baby flush for Lefebvre.

Level 20: 10000/15000/15000
Entries: 3/22

Josh Starborn has been having a rough time in the big blind today as Daniel Lefebvre has been shoving a lot and hes been waking up with garbage and forced to fold. It just happened again, but he found this time and made the call.

He was behind the ace-queen of Lefebvre, but a nine in the window held and gave him the double.

Level 19: 6000/12000/12000
Entries: 3/22

The board was already out reading and DJ Sharma was facing a bet of about 50k from Daniel Lefebvre with a big pot in the middle already. He put in the call, but mucked when Lefebvre showed queen-eight for turned second pair.

Level 19: 6000/12000/12000
Entries: 3/22

It's not all shoves and action here tonight - there are also some solid folds going on. DJ Sharma just raised the small blind to 26k, then tanked for a bit when Daniel Lefebvre three-bet the big blind to 73k. After a few seconds, he rolled over the as he mucked his hand and sent the uncontested pot to Lefebvre.

Level 19: 6000/12000/12000
Entries: 3/22

Josh Starborn looked down and saw an ace on the button and decided to shove without looking at his second card. Daniel Lefebvre called with more and was in decent shape with pocket sixes as Starborn's second card turned out to be a deuce.

It didn't matter, however, as the ace came in the window on the board of .

Level 19: 6000/12000/12000
Entries: 3/22

DJ Sharma limped then snap-called when Daniel Lefebvre shoved the small blind. It was a flip between ace-king for Sharma and sixes for Lefebvre, and Sharma turned the king for the double to the lead.

Level 19: 6000/12000/12000
Entries: 3/22

They are back at the felt for Level 19 now with blinds at 6k/12k/12k and Daniel Lefebvre leading.

Level 18: 5000/10000/10000
Entries: 3/22

In the final hand of Level 18, DJ Sharma just sent a double to the stack of Daniel Lefebvre. Sharma raised to 26k from the small blind and Lefebvre called from the big.

The flop was and Sharma fired 26k again. Lefebvre called to the turn where Sharma bet 46k. Lefebvre flatted to the river where Sharma checked, then snap-called when Lefebvre shoved.

"Straight," said Lefebvre, turning over the ace-three for the wheel. Sharma slammed his pocket aces down in frustration and sent a huge double to Lefebvre, who is now playing more than half the total chips.

Level 18: 5000/10000/10000
Entries: 3/22

It was a cooler that sent Johnny Yu to the rail in 4th place today on the bubble. He woke up with ace-queen and shoved it, but ran into the aces of DJ Sharma. The aces held and Yu was forced out on the bubble in a brutal spot.

Level 18: 5000/10000/10000
Entries: 4/22

In the first hand, Johnny Yu raised his button to 25k and DJ Sharma called from the small blind. Big blind Daniel Lefebvre asked how much Yu had behind, and got the answer of about 230k before shoving the big stack and getting folds from both his opponents.

The next hand was a limped family pot to the flop. It checked to Sharma on the button, and he stabbed for 26k. Only Lefebvre called to the turn and both players checked it to the river.

Lefebvre fired a bet of 85k and sent Sharma into the tank for a bit. "You trying to buy it, Daniel?" he asked, but eventually sent his cards to the muck.

Level 18: 5000/10000/10000
Entries: 4/22

Daniel Lefebvre shoved his button with the big stack, and Johnny Yu snap-called from the big blind with pocket nines. Lefebvre was drawing thin to an ace with ace-nine, and couldn't get there on a board of .

Level 17: 4000/8000/8000
Entries: 4/22

Johnny Yu shoved under the gun for 76k and Daniel Lefebvre reshoved the big stack from the small blind to isolate.

Johnny Yu:
Daniel Lefebvre:

Board:

It was a coin flip between the pair of sixes for Yu and the overcards for Lefebvre. Yu was in danger of being counterfeited after the turn but managed to hold the clean board and take down the double.

There are now about 8 minutes remaining in Level 17 and blinds will increase to 5k/10k/10k on the next level for an average stack of 27.5 big blinds.

Level 17: 4000/8000/8000
Entries: 4/22

After a raise from Daniel Lefebvre under the gun and a call from DJ Sharma in the big blind, the flop came and Sharma check-called a bet of 11k. Both players checked the turn, and Sharma check-called for 31k on the river.

Lefebvre showed down jack-eight but Sharma turned a king for top pair and the win.

Level 16: 3000/6000/6000
Entries: 4/22

DJ Sharma is down some chips after a couple of hands that didn't go his way. In the first, he doubled up Josh Starborn when his fours couldn't hold against Starborn's ace-deuce.

In the next hand, Johnny Yu raised the button to 12k and Sharma called from the small blind as did Daniel Lefebvre from the big. It checked to Yu on the flop and he continued for 15k but Sharma put in the check-raise to 36k.

Lefebvre called while Yu got out of the way before the hit the turn. Sharma checked, then snap-called the 30k bet from Lefebvre. He checked again on the river, then tank-folded to a shove from the big stacked Lefebvre.

Level 16: 3000/6000/6000
Entries: 4/22

The action has been pretty slow so far this level but chip leader Daniel Lefebvre just took a small-ish one from DJ Sharma. Lefebvre opened under the gun to 12k and Sharma called from the big blind.

Lefebvre continued for 8k after a check from Sharma on the flop. Sharma called to the turn and both players checked it through the river.

"Ten high," said Sharma before Lefebvre showed ace-high for the win.

Level 16: 3000/6000/6000
Entries: 4/22

They are back at the felt for Level 16 now with blinds at 3k/6k/6k.

Level 16: 3000/6000/6000
Entries: 4/22

Daniel Lefebvre is in the lead at the break following Level 15. They are still on the bubble to the money and will be back in action for Level 16 in about 7 minutes.

Level 15: 2500/5000/5000
Entries: 4/22

Daniel Lefebvre is stacking more chips after sending Ali Khani to the rail in 5th place to put the game on the bubble to the money spots. The winner of the last two High Rollers had kings against ace-deuce suited for Khani and his short stack. Lefebvre turned kings full and he now has the big lead on the bubble.

Level 15: 2500/5000/5000
Entries: 5/22

They are two from the money now after Mike Kim hit the rail in 6th place. He had the chip lead to start the day, but then ran into the High Roller wizard Daniel Lefebvre and his flush. Kim couldn't recover from that confrontation, but he will be taking the PLO trophy back to Vancouver with him anyway.

Level 14: 2000/4000/4000
Entries: 6/22

Daniel Lefebvre is on his way to his third straight win in games branded as "High Rollers" here on the PPT. He's won the last two high roller games in Calgary in Oct and here at Yellowhead in Sept, and now he's chip leading the Super High Roller today with 6 left.

He just ran out to a flush against Mike Kim for a huge double to stack up more than 400k.

Level 14: 2000/4000/4000
Entries: 6/22

Three players from the Super High Roller will walk away with money in their pockets, and the winner is set to grab $23,275. The Payouts tab lists all the spots for today, and there are still six players left in the hunt for one of the three paid spots today.

Level 13: 1500/3000/3000
Entries: 7/22

There are six players left in the game now after Andrew Goertz lost his chips near the end of Level 13. I missed the action as I was writing up the previous hand while it happened.

Level 13: 1500/3000/3000
Entries: 7/22

David Quang ran into a race for his life but his pocket eights couldn't win it. Josh Starborn woke up with ace-jack suited and ran out to a straight to send Quang packing today.

The day didn;t go well for either of the two new entries this morning. Nicholas Peterson lasted a little longer than Hugh Armstrong, but Peterson, along with Colten Yamagishi just hit the rail after DJ Sharma hit a set of sevens to crack jacks for Peterson and suited overs for Yamagishi.

It was a quick day today for Hugh Armstrong who jumped into the SHR this morning, but he didn't survive long with his 17 big blinds to start the day and he was the first exit from the field today.

Level 13: 1500/3000/3000
Entries: 12/22

There were a couple of extra entries this morning to bring the total to 22 entries with 12 players still alive and battling. Action is now underway in Level 13, and they'll play today until a winner is decided.

Mike Kim Pictured in the Main Event

The Super High Roller stacks are in and Mike Kim is leading the way into Dat 2 with more than 300k. The next biggest stack belongs to Johnny Yu but he has barely half the chips of Kim.

Entries are open on this one until the start of Day 2 so I expect a few more players to jump into this one before the cards go in the air tomorrow. It's likely I'll be late to the floor as the Main Event finished pretty late, but I should be around shortly after the start.

10 players remain from the 20 entries to enter today. I still don't have the stacks yet, and entries are open until the start of day tomorrow. I'll publish the Day 1 stacks and Day 2 seats later after the Main Event ends.

Level 6: 300/600/600
Entries: 8/13

The Super High Rollers are off for their dinner break with 13 entries and 8 players still alive. They'll be back at the felt in about 25 minutes for Level 7 with blinds at 400/800/800 and an average stack of just over 100 big blinds.

Level 6: 300/600/600
Entries: 8/13

There are 13 entries for the Super High Roller now with 8 players at the tables. I expect the numbers to grow in the SHR slowly as the night goes on, as I suspect some people who might have played it are over in the $340 Freezeout and plan to enter this one later once that one is finished.

Level 3: 200/300/300
Entries: 9/10

There is one full table of players in the Super High Roller now with 10 entries and 9 players at the felt. A dealer is waiting to open a new table if they get another player in the game, but for the time being, the 9 players are sitting on a single full table.

There are just under 10 minutes to play until the first break of the day.

Level 2: 100/200/200
Entries: 7/8

They are up to 8 entries in the Super High Roller now, but only 7 players in action right now. There are just over 10 minutes left in Level 2.

Level 1: 100/100/100
Entries: 7/7

The High Roller field is up to 7 now with about 15 minutes to play in Level 1.

The Super High Roller is now underway with 6 players in their seats to start. Entries are open throughout today and up until Day 2 begins tomorrow.

The Super High Roller is still waiting to get started with 4 players in the field so far. They are waiting for a fifth entry before they start the game, so the action is still waiting.

It's the final day of entries here for the 2023 Pure Poker Tour. There will still be poker action tomorrow as the Main Event and the Super High Roller finish, but entries for those are already closed, or will be closing before the start of Day 2 for High Roller game. A few players may well enter this one tomorrow morning before the action begins, but most of the entry action will be happening today.

The game gets going at 2 pm today and players get 50k in chips for their $2,500 buy-in. Blinds are 40 minutes throughout the event and Day 1 plays 12 levels before they bag for the night.

Daniel Lefebvre has been in town for some events this week, and it seems likely we'll see him in this game. He's been running very hot in the big games on the PPT as he's won the last two High Roller games on the Tour so he'll no doubt be looking to go three-for-three.

I'll try to keep an eye on this one a bit today, but most of my attention will be on Day 2 of the Main Event as they play down to the final table.