Ontario Player Matthew Silva Wins WSOP Paradise Package on GGPoker
The World Series of Poker (WSOP) is headed to the Bahamas on December 3 for the WSOP Paradise. In the run-up to the event, PokerNews has been checking in with some of the players who have won their way into the event online.
Matthew Silva joins several other Ontario poker players including Dana Karlson and Matthew Aquino who have won their way to the WSOP through GGPoker's Road To Paradise promotion.
PokerNews spoke with Silva to talk about his GGPoker victory, his WSOP ticket, and what the trip will mean to him.
The Best Ways to Win Your Way to WSOP Paradise Online and Live
Q&A w/ Qualifier Matthew Silva
PokerNews: Could you tell us a bit about where you are in your poker journey right now?
Silva: I feel I truly am a good representation of what the poker dream can look like. Poker is not my full-time job but I eat, sleep, and breathe poker every day after work. I study the game, play the game, and dream about the game. I make it all work as a husband, father, and teacher.
This is what the WSOP dream is all about in my opinionthe average person rolling up a stake, going to a tournament, and actually winning it all.
And how did you win your WSOP Paradise package on GGPoker? I qualified for WSOP Paradise through WSOP@GGPoker Ontario by playing a $1,500 satellite and finishing in first. The top two players were awarded seats in the $5,300 WSOP Paradise Main Event.
I've been playing poker for twenty years and this experience is something I have dreamt about for my entire poker career. What an amazing experience it is going to be!
Have you ever played in an event as big as this?
I have played the WSOP Main Event in Vegas three times in my life. I feel like the WSOP runs some of the best tournaments around the world.
But I have also played many $1,000 and $5,000 tournaments at various locations in Vegas and in Niagara Falls. I have over twenty years of experience playing live poker and in that time, I have been to the WSOP almost every year it ran. One of the challenges to playing live is having a full-time job, as poker takes up a lot of time! Being an elementary school teacher and having a family, makes it hard to find the time to play live poker as much as I would like but, ultimately, my family is why I play this game. I am truly playing and trying to win big for them.
I wouldn't want it any other way and have found a way to balance my time that makes for an enjoyable playing experience both on the virtual and live felts.
What have been the highlights of your poker journey so far?
The highlights of my poker journey are coming third in an Online Ontario Circuit event for $36,000 and satelliting int the WSOP Main Event in Vegas.
Ultimately though, satelliting into the WSOP Paradise Main Event in Bahamas is probably the highlight I am looking forward to most!
Some of my most fun experiences were staying in a WSOP grind house many years ago with Timothy Adams and a bunch of other friends. Tim is an amazing poker player and he was awesome to hang with during that WSOP. I look up to him as I can only dream of one day playing at the stakes and level he does.
Are you looking forward to anything in particular at the WSOP Paradise?
I am most looking forward to spending time with my family at the beautiful Bahamas Atlantis resort. This is something we would probably never experience if it weren't for GGPoker running these awesome satellites.
I am also looking forward to winning the Main Event outright!
I am planning on going to the water park, seeing some sea creatures, and enjoying some much-needed rest and relaxation on the beach with my family.
Are there any players you especially hope to play with at the WSOP Paradise?
I am looking forward to seeing all the professionals and the people I look up to in poker like Daniel Negreanu and Jason Koon. These two people are legends of the game. I truly hope I'm lucky enough to be seated next to them in the Main Event.
They are two of my favorite players. The way they carry themselves on and off the felt makes me feel like I want to emulate their lifestyles and value the same things they do. When I see these guys winning tournaments, I truly am happy for them and know that one day that could be me if I follow their lead.
What would you do with the first-place prize if you took the Main Event down?
If I were to win this amazing prize at WSOP Paradise, I would first and foremost need to thank all the people who supported me along the way.
I would then throw a massive party for my friends and family to celebrate. But most of all, I would want to start reinvesting back into poker by being one of the best poker ambassadors the game has to offer. I think about this a lot and how I want to grow the game.
I truly feel that this game is where I belong and I am so pumped to be playing the WSOP main event in Paradise!
5 Fun Non-Poker Activities in the Bahamas During WSOP Paradise
2023 WSOP Paradise Schedule
The 2023 WSOP Paradise shuffles up and deals in The Bahamas on December 3 with the $1,650 buy-in Mystery Millions. This first event has $5 million guarantee, so serves as an ideal curtain raiser for the 11-day festival.
Almost all of the bracelet events promise a minimum prize pool of $1 million, with a $5 million guarantee for the $1,500 Millionaire Maker and the $103,000 Ultra High Roller.
The flagship event of the series is the $5,300 Main Event, which sports an extraordinary $15 million guarantee making it one of the biggest events of the 2023 poker calendar.
| Start Date | Event | Total Buy-in | Guarantee |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sun 3 Dec | #1: Mystery Millions | $1,650 | $5,000,000 |
| Mon 4 Dec | #2: Millionaire Maker in Paradise | $1,500 | $5,000,000 |
| Tue 5 Dec | #3: GGMillion$ High Rollers Championship | $26,000 | $10,000,000 |
| #4: Mini Main Event No-Limit Hold'em | $1,100 | $1,000,000 | |
| Thu 7 Dec | #5: High Roller Pot-Limit Omaha | $26,000 | $2,000,000 |
| Fri 8 Dec | #6: No-Limit Hold'em 6-Handed | $3,300 | $1,000,000 |
| #7: Super High Roller No-Limit Hold'em | $53,000 | $2,000,000 | |
| #8: Mystery Bounty Pot-Limit Omaha | $2,100 | $1,000,000 | |
| Sat 9 Dec | #9: Ultra High Roller No-Limit Hold'em | $103,000 | $5,000,000 |
| #10: Main Event Championship | $5,300 | $15,000,000 | |
| Tue 12 Dec | #11: Flip & Go | $800 | - |
| Wed 13 Dec | #12: No-Limit Hold'em Freezeout (Online) | $1,050 | $1,000,000 |
| #13: Pot-Limit Omaha Championship | $10,400 | $1,000,000 | |
| #14: The Closer Turbo Bounty | $2,200 | $1,000,000 | |
| Thu 14 Dec | #15: High Roller No-Limit Hold'em 6-Handed | $10,400 | $1,000,000 |
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