Hopkins Spins Satellite Win into WPT World Championship Run

WPT Global: How did you win your way into this massive WPT Championship event?

Hopkins: It was just a $1k satellite, and it was overlaying quite a bit, so I thought it was good value to just jump in there and go after it. I haven't played there too much, but I'm always looking for good tournaments to play, and so when I see some good ones I jump in there.

WPTG: You bagged the chip lead on Day 1A (among WPT Global qualifiers), so how are you playing that big stack moving into Day 2 here?

Hopkins: It's a long tournament, so I'm just taking it how it goes. Playing how I would normally play, and not making too many mistakes.

WPTG: You have over $50,000 in career earnings on your Hendon Mob results. How nice would it be to add to that total here at the WPT Championship?

Hopkins: I have $50k on Hendon Mob, so it would be quite nice to add another $5-6 million to that [laughs]. That would be pretty good.

WPTG: How have you been adjusting your play in this tournament as you compete against all the best players in the world?

Hopkins: I'm not too scared, I've played a lot online so I'm comfortable.

WPTG: What is it like to experience this and play in one of the biggest tournaments in history?

Hopkins: It's super exciting to play for so much money, and have so much at stake. It's just a cool experience, it's really cool to be here. 

WPTG: What have you done to prepare for this? And how did your first flight go?

Hopkins: I just played 1A. I was planning on playing every flight until I bagged, but I got lucky and bagged a big stack on Day 1.

WPTG: What did you do with that time off? And how beneficial is it to get that chance to reset before Day 2 while your other opponents are grinding?

Hopkins: I went and played some tournaments at MGM. There was a nice one over there, so I played a $1,700 event at the MGM. Basically just relaxed and went out for dinners and shows. It's super nice to have that reset, and kind of have a couple days to chill and do what you want with friends, talk about the tournament and get ready.

WPTG: The WPT made a big effort to provide a full-service series of events here. Have you been enjoying the events here?

Hopkins: It's been pretty relaxed for me, I've just been kind of hanging out and not going out a lot. I'm going to take advantage of the player's lounge for the next few days.

WPTG: Who all is rooting for you back home in Canada?

Hopkins: I've got lots of friends and family. My parents are super excited. My brother is super excited that I'm here as well.

WPTG: What is your plan to navigate your way to Day 3, and then throughout this long tournament from there?

Hopkins: I just want to win a lot of big pots and chip up as much as I can. I'm just going to play every hand as it comes, and not think about how long the tournament is going to be. I'm just going to stay calm and cool. 

(Enrique Malfavon, World Poker Tour photo)