Jackpot of $3M Was Won in the Largest Casino in Canada

After playing only a few hands, a man won the largest progressive jackpot of the biggest Canadian casino

Only a few minutes - this is how much time the newest Canadian jackpot winner spent in the casino of Montréal earlier this month. Several hands in a progressive table game brought Claude Martin a win of more than $3 million. According to the casino of Montréal, this progressive jackpot win was the richest table game payout in its history. Who is the winner? And how he managed to get the jackpot won? Find out more about Claude Martin’s story. If you also want to learn more about poker in general, read our trusty guide on free poker online.

The Winner

In the Casino Montréal press release, it was announced that the winner of the historic jackpot was Claude Martin. He is from Lanaudière, Quebec. On Friday evening, January 20th, he was out with his wife, with the intention to attend the Roch Voisine show at the Cabaret music venue of the casino. However, the couple went there earlier, and Claude decided to spend some time in the casino while waiting for the concert to start.

That is how he ended up on the gambling floor and entered the largest casino in Canada - Casino de Montréal. He chose to sit and play a classic table game without suspecting what would happen in a matter of minutes. He won the amount of $3,056,175 by playing only a few poker hands at the casino. So, he missed the Roch Voisine show, but started the new year as a millionaire.

When asked what he plans to do with the money, Claude answered that he does not feel ready for retirement and will continue to work. But he did not hide his desire to buy the “car of his dreams” and a cottage located near one of the Canadian lakes.

How Did He Win?

You might be curious how the biggest table game payout in the 30-year history of Casino de Montréal was won. First of all, the exact game that was played by Claude was 3-card poker. But what was the special thing here was that the game was connected to a progressive jackpot. If you have ever tried playing progressive slots, you will know what they are.

Jackpot games are just like the ordinary ones but with one big difference: there is a massive jackpot that will be won by one of the players at some point. But what happens when the jackpot is a progressive one? With every played hand or spin, a percentage of the stake goes into the so-called jackpot pool. The progressive jackpot gets bigger and bigger with every placed wager. The more placed bets by players, the bigger it will become. Until eventually someone breaks the balloon by winning the progressive jackpot amount.

Well, after sitting down on the poker table for Claude, there was only one requirement: he had to place a separate side bet of $5. Side bets are independent from the outcome of the game as with them the punt could be related to who will last longer in the game, for example. Then, Claude played a few hands and was dealt a royal flush in spades – the combination needed to win the jackpot.

About the Casino

When it comes to the gambling operator, Casino de Montréal has been around since 1993. It is the largest gaming property not only in Quebec but in the territory of Canada, having more than 3,200 slot machines and a wide range of table games. Casino de Montréal is owned by Loto-Quebec. This is a government agency which was established in 1969. Apart from its governing functions, it also operates four casinos including the one in Montréal, runs two gaming halls, a public lottery, a video lottery and bingo network. This year Loto-Quebec is expected to consider expanding sports betting to its casinos.

Casino de Montréal stated in its press release that the progressive jackpot, estimated to be $3,056,175 in the minute, it was won is the biggest one ever since its establishment in 1993.