2010 PokerStars Caribbean Adventure

2010 PCA Main Event
Day: 1a
Event Info

2010 PokerStars Caribbean Adventure

Final Results
Winner
Winning Hand
1010
Prize
$2,200,000
Event Info
Buy-in
$10,000
Entries
1,529
Level Info
Level
33
Blinds
120,000 / 240,000
Ante
20,000

Madsen's Bluff Fails

With over 15,000 in the middle on a montone flop of {10-Diamonds} {7-Diamonds} {5-Diamonds}, Jeff Madsen bet 20,000 to put his opponent at a decision for the rest of his stack. The player had just over 19,700 remaining and tanked for a few minutes before making the call.

Madsen wasn't thrilled when the player called. Madsen held {A-Clubs} {K-Hearts} and the other player held {J-Diamonds} {J-Hearts}.

The turn was the {7-Hearts} and the river the {10-Hearts}. Unable to improve, Madsen sent over the chips and dropped to 25,000.

Tags: Jeff Madsen

Shak Doubles

A short-stacked Dan Shak has just moved from 8,400 to 18,000 after his pocket kings held up against an opponent's {A-Hearts}{K-Spades}. The two got it all in before the flop and the board ran out {8-Spades}{9-Clubs}{9-Diamonds}{2-Hearts}{8-Diamonds} giving Shak two pair, kings and nines, to claim the pot.

The Bear Climbs

An unknown player opened to 1,000 under the gun, and Barry Greenstein and one other player came along for a three-handed flop. It rolled out {K-Hearts} {4-Hearts} {J-Spades}, and the raiser continued out with a bet of 2,500. Greenstein then raised to 7,000, and the third player made the overcall. The initial aggressor got the message and ducked out of the way, but Greenstein wasn't going anywhere; he made the call.

Fourth street brought the {2-Spades} and another leading bet from Greenstein. He made it 15,000, his opponent moved all in over the top, and The Bear called the extra few chips to put him at risk.

Showdown
Greenstein: {K-Diamonds} {J-Diamonds}
Opponent: {K-Clubs} {Q-Diamonds}

It was quite the gift for Greenstein as his opponent was pretty much drawing dead to three outs. The {J-Clubs} on the river was indeed not a queen, and Greenstein is the beneficiary of another big pile of chips. He's all the way up to 97,000 now and appears to be the chip leader at this point.

Tags: Barry Greenstein

Controversy at Negreanu's Table

Daniel Negreanu
Daniel Negreanu
After the turn came the {A-Clubs} on a board of {A-Hearts} {10-Diamonds} {2-Hearts} {A-Clubs}, Daniel Negreanu called a bet of 2,200 from his opponent. The river completed the board with the {5-Clubs} and then this is where things got a little out of control.

First, Negreanu's opponent fired 4,000. Negreanu took some time and then tossed in a bunch of chips.

"Raise." announced the dealer.

Negreanu's opponent didn't hear the dealer announce the raise, nor did he see the raise as he began to turn over his hand. The player completed about 120 degrees of the full 180-degree rotation, showiing the {A-Diamonds} and one other card before the dealer abruptly stopped him. The player quickly put his hand back face down. The dealer let the player know the raise and the amount as Negreanu had made it 14,000 total.

Another moment passed before the player reraised to 29,000.

"Wait, what?!? I just saw your hand and now you're reraising?!? I saw your hand, you hit the five." said Negreanu, pointing to the {5-Clubs} that hit the river. "And now you raise? What if I have ace-ten? That's one of the more stupid plays you've made all day."

Negreanu then asked for the dealer to call for the floor because he wanted a ruling on the hand. The floor came over and the hand was explained. During the explanation, Negreanu told the floor, "He turned over his hand and I saw it. He had the ace of diamonds and either the five of spades or the four of spades."

Then, another player chimed in. This player was not involved in the hand and was seated directly to the right of Negreanu. "You didn't see his cards, you're wrong." mentioned the player to Negreanu. The player then looked at the floor staff and said, "There's something I need to tell you, but I can't tell you here in front of everyone because it will affect the hand." The floor and the player then stepped aside.

"Wait, wait, wait. Now I'm confused." said Negreanu.

"He's obviously going to tell the floor that you think you saw the cards, but you were wrong." mentioned yet another player at the table.

When the floor and the player returned, the floor asked Negreanu what he wanted to do. "I want to know what the ruling is. I want to know if his bet stands." said Negreanu.

The floor was mistaken that the player revealed his hand before he wanted to reraise. Once the floor got the story straight, it was ruled that the player could only call.

The player then revealed the nuts with {A-Diamonds} {10-Spades}. Indeed Negreanu was wrong in what he thought he saw. He quickly showed the table that he rivered the wheel and mucked his hand.

Negreanu's down to 70,000 after all of that.

Tags: Daniel Negreanu

Makhija Thins His Losses

We joined this heads-up pot as the dealer spread out a flop of {3-Spades} {J-Hearts} {K-Hearts}. The leading player checked, and Amit Makhija stuck in a bet of 2,100. His opponent said, "Call," but he flung out two blue chips worth 5,000 apiece. It was a curious way to call, but the verbal declaration was binding, and the dealer made change for him.

Both players check-checked through the {10-Diamonds} on the turn, and the {6-Diamonds} filled out the board on fifth street. The blue-chipping player led out this time with the same two blue chips, and no verbal announcement meant it was a bet of 10,000. The move sent Makhija deep into the tank.

"Will you show if I fold?" he asked. His opponent agreed, and Makhija open-mucked his {K-Diamonds} {3-Diamonds}. It was quite a fold; the other player flashed {J-Spades} {J-Clubs} for the flopped set, and Makhija tapped the felt in acknowledgement. He's dropped down to 24,000 after that pot, but it clearly could have been much worse.

Tags: Amit Makhija

Cantu Notches a KO

We caught up a bit late to see the betting action, but what we could see was a board of {2-Spades} {K-Hearts} {8-Spades} and a player all in against Brandon Cantu. The at-risk man tabled {A-Diamonds} {K-Diamonds}, and he was trailing the {K-Clubs} {2-Clubs} of Cantu. The turn {3-Diamonds} changed nothing, and neither did the {4-Hearts} on the river.

With his two pair, Cantu delivers the fatal blow to his table mate, collecting his chips to move his way up to a healthy 63,000.

Tags: Brandon Cantu

Level: 6

Blinds: 200/400

Ante: 50

Michelle Wins This Race

T-Mich
T-Mich
With a raise and a reraise in front of her, Tiffany Michelle moved all in for her last 3,550 chips. The initial raiser tanked for a couple minutes before moving all in himself, and that was enough to fold the third player and put the Amazing Race contestant heads up for her tournament life. Fittingly enough, she was off to the races once again:

Michelle: {8-Diamonds} {8-Hearts}
Opponent: {A-Hearts} {Q-Clubs}

The flop brought an ace... but it brought an eight as well! When all five cards were out, the board of {2-Hearts} {A-Diamonds} {8-Clubs} {10-Diamonds} {5-Spades} meant a double up (and then some) for Tiffany. She's back to 9,350 and back in the game.

Tags: Tiffany Michelle

Richey Wins One

Richey lookin' to get crunk
Richey lookin' to get crunk
After an early-position player raised to 800 and one player called, Brett Richey three-bet to 3,000. The original raiser called the reraise and the flat caller folded.

The flop came down {A-Hearts} {K-Spades} {3-Diamonds} and both players checked. The turn was the {9-Spades} and the first player checked to Richey. He fired 3,000 and took down the pot.

Richey's sitting on 41,000.

Tags: Brett Richey

Spindler Spins Out

So Long, Spindler
So Long, Spindler
The player in the hijack seat opened the pot to 1,000, and Benny Spindler made the call from the cutoff. In the small blind, another unknown stuck in another raise to 2,700. The initial raiser called, and Spindler sat in the tank for a minute or two. He'd made his decision; the young, emo-haired pro announced a re-reraise to 9,000 straight. After another few minutes, the small blind moved all in with a covering stack, enough to fold the third player in the middle. Spindler had just about 5,000 left to work with, and he shrugged and made the call for his tournament life.

Showdown
Spindler: {8-Spades} {8-Hearts}
Small blind: {A-Hearts} {J-Diamonds}

The flop was no fun for the at-risk spindler as the {J-Spades} appeared right in the door. In the end, the board ran out {J-Spades} {10-Spades} {10-Clubs} {9-Hearts} {4-Spades}, and that spells the end of Spindler for today.

Tags: Benny Spindler