Super High Roller
Day 2 Completed
2012 PokerStars Caribbean Adventure
Super High Roller
Day: 2
Event Info
Final Results
Event Info
Level Info
2012 PokerStars Caribbean Adventure
Buy-in
$98,500
Prize Pool
$3,136,000
Entries
32
Level
19
Blinds
30,000 / 60,000
Ante
10,000
Don't Look Now... Galen Hall Leads the Final Table
![[user66118]](/img/avatars/avatar.svg){kind=avatar}
Level 13
: 8,000/16,000, 2,000 ante
That's all she wrote for Day 2 of the PokerStars Caribbean Adventure $100,000 Super High Roller event. From the starting field of 32, the final 18 returned to the tables today to play for ten eliminations. After about six hours of poker, the final table was set, and the chips were in the bags. Does anyone remember the name Galen Hall? Anyone? That's right, the 2011 PCA Main Event champion went on a monster run during the closing levels to bag up 1.748 million, and that will make him the pace-setter heading into tomorrow's finale.
Until Hall's run, it appeared that the day was going to belong to Daniel Negreanu. You poker buffs out there will recall that Negreau finished runner-up in this event last year, and his overnight count of 1.23 million puts him well on course to improve on that this time around. That's still third place, though, and it's his fellow Canadian Jonathan Duhamel who finished in second with 1.336 million.
Negreanu began his day by sending Chance Kornuth to the exit in 18th place, and he continued to chip up over the subsequent levels. With 12 players left, Negreanu and his 
found all-in action from Erik Seidel's 
, and the 
board gave Kid Poker his second KO of the day — and the chip lead. He bled a few chips over the final hour or so, but he still finished with plenty of chips with which to wage war on Day 3.
Duhamel didn't manage to eliminate anyone all day, but he still managed to nearly double up over the course of the five-level day. After a sluggish start, Duhamel needed a double through Scott Seiver to stay alive, and he wouldn't be in danger again. He continued to chip his way upward for the next couple levels to bag up his second-place stack.
We've already mentioned a couple of them, but the others to hit the rail today included Tom Marchese, Yevgeniy Timoshenko, Bertrand "ElkY" Grospellier, Jason Mercier, Will Molson, Doc Sands, and Sam Stein.
The tenth and final elimination of the day sent the start-of-day chip leader, Isaac Haxton, off to the exit with empty pockets. Haxton, in fact, had the chip lead for nearly the entire tournament, and he was abusing Galen Hall, who had been stuck on Haxton's direct right for about 95% of this event. Hall was starting to get frustrated with Haxton's aggression, but after losing several big battles, he finally managed to win the war.
Hall worked his way up over the million-chip mark by taking a big chunk of Haxton's stack when his 
turned a flush against Ike's mystery cards. Just a few hands later, Hall got the rest. With plenty of history between them, Hall figured he'd found a good spot to four-bet shove with 
. Haxton had 
, though, but his dominating hand betrayed him. The board ran 
, and that accomplished three things: (1) the elimination of Haxton, (2) Hall taking the chip lead, and (3) the end of Day 2.
Our final eight will return to the felt tomorrow at noon to play it out to the winner. Here's how they'll stack up:
| Table | Seat | Player | Chips |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | Humberto Brenes | 343,000 |
| 1 | 2 | Scott Seiver | 556,000 |
| 1 | 3 | Daniel Negreanu | 1,230,000 |
| 1 | 4 | Jonathan Duhamel | 1,336,000 |
| 1 | 5 | Mike "Timex" McDonald | 360,000 |
| 1 | 6 | Dan Shak | 1,199,000 |
| 1 | 7 | Viktor "Isildur1" Blom | 1,228,000 |
| 1 | 8 | Galen Hall | 1,748,000 |
That's all we have for tonight, but we'll see you back here tomorrow to finish the story!
End-of-Day Chip Counts
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
1,748,000 | |
|
1,336,000 | 146,000 |
|
1,230,000 | -30,000 |
|
1,228,000 | 108,000 |
|
1,199,000 | 279,000 |
|
556,000 | 16,000 |
|
360,000 | -90,000 |
|
343,000 | 38,000 |
Haxton's Hall Pass Stolen
Action moved to last year's PCA Main Event champion Galen Hall on the button and he raised to 35,000. Isaac Haxton was in the small blind and reraised to 85,000. Play got back to Hall and he reraised all in for 580,000 effectively. Haxton snap-called to put himself at risk.
Haxton tabled the to be in dominating shape against Hall's , but things changed shortly thereafter.
On the flop of , Haxton fell behind Hall's top pair. Yes, Hall did hit to take the lead, but Haxton could still win the hand by hitting his gutshot straight draw or an ace. He could also go runner, runner to a flush.
"Feelin' good about this one," said Haxton.
The turn brought the and that left Haxton needing just an ace or a queen on the river. "Still like my chances," he added.
Despite all of Haxton's good vibes on the hand, the on the river left him in the dust and eliminated him from the tournament. Hall is now the chip leader and the day is done. We'll have a complete wrap on the day along with chip counts shortly.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
1,748,000 | 1,368,000 |
|
Busted |
Here Comes Galen!
Galen Hall raised to 40,000 from the cutoff seat, and he found action in two places as both Isaac Haxton (button) and Viktor Blom (big blind) put in the calls to see a flop.
It came 
, and Blom knocked the table. Hall continued out with 55,000 chips, Haxton called, and Blom ducked out of the way to let the other two go at it. They'd check through the turn, but Hall led out again on the river with a big bet of 262,000. Haxton made the call, but we'd never get to see his cards.
Hall showed for the flush, and Haxton's muck knocked him down to his lowest point in quite a while — about 695,000. The defending PCA Main Event champ, though, is now in the mix of chip leaders with 1.16 million. There or thereabouts.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
1,160,000 | 390,000 |
|
|
695,000 | -500,000 |
More For Duhamel
Scott Seiver opened the action with a raise to 32,000 under the gun. Daniel Negreanu three-bet to 72,000 from the cutoff, Jonathan Duhamel called on the button, and both blinds released. Seiver also called and a 
flop hit the board.
Seiver checked, as did Negreanu. Duhamel bet 132,000, resulting in quick folds from Seiver and Negreanu.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
1,350,000 | -60,000 |
|
|
1,170,000 | 180,000 |
|
|
395,000 | -65,000 |
Duhamel Takes One
Humberto Brenes raised to 36,000 under the gun and Scott Seiver called on the button. Jonathan Duhamel called from the big blind and a 
flop came down.
All three players checked to see the turn. Duhamel bet 76,000, forcing quick folds from his opponents.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
990,000 | 50,000 |
|
|
460,000 | -80,000 |
|
|
305,000 | -55,000 |
Blom Involved Some More
From the small blind, Viktor Blom raised to 40,000 against Galen Hall's big blind. Hall made the call and the flop came down 
. Blom fired 52,000 instantly and Hall made the call.
The turn was the and both players checked to see the 
land on the river. Blom checked and Hall tank-bet 112,000. Blom folded to allow Hall to scoop the pot.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
770,000 | 164,000 |
|
|
730,000 | -470,000 |
Goodbye, Stein
Level 13
: 8,000/16,000, 2,000 ante
From the cutoff seat, Dan Shak raised to 35,000. Viktor Blom three-bet from the button to 116,000. In the small blind, Stein called all in for 23,000. Shak called the three-bet from Blom and the flop was dealt .
On the flop, Shak bet 300,000 and Blom got out of the way. Shak first raked in the side pot before opening up his hand against the at-risk Stein. Shak held the 
and Stein the .
The turn 
and river kept Shak's hand in front from the flop onward and he eliminated Stein from action.
Shak Doubles; Stein Dashed to Bits
Dan Shak opened the pot to 33,000, and Sam Stein defended his big blind to go heads-up to the flop. It came 
, and Stein check-called 50,000. On the turn 
, Shak bet another 100,000, but this time Stein check-raised all in. He had the bigger stack — but just barely — so the move put Shak to the decision for his last 374,000 chips. Snap-call! Cards up:
Shak:
Stein: 
Shak only had to fade five outs once, and the river was safe and sound. With the double, Shak has moved up over 900,000, while Stein has been crippled down to just a big blind plus a couple antes.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
920,000 | 455,000 |
|
23,000 | -372,000 |