$100,000 Super High Roller
Day 1 Started
$100,000 Super High Roller
Day 1 Started
What better way to kick off the new year than with the 2013 PokerStars Caribbean Adventure — which starts today with the $100,000 Super High Roller. The PCA, one of poker’s most prestigious events, is celebrating its 10th anniversary, and this marks the third year the Super High Roller has been on the schedule.
In 2011, the event drew a field of 38 runners and saw Team PokerStars Pro Daniel Negreanu finish runner-up for a million dollars to Eugene Katchalov, who subsequently signed on as Ukraine's first Team Pro. Both men will be in action today, with Negreanu looking for revenge after Katchalov had two-outed him on the final hand.
Last year, this event attracted 32 entrants and saw the young Swede, Viktor “Isildur1” Blom, win his first major live tournament for $1,254,500. It was fitting for the then-Team PokerStars Pro as one year prior he revealed his true identity right here at the PCA. Unfortunately, Blom won’t be returning to attempt to defend his title as he’s opted to forgo this year’s PCA.
Nonetheless, there are already a plethora of pros registered for today’s tournament, and the latest rumors suggest more than 40 players will be in action. If that proves true, it’ll surpass the previous two years and establish itself as the biggest $100,000 Super High Roller in PCA history. Among the pros confirmed to play are Vanessa Selbst, Jonathan Duhamel, Scott Seiver, Philipp Gruissem, Bertrand “ElkY” Grospellier, Justin Bonomo, Jason Mercier and Phil Hellmuth, who is playing in his very first PCA. We’ve also heard rumors that both Erik Seidel and Phil Ivey are in the house.
“We’re extremely pleased to have had such a fantastic response to this year’s PCA Super High Roller event,” said David Carrion, Director of Live Operations for the PCA. “It really is one of the most exciting tournaments on the live poker circuit, and with so many of the world’s best players confirmed to play, it looks like it will be an explosive three days of poker, and a fitting start to our 10th PCA celebrations.”
Today’s tournament features unlimited reentries, so players have the option of firing multiple bullets — this will no doubt juice up the prize pool nicely. The PCA and the Super High Roller kick off in just about an hour from now, so stay tuned for all the latest and greatest from the Atlantis Resort on Paradise Island in the Bahamas!
The $100,000 Super High Roller was scheduled to kick off at 12:00 EST, but we've yet to see such a big tournament start on time. That's the case here as the players are still filtering in. It'll be a bit before cards are in the air, but stay tuned!
Level: 1
Blinds: 500/1,000
Ante: 100
Each player began the tournament with 250,000 in chips, which means they're playing quite deep. As such, the pots are small here in the early going. In a recent one over at Table 4, four players put in 2,400 preflop and saw a flop of .
Anthony Gregg, who has made the PCA Main Event final table twice, was first to act and checked from the big blind, inspiring Jason Koon to do the same from the under-the-gun position. Mike "Timex" McDonald then did the same from the cutoff, Olivier Busquet followed suit on the button, and the dealer burned and turned the . All four players proceeded to check for a second time, and then made it three in a row when the peeled off on the river.
No one was in a hurry to showdown, so Koon took the initiative and tabled the . Unfortunately for him, it was no good as McDonald rolled over the to claim the small pot.
Phil Ivey has arrived. He recently took his seat over at Table 4 in Seat 7, which puts him to the direct left of Jason Koon. The pair, who shook hands, actually have a bit of history as both went deep in the 2012 Aussie Millions Main Event. The two were also neighbors in that event, but both missed out on the final table as Koon finished in 27th place out of a field of 659 entries for $36,032, while Ivey went on to finish in 12th place for $102,947.
Player | Chips | Progress |
---|---|---|
Phil Ivey
|
250,000 | 250,000 |
Anthony Gregg opened to 2,500 from the cutoff and Jason Koon three-bet to 7,000 from the button. Next to act was Phil Ivey in the small blind, and he popped it to 21,000. Gregg folded, Koon called, and a flop fell.
Ivey took a few moments before he checked. Koon bet 22,000, resulting in a fold from Ivey after about 30 seconds.
Player | Chips | Progress |
---|---|---|
Jason Koon | 285,000 | 35,000 |
Phil Ivey
|
228,000 | -22,000 |
Brandon Steven and Marc-Andre Ladouceur were heads up on a flop of . Steven led out for a bet, Ladouceur raised to 10,000, and Steven three-bet to 22,700. Ladouceur called.
The turn was the , and Steven led out for 27,700. Ladouceur studied him for a bit, then called.
The completed the board, and both players knuckled. Ladouceur rolled over two black kings, and Steven mucked.
Player | Chips | Progress |
---|---|---|
Marc-Andre Ladouceur | 285,000 | 35,000 |
Brandon Steven | 205,000 | -45,000 |
Vanessa Selbst opened to 2,500 from the cutoff and Marc-Andre Ladouceur called on the button. Brandon Steven popped it to 7,700 from the big blind, forcing a fold from Selbst. Ladouceur called and the flop came down .
Steven kept it consistent, betting 7,700. A call from Ladouceur landed the turn where Steven bet 14,700 this time. Ladouceur called again and the hit the river. Steven quickly checked to Ladouceur who bet 15,500. Steven called immediately, and after Ladouceur tabled , Steven turned over to take down the pot.
Player | Chips | Progress |
---|---|---|
Marc-Andre Ladouceur | 253,000 | -32,000 |
Brandon Steven | 240,000 | 35,000 |