2016 PokerStars Caribbean Adventure

$5,300 Main Event
Day: 5
Event Info

2016 PokerStars Caribbean Adventure

Final Results
Winner
Winning Hand
74
Prize
$728,325
Event Info
Buy-in
$5,300
Prize Pool
$4,500,800
Entries
928
Level Info
Level
35
Blinds
150,000 / 300,000
Ante
50,000

$5,300 Main Event

Day 5 Completed

Watson Leads Final Six; Gregg Makes PCA Main Event Final Table for Third Time!

Level 29 : 40,000/80,000, 10,000 ante
Mike Watson
Mike Watson

When Day 5 of the 2016 PokerStars Caribbean Adventure – a tournament that began with 928 players who created a $4,500,800 prize pool – began at Noon on Wednesday, 19 players remained with Brazil's Leonardo Pires holding a massive chip leader. Over the course of the next 12 hours, Pires would blowup, 13 players would hit the rail, and Mike "SirWatts" Watson would finish as the chip leader among the final six with 6.585 million.

Others still in contention for the $833,260 first-place prize are Tony Gregg (5.68 million), Vladimir Troyanovskiy (5.025 million), Phillip McAllister (3.04 million), neurosurgeon Randy Kritzer (2.575 million) , and Toby Lewis (4.665 million), the only EPT champ remaining in the field.

Amazing, both Gregg and Troyanovskiy set amazing marks. By making the final table, the latter became the first player to make PCA final tables in the Main Event, $100,000 Super High Roller, and $25,000 High Roller, while the former made the final table of the PCA Main Event for a record third time (he finished runner-up in 2009 and sixth in 2012)! No other player has even done it twice.

"It's one of those things where PCA was my first big score, so I'm always going to have really positive vibes when I come down," Gregg told PokerNews. "It's so awesome to get out of the winter in the middle of January. So, I always just feel so good when I come down here. It's a can't-miss stop for me."

The day started with two quick eliminations when well-known pros Taylor Paur (19th - $32,360) and Fedor "CrownUpGuy" Holz (18th - $32,360) hit the rail. Not long after, Pires played kings to perfection and got poker pro Fabian Ortiz to put his chips in bad, ultimately sending the Argentine pro home in 17th place for $36,860.

From there, Fabian Chauriye exited in 16th place after his ace-king failed to get there against the pocket sevens of McAllister; 2014 Aussie Millions champ Ami Barer fell in 15th when his ace-king fell to Watson's pocket queens; and Stephen Chidwick bowed out in 14th when he got his short stack all in preflop holding the {8-Spades}{7-Spades} and failed to overcome the {10-Clubs}{10-Hearts} of Lewis.

Surprisingly, Pires, who began the day with nearly twice as many chips as his next closest opponent, was the next to go in 13th place after a brutal 90-minute period. In Level 24 (12,000/24,000/3,000), a {2-Diamonds}{4-Clubs}{6-Spades} flop saw Pires fire out 214,000 into a pot of 224,000. Watson called from the hijack, two other players folded, and it was heads-up action to the {3-Diamonds} turn.

Pires bet 500,000, Watson called, and the {J-Diamonds} completed the board on the river. Pires moved all in and Watson hit the tank before calling off for 1.01 million.

"Six," Pires said confidently while rolling over the {k-Hearts}{6-Hearts}. Watson then showed the better hand with the {7-Clubs}{7-Diamonds}. Pires took a hit on the hand, dropped to 5.49 million, and proceeded to give it away little by little.

In what would ultimately be Pires' final hand, Watson raised to 90,000 from the hijack and Demlakian called from the cutoff. When action reached Pires in the big blind, he just moved all in for 1.65 million. Watson shoved all in over the top and Demlakian got out of the way.

Watson: {10-Clubs}{10-Hearts}
Pires: {3-Hearts}{4-Clubs}

Pires opted to shove with a weak hand, but he got a sweat when the {q-Clubs}{3-Diamonds}{k-Hearts} flop paired his three. Unfortunately for him, the {10-Diamonds} spiked on the turn to leave him drawing dead to Watson's set. The meaningless {6-Diamonds} was put out on the river, and Pires' meltdown was complete. The Twitterverse erupted in disbelief that a player could fall so quickly with so much money on the line.

Others who hit the rail before the end of the night were Australian Paul Gooley (12th - $45,860), the controversial Martin McCormick (11th - $51,260), poker pro Matt Waxman (10th - $51,260), and David Eldridge (9th - $62,020), whose elimination set up the official final table.

From there, Timothy Ulmer (9th - $78,540) and Ken Demlakian (7th - $110,220) both fell before play was halted for the night.

The sixth and final day will kick off at 1 p.m. local time, but our updates won't begin until an hour later to account for the one-hour EPTLive stream. Be sure to join us then for the last day of the 2016 PCA festival. While you wait, check out this video on BetStars' New Spin & Bet:

Tags: Mike WatsonTony Gregg

Ken Demlakian Eliminated in 7th Place ($110,220)

Level 29 : 40,000/80,000, 10,000 ante
Ken Demlakian
Ken Demlakian

On the very next hand after doubling up, Tony Gregg raised to 175,000 under the gun and Ken Demlakian moved all in from the big blind for 800,000 total.

Gregg called right away, creating the following showdown.

Gregg: {10-Spades}{10-Hearts}
Demlakian: {4-Spades}{4-Hearts}

The board ran out {A-Hearts}{K-Clubs}{6-Diamonds}{7-Diamonds}{3-Hearts} and after a heroic run, Demlakian was knocked out in seventh place, bringing the tournament down the the final six players, and with that concluding Day 5.

Player Chips Progress
Ken Demlakian au
Ken Demlakian
Busted

Tags: Ken DemlakianTony Gregg

Demlakian Picks Wrong Time to Shove

Level 29 : 40,000/80,000, 10,000 ante

Ken Demlakian raised to 175,000 under the gun only to have Tony Gregg, who was to his direct left, three-bet to 445,000. Action folded back to Demlakian, he called, and the flop came down {2-Diamonds}{9-Spades}{7-Diamonds}.

Demlakian checked, Gregg bet 490,000, and Demlakian snap-shoved. Gregg quickly called off for 1.855 million and Demlakian discovered the bad news.

Demlakian: {a-Clubs}{k-Hearts}
Gregg: {k-Spades}{9-Diamonds}

Gregg flopped top pair and was in prime position to double. That's just what he did too after the {5-Hearts} blanked on the turn followed by the {2-Clubs} on the river.

Player Chips Progress
Tony Gregg us
Tony Gregg
4,790,000 2,290,000
Ken Demlakian au
Ken Demlakian
800,000 -2,500,000

Tags: Tony GreggKen Demlakian

Big One Between Watson and Lewis

Level 29 : 40,000/80,000, 10,000 ante
Mike Watson
Mike Watson

Toby Lewis limped from the small blind and Mike Watson raised to 250,000. Lewis called and the flop brought out {9-Spades}{Q-Spades}{7-Clubs}.

Watson bet 250,000 after Lewis had checked, and the Brit followed with a call.

On the turn the {2-Spades} hit and Lewis checked again. Watson now bet 600,000. Lewis called again, and with 2.2 million in the middle the river brought the {5-Diamonds}.

Lewis checked a third time and Watson stared at the board for quite some time before betting a hefty 1.4 million and Lewis folded right away.

Player Chips Progress
Mike Watson ca
Mike Watson
WPT 1X Winner
EPT 2X Winner
6,820,000 1,105,000
Toby Lewis gb
Toby Lewis
WSOP 1X Winner
EPT 1X Winner
4,700,000 -1,225,000

Tags: Mike WatsonToby Lewis

Troyanovskiy Gets Some Back From McAllister

Level 29 : 40,000/80,000, 10,000 ante

Vladimir Troyanovskiy raised to 175,000 under the gun plus one and the action folded to Phillip McAllister in the small blind. McAllister three-bet to 480,000 and Troyanovskiy went into the tank.

After a while Troyanovskiy made it 1,175,000, and McAllister went into the tank. McAllister folded and Troyanovskiy picked up this pot.

Tags: Phillip McAllisterVladimir Troyanovskiy

Troyanovskiy Drawing to 14 Outs Heading to the River

Level 29 : 40,000/80,000, 10,000 ante
Phillip McAllister
Phillip McAllister

A short-stacked Phillip McAllister shoved all in from early position for 1.645 million and Vladimir Troyanovskiy called from the button.

Troyanovskiy: {a-Spades}{q-Hearts}
McAllister: {5-Spades}{5-Hearts}

It was a flip, and McAllister was just looking to hold. He did so on the {10-Hearts}{j-Hearts}{7-Clubs} flop, but Troyanovskiy did pick up a straight draw. The {9-Clubs} turn have him another straight draw, but Troyanovskiy failed to find one of his 14 outs as the {2-Spades} blanked on the river to give McAllister the double.

Player Chips Progress
Vladimir Troyanovskiy ru
Vladimir Troyanovskiy
4,240,000 -1,700,000
Phillip McAllister gb
Phillip McAllister
WSOP 1X Winner
3,480,000 2,005,000

Tags: Phillip McAllisterVladimir Troyanovskiy

A Look at Past PCA Champions

Level 29 : 40,000/80,000, 10,000 ante
YearPlayersPrize PoolWinnerCountryPrize
2004221$1,657,500Gus HansenDenmark$455,780
2005461$3,487,200John GaleUK$890,600
2006724$5 647 200Steve AmbroseCanada$1,388,600
2007937$7,063,842Ryan DautUSA$1,535,255
2008 (EPT4)1,136$8,562,976Bertrand GrospellierFrance$2,000,000
2009 (EPT5)1,347$12,674,000Poorya NazariCanada$3,000,000
2010 (EPT6)1,529$14,831,300Harrison GimbelUSA$2,200,000
2011 (EPT7)1,560$15,132,000Galen HallUSA$2,300,000
2012 (EPT8)1,072$10,398,400John DibellaUSA$1,775,000
2013 (EPT9)987$9,573,900Dimitar DanchevBulgaria$1,859,000
2014 (EPT10)1,031$10,070,000Dominik PankaPoland$1,423,096
2015 (EPT11)816$7,915,200Kevin SchulzUSA$1,491,580
2016 (EPT12)928$4,500,800??????$833,260