2018 PokerStars Caribbean Adventure

$25,000 Single-Day High Roller
Day: 1
Event Info

2018 PokerStars Caribbean Adventure

Final Results
Winner
Winning Hand
aa
Prize
$421,080
Event Info
Buy-in
$25,000
Entries
58
Level Info
Level
23
Blinds
80,000 / 160,000
Ante
20,000

$25,000 Single-Day High Roller

Day 1 Completed

Jason Koon Wins the PokerStars Caribbean Adventure $25,000 Single-Day High Roller for $421,080

Level 23 : 80,000/160,000, 20,000 ante
Jason Koon
Jason Koon

Jason Koon emerged victorious in the $25,000 Single-Day High Roller at the 2018 PokerStars Caribbean Adventure for $421,080, besting a field of 41 unique players who collectively made 58 total entries. He came out on top of a stacked final table that included the likes of Nick Petrangelo, Chris Hunichen, and Isaac Haxton. With this latest victory, Koon crossed the $11,000,000-mark in live tournament earnings.

Final Table Results

PlacePlayerCountryPrize
1Jason KoonUnited States$421,080
2Mikalai VaskaboinikauBelarus$304,580
3Timothy AdamsCanada$196,500
4Nick PetrangeloUnited States$148,780
5Benjamin PollakFrance$115,100
6Chris HunichenUnited States$89,840
7Christopher KrukCanada$71,580
8Isaac HaxtonUnited States$56,140

This tournament was an eventful one from the get-go; before the first level was over, Erik Seidel had lost his stack to Chance Kornuth. Although Seidel reentered (as did 16 others who busted their first bullet before the conclusion of level 8), he was eliminated during level five when he lost a flip to the eventual champion. The unofficial final table was reached after the dinner break and the bubble broke when PokerStars Team Pro Igor Kurganov got his stack in preflop with nines only to see Timothy Adams flip over queens and got no help from the board.

The first player to finish in the money was Isaac Haxton, who departed in eighth place when he got his chips in preflop with pocket sevens and couldn’t improve against Adams’s pocket tens. Christopher Kruk became the seventh-place finisher when he jammed preflop with eight-seven suited, was called by Jason Koon holding queen-ten suited, and the board missed both players entirely. Chris Hunichen was eliminated in sixth place when he shoved preflop with a suited king and got action from Koon who held ace-jack suited; Koon made trips and Hunichen didn’t connect.

Koon’s hot streak continued when he dispatched Benjamin Pollak in fifth place. The two players got all the chips in before the flop; Koon held ace-ten suited, Pollak held queen-jack, and Koon was still best after the last card fell. Nick Petrangelo fell in fourth when he got his stack in on the flop holding a king-high flush draw and gutshot only to find himself trailing Mikalai Vaskaboinikau’s nut-flush draw. He got no help from the turn and made the second-best flush on the river.

Next, Adams became the third-place finisher when he got his stack in preflop with jacks against Vaskaboinikau’s ace-nine, and although he retained his lead after the flop and turn, an ace fell on the river to give Vaskaboinikau the winning hand. Heads-up play between Koon and Vaskaboinikau lasted over an hour. The tournament ultimately came to an end when Vaskaboinikau shoved from the button with king-six and Koon, who had the larger of the two stacks by a somewhat narrow margin, woke up with aces.

Although this event is in the books, the action on Paradise Island is far from over. The $10,300 Main Event is ongoing and the final high roller event of the series, Event #22 $25,000 No-Limit Hold’em High Roller, kicks off Saturday at noon local time. Be sure to check back for continuing coverage of the PokerStars Caribbean Adventure presented by the PokerNews Live Reporting Team.

Jason Koon

Tags: Benjamin PollakChance KornuthChris HunichenChristopher KrukErik SeidelIgor KurganovIsaac HaxtonJason KoonMikalai VaskaboinikauNick PetrangeloTimothy Adams

Mikalai Vaskaboinikau Eliminated in 2nd Place ($304,580)

Level 23 : 80,000/160,000, 20,000 ante
Jason Koon and Mikalai Vaskaboinikau
Jason Koon and Mikalai Vaskaboinikau

Mikalai Vaskaboinikau shoved from the button and Jason Koon quickly called from the big blind.

Vaskaboinikau: {K-Spades}{6-Hearts}
Koon: {A-Spades}{A-Hearts}

Vaskaboinikau found himself way behind Koon's aces and needed a lot of help from the deck in order to stay alive. The board ran out {Q-Hearts}{8-Diamonds}{5-Hearts}{J-Clubs}{3-Diamonds} which kept Koon's hand best, so he took the pot to eliminate Vaskaboinikau and end the tournament.

A full recap will be posted shortly.

Final Hand
Player Chips Progress
Profile photo of Jason Koon us
Jason Koon
5,800,000
2,700,000
2,700,000
WSOP 1X Winner
Run It Once
Profile photo of Mikalai Vaskaboinikau by
Mikalai Vaskaboinikau
Busted

Tags: Jason KoonMikalai Vaskaboinikau

Level: 23

Blinds: 80,000/160,000

Ante: 20,000

Vaskaboinikau Always Knows

Level 22 : 60,000/120,000, 20,000 ante

Jason Koon raised to 250,000 on the button and Mikalai Vaskaboinikau defended his big blind. The flop came {j-Spades}{5-Spades}{2-Diamonds} and both players checked to the {8-Spades} on the turn.

Vaskaboinikau led out for 200,000 and Koon just called. The river was the {9-Spades} and Vaskaboinikau knuckled the table. Before Koon could even reach for chips, Vaskaboinikau had already mucked his cards.

"You just know when I have it. I had the nut flush, no big deal." Koon was clearly disappointed to not pick up any more action that hand.

Player Chips Progress
Profile photo of Jason Koon us
Jason Koon
3,100,000
300,000
300,000
WSOP 1X Winner
Run It Once
Profile photo of Mikalai Vaskaboinikau by
Mikalai Vaskaboinikau
2,700,000
-300,000
-300,000

Tags: Jason KoonMikalai Vaskaboinikau

Koon Scores a Double

Level 22 : 60,000/120,000, 20,000 ante

The last level had not been kind to Jason Koon. Mikalai Vaskaboinikau was able to shove every second hand or so and Koon kept waking up with nothing he could remotely get into a pot with.

After Vaskaboinikau open-shoved once again, Koon looked at his first cards and announced a call.

Vaskaboinikau: {k-Diamonds}{3-Hearts}
Koon: {a-Diamonds}{2-Spades}

The board ran out {10-Diamonds}{7-Diamonds}{8-Hearts}{8-Clubs}{q-Hearts} and Koon's ace-high held to bring him back into the game.

Player Chips Progress
Profile photo of Mikalai Vaskaboinikau by
Mikalai Vaskaboinikau
3,000,000
-400,000
-400,000
Profile photo of Jason Koon us
Jason Koon
2,800,000
400,000
400,000
WSOP 1X Winner
Run It Once

Tags: Jason KoonMikalai Vaskaboinikau

Level: 22

Blinds: 60,000/120,000

Ante: 20,000

Vaskaboinikau Back on Top

Level 21 : 50,000/100,000, 100,000 ante

A limp-checked pot saw Mikalai Vaskaboinikau and Jason Koon see a cheap {a-Spades}{10-Diamonds}{7-Clubs} flop. Koon bet 150,000 and Vaskaboinikau called. The {j-Diamonds} fell on the turn and Koon continued with a bet of 300,000. Vaskaboinikau moved all-in and after a moment agonizing over the decision, Koon found the fold button, relinquishing the chip lead.

Player Chips Progress
Profile photo of Mikalai Vaskaboinikau by
Mikalai Vaskaboinikau
3,100,000
725,000
725,000
Profile photo of Jason Koon us
Jason Koon
2,700,000
-725,000
-725,000
WSOP 1X Winner
Run It Once

Tags: Jason KoonMikalai Vaskaboinikau