2019 PokerStars Caribbean Adventure

$25,000 PokerStars NL Hold'em Players Championship
Day: 1
12345
Event Info

2019 PokerStars Caribbean Adventure

Final Results
Winner
Winning Hand
a♦5♣
Prize
$5,100,000
Event Info
Buy-in
$25,000
Prize Pool
$26,455,500
Entries
1,039
Level Info
Level
36
Blinds
300,000 / 600,000
Ante
600,000
140 Show newer posts

PSPC Seat Draw (Part 2)

Webjoker
Webjoker
Level 1 : 100/200, 200 ante
TableSeatPlayerCountryStatus
441Patrick SerdaCanada 
442Sylvain LoosliFrance 
443John AndressUnited States 
444Roman ShustaUkrainePlatinum Pass winner
445Eric Todd BergerUnited States 
446Ivan LucaArgentina 
447Andrew GrimasonIrelandPlatinum Pass winner
448Salvatore DonatoItalyPlatinum Pass winner
     
451Shaun LennonUnited KingdomPlatinum Pass winner
452Antoine SaoutFrance 
453Charles Alex-BartonUnited States 
454Fabio FreitasBrazil 
455Sparrow CheungHong Kong 
456Thomas BoivinBelgium 
457Ryan HallUnited States 
458Ricardo Calle RodriguezSpainPlatinum Pass winner
     
461Mark IoliUnited States 
462Linda JohnsonUnited StatesPlatinum Pass winner
463Noah BronsteinUnited States 
464Nikolay PonomarevUnited KingdomPlatinum Pass winner
465Julian StuerAustria 
466Felipe RamosBrazil 
467Brian Sal MancillaUnited States 
468Warren SheavesUnited StatesPlatinum Pass winner
     
471Marvin RettenmaierGermany 
472Justin LibertoUnited States 
473Francois BillardCanada 
474Felipe MeisterBrazilPlatinum Pass winner
475Brian RastUnited States 
476Aaron OvertonUnited States 
477Marcelo HortaBrazilPlatinum Pass winner
478Vojtech RuzickaCzech Republic 
479Nicolas DumontFrance 
     
481Craig VarnellUnited States 
482Abdelhakim ZoufriNetherlands 
483Pablo Brito SilvaBrazil 
484Jared PalmerUnited States 
485Stefan HuberSwitzerland 
486Vitalii AvanesyanRussiaPlatinum Pass winner
487Gustavo KeinArgentinaPlatinum Pass winner
488Ramandeep Singh GujralIndiaPlatinum Pass winner
     
491Dimitar DanchevBulgaria 
492Jeremy AusmusUnited States 
493Kitty KuoTaiwan 
494Gil MorgenszternBrazil 
495Toby JoyceIreland 
496Kevin MartinCanadaPokerStars Ambassador
497Leocir CarneiroBrazilPlatinum Pass winner
498Matthew McewanUnited States 
     
501Steve O'DwyerIreland 
502Brandon WelterUnited StatesPlatinum Pass winner
503Evgenii ShnaiderRussiaPlatinum Pass winner
504Sharad RaoIndiaPlatinum Pass winner
505Dragos TrofimovMoldova 
506Michael SchulzGermanyPlatinum Pass winner
507Eli RossUnited States 
508Harry LodgeUnited Kingdom 
509Joshua AriehUnited States 
     
511Markus KuhnenGermany 
512Oliver BilesUnited KingdomPlatinum Pass winner
513Eric BaldwinUnited States 
514Jason SomervilleUnited StatesPlatinum Pass Ambassador
515Ivan GalinecCroatia 
516Joao SimaoBrazilPlatinum Pass winner
517Steven JostSwitzerlandPlatinum Pass winner
518Sam GreenwoodCanada 
519Philip PostmaUnited States 
     
521Vicente DelgadoSpain 
522Daniel TangUnited Kingdom 
523Russell ThomasUnited States 
524Manuel Martinez SolsonaUnited Kingdom 
525Jason SagleCanada 
526Darryll FishUnited States 
527Lijo LanderSpain 
528Jian YangChinaPlatinum Pass winner
     
531Justin OuimetteCanada 
532Tyler HancockUnited States 
533Michael RoccoUnited States 
534Fabiano KovalskiBrazil 
535Jackson HedgesUnited Kingdom 
536Mohsin CharaniaUnited States 
537Joey WeissmanUnited States 
538Charles CarpenterUnited States 
539Erik Von BuxhoevedenAustria 
     
541Alexander GreenblattUnited States 
542Lei ChenChinaPlatinum Pass winner
543Tobias PetersNetherlands 
544Edward HislopCanada 
545Jake SchwartzUnited States 
546Jeff GrossUnited StatesPokerStars Ambassador
547Eduardo PiresBrazilPlatinum Pass winner
548Grant HinkleUnited States 
549Juan PastorArgentina 
     
551Andrew ChenCanada 
552Jean FerreiraCanada 
553John RugmanUnited KingdomPlatinum Pass winner
554Martin RausCanada 
555Sebastiaan De JongeNetherlands 
556Adrian MateosSpain 
557Travis NesbittCanadaPlatinum Pass winner
558Carlo RodriguezUnited StatesPlatinum Pass winner
559Matthew HumphreyUnited States 
     
561Justin GardenhireUnited States 
562Peter VitantonioUnited States 
563Daniel NegreanuCanadaPlatinum Pass Ambassador
564Simon TaberhamUnited Kingdom 
565Ecktor LopesBrazil 
566Carlos Hey De LimaBrazilPlatinum Pass winner
567Stepan MikhnoRussiaPlatinum Pass winner
568Joshua KayUnited States 
     
571Parker TalbotCanada 
572Kane KalasUnited States 
573Jonathan TurnerUnited States 
574Toby LewisUnited Kingdom 
575Koji AsakaJapan 
576Alexandre Espirito SantoBrazil 
577Luc GreenwoodCanada 
578Haoxiang WangChinaPlatinum Pass winner
     
581Benjamin SpraggUnited KingdomPlatinum Pass Ambassador
582Ema ZajmovicCanada 
583Aliaksei BoikaBelarus 
584Artur PapazyanUnited States 
585Maxime SettembreFrance 
586Andrew PantlingCanada 
587Bas De LaatNetherlands 
588Christopher DombrowskiUnited States 
     
591Christopher ConradUnited States 
592Roman WieczorekGermanyPlatinum Pass winner
593Matthew KolibasUnited States 
594Tuan Minh PhanUnited States 
595Luis FariaPortugal 
596Javier Gomez ZapateroSpain 
597Robson de Oliveira RodriguesBrazilPlatinum Pass winner
598Matthew WoodCanada 
599Connor DrinanUnited States 
     
601Anthony SpinellaUnited States 
602Neville Endo CostaBrazilPlatinum Pass winner
603Justin ZakiUnited States 
604Faraz JakaUnited States 
605[Removed:172]Germany 
606Richard SteeveFrance 
607Kelly MinkinUnited States 
608Sandhy SitepuIndonesiaPlatinum Pass winner
609Uri ReichensteinGermany 
     
611Ryan HughesUnited States 
612Darren BrennanIrelandPlatinum Pass winner
613Joseph SerockUnited States 
614Shyngis SatubayevKazakhstan 
615Dominique LamyFrance 
616Colin RobinsonUnited States 
617Bryce YockeyUnited States 
618Natalie TehMalaysiaPlatinum Pass winner
     
621Juan PardoSpain 
622Thiago CremaBrazilPlatinum Pass winner
623Joseph CheongUnited States 
624Guilabert BernabeuSpain 
625Andjelko AndrejevicUnited States 
626Martijn GerritsNetherlands 
627Denis StrebkovRussiaPlatinum Pass winner
628Matt KieferUnited StatesPlatinum Pass winner
     
631Victor NicolatoBrazil 
632Alcioni PollermannBrazil 
633Matthew StoutUnited States 
634Yifan ZhengChina 
635Jason GoochUnited States 
636Philippe DauteuilCanada 
637Christopher KrukCanadaPlatinum Pass winner
638Giuliano BendinelliItaly 
     
641Simeon PanovBulgaria 
642Kamali HamidrezaCanada 
643Andrey KotelnikovRussia 
644Richard AlsupUnited States 
645Lex VeldhuisNetherlands 
646Chad EveslageUnited States 
647Joao BaumgartenBrazil 
648Timothy AdamsCanada 
     
651Jeffrey Trudeau JrUnited States 
652Cesar Del Pino HanouadiSpain 
653Peter BrankinUnited KingdomPlatinum Pass winner
654Cassio Pisapia De Almeida KilesBrazil 
655Maria KonnikovaUnited States 
656Vicent BoscaSpain 
657Guillaume NoletCanada 
658Rainer KempeGermany 
661Nikita LebedevRussia 
     
662Chris MoormanUnited Kingdom 
663Kevin KilleenIreland 
664Terrence ChanCanada 
665Paul MacneilCanada 
666Jared GrienerUnited States 
667Maxwell YoungUnited States 
668Charles SylvestreCanada 
     
671Zachary JigantiUnited States 
672Pim De GoedeNetherlandsPlatinum Pass winner
673Mikhail ShalamovRussiaPokerStars Ambassador
674Renato KaneoyaBrazil 
675Sirzat HissouGermany 
676Michael GathyBelgium 
677Timo SteipeGermanyPlatinum Pass winner
678Evgenii LeonidovRussiaPlatinum Pass winner
679Julien PerouseFrance 
     
681Ian O'HaraUnited States 
682Pedro Gonzalez BuitragoSpainPlatinum Pass winner
683Ramon Miquel MunozSpain 
684Esteban GarciaUnited StatesPlatinum Pass winner
685Adam OwenUnited Kingdom 
686Scott MargeresonUnited Kingdom 
687Paul MichaelisGermanyPlatinum Pass winner
688Russell CraneUnited States 
     
691Chahnhoon JungUnited States 
692Hormando Vaca Diez JimenezBoliviaPlatinum Pass winner
693Joe KuetherUnited States 
694Tzai Wei PhuaSingaporePlatinum Pass winner
695Tomas JozonisLithuania 
696Pier Van Der LeijNetherlandsPlatinum Pass winner
697Anthony ZinnoUnited States 
698James MackeyUnited States 
     
701Joao VieiraPortugal 
702Steven Van ZadelhoffNetherlands 
703Barry HutterUnited States 
704Jeremie SardaFrance 
705Maik WenzelGermany 
706Aaron MermelsteinUnited States 
707Robin HegeleGermany 
708Darren MillarIrelandPlatinum Pass winner
     
711Amit MakhijaUnited States 
712Jonas RamanauskasLithuaniaPlatinum Pass winner
713Chen An LinTaiwanPlatinum Pass winner
714Shaun DeebUnited States 
715Benoit GallandCanada 
716Casey Allen YontzUnited States 
717Johan GirardFrancePlatinum Pass winner
718Steffen SontheimerGermany 
     
721Daniel WilsonIreland 
722Louis BoutinCanada 
723Joe CadaUnited States 
724Daniel ZackUnited States 
725Norman Gene MacdonaldCanada 
726Grayson RamageUnited States 
727Aram Monte ZobianUnited States 
728Blair HinkleUnited States 
     
731Stefan PeukertGermany 
732Murilo Souza FigueredoBrazilPlatinum Pass winner
733Jeffrey SluzinskiUnited States 
734Hubertus VerhoevenNetherlandsPlatinum Pass winner
735Koray AldemirGermany 
736Lucas Gonzalez AmorosinoArgentinaPlatinum Pass winner
737Jack SinclairUnited Kingdom 
738Kavin ShahAustraliaPlatinum Pass winner
     
741Detlef GreweGermany 
742Pablo MelognoUruguay 
743Ilan Prosper SerruyaFrancePlatinum Pass winner
744Miguel Rocatin FozSpainPlatinum Pass winner
745Nils PudelGermany 
746Marc-Etienne McLaughlinCanada 
747Randy LewUnited StatesPokerStars Ambassador
748Damien Le GoffFrance 
749Pavel PlesuvMoldova 
     
751Michael Del VecchioUnited States 
752Jose Pitarch CiveraSpainPlatinum Pass winner
753Hristivoje PavlovicAustraliaPlatinum Pass winner
754Dwyer MonaghanIrelandPlatinum Pass winner
755Christian Pereira AlmironArgentina 
756Nicolas YunisChile 
757Richard SeymourUnited States 
758Alexandru BaronCanada 
759Jan Barnaba KotPoland 
     
761David Jose Fino PereiraPortugalPlatinum Pass winner
762Shawn BuchananCanada 
763Scott ChupackUnited States 
764Christopher PutzGermanyPlatinum Pass winner
765Kalidou SowFrance 
766Andrea BenelliItalyPlatinum Pass winner
767Alfonso Mora Diaz OliverSpainPlatinum Pass winner
768Joep RaemaekersNetherlands 
769Paul PierceUnited States 
     
771Sergi ReixachSpain 
772Nicholas PetrangeloUnited States 
773John MooneyUnited Kingdom 
774Justin BonomoUnited States 
775Jake CodyUnited Kingdom 
776Sam ChartierCanada 
777Jose Ruiz DominguezMexico 
778Nauvneel Shivm KashyapAustralia 
     
781Daniel DvoressCanada 
782Joseph IngramUnited StatesPlatinum Pass winner
783Atanas Georgiev PavlovBulgariaPlatinum Pass winner
784Nick SchulmanUnited States 
785JC AlvaradoMexico 
786Ozgur ArdaTurkey 
787John RacenerISA 
788Filipp KhavinUnited States 
     
791Griffin BengerCanada 
792Mindaugas PovilaitisLithuaniaPlatinum Pass winner
793Xixiang LuoChina 
794Franz DitzGermanyPlatinum Pass winner
795Christopher AndlerSweden 
796James TolbertUnited States 
797Quentin De SolereFrancePlatinum Pass winner
798Nelson ResendizUnited States 
     
801James RannUnited Kingdom 
802Max SilverUnited Kingdom 
803Andrew NeemeUnited StatesPlatinum Pass winner
804Carlos ChadhaCanada 
805Marshall WhiteUnited States 
806Scott SeiverUnited States 
807Adrian Echave SamuSpainPlatinum Pass winner
808Paul EphremsenUnited Kingdom 
     
811Mazin KhouryUnited States 
812Kevin EysterUnited States 
813Michael DietrichCanada 
814Joshua ReichardUnited States 
815Christopher MoneymakerUnited States 
816Vinicius PinheiroBrazil 
817Filipe OliveiraPortugal 
818Michelle Yashuo ChinUnited States 
819Dominik NitscheGermany 
     
821Erwann PecheuxFrance 
822Thomas HaneyUnited Kingdom 
823Ray SuppeUnited StatesPlatinum Pass winner
824Rui FerreiraPortugal 
825Fatima Moreira De MeloNetherlands 
826Maxx ColemanUnited States 
827Dustin DirksenUnited States 
828Ami BarerCanada 
     
831Ajay ChabraUnited States 
832Aditya AgarwalIndia 
833George PappasUnited States 
834Dominique MosleyUnited States 
835Ole SchemionGermany 
836Jose MontesUnited States 
837Eric WasylenkoCanada 
838Rodrigo Marques CarmoPortugal 
     
841Adrian NicaRomania 
842Kristo KlaassenEstonia 
843Diogo CardosoPortugal 
844Jofrey Andre PuauxFrance 
845Carlos PalCosta Rica 
846Fernand Dos Santos FerreiraPortugal 
847Alexis UrliCanada 
848Darren RabinowitzUnited States 
849Nicolas Betbese PuetaArgentina 
     
851Lars KamphuesGermany 
852Jaime StaplesCanada 
853John EspositoUnited States 
854Gary ThompsonIreland 
855Patrick QuinnCanada 
856Kunimaro KojoJapan 
857Ermo KoskEstonia 
858Jonathan RoyCanada 
     
861Justin LigeriUnited States 
862Joao ValliItaly 
863Juan Ollero VidalSpain 
864Lance Cordell GarciaUnited States 
865Martin ZamaniUnited States 
866Zheng HuayiUnited States 
867Michael StashinUnited States 
868Christopher KennedyUnited States 
     
871John CynnUnited Kingdom 
872Jordan MatthewsIrelandPlatinum Pass winner
873Johannes BeckerGermany 
874Boris MondrusIsraelPlatinum Pass winner
875Lee MarkholtUnited States 
876Jeremiah WilliamsUnited States 
877Arkadiy TsinisUnited States 
878Ryan SmithCanada 
     
881Nathan AmarUnited States 
882Rui SoUnited StatesPortugal 
883Jennifer CarterCanada 
884Lucas DenisFrance 
885Mikita BadziakouskiBelarus 
886Gergely KulcsarHungary 
887Ronald MiciUnited States 
888Stepan NikishinRussia 
889Jimmy GuerreroFrance 
     
891Marle Anne CordeiroUnited States 
892Simone SperanzaItaly 
893Sumit SapraIndia 
894Eder Takashi MurataBrazil 
895Mario HoflerAustria 
896Michael DyerUnited States 
897Ignatius EeSingapore 
898Eisuke KobayashiJapan 

Top Boat for Emmett

mnuwwarah
mnuwwarah
Level 1 : 100/200, 200 ante

Randall Emmett bet 1,000 into two opponents from the small blind on {2-Hearts}{6-Spades}{5-Diamonds}. Joe McKeehen made it 2,800 on his left and the third player folded. Emmett called and both checked the {a-Clubs}. The river was an {a-Hearts} and Emmett came out with 5,000. McKeehen quickly called but stood no chance against {a-Diamonds}{6-Clubs} for aces full.

Player Chips Progress
Randall Emmett us
Randall Emmett 		75,000
Joe McKeehen us
Joe McKeehen
WSOP Main Event Champion
WSOP 3X Winner
57,000

Livestream Features RIU Ambassador Somerville

Adam Lamers
Adam Lamers
Level 1 : 100/200, 200 ante

The livestream will be getting underway very shortly with action from the very first hand of this special tournament. The feature table includes PokerStars ambassador Jason Somerville, high stakes regular Sam Greenwood, and other highly toted players in Eric Baldwin and Joao Simao.

The secondary table features the always exciting Roger Teska, Sam Grafton, Christopher Frank, and PokerStars ambassador Andre Akkari. While it is just after noon here in the Bahamas, Teska already has a beer in his hand and we should expect nothing less.

The livestream can be found on Twitch with hole cards available on a 30-minute delay. Be sure to tune in to catch some of the most exciting poker throughout the entire festival.

Player Chips Progress
Jason Somerville us
Jason Somerville
WSOP 1X Winner
PokerStars
60,000 60,000
Sam Greenwood ca
Sam Greenwood
WSOP 1X Winner
60,000 60,000
Eric Baldwin us
Eric Baldwin
WSOP 2X Winner
60,000 60,000
Joao Simao br
Joao Simao
WSOP 2X Winner
60,000 60,000
Roger Teska us
Roger Teska
WPT 1X Winner
60,000
Sam Grafton gb
Sam Grafton
PokerStars
60,000
Chris Frank de
Chris Frank
60,000
Andre Akkari br
Andre Akkari
WSOP 1X Winner
PokerStars
60,000

Tags: Andre AkkariChristopher FrankEric BaldwinJason SomervilleJoao SimaoPokerStarsRoger TeskaSam GraftonSam Greenwood

The Biggest $25K Ever!

Webjoker
Webjoker
Level 1 : 100/200, 200 ante
James Hartigan, Joe Stapleton, and Chris Moneymaker are ready
James Hartigan, Joe Stapleton, and Chris Moneymaker are ready

With 320 entries into this tournament courtesy of the PokerStars Platinum promotion, this tournament was always going to be the biggest $25,000 buy-in tournament in the history of the game. Among those 320, of course, were some lesser experienced poker players. Those, and the fact there's no rake, it's the Bahamas, and there's a guaranteed $1,000,000 added to first, attracted the sharks. And they are out in force.

When Bruce Buffer's last words echood through the Imperial Ballroom at the Atlantis Resort, the tournament clock indicated 728 players had registered. That's almost 100 players more than the standing record of 639 entries that was set in the WPT Championship event in the Bellagio back in 2007.

We took a look at the biggest $25,000 buy-in events in the history of the game. The Top 4 of that list, sorted by entries, is held by the WPT.

YearTourEventBuy-inEntriesPrize PoolWinnerFirst Place Prize
2007WPTBellagio$25,500639$15,495,750Carlos Mortensen$3,970,415
2006WPTBellagio$25,500605$14,671,250Joe Bartholdi$3,760,165
2008WPTBellagio$25,500545$13,216,250David Chiu$3,389,140
2005WPTBellagio$25,500452$10,961,000Tuan Le$2,856,150
2018partypoker LIVEMILLIONS World Bahamas$25,500394$10,000,000Roger Teska$2,000,000
2004WPTBellagio$25,500343$8,342,000Martin de Knijff$2,728,356
2009WPTBellagio$25,500338$8,196,500Yevgeniy Timoshenko$2,149,960
2015PokerStars LivePCA$25,000269$6,456,000Ilkin Garibli$1,105,040
2016PokerStars LiveEPT Monte Carlo€ 25,500231$6,531,825Alexandru Papazian$1,381,499
2014PokerStars LiveEPT Monte Carlo€ 25,500214$7,257,852Philipp Gruissem$1,378,059

Since 2010, PokerStars has organized a $25,000 event at the PCA. Here are the numbers for the main $25,000 event at the PCA since its inception:

YearTourEventBuy-inEntriesPrize PoolWinnerFirst Place Prize
2015PokerStars LivePCA$25,000269$6,456,000Ilkin Garibli$1,105,040
2014PokerStars LivePCA$25,000247$6,051,500Jake Schindler$1,192,624
2016PokerStars LivePCA$25,000225$5,400,000Nick Maimone$996,480
2013PokerStars LivePCA$25,000204$4,998,000Vanessa Selbst$1,424,420
2011PokerStars LivePCA$25,000151$3,775,500Will Molson$1,072,850
2012PokerStars LivePCA$25,000148$3,626,000Leonid Bilokur$1,134,930
2018PokerStars LivePCA$25,000144$3,484,800Christopher Kruk$836,350
2010PokerStars LivePCA$25,00084$2,057,998William Reynolds$576,240
2009PokerStars LivePCA$25,00048$1,200,000Bertrand Grospellier$433,500

Registration remains open till the start of Day 2. While reentries are not allowed, it's a given that the number will grow. The registration line was long, and some might opt to start a little later.

Level: 1

Blinds: 100/200

Ante: 200

Welcome to the $25,000 PokerStars NL Hold'em Players Championship!

Christian Zetzsche
Christian Zetzsche
Platinum Pass
Platinum Pass

One of the most highly anticipated tournaments kicks off right after the fireworks introduced the new year all over the world. An entire year filled with promotions at various PokerStars live event stops culminates in the $25,000 PokerStars NL Hold'em Players Championship as part of the 2019 PokerStars Caribbean Adventure (PCA).

More than 300 players have earned their Platinum Pass worth $30,000 and will be joined by the who-is-who on the international poker circuit for the biggest $25,000 buy-in event in poker history. What better location for dreams to come true could there be than The Atlantis on Paradise Island in the Bahamas?

The resort has hosted the PCA since 2004, and some of the biggest names in poker were among those to lift the trophy in the Main Event and High Roller tournaments. It all began with the victory of Gus Hansen in the $7,500 Main Event, and the Great Dane was followed by such big names as Bertrand "ElkY" Grospellier, Triple Crown champion Harrison Gimbel, Galen Hall, Dominik Panka and Mike Watson. Christian Harder claimed the Main Event title in 2017 and Maria Lampropulos scored her second seven-figure payday in the 2018 edition.

Former PCA Main Event Winners

YearBuy-InEntriesTotal Prize PoolWinnerFirst Prize
2004$7,500221$1,657,500Gus Hansen$455,780
2005$8,000461$3,487,200John Gale$890,600
2006$8,000724$5,647,200Steve Paul-Ambrose$1,388,600
2007$8,000937$7,063,842Ryan Daut$1,535,255
2008$8,0001,136$8,562,976Bertrand Grospellier$2,000,000
2009$10,0001,347$12,674,000Poorya Nazari$3,000,000
2010$10,3001,529$14,831,300Harrison Gimbel$2,200,000
2011$10,3001,560$15,132,000Galen Hall$2,300,000
2012$10,3001,072$10,398,400John Dibella$1,775,000
2013$10,300987$9,573,900Dimitar Danchev$1,859,000
2014$10,3001,031$10,070,000Dominik Panka$1,423,096
2015$10,300816$7,915,200Kevin Schulz$1,491,580
2016$5,300928$4,500,800Mike Watson$728,325
2017$5,000738$3,376,712Christian Harder$429,664
2018$10,300582$5,645,400Maria Lampropulos$1,081,100

Grospellier, who sits atop the French all-time money list with more than $13 million in cashes, is also among the previous High Roller champions at the PCA. In the first $25,000 High Roller back in 2009, Grospellier topped a field of 48 entries and received $433,500 for his efforts. Other High Roller champions include Alex Bilokur, Vanessa Selbst, Jake Schindler, Lucas Greenwood and two-time champion Steve O'Dwyer.

While a five-figure buy-in has already become common on the international poker circuit, there aren't as many tournaments with an even bigger price tag. Since 2011, the PCA has played host to the Super High Roller events with a buy-in of $100,000. The list of winners reads like a poker all-star line-up including Eugene Katchalov, Viktor Blom, Scott Seiver, Fabian Quoss, Steve O'Dwyer, Bryn Kenney, Jason Koon, and Cary Katz.

Bryn Kenney
Bryn Kenney on top of the PCA all-time money list so far

It comes as no surprise that one of the Super High Roller winners tops the PCA all-time money list. Kenney has already cashed for more than $6.2 million on Paradise Island, O'Dwyer follows in second by some margin with more than $3,8 million. With the upcoming $25,000 PokerStars NL Hold'em Players Championship, there may however be a change at the top of the leaderboard. After all, the event guarantees $1 million on top for the eventual champion.

Unlike most other High Roller tournaments, the highlight of the festival schedule will be held rake-free and as a Freezeout over a total of five days. The structure and key features of the $25,000 PokerStars NL Hold'em Players Championship were based on player feedback collected at various PokerStars live stops.

Schedule of the $25,000 PokerStars NL Hold'em Players Championship

Tournament DayDateTimeFurther Information
1January 6th, 201912:00Play 8 levels of 60 minutes each, no dinner break, finishes approx. 21:10
2January 7th, 201912:00Registration closes at start of day, 8 levels of 60 minutes each, no dinner break, finishes approx. 21:10
3January 8th, 201912:00Levels last 60 minutes each, possible dinner break, # of levels according to the pace of the event
4January 9th, 201912:00Levels last 60 minutes each, possible dinner break, # of levels according to the pace of the event
5January 10th, 201912:00Play down to a champion

Day 1 will feature a total of eight levels of 60 minutes each, and the registration closes at the start of Day 2 at 12 p.m. local time on Monday, January 7, 2019. The event will be played nine-handed at the start and, if space and seats allow, move to eight handed at the start of Day 2 at the latest.

All participants receive 60,000 in chips, and each level lasts 60 minutes each, down to the last three the level duration will be shortened to 30 minutes. There will be no dinner break on the first two tournament days to wrap up at just after 9 p.m. local time and all further days will be adjusted according to the pace of play.

The PokerNews live reporting team will provide updates and news articles from nine different tournaments throughout the festival, so make sure to check back regularly to find out who claimes the glory at the Bahamas to kick off the poker year 2019.

Atlantis Resort, home of the PokerStars Caribbean Adventure Bahamas
Atlantis Resort, home of the PokerStars Caribbean Adventure Bahamas

Tags: Bertrand GrospellierBryn KenneyGus HansenMaria LampropulosSteve O'Dwyer

Tips for the Upcoming PCA and PSPC

Webjoker
Webjoker
PCA Logo - Trophy
PCA Logo - Trophy

The upcoming PokerStars Caribbean Adventure — with the accompanying $25,000 PokerStars Players No-Limit Hold'em Championship — kicks off on Saturday, so there's no better time than now to help poker players plan their trips.

Many players will be going to PCA for the first time, whether because they won $30,000 Platinum Passes or in hopes of taking advantage of the massive value present because of said passes and the $1 million added by PokerStars.

For those unaware, Atlantis Resort is on a small island called Paradise Island just across a short bridge from the main island of New Providence. When you land in the airport, you'll first need to take a cab through the capital city of Nassau to Paradise Island.

At that point, you've arrived. And if you're on your maiden voyage to PCA, consider these tips from PokerNews.

Meals, at Atlantis and Otherwise

Food expenses at the PCA can run you a pretty penny if you aren't careful. And be aware, service won't exactly be speedy no matter where you go, so make sure you block out ample time.

Some of the most popular places to eat for poker players attending PCA are nice restaurants within a relatively short walk of the convention center where the poker tournaments are held. These include Casa D'Angelo (Italian), Chop Stix (Chinese), Olives (pizza, fish, steak) and Nobu (sushi). Now, all of those are fine options, but they will easily set you back around $50 or more for a meal.

Atlantis Resort, home of the PokerStars Championship Bahamas
Atlantis Resort from afar.

Outside of the main resort, on the harbor where the ships are docked, sit a number of more affordable places to eat.

Those looking for the absolute cheapest option can try the pizzeria or the deli. Those might be the only spots on the island where you can get full for under $15. There are also a few mid-tier restaurants to check out where the prices will more be in the range of $30.

If you're looking to get brave and branch off outside of the resort, there are some options for that as well. Immediately across the bridge are a couple of palatable restaurants called The Poop Deck (seafood) and Seafront Sushi. Underneath that same bridge, there's a small strip of land called Potter's Cay that has a bunch of seafood shacks serving up freshly caught fish.

Or, you can head to the famous local fish fry shacks a couple of miles to the west. PokerNews' own Sarah Herring did just that, and you can see what she found in the video below:

If you are on the absolute tightest budget possible, there's a little spot in a strip mall just to the southeast of Atlantis called The Village Grocery Store. It's quite small, but you can get some of the bare essentials there like yogurt, fruit, oatmeal, and some dry and canned goods.

Things To Do

Maybe Christoph Vogelsang busted you early in the PSPC, and you still have several nights left on Paradise Island. Maybe you're just all pokered out and need a little break. Or maybe poker's secondary to vacation concerns and you are looking forward to relaxing and finding other stuff to do more so than grinding.

In any case, there are plenty of options for other things to do if you want to get away from the felt for a bit.

Obviously, those looking for water-based activities will find tons of stuff within easy access of the resort. There are beaches public and private and pools aplenty. Plus, you can sign up for activities like swimming with dolphins, scuba diving and snorkeling.

There's also a vast waterpark on the resort with tons of slides, rivers, and rides.

PokerNews' Herring checked out a popular attraction called swimming with the pigs, which you can check out in this video:

Atlantis is also near a popular golf course, with the likes of top pro Sergio Garcia among those frequenting the links.

Rum lovers have a unique opportunity just a couple of miles into the main island. John Watling's Distillery is a popular attraction offering complimentary tours.

Other Things to Consider

If it's exercise you're looking for, Atlantis has plenty of options — just make sure you don't overestimate your leg endurance. There are even basketball and tennis courts on the premises. Weekly passes run $50 for those not staying at Atlantis. Just be aware it's a significant walk into the resort.

Provided the weather is nice, there are plenty of paths to run around the islands — either down the beach or on solid ground — and catch a tan.

Yoga aficionados can check out the Sivananda Ashram Yoga Retreat on the western edge of Paradise Island.

If you're one of those people who absolutely can't get through the day without some caffeine to power you through, Atlantis has a Starbucks right down the staircase of the main entrance. Be warned, though, every morning before the tournaments begin there will be a sizable line of players waiting for their morning cup of joe, so get there early.

The PCA is always a special event on the poker calendar. It's sure to be even more memorable this year with the one-of-a-kind PSPC, so keep these tips in mind if you're making the trip to maximize your time in paradise.

Tags: PCAPokerStarsPokerStars Caribbean Adventure

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