$25,000 PCA High Roller
Day 3 Completed
$25,000 PCA High Roller
Day 3 Completed
The final $25,000 High Roller at the PokerStars Caribbean Adventure has come to an end and Ognyan Dimov is the champion after he defeated Ren Lin in heads-up play. Dimov outlasted a returning field of 17 on Day 3 to take home the top prize of $990,655.
The field of 187 players generated a prize pool of $4,444,055 and the top 27 players all took home at least $43,800. Lin won $619,200 for second, while Anthony Hu claimed $442,300 for third place. Kayhan Mokri and Brock Wilson rounded out the top five with $340,200 and $264,700, respectively.
Rank | Name | Country | Prize |
---|---|---|---|
1 | Ognyan Dimov | Bulgaria | $990,655 |
2 | Ren Lin | United States | $619,200 |
3 | Anthony Hu | United States | $442,300 |
4 | Kayhan Mokri | Norway | $340,200 |
5 | Brock Wilson | United States | $261,700 |
6 | Mustapha Kanit | Italy | $201,300 |
7 | Dylan Smith | United States | $167,700 |
8 | Elio Fox | United States | $139,700 |
9 | Yuri Dzivielevski | Brazil | $116,400 |
The win is the largest in Dimov’s career and a long time coming since his 2015 victory in the EPT Main Event at Deauville in northwestern France.
“I’ve been waiting for many years for such a big score like this,” Dimov said in his post-win interview with PokerNews. “I’m very happy.”
Dimov enjoyed his time in The Bahamas—where he cashed four times and enjoyed a second place finish in the $10,000 Bounty Freezeout. The series has been an opportunity for poker regulars to bring their families and Dimov was no exception.
“I’m with my family here (wife Simoneta and son Boyan) and they can enjoy the place. I feel like I don’t have much time to do it, but still, it was worth it.”
The third and final day of the $25,000 PCA High Roller kicked off with 17 players and Ben Heath was the first to go when his nines ran into Dylan Smith’s queens. Heath’s elimination sent the tournament to the final two tables and Mario Navarro, Ryan Riess, Santiago Plante, Ethan “Rampage” Yau, Rodger Johnson, Joao Vieira, and Carlos Chadha were all eliminated before the final table. Yau is picking up where he left off after a breakout 2022 that finished up with a win in the $25,000 High Roller at the WPT World Championship in Las Vegas.
The final nine kicked off final table action three hours into Day 3 and Yuri Dzivielevski was the first one out in ninth when his king-ten lost to Elio Fox’s ace-jack. Dimov eliminated Fox in eighth shortly thereafter and Smith fell in seventh when Dimov’s tens caught up to his pocket kings.
The final six played for another hour and Mustapha Kanit had gone on a run in the early stages of the final table, but he fell back to the pack and was knocked out in sixth when Lin beat his pocket eights with a flopped pair of aces. Moments later, Brock Wilson bowed out in fifth place when he got it in with pocket fours but ran into Lin’s pocket aces.
Kayhan Mokri had an up and down day, but always seemed to find himself back at the chip average. However, his night ended in fourth place when his ace-queen couldn’t beat Dimov’s pocket tens.
Dimov’s turning point came during three-handed play when he called with mid-pair after Hu fired a big bluff on the river with a missed flush draw. The hand gave Dimov the chip lead and he soon sent Hu to the rail in third with pocket eights.
Lin entered heads-up play with a big disadvantage against Dimov’s towering chip stack and he wasn’t able to make up much ground. The big moment came when Lin got it all in on the flop with an open-ended straight draw, but Dimov dodged the outs to win with two pair.
That wraps up coverage of the $25,000 PCA High Roller from Baha Mar Resort in The Bahamas. Be sure to keep it with the PokerNews team for live updates from your favorite tournaments throughout the world in 2023.
Ognyan Dimov raised to 200,000 and Ren Lin called. The flop was .
Lin checked and Dimov bet 500,000. After using two time banks, Lin tossed out his "No Gamble, No Future" sticker to indicate that he was all in. Dimov called and the cards were turned up.
Ren Lin:
Ognyan Dimov:
The board ran out with no straight for Lin and he was finished in second place for $619,200.
Player | Chips | Progress |
---|---|---|
Ognyan Dimov |
9,350,000
2,050,000
|
2,050,000 |
|
||
Ren Lin | Busted |
Level: 29
Blinds: 50,000/100,000
Ante: 100,000
Ognyan Dimov riased to 160,000 and Anthony Hu shoved for just over 1,000,000. Dimov called and the cards were turned up.
Anthony Hu:
Ognyan Dimov:
The board ran out and the eights held for Dimov to eliminate Hu in third place for $442,300.
The final two players will step away for a short break before heads-up play begins.
Player | Chips | Progress |
---|---|---|
Ognyan Dimov |
7,300,000
1,625,000
|
1,625,000 |
|
||
Anthony Hu | Busted |
Ren Lin raised to 175,000 from the button and Anthony Hu called from the big blind. The flop was . Both players checked the flop and the turn. The river was . Hu fired 250,000 at the river and Lin got away from it.
A few moments later, action was heads up with around 500,000 in the pot and on the board when Ognyan Dimov bet 700,000 and Hu called. The turn was .
Dimov check-called a 750,000 bet on the turn and the river was . Dimov checked again and Hu moved all in. After using time banks, Dimov called and turned over for a pair of eights. Hu showed for a missed flush and Dimov took a huge pot.
Player | Chips | Progress |
---|---|---|
Ognyan Dimov |
5,675,000
3,925,000
|
3,925,000 |
|
||
Ren Lin |
2,650,000
-630,000
|
-630,000 |
Anthony Hu |
1,215,000
-3,185,000
|
-3,185,000 |
Level: 28
Blinds: 40,000/80,000
Ante: 80,000
Anthony Hu raised to 210,000 from the small blind and Ren Lin called from the big blind. The flop was .
Both players checked the flop and the turn. The river was .
Hu checked the river before Lin bet 310,000. After using a time bank, Hu tossed in a chip to call. Lin turned over to take the pot with kings and sixes.
Player | Chips | Progress |
---|---|---|
Anthony Hu |
4,400,000
-400,000
|
-400,000 |
Ren Lin |
3,280,000
590,000
|
590,000 |
Action was heads up with over 500,000 in the middle and a full board of when Anthony Hu bet 500,000 and Ren Lin called. Hu turned over to take the pot with three fives and Lin tossed the losing hand in the muck.
Player | Chips | Progress |
---|---|---|
Anthony Hu |
4,800,000
700,000
|
700,000 |
Ren Lin |
2,690,000
-735,000
|
-735,000 |
Just before break, Ognyan Dimov picked up a big pot from Ren Lin to rebound from Anthony Hu's late charge. The final three players will now play 30-minute levels.
Player | Chips | Progress |
---|---|---|
Anthony Hu |
4,100,000
-100,000
|
-100,000 |
Ren Lin |
3,425,000
-775,000
|
-775,000 |
Ognyan Dimov |
1,750,000
850,000
|
850,000 |
|