2017 PokerStars Championship Bahamas

$5,000 Main Event
Day: 4
Event Info

2017 PokerStars Championship Bahamas

Final Results
Winner
Winning Hand
aj
Prize
$429,664
Event Info
Buy-in
$5,000
Prize Pool
$3,376,712
Entries
738
Level Info
Level
31
Blinds
80,000 / 160,000
Ante
20,000

Gaelle Baumann Eliminated

Level 20 : 6,000/12,000, 2,000 ante
Gaelle Baumann
Gaelle Baumann

Action folded around to Gaelle Baumann in the small blind and she shoved all in for 84,000. Big blind Rodrigo Cordoba didn't need much time making up his mind and called just about instantly after having checked his cards.

Rodrigo Cordoba: {7-Clubs}{7-Spades}
Gaelle Baumann: {J-Spades}{Q-Diamonds}

The flop came {A-Spades}{10-Hearts}{6-Clubs}, giving Baumann some additional outs to win the hand. The {5-Clubs} on the turn and {8-Diamonds} on the river were blanks however and Baumann was the first to exit on Day 4 of the Main Event. Cordoba, who had lost some chips missing in a three-bet pot, back to where he started the day.

Player Chips Progress
Rodrigo Cordoba ar
Rodrigo Cordoba
679,000 79,000
Gaelle Baumann fr
Gaelle Baumann
Winamax
Busted

Tags: Gaelle BaumannRodrigo Cordoba

'Shot Clock' Added at PokerStars Championship Bahamas $25K

Level 20 : 6,000/12,000, 2,000 ante
Shot clock for the PokerStars $25K Turbo
Shot clock for the PokerStars $25K Turbo

PokerStars has implemented an action timer, often colloquially referred to as a "shot clock," for the first time in an impromptu one-day $25K High Roller at PokerStars Championship Bahamas.

The timers are simple, small handheld devices set for 30-second timers. Once its each player's turn to act, the dealer presses a button to start the timer and the countdown begins. Players get three time banks worth 30 seconds apiece. It's an unsophisticated system, to be sure, but the move has been successful so far, PokerStars Department Head of Live Poker Operations Neil Johnson said.

"My Twitter hasn't exploded, so there obviously hasn't been a massive issue," Johnson said with a laugh.

Originally, the PokerStars Championship Bahamas schedule only included the standard issue $100K, $50K and $25K tournaments for the deep-pocketed players; however, a movement among the high roller community resulted in an additional six events being tacked on, much like the two events that were added in Prague at the behest of Steve O'Dwyer.

When the time came to hammer out the logistics of this $25K, the $50,000 Single-Day High Roller was running. Johnson asked all seven tables full of players if they had any objections to the clock and he received approvals all around.

The tournament drew 59 entries total. Forty-two of those were unique entries, so at least 17 players felt good enough about the structure and implementation of timers to pony up another $25K. That's a sizable jump from the other added events — two were canceled and one drew just 12 runners — but it's likely a quirk of the scheduling. Johnson noted that more players are busted from the Main Event at this juncture and there's no other nosebleed action until the $25K High Roller, so he could see added high rollers on Day 3 of Main Events being a regular thing.

Igor Kurganov was among the players with a nice run in the event, having ran up about eight starting stacks by the time an early-evening break hit. He told PokerNews he was happy with the clocks.

"I think any turbo should have a shot clock, basically," Kurganov said. "Just the idea that the shot clock is out there makes everyone act faster. I think it's a great thing and should be tried out in many tournaments."

While the $25K with the shot clock ran, Paul Newey occupied a seat at in a neighboring tournament for a $3K event. PokerNews asked if the shot clock was the reason Newey, a regular face in high rollers around the world, skipped the event. He said he simply preferred a longer structured tournament, though, and it had nothing to do with the shot clock.

"It wouldn't bother me at all," he said of potentially increased timer usage. "I'm pretty quick with my decisions anyway."

Johnson said PokerStars has looked at using shot clocks before. Typically, PokerStars' long live festivals feature dozens of tournaments, including a number of turbos and hyper turbos. He admitted that the small handheld devices being used wouldn't be his first choice — in fact, PokerStars has inquired about the action clocks used by the World Poker Tour Tournament of Champions — but stressed that PokerStars is ready and willing to accommodate the needs of its players.

"We're happy to build these with the players because they're for such a small group of players," he said.

Kurganov has some ideas along those lines. He'd like to see a variety of experiments tried out in poker tournaments, high roller events especially. He likened it to chess; just as there are different variants of chess such as speed chess and chess using different boards, there could be different ways to play hold'em.

"I think there should be more things tried out to make it a little bit more fun and take a little bit of the edge away that pros have," he said. "Whatever benefits the recreational players more and whatever benefits the viewers' experience more, that's what should happen in high rollers."

As far as timers go, Kurganov only wonders if 30 seconds is a starting point that could trend smaller. He believes 30 seconds is "plenty of time" and would like to see experiments with shorter timers, even 10 seconds.

However, both Kurganov and Johnson mentioned that as timers get shorter, implementation becomes more challenging. A scenario where it takes a couple of extra seconds to get the clock going isn't a big deal with 30 seconds on the timer, but that's more than 10 percent of the total time on a 10-second clock.

Overall, Johnson himself isn't a fan of the shot clock but he sees a practical reason for their usage in high rollers and isn't opposed to their use there. At this time, though, he doesn't see that happening in any Main Events or other tournaments. Imagine, he said, being a $10 Spin & Go qualifier facing a raise from Vanessa Selbst or Mike "Timex" McDonald and getting an intimidating staredown with a clock ticking away.

"I think it's very unwelcoming," he said.

Johnson agreed tanking and stalling can be a problem but hopes to see players police it themselves. He'd like to see players call the clock more on habitual tankers but understands it can create acrimonious scenarios at the tables that are uncomfortable for everyone.

If player enforcement doesn't prove effective, Johnson does see a potential future where shot clocks are standard issue.

"Two years from now, there could be a clock embedded on every table and that's just the way tournament poker is played," Johnson said.

Tags: Igor KurganovNeil JohnsonPaul Newey

Josephy Jams

Level 20 : 6,000/12,000, 2,000 ante
Cliff Josephy
Cliff Josephy

Action folded around to Allon Allison in the cutoff and he raised to 26,000. Cliff Josephy was in the small blind and paused for a moment before putting in a three-bet to 76,000.

Allison capped his cards, took off his glasses and slipped on his shades. After a full minute, Allison four-bet to 250,000.

Action was back on Josephy and he said, "I'm gonna wait for the pay jump. I have to look at it pragmatically."

Someone asked if it was going to be an all in. Josephy replied, "It's gonna be."

After a moment, Josephy moved all in. Allison wasted no time and released his cards. He then said, "Now's the time (to show). There are cameras."

Josephy slid his cards forward and told the dealer he could show them. The dealer revealed {a-Diamonds}{a-Hearts}. Allison replied, "Darn. I folded an under pair!"

Player Chips Progress
Cliff Josephy us
Cliff Josephy
WSOP 2X Winner
810,000 231,000
Brock Allison ca
Brock Allison
510,000 -254,000

Level: 20

Blinds: 6,000/12,000

Ante: 2,000

Bryn Kenney Wins the PokerStars Championship Bahamas $25,000 Single-Day High Roller for $392,876

Bryn Kenney
Bryn Kenney

Yesterday, an extra event was started after demand by the high stakes players. An impromptu $25,000 Single-Day High Roller started at noon. A total of 42 unique players came to the Imperial Ballroom for the new event and 17 of them reentered after busting on their first bullet.

Eight prizes were up for grabs and in the end, Bryn Kenney secured himself another spade-trophy after striking a deal with Dario Sammartino heads-up. Of the eight that cashed, just Oleksii Khoroshenin, Bill Perkins and Sean Winter. Just two days ago, Kenney won the $50,000 Single-Day High Roller for $969,075, bringing his total earning in The Bahamas this year to $,1643,031 after also having final tabling the $100,000 Super High Roller (7th for $275,060) and a $2,000 Hyper Turbo Win the Button (4th for $6,020).

PositionPlayerCountryPrize
1Bryn KenneyUnited States$392.876*
2Dario SammartinoItaly$354.424*
3Anton AstapauBelarus$202.380
4Oleksii KhorosheninUkraine$153.220
5Igor KurganovRussia$118.540
6Bill PerkinsUnited States$92.520
7Mike WatsonCanada$73.720
8Sean WinterUnited States$57.820

Tags: Bryn Kenney

Day 4 is on Deck!

In just a couple of hours, Day 4 of the PokerStars Championship Bahamas Main Event will begin. Out of 738 entries, just 32 remain with Nick Maimone leading the field for the second day in a row. Maimone won the $25,000 High Roller in 2016 and looks to add a second win to his resume. Team PokerStars Pro Jason Mercier is second in chips and hopes to add yet another major to his list of wins.

All remaining players are guaranteed a payout of $14,760, with a pay jump to $19,000 after the next elimination. While going deep in this event is an achievement in itself, all 32 players have their eye on the first-place prize of $480,012.

Play resumes at Noon sharp with blinds at 6,000/12,000 with a 2,000 ante. Players will complete four 90-minute levels, with a 20-minute break after each one.

Stick with us at PokerNews for live updates as we follow the coverage on the way to crowning a winner!

TableSeatNameCountryChips
11Daniel WeinmanUnited States175,000
12Cliff JosephyUnited States579,000
13Massimo De MarioItaly960,000
14Alan ScheinUnited States780,000
15Michael BartholomewCanada419,000
16Francisco BenitezUruguay426,000
17Jorge De Oliveira LopezPortugal235,000
18Allon AllisonCanada764,000
     
21John DibellaUnited States1,119,000
22Hendrik LatzGermany453,000
23Scott StewartUnited States952,000
24Rasmus GlæselNorway1,029,000
25Jaime StaplesCanada310,000
26Michael GentiliCanada688,000
27Rex ClinkscalesUnited States587,000
28Michael VelaUnited States767,000
     
31Jason MercierUnited States1,333,000
32Ryan RiessUnited States742,000
33Adrian MateosSpain423,000
34Pratyush BuddigaUnited States140,000
35Marcin KapkowskiPoland775,000
36Kevin AndriamahefaCanada320,000
37Damien SteelCanada810,000
38Christian HarderUnited States856,000
     
41Pedro CabecaPortugal864,000
42Nadya MagnusUnited States727,000
43Byron KavermanUnited States297,000
44John EngledowUnited Kingdom768,000
45Aleksei OpalikhinRussia478,000
46Gaelle BaumannFrance108,000
47Rodrigo CordobaArgentina697,000
48Nick MaimoneUnited States1,750,000

Chip Counts (full)

Player Chips Progress
Nick Maimone us
Nick Maimone
1,750,000
Jason Mercier us
Jason Mercier
1,333,000
John Dibella us
John Dibella
EPT 1X Winner
1,119,000
Rasmus Glæsel no
Rasmus Glæsel
1,029,000
Massimo De Mario it
Massimo De Mario
960,000
Scott Stewart us
Scott Stewart
952,000
Pedro Cabeca pt
Pedro Cabeca
864,000
Christian Harder us
Christian Harder
856,000
Damien Steel ca
Damien Steel
810,000
Alan Schein us
Alan Schein
780,000
Marcin Kapkowski pl
Marcin Kapkowski
775,000
John Engledow gb
John Engledow
768,000
Michael Vela us
Michael Vela
WPT 1X Winner
767,000
Brock Allison ca
Brock Allison
764,000
Ryan Riess us
Ryan Riess
WSOP Main Event Champion
WSOP 1X Winner
WPT 1X Winner
742,000
Nadya Magnus us
Nadya Magnus
727,000
Rodrigo Cordoba ar
Rodrigo Cordoba
697,000
Michael Gentili ca
Michael Gentili
688,000
Rex Clinkscales us
Rex Clinkscales
587,000
Cliff Josephy us
Cliff Josephy
WSOP 2X Winner
579,000
Aleksei Opalikhin ru
Aleksei Opalikhin
478,000
Hendrik Latz de
Hendrik Latz
453,000
Francisco Benitez uy
Francisco Benitez
426,000
Adrian Mateos es
Adrian Mateos
EPT Main Event Champion
WSOP 4X Winner
EPT 1X Winner
423,000
Michael Bartholomew ca
Michael Bartholomew
419,000

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$5,000 Main Event

Day 4 Started