Welcome to the 2025 SPT Joe-Boy Rahme MonsterStaK Main Event
The crown jewel of the 2025 SunBet Poker Tour stop at the GrandWest Casino by Sun International on the outskirts of Cape Town is set to kick off today. At noon local time, cards will be in the air for Day 1a of the Joe-Boy Rahme MonsterStaK Main Event which has been named in honour of the veteran of the South African poker community. Just one year ago, Joe Rahme was among the participants in this very event but suddenly passed away only a few weeks ago.
With a buy-in of ZAR 15,000 (USD 850), the marquee event of the series features a guarantee of ZAR 4,000,000 and that figure was smashed one year ago at this very venue with a field of 504 entries. Back then, Mauritius-based Australian poker player Saurabh Gulati denied a home-town victory for Diane Walker and Ronit Chamani to claim the top prize of ZAR 975,280 after a three-way deal.
2024 SPT GrandWest Main Event Final Table Result
| Place | Player | Country | Prize (ZAR) | Prize (USD) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Saurabh Gulati | Australia | 975,280* | $53,966* |
| 2 | Diane Walker | South Africa | 800,000* | $44,267* |
| 3 | Ronit Chamani | South Africa | 900,000* | $49,801* |
| 4 | Colin Horgan | Ireland | 388,265 | $21,484 |
| 5 | Nic Ioannoy | South Africa | 298,025 | $16,491 |
| 6 | Gareth Fourie | South Africa | 248,430 | $13,747 |
| 7 | Hennie Appel | South Africa | 206,835 | $11,445 |
| 8 | Giovanni Zanette | South Africa | 165,555 | $9,161 |
| 9 | Divan Le Roux | South Africa | 124,230 | $6,874 |
Since then, the structure for the crown jewel has changed as a new deeper-stacked version was introduced earlier this year with a massive starting stack of 100,000 and 60-minute levels for the first two of three starting days. That gives all players seated right at the start more than 330 big blinds at 200-300 with a big blind ante of 300. Each of the three flights will play nine levels on Day 1 before all survivors combine on Day 2.
The late registration has been extended to the first 13 levels and several duplicate blind levels ensure a deep-stacked affair for all poker enthusiasts from near and far. On Saturday, December 29, 2025, players can but into the event until approximately 4.30 p.m. local time on the penultimate tournament day.
Alongside the Main Event, the action in the tournament area will be loaded with action as the ZAR 50,000 High Roller with at least 62 entries thus far and the late registration open until approximately 3 p.m. local time. Many of the local regulars bowing out from there are expected to join the Main Event thereafter.
Day 1a includes a 90-minute dinner break after level six and will conclude at approximately 11.15 p.m. local time. Stay tuned right here on PokerNews for the live coverage of South Africa's richest live poker tour in the next four days when the champion will be crowned.