According to the tournament info, there are currently 13 players registered but that figure will increase significantly in the next few hours. The local players like to enter after an hour or two, which is not really any disadvantage in this very deep-stacked affair.
Level: 1
Blinds: 200/300
Ante: 300
Several tables are already prepared and some players are seated across the first two tables for the day. However, the clock is not started yet but cards are expected to be in the air in a few minutes from now.
After a short Day 1, the ZAR 50,000 High Roller saw 42 players out of 58 entries bag up chips and the top ten players are all hailing from South Africa with one exception. The 2023 WSOP Main Event finalist Dean Hutchison is in Cape Town on semi-vacation mode alongside poker buddy James Rann, who also bagged up an above-average stack as well.
The action recommenced at 11 a.m. local time in level seven with blinds of 3,000-6,000 and a big blind ante of 6,000 and there are at least ZAR 2,436,000 up for grabs, through that figure is expected to rise further with the registration and re-entry period open until 3 p.m. local time.
In case you want to follow the action, the SunBet Poker Tour YouTube channel is featuring a live-stream with cards-up and commentary all day long for the penultimate tournament day. Below are the top 10 in chip count at the start of Day 2.
| Seat | Player | Country | Chip Count | Big Blinds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Divan Van Wyk | South Africa | 934,000 | 156 |
| 2 | Reza De Bruyns | South Africa | 933,000 | 156 |
| 3 | Robert Le Roux | South Africa | 915,000 | 153 |
| 4 | Jubal Chetty | South Africa | 795,000 | 133 |
| 5 | Cliton Taliwanth | South Africa | 710,000 | 118 |
| 6 | Nic Sissou | South Africa | 654,000 | 109 |
| 7 | Jonathan Hoal | South Africa | 629,000 | 105 |
| 8 | Harold Brooks | South Africa | 620,000 | 103 |
| 9 | Bradley Moore | South Africa | 597,000 | 100 |
| 10 | Dean Hutchison | Scotland | 593,000 | 99 |
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.
| 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.
Joe-Boy Rahme MonsterStaK Main Event
Day 1a Started
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