PCA News - Main Event - High Roller - PCA Ladies Weekend - amfAR Charity Event

PokerStars Caribbean Adventure ends on a high – posted 01.14.10

An extraordinary ten days of poker ended in the Bahamas last night with American William Reynolds becoming the new PokerStars Caribbean Adventure High Roller Champion.

The 21-year-old pro from Sioux City, Iowa won $576,240 in the $25k event after beating Canadian pro Will Molson. It was a bitter disappointment for Molson, 22, from Montreal, who was runner-up last year as well. A total of 84 players entered, creating a total prize pool of $2,058,000.

Reynolds, who came fourth at EPT San Remo last season, said: “I feel ecstatic. It was the most rollercoaster ride I’ve ever been on.”

2009 World Series Ladies Champion Lisa Hamilton, a high stakes cash game pro, came fifth. She was one of only two women to enter. The other was Team PokerStars Pro Sandra Naujoks who came ninth. Team PokerStars Pro and 2009 World Champion Joe Cada was eliminated in 11th place.

This year’s PCA schedule featured 50 events and attracted more than 6,000 entries overall, the biggest tournament series ever held outside of Las Vegas.

The $10k PCA Main Event attracted record numbers with 1,529 players from 57 countries, generating a total prize pool of $14,831,300. A total of 741 players won their $15k trip to the event online with PokerStars.

Harrison Gimbel, 19, was the event’s youngest ever champion and won $2.2 million as well as a seat in the Grand Final of either the LAPT, the APPT or the EPT.

Team PokerStars Pros also thrived at the PCA: EPT founder John Duthie was knocked out of the main event in 12th place for $130k. Vanessa Rousso won the $1k Ladies Event for $24,725 against a 91-strong field. The players included 33 women who won their trips to the PCA on PokerStars. William Thorson won the PLO $5k event while Benjamin Kang and his friend Mathias Kuerschner won the PL
Hold'em/PLO Tag Team event. Katja Thater was the $1k 8 Game champion while Pieter de Korver triumphed in the $1k No Limit 6 Max for $ 110,050. Team PokerStars Pro Marcin Horecki from Poland cashed in three events for a total of $21,855.

A total of 55 Team PokerStars Pros attended the event including poker legend Daniel Negreanu, world champion Joe Cada, former world champions Peter Eastgate, Greg Raymer, Tom McEvoy and Chris Moneymaker. Team PokerStars SportStars Boris Becker, Swedish NHL star Mats Sundin and Dutch hockey pro Fatima Moreira De Melo, baseball legend Orel Hershiser and UK football legend Teddy Sheringham also competed.

The Haiti earthquake disaster happened just before the PCA ended and PokerStars immediately set up an appeal to raise funds for victims http://www.pokerstarsblog.com/2010/pokerstars-sets-up-haiti-earthquake-appe-063299.html. The Haiti Fund was promoted continuously during the last day of live broadcast from the PCA with PokerStars matching all player donations. More than $100,000 was raised in the first few hours. Players can transfer funds direct to “Haiti Fund” on the PokerStars client or enter “dummy” tournaments to donate varying amounts from $1 to $1,000.

For full reports, please see www.pokerstarsblog.com,; vblogs on pokerstars.tv; Main Event images at http://www.caribbeanpokeradventure.com/tournaments/main-event/gallery/gallery.html or High Roller images at http://www.caribbeanpokeradventure.com/tournaments/highroller/gallery/gallery.html.

Tobias Reinkemeier leads field as PCA High Roller goes into final day – posted 01.13.10

German pro Tobias Reinkemeier is chip leader with 1,072,000 as the PCA $25k High Roller goes into its final day.

The 22-year-old has run deep in numerous events –including 11th at EPT London and 46th here in the main event a few days ago – but said it was an amazing feeling to make a final.

Team PokerStars Pro Sandra Naujoks just missed out on the final, finishing in ninth place for $56,995. The only other woman to enter the event – high stakes cash game player Lisa Hamilton – goes into the final with 440,000. Hamilton, who won the $1k Ladies Poker Championship at the World Series last summer, is one of eight players still in the running for a first prize of $576,240. The event kicked off three days ago with 84 runners, generating a total prize pool of $2,058,000.

The other finalists are EPT London High Roller finalist Adolfo Vaeza from Uruguay, PokerStars SuperNova Elite Matt Marafioti, Dutch pro Michiel Brummelhuis. Russian player Dmitry Stelmak and EPT San Remo finalist William Reynolds. Will Molson, who was runner-up in last year’s PCA High Roller event, was the short stack when today started but he has also made the final while Team PokerStars Pro Dario Minieri, chip leader at the start of the day, bubbled in 17th place.

Those who have already received a share of the $2,058,000 prize pool include world champion and Team PokerStars Pro Joe Cada – out in 11th place, EPT Barcelona winner Carter Phillips – out in 12th, Team PokerStars Pro Greg Raymer –13th and LAPT1 Punta del Este runner-up Alex Brenes – busted in tenth place.

Close to the High Roller event in the Imperial Ballroom today - but significantly louder and more boisterous – was the final of the PokerStars World Cup of Poker VI. Cheers and roars erupted all day as scores of spectators cheered on their national teams.

The eventual winners were Team Chinese Taipei who beat Team Croatia heads-up to the coveted title and share of $100,000. The event was televised and broadcast live on pokerstars.tv.

For blog reports on all today’s action, visit the PokerStars blog. The High Roller final takes place tomorrow (January 14) and will be broadcast live on pokerstars.tv.

Visit our galleries where you can find pictures from the Main Event, amfAR Charity Event, High Roller event and World Cup of Poker VI.

Dario Minieri leads pack in $25 PCA High Roller event – posted 01.12.10

Now that the PCA main event is safely out the way, attention in the Atlantis Imperial Ballroom has switched to contest offering the next biggest prize: the ever-engrossing $25k High Roller event.

A total of $2,058,000 is up for grabs with $576,240 for the winner – not quite the $2.2 million that main event winner Harrison Gimbel walked off with last night but still an amount not to be sniffed at.

The man currently leading the pack as the event goes into its third day is Italian Team PokerStars Pro Dario Minieri with 430,700. It’s less than three months since Minieri scooped the High Roller event at EPT Warsaw for $77k. Now he’s set to do it all over again, although he faces arguably stiffer competition among the 24 players who remain here in the Bahamas.

If the 25-year-old from Rome does win, it will be the biggest cash of his career which already includes a World Series bracelet and three EPT main event finals. Minieri was the first player ever to buy a car - a 2007 Porsche Cayman S – using his PokerStars Frequent Player Points.

Numerous big names are still in the running however including world champion and fellow Team PokerStars Pro Joe Cada, former world champion Greg Raymer, EPT Dortmund winner Sandra Naujoks and EPT Barcelona winner Carter Phillips. Minieri doesn’t scare easily though – as Howard Swains puts it in the PokerStars blog tonight: “He plays every single tournament as though it costs him a dollar: relentless raise, raise, raise until all the damage is done.”

On the other side of the cavernous Imperial Ballroom, Day 2 of the PokerStars World Cup of Poker VI heats were being played out.

Finland, who started sixth today, moved to the top of the points chart and become the closest rival to Team Croatia. Teams start tomorrow’s final with chip stacks relative to the points they won today. That means the following:

1st - Croatia (100,000 starting stack, 20,000 per player); 2nd - Finland (90,000, 18,000 per player); 3rd - Canada (80,000, 16,000 per player); 4th - Chinese Taipei (70,000, 14,000 per player); 5th - Norway (60,000, 12,000) 6th - Italy (50,000, 10,000 per player); 7th - USA (40,000, 8,000 per player) 8th - Germany (30,000, 6,000 per player); 9th - Chile (20,000, 4,000 per player). The event will be broadcast live on PokerStars.tv from noon local time.

For blog reports on all today’s action, visit the PokerStars blog; for player lists, image gallery and other info, please see http://www.caribbeanpokeradventure.com/tournaments/highroller/; great video blogs can be found on PokerStars.tv.

Harrison Gimbel, 19, wins $2.2 million in PCA main event – posted 01.12.10

American Harrison Gimbel turned $1,000 into $2.2 million tonight when he became the youngest ever winner of the PokerStars Caribbean Adventure at Atlantis Resort in the Bahamas. The 19-year-old from Jupiter, Florida bested a 1,529 strong field to snatch the PCA Champion’s title. He won his seat in a satellite held the night before the $10k event started.

“I’m so excited. It feels amazing.” he said. “A lot of these players were very good but I had a lot of confidence in myself coming into today and it really showed. I’m now going car shopping!”

Before the PCA, Gimbel ‘s best live result was $70k for winning the 2009 Florida State Poker Championships. He’s had numerous deep runs in online tournaments including $47k for 6th place in the PokerStars Sunday Million in November.

Runner-up Tyler Reiman from Morton, Illinois, won $1.75 million while third place finisher Barry Shulman, 63, owner of CardPlayer magazine, won $1.35 million. Shulman, whose son is WSOP finalist Jeff, won the World Series of Poker Europe event this year for £801k.

The 2010 PCA main event attracted some of the best players in the world as well as stars from the world of sport and entertainment, generating a total prize pool of $14,831,300. Some 750 players won their trips to the Bahamas with PokerStars including Canadian Darren Keyes who qualified for just 75 Frequent Player Points and came tenth for $150,000.

Cracked aces knocked EPT founder John Duthie out of the tournament in 12th place for $130k. Other Team PokerStars Pro to cash were Florian Langmann, Johnny Lodden, Ivan Demidov, Vicky Coren, Matthias De Meulder, Victor Ramdin, Luis Medina and former PCA champion Steve Paul-Ambrose. More than 50 Team PokerStars Pro competed including world champion Joe Cada and poker legend Daniel Negreanu.

American rapper Nelly, Playboy Playmate Jayde Nicole, tennis legend Boris Becker, NHL star Mats Sundin, baseball legend Orel Hershiser, UK football star Teddy Sheringham, US talk show host Montel Williams and Dutch hockey pro Fatima de Melo all took part. Only Hershiser made the money – 219th out of 224 – for a $15k payday.

Since it started in 2004, more than $53 million has been won at the PCA, with more than 6,000 players taking part including thousands of PokerStars qualifiers. Previous winners include Gus Hansen and Team PokerStars Pro Bertrand “ElkY” Grospellier.

Elsewhere in the Atlantis Imperial Ballroom, the poker action continued to generate big crowds. The $25k High Roller event kicked off attracting more than 80 runners – nearly double last year’s 48-strong field. The entrants included Team PokerStars Pros Joe Cada, Daniel Negreanu, Barry Greenstein, Greg Raymer, John Duthie, Peter Eastgate, Alex Gomes, Bertrand "ElkY" Grospellier, Jason Mercier, and Andre Akkari. At the time of writing Dario Minieri, Lex Veldhuis and EPT Barcelona winner Carter Philiips were all thriving.

The World Cup of Poker final also started today with nine teams taking part in rounds comprising nine-handed, six-handed and then four-handed sit n gos. The ultimate prize is a share of $100,000. Croatia are now through; Norway, Italy, Canada, Germany, Taiwan, USA, Chile and Finland return tomorrow for a day of heads-up heats.

In other news, Team PokerStars Pro Vanessa Rousso won $24k for taking down the two-day $1k Ladies Event which involved 91 players and finished last night. William Thorson won the $5k PLO and Team PokerStars Pro Benjamin Kang won the Tag Team event with his friend Mathias Kuerschner.

For blog reports on all today’s action, visit the PokerStars blog; for player lists, image gallery and other info, please see www.caribbeanpokeradventure.com/tournaments/main-event/; great video blogs can be found on PokerStars.tv. Gallery photos from the amfAR charity event can be seen here

Pokerstars Qualifier Ryan D’angelo Still in the Lead as PCA goes into Final Day – posted 01.10.10

Ryan "g0lfa" D'Angelo is still in the lead as the PCA main event goes into its final day tomorrow. The 24-year-old PokerStars qualifier from New York has more than 10 million. In second place is fellow online pro Tyler “puffinmypurp” Reiman who has 9,350,000.

D’Angelo has been a professional poker player for three years and has already had some very impressive results. Last night he rushed straight from the Atlantis Resort Imperial Ballroom – where the PCA is being played – to Aura nightclub where he was due at a special gala reception for PokerStars World Championship of Online Poker champions. D’Angelo won two WCOOP events this year - only the third player in WCOOP history to do so.

Among the 24 players who started Day 5 today who are now out was EPT founder John Duthie. He was the last surviving member of Team PokerStars Pro and was in good shape until his Aces were cracked Tyler Reiman’s QQ. Reiman hit a Q on the flop to take nearly all Duthie’s five million chips in the biggest pot of the tournament.

Many players today were probably nursing massive hangovers after enthusiastic celebrating at the PokerStars party last night. Celebrities such as Slash, Entourage star Adrian Grenier, England footballer Teddy Sheringham, the 2008 Playboy Playmate Jayde Nicole and tennis legend Boris Becker mingled with over a thousand PokerStars players and their guests at the lavish do which included a performance by R&B star Kelly Rowland.

At the time of writing this, Team PokerStars Pro Vanessa Rousso was heads-up in the PCA $1k Ladies event – and looking likely to win the $24k first prize. A total of 91 women took part in the event including 33 who won their seats – and trip to the Bahamas - online with PokerStars. Apart from the WSOP Ladies Event (which men can enter), this is the biggest ladies event that has ever been held. The EPT London Ladies winner Dagmara Aleksandrowicz from Poland also competed as well as Norwegian poker pro Annette Obrestad.

The PCA main event final starts tomorrow at noon and will be covered live by the EPTLive’s great webcast team. Tune into PokerStars.tv to follow the action; for blog reports, visit the PokerStars blog; for blogs on all the final table players, image gallery and other info, please see www.caribbeanpokeradventure.com/tournaments/main-event/; great video blogs can be found on PokerStars.tv.

Pokerstars Qualifier Ryan D'angelo Steams Through Day 4 – posted 01.09.10

It's lucky the PCA main event ended early tonight because that meant PokerStars qualifier Ryan "g0lfa" D'Angelo(pictured) - our soaraway chip leader with nearly 7.5 million - could still make it to Aura nightclub in time to pick up his bracelets for winning two World Championship of Online Poker events in the summer.

The 24-year-old is only the third player in WCOOP history to win twice in one series. He won the $300 eight-game mix tournament for $50k and a $300 Omaha/NLHE event for an extra $69k - and was due at 7pm at a gala reception being held tonight for all this year's WCOOP champions.

Day 4 was also great for John Duthie, Team PokerStars Pro and founder of the European Poker Tour. Duthie, a TV director by trade, first came to fame when he won the Poker Million in 2000. He also picked up $386,636 this summer for coming second in the WSOP $10k World Championship Heads-Up and is now in second place at the PCA.

Wayne Bentley, the PokerStars qualifier who led the field on Day 1a, had a rollercoaster ride today. The 28-year-old taxi driver started with half a million, slipped right down to 75,000 but managed to recover to 2,878,000 and is now in third place. All 24 players who return tomorrow are guaranteed at least $66,000 but no one is interested in that - it's the $2.2 million first prize they want to get their hands on.

The early finish tonight - around 7pm - means everyone has plenty of time to get ready for the PokerStars PCA party where R&B star Kelly Rowland will be performing to around 1,000 PokerStars players and their guests. Celebrities such as Nelly, Guns N' Roses lead guitarist Slash, Jayde Nicole, the 2008 Playboy Playmate of the Year, supermodel Joanna Krupa and US talk show host Montel Williams were also all set to attend.

The poker action continues in the Atlantis Imperial Ballroom tomorrow at noon. For blog reports on all today’s action, visit the PokerStars blog; for player lists, image gallery and other info, please see www.caribbeanpokeradventure.com/tournaments/main-event/; great video blogs can be found on PokerStars.tv.

Stars steal the show at the PCA – posted 01.08.10

The poker continued fast and furious in the main event of the PokerStars Caribbean Adventure today, with 280 players whittled down to just 62 by the end of day.

But it was hard to keep focused on the $10k main event when stars such as hip hop singer Nelly, Guns N’ Roses lead guitarist Slash and Destiny’s Child founder Kelly Rowland were all competing in the special amfAR and PokerStars charity tournament just a few yards away.

A host of celebrities from the world of entertainment and sport turned up to help raise funds for the AIDS research organization including Jayde Nicole, the 2008 Playboy Playmate of the Year, supermodel Joanna Krupa and US talk show host Montel Williams. With at least half the tournament prize pool going direct to amfAR, the event was set to raise around $100,000 for charity.

Also taking part were world champion Joe Cada, tennis legend Boris Becker, former England footballer Teddy Sheringham, Spanish football legend Poli Rincon, Estonian NBA star Martin Muursepp and 11 members of Team PokerStars Pro. Five players also won their seats into the event by competing in qualifying satellites online on PokerStars.

The event was run as a shootout with two winners from each table going through to the final. At the time of publication, eight players were left: Carlos Bernard, who plays Tony Almeida in TV hit “24”, US talk show host Montel Williams, NHL Olympic medalist Mats Sundin, Dutch hockey pro Fatima de Melo, Team PokerStars Pros Luis Medina, Leo Fernandez and Alex Gomes as well as PokerStars qualifier Spencer Benjafield from the UK.

Meanwhile in the main event, Team PokerStars Pros John Duthie, founder of the PokerStars.com European Poker Tour, Florian Langmann and Johnny Lodden are all still in the running for the $2.2 million first prize. Last night’s chip leader – Briton Praz Bansi - is also still in good shape but it is three American players who lead the field – Harrison Gimbel in first place and PokerStars qualifiers Matthew Haugen and Ryan D'Angelo close behind.

The action continues in the Atlantis Imperial Ballroom tomorrow at noon. As well as the main event, there are loads more side events planned including the Ladies $1k, the final of the 8-game, and the first day of the PLO Championships.

Yet again however, celebrities may distract all but the most diehard poker fans –the PokerStars party takes place tomorrow night with all PokerStars players invited and set to hear an exclusive performance by Kelly Rowland.

Praz Bansi leads field in PokerStars Caribbean Adventure - posted 01.07.10

British pro Praz Bansi is leading the field as the $10k PCA Main Event goes into Day 3. The former recruitment consultant, who came third at the WSOP-E in September, is sitting on 960,800 in chips. Canadian Marc Etienne Mclaughlin is in second place while British PokerStars qualifier Wayne Bentley is third with 602,500 .

Day 2 started with 884 players but just 280 will be returning to the Atlantis Imperial Ballroom tomorrow for Day 3. Team PokerStars Pros prospered and a dozen are still in the running for the first prize of $2.2 million. The survivors include Italian maverick Dario Minieri(pictured), Russian 2008 WSOP runner-up Ivan Demidov, EPT founder John Duthie from the UK and Norwegian star Johnny Lodden.

The seventh PokerStars Caribbean Adventure, the biggest and richest tournament ever held outside of the USA, attracted record numbers with 1,529 players competing from some 57 countries. More than half won their seats on PokerStars, investing as little as 40 Frequent Player Points to reach the Bahamas.

This year’s entrants hail from all over the world – more than half are American and 164 from Canada while over 500 players crossed the pond from Europe. Other players have come from as far away as India, Korea, South America, Australia and New Zealand – lured by a festival boasting more than 50 events.

The $14,831,300 prize pool will be shared between 224 players but it’s the $2.2 million first prize that everyone has their eyes on, as well as the illustrious PCA Champion’s title.

The side events also continued to draw big numbers with massive lines for the NL Freezeout 6 Max which kicked off with 452 players. A total of 64 players entered the 8 Game Championship and more than 360 took part in the $200 No Limit Turbo. Among those who have made the money so far are Matt Woodward, EPT5 San Remo runner-up, who came 2nd in the Badugi/ 2-7 Mix, Team PokerStars Pro Marcin Horecki who cashed in a nightly turbo turbo and EPT Vilamoura runner-up Pierre Neuville who won a seat into the $25k High Roller event courtesy of a Super Satellite Steps tournament.

Excitement is also building for tomorrow’s amFar charity poker tournament. Eight PokerStars players won their seats online and will be sitting alongside Entourage star Adrian “Vince” Grenier, Playboy Playmate Jayde Nicole, supermodel Joanna Krupa, US hip hop star Nelly, Slash from Guns N’ Roses as well as tennis legend Boris Becker, Teddy Sheringham, the former England footballer, NHL legend Mats Sundin and former Spanish footballer Poli Rincón. The $5k tournament kicks off at 6pm, with half the prize pool going to raise funds for AIDS research.

For blog reports on all today’s action, visit the PokerStars blog; for player lists, image gallery and other info, please see the Main Event page; great video blogs can be found on PokerStars.tv.

2010 PokerStars Caribbean Adventure breaks own record – posted 01.06.10

It’s official – the 2010 PokerStars Caribbean Adventure is not just the biggest PCA ever held, it’s the biggest and richest tournament ever held outside of the USA.

A total of 1,529 players competed in the $10k main event including some of the biggest names not just in poker but in the world of sport and entertainment as well. Today’s Day 1b entrants included USA hip-hop star Nelly – who wowed guests at the spectacular PokerStars WSOP party in July, stunning Playboy playmate and Million Dollar Challenge contestant Jayde Nicole, US talk show host Montel Williams, German tennis legend Boris Becker, Major League baseball great Orel Hershiser, Dutch hockey pro Fatima de Melo and NHL star Mats Sundin.

Hershiser, de Melo (pictured) and Sundin all made it through and will be joined for Day 2 tomorrow by plenty of Team PokerStars Pros. They include last year’s world champion Peter Eastgate (82,900), EPT3 London winner Vicky Coren (69,700), Mexican WSOP bracelet winner JC Alvarado (109,600), Italian Pier Paolo Fabretti (117,00), Portuguese pro Luis Medina (21,000), Sweden’s William Thorson (45,100), Thierry van den Berg from Holland (64,600), Victor Ramdin (61,300), the 2008 PCA champion Bertrand “ElkY” Grospellier (19,900) and Juan Manuel Pastor from Spain (30,000).

Heading the pack of today’s 498 survivors is Anibal Tacla from Curitiba in Brazil, the same home town as Team PokerStars Pro Alex Gomes, but Tacla's 166,000 is totally eclipsed by the 329,500 stack bagged up by British PokerStars qualifier Wayne Bentley on Day 1a.

A total of 884 players return to the fray tomorrow for Day 2 including a host of other female pros including Annette Obrestad, Team PokerStars Pros Vicky Coren and Vanessa Rousso, Kathy Liebert, Liv Boeree and Liz Lieu. New Team PokerStars Pro Matthias De Meulder from Belgium has made it through but his twin brother Christophe will have to content himself with supporting from the rail.

A bunch of side events took place today, including the $500 PLO Freezeout, the Badugi / 2-7 Mix event, the first High Roller Super Satellite steps and the $200 PLO8 turbo but the day’s biggest story was the official announcement that PokerStars is to launch a brand new poker series in North America. The NAPT debut event is the PCA, stop #2 is the spectacular Las Vegas Venetian casino in February followed by the Mohegan Sun in Connecticut in April.

PokerStars’ global reach is amply reflected by the large numbers of prestigious media attending this year’s PCA. Around 100 journalists from all over the world are reporting on the event including publications like Vanity Fair, daily nationals such as The Sun, Correio da Manhã and Le Monde as well as TV film crews, radio stations and dozens of poker outlets.

For blog reports on all the day’s action, visit the PokerStars blog; for video blogs, please see PokerStars.tv.

Just under 400 make it through Day 1a of the PCA – posted 01.05.10

A total of 386 players have survived Day 1a of the 2010 PokerStars Caribbean Adventure $10k Main Event from a starting field of 668. Well over 700 players are expected for Day 1b tomorrow ensuring that this year’s event will smash all previous PCA records.

The current chip leader is British PokerStars qualifier Wayne Bentley (pictured)who has 329,500. Last year's winner Poorya Nazari from Canada is also through as well as Kevin Saul, who came eighth last year. Saul currently lies in third place with 175,500.

Today’s survivors also include the PokerStars-sponsored 2009 WSOP finalist Eric Buchman who has 159,100. Team PokerStars Pro and poker legend Daniel Negreanu is in 12th place with 124,000. He will be returning to the Imperial Ballroom on Thursday alongside 2008 WSOP finalist Dennis Phillips, Italian maverick Dario Minieri, EPT4 Barcelona winner Sebastian Ruthenberg and WSOP bracelet winner Angel Guillen.

Phillips won a huge pot when he flopped quad kings against Bert Van Doesburg's flopped full house. He now has 113,000. Phillips finished the day sitting next to this year's PokerStars-sponsored WSOP finalist Kevin Schaffel who has 53,200.

Also through to Day 2 is “frenchie73” from the US Virgin Islands who invested just 40 Frequent Player Points to make it out to the Caribbean after carving his way through the PokerStars Megapath satellite series.

A host of stars are set to play Day 1b tomorrow including German tennis legend Boris Becker, Swedish NHL star Mats Sundin and Dutch hockey pro Fatima De Melo as well as baseball legend Orel Hershiser and PokerStars-sponsored UK football legend Teddy Sheringham. Belgian twins Christophe and Matthias De Meulder are making their debut appearance as members of Team PokerStars Pro and will be joined by nearly 30 team mates including world champion Joe Cada from the USA and the 2008 PCA champion Bertrand "Elky" Grospellier from France.

Also playing tomorrow is former New York police sergeant and 9/11 hero Mike Kosowski, winner of the PokerStars Million Dollar Challenge, the most watched poker show in USA TV history. Kosowski, who was awarded the Medal of Valor for his rescue efforts at Ground Zero, was one of 20 PokerStars players who made it through the online freerolls and a tough video audition process to take part in the celebrated TV show. He faced competition from celebrities, Team PokerStars Pros and Daniel Negreanu to win first prize and a seat in the PCA main event.

Kosowski will be up against fellow MDC finalist Brian Barbosa who won his PCA seat after beating four other MDC finalists in a special freezeout contest today. Also playing will be Playboy 2008 Playmate of the Year Jayde Nicole, one of the MDC’s celebrity contestants.

The main event is not the only action taking place tomorrow – other tourneys include the $500 PLO Freezeout, the Badugi / 2-7 Mix event, the first High Roller Super Satellite steps and the $200 PLO8 turbo.

For great reports on all the action from the tournament floor, don’t miss the PokerStars blog – www.pokerstarsblog.com. Video updates from the event can be viewed at pokerstars.tv

PCA 2010 kicks off in Paradise! - posted 01.05.10

The seventh PokerStars Caribbean Adventure has kicked off at Atlantis Casino in the Bahamas in grand style with a total of 668 players taking their seats for Day 1a of the $10k main event.

Today’s players include former world champions and Team PokerStars Pros Greg Raymer, Tom McEvoy and Chris Moneymaker as well as poker legends Daniel Negreanu and Barry Greenstein. Other stars in the Atlantis Casino Imperial Ballroom today include Erik Seidel, Huck Seed and Tiffany Michelle as well as last year’s PCA main event champion Poorya Nazari(pictured) and “frenchie73” who splashed out just 40 Frequent Player Points to win his way to the Bahamas. He competed in the first round of the PokerStars Megapath satellite series last October and made it all the way through to the final, effectively beating tens of thousands of players to win his PCA trip.

This year’s PCA is the biggest tournament series ever held outside of Las Vegas and the main event first prize seems certain to exceed $3 million. Since it started in 2004, more than $39 million has been won at the PCA, with more than 4,800 players taking part - including thousands of PokerStars qualifiers.

Last night PokerStars threw its first party of the week with a lavish Welcome Party Reception. But while hundreds of PokerStars players were celebrating in the Atlantis Grand Ballroom, others were getting an early start on the poker front by taking part in the Super Satellite and first of the $200 nightly turbos.

More than 50 events are planned for the PCA this year but it was American Daniel Johnson who became very first PCA winner after beating 244 players to take down the $200 No Limit turbo for $11,597.

More side events were taking place today with the first of the four Battleship tournaments. Tomer “AA_Legend” Berda and Roei “matate” Sasson are cousins from Israel who turned up for the $300 Battleship Eliminator desperately hoping they wouldn’t be drawn against each other. As it turns out, they met up in the final - but it was Tomer who snagged the $4,800 prize in the winner-takes-all event.

Elsewhere in the Imperial Ballroom, the finalists from the PokerStars Million Dollar Challenge were slugging it out for a seat in the $10k main event. The MDC was the most watched poker show in USA TV history and featured some 20 PokerStars players who had made it through thousands of online freerolls and a tough YouTube video audition process.

The $1,000,000 first prize and PCA seat went to American Mike Kosowski - who plays Day 1b tomorrow - but the other finalists, including South Carolina priest Father Andrew Trapp, were all invited to the Bahamas to compete against each other for their own seat into the main event. Canadian model Jayde Nicole, one of the MDC’s Round 1 celebrity contestants, is also playing tomorrow in the main event, sponsored by PokerStars.

One day to go in Paradise! - posted 01.03.10

With less than a day to go, the Atlantis Resort in the Bahamas is now buzzing with excitement as the world’s top poker players gather for the PCA, the biggest tournament series ever held outside of Las Vegas. Since it started in 2004, over $39 million has been awarded in prize money at the PCA, with more than 4,800 players taking part - including hundreds of PokerStars qualifiers. This year’s PCA is set to be the biggest and best yet with over 50 tournaments scheduled between January 4 and 14.

Onsite registration for the event opens on January 4 at 4pm but nearly 1,100 players are already signed up via PokerStars including world champion and Team PokerStars Pro Joe Cada, former world champions Peter Eastgate, Joe Hachem, Greg Raymer and Chris Moneymaker as well as poker legend Daniel Negreanu, PCA high roller champion Bertrand “ElkY” Grospellier and last year’s main event champion Poorya Nazari. Nazari, now 23, won $3 million after qualifying on PokerStars in a $33 triple turbo rebuy.

There’s no shortage of celebrities and sports stars at this year’s PCA either – tennis legend Boris Becker, NHL star Mats Sundin, baseball legend Orel Hershiser, UK football star Teddy Sheringham and Dutch hockey pro Fatima De Melo are all competing in the main event while Entourage star Adrian “Vince” Grenier, rock star Slash, fashion designer Kenneth Cole, Carlos Bernard from 24 and Jimmy Wahlberg are all set to play the $5,000 amFar charity event on January 8.

PokerStars ran thousands of satellites in the months leading up to the PCA’s January 4 kick-off with the result that 759 players are now enjoying a $15k trip to the Bahamas after winning their seat online.

Quite a few players coasted here for the tiniest sum imaginable. frenchie73, WERDER-gw and interiorplay all splashed out just 40 Frequent Player Points in the first round of the Megapath tournament series back in October and beat tens of thousands of other players to win their $15,000 trips to the PCA. A total of 12 players also made to the PCA courtesy of PokerStars’ Freeroll Fantasy promotion which ran October 17-December 5.

PokerStars’ live webcast team are expanding their coverage at this year’s PCA to provide five days of top-quality broadcasting which will include the amfAR and PokerStars Celebrity Charity Tournament, the last two days of the PCA main event, the World Cup of Poker final and the final of the PCA $25k High Roller event.

The poker action kicks off tomorrow (January 4) at 18:00 with a Super Satellite to the Main Event but for those who can tear themselves away from the tournament area, the fun starts with PokerStars’ Welcome Party from 7pm-9pm on the Atlantis Grand Ballroom.

Kelly Rowland to headline PCA party – posted 29.12.09

Former Destiny’s Child star Kelly Rowland will entertain PokerStars players at the PokerStars Caribbean Adventure party in The Bahamas on January 9, 2010. One of the founding members of the record breaking girl group, Rowland is now a hugely successful solo artist, and she’s set to wow the crowds at Atlantis as the PCA gets into full swing. Her appearance follows hot on the heels of rap star Nelly’s electrifying performance at the PokerStars party at the World Series in Las Vegas last summer.

The party takes place at Paradise Harbor from 9pm to 12am on January 9. As always with PokerStars events, this party is exclusively for PokerStars players who are permitted to invite one adult guest, and accredited media are also welcome. A shuttle bus will run from Atlantis Resort’s Coral and Royal Towers taking guests to the PCA party between 8.45pm and midnight on January 9. All guests require a wristband for entry – you can pick yours up from the PokerStars welcome desk in the conference centre.

In true PokerStars style this event is not the only celebration taking place at the 2010 PCA. There is also a Welcome Party Reception on January 4, the night before Day 1A of the Main Event. This party runs 7pm to 9pm and takes place on the Atlantis Resort Royal Deck. Free drinks and hors d’oeuvres will be provided, as well as local entertainment.

The 2010 PCA is the biggest and best ever, and is a true poker festival with over 50 tournaments scheduled. The best players in the world including Team PokerStars Pro are expected to battle for millions of dollars in prize money as the event unfolds January 4-14 at Atlantis Resort and Casino on Paradise Island in The Bahamas. Highlights include the $10,000 Main Event, $25,000 High Roller and World Cup of Poker VI.

Excitement building for massive PCA schedule – posted 12.11.09

Excitement over the PCA schedule is continuing to grow as players realize exactly how many different kinds of events and buy-ins are on offer at this season’s Festival – many for the first time ever at a PokerStars live event.

For a start, aside from its famed Battleship events, PokerStars has never hosted live heads-up tournaments before but PCA players will have not just a variety of Heads-Up buy-ins to choose from ($5k, $2k and $1k) but both NLHE and PLO as well. All Heads-Up tourneys are three days, with two starting days (up to 64 players each). Day 1 will see a total of four rounds played down to four players who will return for the quarter-finals on Day 2. Each round is best-of-three until the semi-finals and finals (which will all be best-of-five. The 5K event will have a 10K starting stack throughout and the 1K and 2K events will have a 5K stack throughout with a 10K stack for the finals.

The PCA is also hosting the first ever live PokerStars Tag Team event. The cost is $2k per two-man team with one member playing Pot Limit Hold’em throughout, and the other PLO. Levels will be 60 minutes: 30 minutes of PLH followed by 30 minutes of PLO. Teams start with 12k in chips.

Female poker players are being given an extra special welcome at this season’s PCA with a dedicated “Ladies Weekend” from January 9-10. Satellites are running now on PokerStars, starting from just $2.20, with packages worth $3,500 up for grabs including three nights’ accommodation at the luxurious Atlantis Resort + Casino, $900 towards travel expenses, a $250 spa voucher and buy-in to the PokerStars NLHE $1k Ladies Event, which also marks the Grand Finale of the Pokerstars-sponsored High Heels Poker Tour Grand Final.

PokerStars is also giving players the chance to give something back at the PCA with a high profile charity poker tournament to support the work of the AIDS research organisation amfAR. Dozens of celebrities and top poker pros are due to take part in the $5,250 event on January 8 with half the prize pool going direct to amfAR to support its innovative research into HIV and AIDS. Among those set to play are major sports stars such as NHL Olympic gold medalist Mats Sundin and tennis legend Boris Becker as well as members of Team PokerStars Pro.

Battleship is also branching out at the PCA with some great variants added to the normal format including a winner-takes-all tourney and MTT events. As always, Battleship is located in the top right-hand corner of the tournament area.

Other firsts will include the first ever Pokerstars Bounty Hunter tournament (with a $100 bounty on all players), the first Triple Stud event and first ever live Badugi tournament. Regular fare includes the $25,000 High Roller, numerous different PLO events, nightly turbo tournaments and the 8 Game Championships.

Among all these myriad activities, you might be forgiven for forgetting about the $10,300 PCA Main Event altogether. Yet again however, this premier tournament is expected to attract well over a thousand players and make at least one of them a multi-millionaire. More than 500 players have already won seats on PokerStars and satellites will be running right up to December 27. Those who don’t manage to win a seat can always buy in direct, either in person or from their PokerStars account or with T$ (subject to status) or by wire transfer.