The hotel staff at The Atlantis Resort in the Bahamas have removed the big top, and the high wire acts, clowns, and contortionists have left the PokerStars Caribbean Adventure (PCA) for the Aussie Millions, and other areas of the world where they can take a seat for a minimum of $25k.
The high rollers were in heaven with PokerStars hosting the softest $25,000 in history (The PokerStars Player’s No-Limit Championship – PSPC), and a further three $25ks, two $50ks and a $100k buy-in.
The man who left with the most income (gross) was Sam Greenwood. The Canadian (and his brothers Max and Luc) cashed in the PSPC. Sam also cashed in a second $25k and defeated 61-entrants to take down the $1,775,460 first prize in the $100k event.
Four other players earned a million plus during the PCA. Henrik Hecklen followed up his €10k High Roller victory at the PokerStars European Poker Tour (EPT) in Prague with a runner-up finish to Greenwood in that $100k event, Rainer Kemper won the $50k, cashed in the $25k (and although we are not counting it in these stats, the German also won a $10k Turbo). And Stephen Chidwick cashed three times, making money in the 2 x $50ks and a $25k.
We don’t see new names on the high roller scene too often, but we got one in the PCA. Jesús Cortes finished runner-up to Kent Lundmark in the 2010 EPT in Barcelona but had never cashed in a high roller event before the PCA. All of that changed when Cortes earned £1,153,440 thanks to a third place in the $100k and cashes in 2 x $25k events.
Cortes wasn’t alone with his consistency. Nobody finished in the money with a higher frequency than Igor Kurganov. The PokerStars Ambassador cashed four times. The Global Poker Index (GPI) World #1 Alex Foxen, Sean Winter, Steffen Sontheimer and Sam Greenwood cashed in three events.
A special mention should also go to Talal Shakerchi who finished eighth in the PSPC after his aces were brutally tossed aside by the AQs of Julien Martini after the Frenchman hit runner-runner spades. Undeterred, Shakerchi jumped straight into the $100k and finished fifth.
Here are the stats:
Biggest Earners (Gross)
1. Sam Greenwood – $1,933,880
2. Henrik Hecklen – $1,284,260
3. Jesús Cortes – $1,153,440
4. Rainer Kempe – $1,085,480
5. Stephen Chidwick – $1,084,322
6. Talal Shakerchi – $994,300
7. Alex Foxen – $904,040
8. Martin Zamani – $895,110
9. Igor Kurganov – $697,100
10. Sean Winter – $673,120
ITM Finishes
1. Igor Kurganov – 4
2. Sam Greenwood – 3
2. Jesús Cortes – 3
2. Stephen Chidwick – 3
2. Alex Foxen – 3
2. Sean Winter – 3
2. Steffen Sontheimer – 3
$25k PSPC Results (1,039-entrants)
1. Ramon Colillas – $5,100,000
2. Julien Martini – $2,974,000
3. Marc Rivera – $2,168,000
4. Scott Baumstein – $1,657,000
5. Jason Koonce – $1,304,000
6. Marc Perrault – $1,012,000
7. Farid Jattin – $746,000
8. Talal Shakerchi – $509,000
$100k ITM Results (61-entrants)
1. Sam Greenwood – $1,775,460
2. Henrik Hecklen – $1,284,260
3. Jesus Cortes – $828,560
4. Chris Hunichen – $627,340
5. Talal Shakerchi – $485,300
6. Igor Kurganov – $378,760
7. Steffen Sontheimer – $301,820
8. Stephen Chidwick – $236,720
$50k ITM Results (64-entrants)
1. Rainer Kempe – $908,100
2. Alex Foxen – $651,980
3. Stephen Chidwick – $423,780
4. Daniel Dvoress – $319,780
5. Christoph Vogelsang – $248,380
6. Evan Mathis – $192,480
7. Steffen Sontheimer – $152,120
8. Bill Perkins – $117,980
9. Jason Koon – $90,040
$50k ITM Results (26-entrants)
1. Timothy Adams – $372,508*
2. Stephen Chidwick – $423,822*
3. Alex Foxen – $207,040
4. Justin Bonomo – $149,720
5. Igor Kurganov – $121,040
*Signifies a deal
$25k Final Table Results (75-entrants)
1. Sean Winter – $495,210
2. David Peters – $352,040
3. Jack Salter – $230,500
4. Rainer Kemper – $177,380
5. Ivan Luca – $140,460
6. Steve O’Dwyer – $109,840
7. Stanley Choi – $86,440
8. Igor Kurganov – $67,520
$25k Final Table Results (47-entrants)
1. Justin Bonomo – $383,650
2. Jesus Cortes – $265,200
3. Steffen Sontheimer – $169,280
4. Igor Kurganov – $129,780
5. Nick Petrangelo – $101,560
6. David Peters – $79,000
$25k Final Table Results (162-entrants)
1. Martin Zamani – $895,110
2. Dominik Nitsche – $606,360
3. Thomas Muehloecker – $404,240
4. Tom-Aksel Bedell – $331,100
5. Markus Durnegger – $265,640
6. Gianluca Speranza – $205,980
7. Sean Winter – $152,460
8. Davidi Kitai – $112,040
Chino Rheem rolled back the years to take down the $10,200 PCA Main Event.
PCA $10k Main Event Final Table Results
1. Chino Rheem – $1,567.100
2. Daniel Strelitz – $951,480
3. Scott Wellenbach – $671,240
4. Paul Matanel – $503,440
5. Vicent Ramon – $396,880
6. Brian Altman – $297,020
High rollers who ran deep in the Main Event included Christoph Vogelsang (11th), Matthias Eibinger (14th) and Matt Berkey (15th).