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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.
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. 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.
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.
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.
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).
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.
“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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Pokerstars Qualifier Ryan D'angelo Steams Through Day 4 – posted 01.09.10
Ryan "g0lfa" D'Angelo(pictured)- our soaraway chip leader with nearly 7.5 million at the end of Day 4.
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, 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.
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.
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 player 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, 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.
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.
Excitement is also building for tomorrow’s amFar charity poker tournament. Eight PokerStars players 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.
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.
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.
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.
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’ 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.
Enter the PokerStars Caribbean Adventure – for free! – posted 11.24.2009
Not a typo. Not a misprint. Not even a catchy headline to draw you in under a false promise. You can enter the PokerStars Caribbean Adventure (PCA) for FREE by playing online with PokerStars.net Fantasy Freerolls.
Here’s the deal: PokerStars.net have 27 seats up for grabs for entry into the PCA, where admission normally costs $10,300. What’s more, PokerStars.net will throw in high class accommodation in the Bahamas, along with a couple of notes for expenses, bringing the total value of your prize package to $15,100. 
Enough with the explanations! How do you enter?
First off, download the PokerStars client, click “Events” and “PCA” and register for any of the “PCA Freeroll Fantasy: Freeroll Satellite” events.
PokerStars.net is running PCA Freeroll Fantasy qualifiers at 20 minutes past the hour, every hour. You are eligible to enter one freeroll tournament a day.
Play in any of these daily tournaments before December 5 and finish in the top nine to advance to the PCA Freeroll Fantasy Main Event. If you make it there, you’ll get to battle for one of the 27 $15,100 prize packages up for grabs.
And if you win a prize package, what then?
Well, you could go all the way like this year’s winner Poorya Nazari, won the PCA Main Event in 2009 for $3,000,000.
Not a bad way to start the New Year!
Costa Rica wakes up and smells the coffee with Canadian victory – posted 11.23.09
A coffee merchant from Canada woke up to the smell of victory in Costa Rica this morning after being crowned the first LAPT Season 3 champion. Amer Sulaiman beat a field of 259 players to scoop the top prize of $172,096.
Victory for Sulaiman came in the early hours of the morning after he went heads up against fellow countryman and the start of day chip leader Sol Bergren. Stacks were relatively equal as the two began play but it was Sulaiman’s slow and steady style that eventually saw him overtake Bergman’s stack by at least double.
PokerStarsblog was on hand to record the final action: “Bergren at last got his chips in the middle with 6s-7s only to find his hand dominated by Sulaiman's Td-7h. The Th-5s-4c flop gave Sulaiman top pair, but Bergren picked up an open-ended straight draw. The crowd held their breath as the dealer burned and turned the Ac -- no help to either player. And when the Qh hit the river, the LAPT had its first Canadian champion.”
LAPT Playa Conchal (Costa Rica) has been incredibly popular. A total of 259 players have enjoyed poker in the lap of luxury and sunshine and created a prize pool of $628,075.
The next stop on the LAPT calendar is the PokerStars Caribbean Adventure (PCA) which takes place 4th-14th January 2010. With nearly 50 events on hand at the PCA, it’s the perfect way to give your bankroll that start of year top up.
Canadians lead charge at LAPT Costa Rica Final Table – posted 11.22.09
North Americans have invaded the final the table of LAPT Costa Rica as five of the final eight hail from Canada. Play begins today at 13:00 local time where all will be competing for a top prize of $172,096.
Leading the Canadian charge is chip leader and PokerStars Player Sol Bergren on $1,327,000. Hot on his heels in second place is fellow countryman and PokerStars Qualifer, Eric Levesque, who was a chip leader earlier in the tournament.
Fighting for local pride among the final eight is Costa Rican player Rogelio Pardo in third place with 685,000.
Players at the final table are all now guaranteed a minimum payout of $13,818 and time will tell who will emerge as our final Season 3 champion.
For those that didn’t make to the final table here on Day 3, the rewards were big. A total of 22 players cashed today and the LAPT paid out over $119,964. Thirteen PokerStars Qualifiers took a minimum $3K payout with Romania qualifier Alin Pandilica placing 9th for $9,107.
Sun sets on Day 2 as players enter the money – posted 11.21.09
The sun set today here on Day 2 of LAPT Playa Conchal but it was ten players who broke the horizon into the money as the bubble burst.
Players from 40th to 31st cashed today taking home a minimum of $3,454 in payouts. Five of the ten were PokerStars Qualifiers and had won their seats to the event by playing online with PokerStars.net.
The day’s largest cash went to Alphonse Voigt, a PokerStars sponsored player, who took home $4,082 for 40th place.
Back to the action on the felt and a total of 30 players move forward to Day 3.
The current chip leader is PokerStars Online Qualifier Eric Levesque from Canada with $420,000. Hot on his heels is Eduardo Hernandez in second place with 382,300.
Team PokerStars Brazil PRO Maria 'Maridu' Mayrinck and Alex Gomes as well as ten other PokerStars online qualifiers will move on to Day 3.
Prize pool of $628,075 up for grabs at LAPT Playa Conchal – posted 11.20.09
A field of 259 players entered the card room today for LAPT Playa Conchal Season 3, creating a prize pool of $628,075 and top prize of $172,096.
In the past two days registrations for the event almost doubled, going from a field of 141 on Tuesday, to 259 at close of registration today. Organizers were overwhelmed with entrants that registration was extended by two hours to cope with demand.
While action continued outside the venue, it was the action inside that players had travelled the world over to be a part of.
The PokerStars Blog team followed the action right up to the final hand of the day: “In a day that saw the chip leader change like the Costa Rican breezes, Woodcock has emerged again as the Day 1 chip leader. After starting the day on 20,000, he beat Brazilian Marcelo Dabus in a 120,000 pot and ended the day on 147,600. He will lead the other 119 players left in the field as Day 2 begins tomorrow.”
Team PokerStars PROs Victor Ramdin, Leo Fernandez, Jose Barbero, Gualter Salles, Alex Gomes, Maria Mayrinck, Andre Akkari, Humberto Brenes, J. C.Alvarado and Angel Guillen will come back to see action on Day 2. In addition, 34 PokerStars online qualifiers will move forward to Day 2.
For a full list of survivors and payout info you can visit our live coverage page.
LAPT Playa Conchal begins – posted 11.19.09
The cards are in the air at LAPT Playa Conchal as players have taken to their seats for five days of intense poker action.
Play at the Costa Rica event began promptly at 12 today here in South America. Owing to high demand registration has been extended for a further two hours and will now close at 14:00 local time.
It’s been seven months since the last LAPT event was held and last night event sponsors PokerStars.net heralded the start of Season 3 with an awesome welcome party for players.
The wine, music and dancing flowed. Online qualifiers talked strategy with seasoned Team PokerStars PROs while others were all in on the dance floor and enjoyed the warm Latin American weather.
Check back here later today when we will publish all the latest stats and facts about who’s in and who’s out for this, the very stop on the Latin American Poker Tour Season 3.
Poker players sweep the shore for LAPT Playa Conchal – posted 11.17.09
The third season of the Latin American Poker Tour (LAPT) is almost upon us with just two days left until the tour takes flight in the beautiful beach resort of Costa Rica.
The current field stands at approximately 141, with many more players expected before registration closes November 19 at 12:00.
The stars are out in force for this event. Players will be afforded serious bragging rights if they can take out one of these all-star professionals. Among the field are Team PokerStars Brazil PROs Maria Mayrinck, Gualter Salles, Andre Akkari and Alex Gomes, Team PokerStars Argentina PROs Leonardo Fernandez, Veronica Dabul and Jose Barbero.
And of course no LAPT would be complete without the one man army that is Team PokerStars Costa Rica PRO and all-round legend Humberto Brenes.
Players can view the latest player lists in our live event coverage section and can check back here for all the latest chip counts news and videos for LAPT Season 3.
PokerStars.net announces new stops for LAPT Season 3 – posted 10.29.09
LAPT turns up the heat as PokerStars.net announces four new exciting stops in a variety of exotic locations. Along with the previously announced Playa Conchal stops now include Punta del Este, Vina del Mar, Argentina and for the first time ever LAPT welcomes the PokerStars Caribbean Adventure to its roster of stops.
The action will be kicking off in Playa Conchal from November 19 to 22. The tour will be briefly stopping at the Bahamas for the PCA before returning to Latin America for LAPT Punta del Este where last season Norway‘s Karl Hevroy took home a handsome $283,500. On March 20th players will be headed to Vina del Mar and then it's onto the Grand Final in Argentina.
For more information please visit the tournaments page here and to start your poker experience click here to download the PokerStars client where you can win free entry to the LAPT and take your first steps towards poker stardom.
PokerStars.net announces LAPT Season 3 –posted 10.01.09
Season 3 of the Latin American Poker Tour (LAPT) is back with the first stop occurring in Playa Conchal on November 19. Once again LAPT will be bringing a unique poker experience filled with lavish welcome parties, exotic locations and first class tournament for all.
Poker players are getting ready for the sun, the beaches, the beautiful scenes but most importantly for the great poker which we can expect to see over the coming months.
Sponsors PokerStars.net expect Season 3 to be even better than Season 2, which last year broke records. The prize pool for LAPT San José reached a million dollars – a first for the LAPT. The record breaking trend continued in Season 2 when LAPT Punta del Este went over a million and when Season 2 concluded in Mar del Plata with a massive $1,411,350 prize pool. LAPT Season 2 saw 18 year old Dominik Nitsche from Germany become one of the youngest players to walk away with the grand prize – a cool $381,030.
This year you could find yourself taking your seat at an LAPT final table where you could win life changing amounts of money courtesy of PokerStars.net. Online qualifiers for LAPT are due to begin shortly. Take your first step towards poker stardom by downloading the PokerStars client where you can win entry to the LAPT – Latin America’s premiere poker festival.
Players take home a USD$4,045,350 total prize pool with LAPT Season 2 – posted 04.21.09
Season 2 of the PokerStars.net Latin American Poker Tour (LAPT) finished its six month tour as the richest poker tournament for players to enter in Latin America.
A massive 1,053 players from around the world took to the felt to claim a piece of the USD $4,045,350 prize pool that LAPT San José, Viña del Mar, Punta del Este and Mar del Plata events made in total.
Players who made it to the final table and won all earned over $140,000 and came from a diverse range of backgrounds and ages.
The field created a multicultural and high-energy tournament experience with players hailing from over 50 different nations.
In November, Ryan Fee beat a field of 219 to earn himself a payday of USD$285,773. In January, it was the turn of Fabian Ortiz to become the first Latin American player to win an LAPT event, after he took down LAPT Vina del Mar for USD$141,426. Karl Hevroy from Norway won USD$283,580 at Punta del Este and after a speedy four hours of final table play at LAPT Mar del Plata 18-year-old Dominik Nitsche from Germany became the youngest player to win an LAPT event and took home USD$381,030.
The LAPT has generated unrivalled interest in poker throughout Latin America and Season 3 details will be announced shortly. You can view all our coverage on the PokerStars blog.
18 year old PokerStars online qualifier wins $381,030 at LAPT Season 2 Grand Final – posted 04.19.09
An 18-year old German PokerStars online qualifier has made poker history by becoming the youngest ever contestant to win an LAPT Main Event.
Dominik Nitsche made whirlwind work of the LAPT Grand Final in Argentina by taking down the Main Event final table in less than four hours.
On a flop of Kh-8h-9d, Dominik Nitsche bet 50,000 against heads up opponent Jorge Landazuri, who raised to 140,000. Nitsche called. On the Ts turn, Landazuri made it 150,000 to go but Nitsche called again. The Kd drew an all-in from Landazuri and an insta-call from Nitsche, who held a set of Kings to claim the title.
| Name | Country | Status | Rank | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dominik Nitsche | Germany | PokerStars Online Qualifier | 1st | $381,030 |
| Jorge Landazuri De Los Rios | Mexico | PokerStars Online Qualifier | 2nd | $211,700 |
| Rodolfo Awad | Chile | PokerStars Online Qualifier | 3rd | $141,140 |
| Jason R Skeans | United States | PokerStars Online Qualifier | 4th | $105,860 |
| Sergio Farias | Argentina | DBI | 5th | $77,620 |
| Leonardo Fernandez | Argentina | Team PokerStars Pro | 6th | $63,520 |
| Derek Lerner | Canada | PokerStars Online Qualifier | 7th | $49,400 |
| Alfons Fenijn | Netherlands | PokerStars Online Qualifier | 8th | $35,280 |
| José Barbero | Argentina | PokerStars Sponsored Player | 9th | $28,220 |
LAPT Grand Final table set to begin – posted 04.19.09
Six PokerStars online qualifiers are through to the final table of the LAPT Season 2 Grand Final where they are guaranteed to win between $28k-$381k. The chip leader is PokerStars Online qualifier Dominik Nitsche from Germany who has 817,000k in chips.
Team PokerStars Pro Leonardo Fernandez remains to fly the flag for the event sponsor PokerStars.net in fifth place with 329,000.
Six PokerStars online qualifiers cashed yesterday at Day 2 earning $14k+.
DAY 3 SEAT DRAWS AND CHIP COUNTS
| Name | Country | Status | Seat | Chip Count |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dominik Nitsche | Germany | PokerStars Online Qualifier | 6 | 817,000 |
| Sergio Farias | Argentina | DBI | 4 | 474,000 |
| Jorge Landazuri De Los Rios | Mexico | PokerStars Online Qualifier | 7 | 428,000 |
| Jason R Skeans | United States | PokerStars Online Qualifier | 1 | 338,000 |
| Leonardo Fernandez | Argentina | Team PokerStars Pro | 8 | 329,000 |
| José Barbero | Argentina | PokerStars Sponsored Player | 5 | 181,000 |
| Rodolfo Awad | Chile | PokerStars Online Qualifier | 2 | 170,000 |
| Derek Lerner | Canada | PokerStars Online Qualifier | 9 | 151,000 |
| Alfons Fenijn | Netherlands | PokerStars Online Qualifier | 3 | 65,000 |
DAY 2 PAYOUTS
| Name | Country | Status | Rank | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vincenzo Giannelli | Venezuela | PokerStars Online Qualifier | 10 | $24,700 |
| Mark Alexander Ioli | United States | PokerStars Online Qualifier | 11 | $24,700 |
| Hugo Spangerberg | Argentina | DBI | 12 | $24,700 |
| Alejandro Rodriguez | Argentina | DBI | 13 | $21,160 |
| Eduardo Santi | Argentina | DBI | 14 | $21,160 |
| Damian Salas | Argentina | DBI | 15 | $21,160 |
| Jaime Ateneloff | Uruguay | DBI | 16 | $17,640 |
| Rodrigo Caprioli | Brazil | PokerStars Sponsored Player | 17 | $17,640 |
| Pat Van Dijk | Netherlands | PokerStars Online Qualifier | 18 | $17,640 |
| Julian De Berti | Argentina | DBI | 19 | $14,120 |
| Luis Jaikel | Costa Rica | PokerStars Online Qualifier | 20 | $14,120 |
| Pablo Damian Tinca | Argentina | PokerStars Sponsored Player | 21 | $14,120 |
| Daniel Alfredo Bizoza | Uruguay | PokerStars Live Satellite Qualifier | 22 | $14,120 |
| Carlos Javier Benatuil | Argentina | DBI | 23 | $14,120 |
| Robin Chesne | France | PokerStars Online Qualifier | 24 | $14,120 |
| Hector Luis Aceval | Argentina | PokerStars Online Qualifier | 25 | $14,120 |
| Jose Nadal | Mexico | DBI | 26 | $14,120 |
| Marcelo Giorgetta | Argentina | PokerStars Live Satellite Qualifier | 27 | $14,120 |
LAPT Mar del Plata Day 2 begins – posted 04.18.09
A total of 61 players have now begun play in Mar del Plata in an effort to decide who will play the final table of the LAPT Grand Final.
The field of 61 is made up of 22 PokerStars Online qualifiers and three of them are in the top three. Robin Chesne from France is in pole position with 146,900 but is closely followed by Jason Skeans from the USA who has 123,400 and Luis Jaikel from Costa Rica, who has 113,600, and rounds off third place.
Leonardo Fernandez is the only Team PokerStars Pro left in the event flying the flag for the event sponsor PokerStars.net and has 23,200.
The start of Day 2 will also see the first group of players to cash in the Main Event as well as the start of the 10K High Roller event which begins at 19.00 local time.
TOP 10 PLAYERS STARTING DAY 2
| Name | Country | Status | Table | Seat | Chip Count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Robin Chesne | France | PokerStars Online Qualifier | 4 | 6 | 146,900 |
| Jason R Skeans | United States | PokerStars Online Qualifier | 6 | 5 | 123,400 |
| Luis Jaikel | Costa Rica | PokerStars Online Qualifier | 7 | 4 | 113,600 |
| Daniel Jaime Ateneloff | Uruguay | DBI | 2 | 7 | 108,300 |
| Marcelo Giorgetta | Argentina | PokerStars Live Satellite Qualifiers | 4 | 2 | 99,800 |
| Eduardo Santi | Argentina | DBI | 7 | 5 | 96,300 |
| Jorge Landazuri De Los Rios | Mexico | PokerStars Online Qualifier | 1 | 4 | 96,300 |
| Dominik Nitsche | Germany | PokerStars Online Qualifier | 3 | 3 | 95,700 |
| Damian Salas | Argentina | DBI | 2 | 3 | 74,200 |
| Pablo Damian Tinca | Argentina | PokerStars Sponsored Player | 7 | 2 | 65,500 |
| Hector Luis Aceval | Argentina | PokerStars Online Qualifier | 7 | 1 | 64,000 |
| LAPT 3 PLAYA CONCHAL CASH RANKING | ||
| Pos. | Name | Cash |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Amer Sulaiman | $172,095 |
| 2 | Sol Bergren | $100,492 |
| 3 | Rogelio Pardo | $61,551 |
| 4 | Eric Levesque | $45,221 |
| 5 | Francis-Nicolas Bouchard | $32,660 |
| 6 | Darren Keyes | $26,380 |
| 7 | Carlos Girou | $20,098 |
| 8 | Patrick De Koster | $13,818 |
| 9 | Alin Pandilica | $9,107 |
| 10 | Steven Merrifield | $9,107 |
| LAPT 2 PUNTA DEL ESTE CASH RANKING | ||
| Pos. | Name | Cash |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Karl Hevroy | $283,580 |
| 2 | Alejandro Arruaberrena | $155,420 |
| 3 | Angel Guillen | $99,920 |
| 4 | Ronald Wasiel | $82,160 |
| 5 | Oliver Rowe | $59,960 |
| 6 | Waldemar Cogo | $48,840 |
| 7 | Bolivar Palacios | $37,740 |
| 8 | Magno Aragao | $26,640 |
| 9 | Andre Ventura | $21,100 |
| 10 | Rommel Prado | $18,320 |
