After our initial interview in a back hallway at Atlantis, we gave 2008 PokerStars Caribbean Adventure winner Betrand "ElkY" Grospellier some time to breathe. Now, we've asked him to write a little bit about what his first major win meant to him and his poker career.
by Bertrand "ElkY" Grospellier
The PCA is always a special tournament for poker players, especially because the location is so great and because there are so many online qualifiers and the atmosphere is very special. Players are usually much younger, too, and I know many more of them as we always play with each other on PokerStars.
The tournament was pretty much a very smooth ride for me, except the end of day 3 where I lost a huge pot with AQ to JT to put me in the bottom of the crowd. Fortunately, I managed to double up twice in a row on my big blind and small blind, the second time eliminating my fellow member of Team PokerStars Pro, Hevad Khan. I feel great about the way I played overall. With the exception of the AQ hand, everything really went my way this tournament.
ElkY
I was able reach the final table second in chips, and was surrounded by the two players I respected the most. Joe Elpayaa and David Pham were on my immediate left and right, and respectively third and first in chips. I knew we were going to be the three most fearless players at the table. I was was fortunate to have great timing and capture the chip lead early on by eliminating two other players.
Then I caught a big hand in a blind vs. blind battle against David Pham which really slowed him down against me. Joe got in some bad situations, too, and found himself short stacked pretty early. I was able to defeat his KJh with my AQo. I was more focused than ever before on this final table.
Pham was the next one out, after losing a bunch of small pots. His elimination was a huge relief for me Finally, I ended up heads up with the chip lead. I was being very aggressive from the very start and won a couple of nice pots against Hafiz Khan. I could feel he was ready to make a move on me. When I made my standard raise of 400,000 on the button and he shoved, I asked him how much it was. He was almost stuttering after realizing his mistake.
I insta-called and was relieved when he sheepishly turned over 93o. The board came 7524. When I saw the four of hearts rolling on the river, I was overwhelmed with joy and satisfaction. All my friends rushed towards me to congratulate me.
It will be engraved in my memory for ages to come.
by Brad Willis and Howard Swains Photography by Neil Stoddart
Bertrand "ElkY" Grospellier was a pro-gaming star before he was a PokerStar, but celebrity is not what gets him out of bed in the morning. It's the competition. It's the winning. He was the first PokerStars player to achieve VIP Club Supernova status. He was the first PokerStars player to reach the Supernova Elite level. Second place, as far as ElkY is concerned, is barely worth the work.
"When you get second, people forget about you really quickly," he said.
And he knows how it feels. It's not been too long ago that ElkY got heads up at EPT Copenhagen with every confidence he would win. There were few people in the room that had any doubt. That night, it didn't happen.
"I was devastated," he confessed.
Despite being a feared tournament player and prized member of Team PokerStars Pro, ElkY was still in search of that elusive big tournament victory, a first place finish that would validate every bit of effort he put toward the game. When he came to the PCA, he wanted nothing but to win.
"If there was one tournament other than the World Series main event that was the most important," he said, "this was it."
Tonight, ElkY left the PokerStars Caribbean Adventure tournament stage and fell into a sea of celebrants and fans. Within seconds, flash bulbs strobed on his sunglasses and hugs covered every part of his body. A public relations executive grabbed him by the hand and dragged him through the room, where people called out congratulations in French and applauded loudly. Seconds later, ElkY was in a quiet hallway, like a rock star just coming off stage.
He looked at the ceiling and took a deep breath.
"I cannot believe it yet," he said.
Just moments before, he had won the $2 million first prize in the fifth annual PCA.
2008 PCA Champion, Betrand "ElkY" Grospellier
The PokerStars Caribbean Adventure is a story of maturation. It was cute in its infancy on a cruise ship at sea in the Caribbean. It was impressive in its adolescence in the World Poker Tour days. Now, as a top European Poker Tour event, the PCA has become one of the biggest high stakes tournaments in the world.
When the event began, 1136 players filled the Atlantis Grand Ballroom. It took two days to fit everyone in and five days to cull the field to the top eight players. And what a final eight they were. From online prodigies to seasoned live tournament veterans, the PCA final table was immediately recognized as a place where real poker would shine. With a $2 million first prize on the line, there was little doubt about how serious the day would be.
Half the field here qualified for the event on PokerStars. By the time the final table was set, the eight players were guaranteed no less than $150,000, and all but one of them, ElkY, had qualified via PokerStars satellite.
A measured start fit well into the sleepy quiet morning. By midday, though, the players had their caffeine and were ready to go to work.
Some people might describe Richard "Ricky" Fohrenbach as diminutive. At one point last night, the TV crew gave him a pillow so he would sit high enough in his chair for the cameras to see him. Though he is an adult, he seems to revel in his youthful looks and getting carded when he buys drinks. His elfish spirit seemed to guide him at the table. Always smiling, the guy everybody calls Ricky seemed to determine to go big or go home today. He started well, doubling up with jacks against Joe Elpayaa's tens. His only mistake was imploring, "One time!" during the hand. Sure enough, his next big hand was jacks again. This time, he was up against ElkY's AK. A king on the flop spelled the end of Ricky's day. He finished in eighth place, earning $150,000.
Richard Fohrenbach--Eighth Place--$150,000
That particular hand marked the beginning of ElkY's rise to the chip lead. Having just defeated pocket jacks, ElkY picked up a pair of his own and made them hold up. This time, he was up against Christian Harder's pocket sevens. Harder qualified for the PCA in a $650 satellite. He began the day on the shortest stack and missed his chance to double early. When he couldn't catch up to ElkY, he finished in seventh place and won $200,000, the biggest win of his young poker career.
Christian Harder--Seventh Place--$200,000
ElkY, it appeared, could not be stopped. Having sent two consecutive players to the rail, ElkY got settled into the chip lead. In a battle of the blinds with Elpayaa, ElkY raised with AQ and then called one million more, the amount of Elpayaa's all-in. Elpayaa held KJ. Neither hand improved and Elpayaa went out in sixth place, a $300,000 cash.
Joe Elpayaa--Sixth place--$300,000
At a rather aggressive table, Craig Hopkins was the exception. It will take a review of the EPT broadcast before we know for sure. Regardless, Hopkins barely played a hand today. Whether he was card dead or simply happy to climb the money ladder, Hopkins sat quietly until he was down to around 600,000 chips. He got them in once to steal the blinds and antes. The second time he tried it, he got all-in with Kd8d. He ran into David Pham's TT. Pham flopped a set and made the king on the turn irrelevant. Hopkins patience led him to a fifth place finish and $450,000 payday.
Craig Hopkins--Fifth place--$450,000
At the beginning of the day, David "The Dragon" Pham was the odds-on favorite to win. He had more live tourney experience. He had more final table experience. He also had a commanding chip lead. It would prove to not be commanding enough. Throughout the day, Pham's stack and good fortune went in the same direction. By late afternoon, Pham had become one of the shorter stacks at the table. It had been 24 hours since he had laid an exceptionally bad suckout on Paul Holup. Now, Pham was to be on the bad end of the stick. This time, he flopped two pair and played it slow. When the turn brough a second diamond, Pham check-raised all-in and ElkY called with Ad2d. The seven of diamonds on the river was enough to take the fire out of the Dragon. He finished in fourth place, earning $600,000.
David Pham--Fourth Place--$600,000
Kris Kuykendall celebrated his 25th birthday yesterday. He gave himself the gift of a final table. Today, he realized that gift was the gift that keeps on giving. The one-time business student didn't have an exceptionally active day. Regardless, he managed to fight his way all the way to third place. The denouement was his KQ not catching up to Hafiz Khan's Ah7h. For third place, Kuykendall earned $800,000.
Kris Kuykendall--Third Place--$800,000
After Kris finally succumbed, it was left to two of the tournament's undoubted heavyweights to slog it out. ElkY, the Team PokerStars Pro Member from France, had been here before but come up short. His second place in Copenhagen season three might have been an advantage but it may also have been an albatross. Who could tell, but with 13,000,000 in chips, he was in pole position.
Hafiz Khan, meanwhile, had come to the final table fourth in chips, but had prospered behind an aggressive approach, particularly where the short-stacks were involved. A pro for two years, Khan was not intimidated, but he'd never been this deep in a live tournament before. Khan had 9,000,000 and it was an intriguing match up.
There was also the real money to think of, of course. With two million on offer for first and a little more than half that for the runner up, there was plenty to play for. The players took a protracted break to gather their thoughts before returning to the stage and the stands now packed with supporters, ready to watch the crowning of the new champion.
They didn't have to wait long.
After the regulation jabbing, the first big pot went ElkY's way, when he slow-played an ace on an A-A-Q board, eventually prising about 1.5 million from Hafiz, the largest chunk with a 1.1 million bet on the river. Then there was that hand, the one that makes both champions and regrets.
ElkY raised, Hafiz jammed, from the big blind, handing the decision back to the leader. Any top player makes a lot of decisions like this, though, and they're right, more often than not. So it was in this case, as ElkY called with his pocket eights. Khan had made his play but had been caught: he could only muster a nine-three.
There was an anxious flop, turn and river, but the nine was nowhere to be seen.
A Gallic roar emanated from the bleachers as ElkY took it down. One for France, one for Team PokerStars Pro. And one in the win column for Bertrand "ElkY" Grospellier.
Hafiz Khan--Second Place--$1,094,976
ElkY came to this tournament as a new man. He'd lost 60 pounds in a $75,000 weight loss bet. Low carbs, a good doctor, and what he described as "good discipline" netted him the win in that contest. Tonight, he leaves the PCA a new man. He is no longer only a pro-gaming champion. He is a poker champion.
Betrand "ElkY" Grospellier is the champion of the 2008 PokerStars Caribbean Adventure.
Many thanks to Howard Swains, Neil Stoddart, Michelle Willis, and the PokerStars support team, including Bryan, Jose, Gareth, and Andrew for their work on the PokerStars Blog this week. Additional thanks go to John Smith for his technical support and B.J. Nemeth for his cooperation and professionalism. --Brad
All Level 28 news will be updated here. The blinds and antes are 80,000/160,000/20,000. If you're refreshing on a regular basis, the latest information will be at the top. All Level 27 action can be found HERE.
Bertrand "ElkY" Grospellier wins the PokerStars Caribbean Adventure, and $2 million.
Hafiz Khan eliminated in second place, winning $1,094,976 End of the road--That's it. The PokerStars Caribbean Adventure is done. At the end, it was a bluff gone awry for Hafiz Khan in a brief heads-up joust. ElkY, with the chip lead, raised 500,000 pre-flop; Hafiz pushed all in from the big blind. ElkY dwelt for a moment, but not quite as long as you might think for a $2 million decision. Obviously he had some read of Hafiz and called, flipping 8-8. Khan was caught and meekly tabled 9-3. The board bricked and ElkY's eights were good. The Team PokerStars Pro member from France is the PokerStars Caribbean Adventure champion. Bien, bien ElkY!
Back in action, ElkY playing strong--After a long break, the players are back. In opening actiion, ElkY slow-played an ace on a JAA flop and pulled more than one million out of Khan's stack. [5:27]
You're missing nothing-- The final two are decided but they're taking a protracted break in preparation for the heads-up dual. We'll have all the action when it resumes.
Heads up-- Two players remain for the money, with Team PokerStars Pro's Bertrand "ElkY" Grospellier taking the chip advantage over Hafiz Khan. The approximate counts are 13 million for ElkY, 9 million for Khan. The money is being deposited on the table, and we're shaping up for a big showdown.
Kris Kuykendall is eliminated in third place, winning $800,000
Kris krushed-- The spirited Caribbean adventure of Kris Kuydenhall is over. He was down to his last 1.5 million and was unfortunate not to double up moments before. But then Hafiz Khan raised his blind for the hundredth time and Kris had to make the all-in call with Kd-Qs. He wasn't totally out of it whe Hafiz showed Ah-7h, but the flop was unkind. It came 4d-4h-6h, removing a couple of Kris's outs. Neither the non-heart king nor queen came on the turn or river and ace-high was good for Khan.
Hopkins hopes--Craig Hopkins, the fifth placed finisher here in the Bahamas, has returned to the tournament room to root for one of his final table nemesis. It would be imprudent to say who at the moment, but it's good to see him, and his wife Lindsay, back around the table as they play down to a winner. [4.45pm]
Double-up? No. Chop it--Kris Kuykendall finds a great spot for a potential double-up. He gets his last 1.5 million in with A-Kd and is called by Hafiz Khan with A-5. The board, however, thwarts Kuykendall when it comes Q-A-Q-A-10, giving both players aces full. They chop the blinds and antes, which is not exactly what Kris would have hoped for given his dominance of Khan's hand. [4.35pm]
David Pham eliminated in fourth place for $600,000
Dragon slayed--It took five days before that headline was for real. Now it happens. ElkY raised to 400,000 preflop and Pham called in the big blind with Q5. The flop came KhQh5d. Both players checked. When the Jd came on the turn, Pham checked, ElkY bet 700,000, andand Pham raised all-in for 2,000,000 more. ElkY called with Ad2d and spiked his diamond on he river. Pham is out in fourth place, earning $600,000.
Supernova Shane "fumbo420" Fumerton might remember this PokerStars Caribbean Adventure by the ones that got away: a tournament victory and one really big fish.
I met Shane early this morning, down at the ferry boat dock. He and fellow Supernova Clayton "slammedfire" Mozdzen, Clayton's girlfriend Keli Keyes, and one lucky friend of Supernova Ryan "southside1" Aiken boarded Chubasco III, a 46 foot fishing boat. Shane and Clayton may have been out of the tournament, but that doesn't mean PokerStars couldn't show them a good time. That's one of the reasons it pays to be a Supernova, or at least a friend of a Supernova.
Captain Mike and First Mate Charlton were our crew on this perfect morning. As we pulled away from the dock, there were very few clouds in the sky and the morning air was already warm. It seemed like a perfect day to go deep sea fishing.
Matt Dodd from Austin claimed a spot on the top deck with the captain. As we pulled away from land, I got to know Shane, Clayton, and Keli a bit. First Mate Charlton went about setting up four lines off the boat as we chatted and soaked in the sun.
Matt Dodd on deck
Shane just turned 28 years old on January 3rd. He left Canada for the his third PCA in the Bahamas on the 4th. It was -30 degrees Celcius when he left home. Fortunately, Shane says he doesn't mind the winter in Winnipeg. Chris Moneymaker's breakout victory in the World Series of Poker is what inspired Shane to get into the game. He's mostly an online player, who says he finds it hard to transition from multi-table play on the internet to slower live action. Shane enjoys fishing. He tries to go several times in the summer and ice fishing in the winter. He says if he ever wins the big one, he'll buy a cabin on the lake and fish more often.
Shane, Clayton and Keli went deep sea fishing in the Bahamas last year, but they didn't catch anything. Keli and Clayton got to break the streak first this morning. Our lines caught two fish nearly back-to-back. They reeled them in together. I wish I could tell you I got the money shot of the Supernova and his girlfriend reeling in their fish, but I was busy hanging my head over the side of the boat and emptying the contents of my stomach. Apparently, I'm more of a land person than a choppy seas person. Ace blogger, reporting for duty, sir.
Clayton and Keli each brought in wahoo, fish that can swim up to 75 miles an hour. Our untrained eyes estimated they were in the ten to fifteen pound range, but Matt Dodd says they were smaller. This is our fish tale, though, so we can make them as big as we want, right? All I know is those dudes put up a fight. It wasn't easy to get them in the boat, and once they were there, they didn't want to stay. Keli and Clayton were the victors in the end.
Clayton and Keli
Clayton is 24 years old, and he plays poker for a living. This is his and Keli's second trip to the PCA. They were also at EPT Barcelona. Clayton and Shane met a few years ago after they had both won seats into the World Series of Poker Main Event. They realized they were both going and they lived in the same area, so they became friends. Since then, they've played in many tournaments together. They say they almost always go out of the tournaments on the same day, and sometimes even with the same hand. Ace-King ended their run this time around.
Shane had hoped to catch a big one during his PokerStars Caribbean Adventure, and he almost did. First Mate Charlton says it was huge, a 40 to 45 pounder, and Shane went to work. We all thought he had it when, suddenly, nothing! It got off the line. Shane thought it was something he did wrong, but First Mate Charlton says there was no way he could have gotten that fish in the boat. It was just not Shane's day.
Shane Fumerton
A while later, the brother of the fine woman who organized this trip and many other fantastic things for the Supernovas wrestled a barracuda and won. James Hadley has some experience in the water, and he made it look easy. He also saved me from jumping off the boat by supplying me with Dramamine, so, I owe this trip report to the barracuda-wrestling brother of Joan Hadley. Thank you, fine sir.
James Hadley
So, in the end, it seems fishing is a lot like poker. Sometimes you get the fish. Sometimes the fish get away. And sometimes you miss all the action because you're in the tank. No matter what, though, I bet these PokerStars Supernovas will come out winners in the future, both in the water and especially at the tables.
All Level 27 news will be updated here. The blinds and antes are 60,000/120,000/15,000. If you're refreshing on a regular basis, the latest information will be at the top. All Level 26 action can be found HERE.
Kris continues to climb--On the last hand before the end of the level, all four players go to the flop, calling Hafiz's 325,000 pre-flop bet. The flop comes Jh-5d-2h, checked all round, then the Qh comes on the turn. Again, checked all round, but David Pham bets 600,000 on the 2c river. ElkY and Hafiz fold but Kris calls and shows A-Q, which is good enough to beat Pham's Q-9. The ace plays. That's the end of the level, with chip counts to come.
Short-stack fightback--Kris Kuykendall is battling his way back into contention here. The latest sizeable hand earned him in excess of a million chips, when his ace-three diamonds picked up a flush draw on the turn and made top pair on the river, which turned out to be good enough against a disgruntled Hafiz Khan.
ElkY taking it easy--ElkY is the big stack here, with more than 10,000,000 and he's flexing his muscles whenever he gets the chance. Most recently, Hafiz Khan raised to 325,000 from under-the-gun, and both ElkY and Kris called. The flop was interesting: 9h-10h-4d and ElkY stabbed 450,000 at it. Khan called. The river was also had potential: Ah. ElkY tossed in 775,000 and Hafiz passed, very reluctantly.
Million dollar pot--There haven't been a lot of big hands since these four reconvened, and even a million dollar pot is not that impressive given the chip counts. One of those just went to Hafiz Khan, however, when his kings and queens beat David Pham's kings and sevens. The board was paired, which slowed the action, but Pham's river bet of 700,000 ensured a seven-figure pot. [2.55]
Still here, still four--If you'd like to see a lot of pots being played out live, check out EPT Live. [2:50]
Back in action--We back in action at Level 27. The blinds are starting to get a tad expensive, so the final four are going to have to get to work. [2:36pm]
Final four--As we begin level 27, there are four players remaining. Their names and stacks:
All Level 26 news will be updated here. The blinds and antes are 40,000/80,000/10,000. If you're refreshing on a regular basis, the latest information will be at the top. All Level 25 action can be found HERE.
On extended break--We're on an extended break while the TD and players talk a little about the tournament structure. Chip counts can be found at the PCA Chip Counts page. [2:05pm]
Craig Hopkins eliminated in fifth place, winning $450,000
Folding to big cash--It must've been an exceptionally card dead day for Craig Hopkins. He played next to know hands and those he did were all-ins. He finall put it all in from under the gun with Kd8d. David Pham called in the small blind with TT and flopped a set. Hopkins finished fifth for $450,000.
Craig Hopkins--Fifth place--$450,000
Joe Elpayaa eliminated in sixth place, winning $300,000
Down to five--ElkY's dominance of this final table continues as he ends Joe Elpayaa's tournament. ElkY, with the huge stack, raises pre-flop from the small blind. Joe, in the big, wakes up with Kh-Jh and thinks it's good enough to shove for just more than one million. ElkY calls with A-Q and is never caught by bigegypt, despite vociferous support from the rail. We're down to five, with the bleachers' favourite Elpayaa eliminated..
Joe Elpayaa--Sixth Place--$300,000
Ebb and flow-- Still slow here around the final table, where a pre-flop bet is usually enough to take down the blinds and antea. Sometimes it gets a little further, but not often. The short-stacked Craig Hopkins has been especially quiet, clearly waiting for his chance to double up, but not putting his tournament life on the line just yet. That has meant that his big blind has come under some significant attack from the more comfortably-stacked players, especially David Pham and Hafiz Khan. The other relative short stack is Joe Elpayaa, but he's in a lot more pots, shoving in for about a million more if he suspects he's being robbed. He just found A-K in the big blind and was able to squeeze out both Hafiz Khan and ElkY who had already entered the pot.
Bring the lull--It's only a matter of time before the action gets hot again. For now, it's a tad slow again.
In other news...--It's pretty good to be a PokerStars Supernova. They get treated pretty well here. One crew of them went out all morning on a deep sea fishing trip for free. We had a blogger on board. The story and pictures are coming. I'll leave it to the blogger to decide whether the tales of woe from the Good Ship Pukes-A-Lot get fully told. [12:40pm]
Play about to begin again--The players are on their way back to their seats. [12:39pm]
Chip counts updated--With seven players remaining, Team PokerStars Pro, ElkY, has jumped into the chip lead. For full counts, visit the PCA Chip Counts page.
All Level 25 news will be here. The blinds and antes are 30,000/60,000/5,000. If you're refreshing on a regular basis, the latest information will be at the top. Yesterday's level 24 action can be found HERE.
Level ends--Level 25 is in the books. Chip counts coming soon. [12:25pm]
Christian Harder is eliminated in seventh place, winning $200,000
ElkY runs good--Just a few minutes after beating pocket jacks with AK, ElkY has made jacks hold. Christian Harder pushed all-in with 7s7d. ElkY made the quick call with JhJc. Harder never caught up and is out in seventh place, winning $200,000. That pot very well may have put the Team PokerStars Pro in the chip lead. [12:05pm]
Christian Harder--Seventh Place--$200,000
Richard Fohrenbach is eliminated in eighth place, winning $150,000
Yep, just the one time--Ricky Fohrenbach bellowed "One time!" when he had jacks in the previous hand against Joe Elpayaa's tens. But it was just one time, because two hands later, Fohrenbach found jacks again against ElkY's ace-king. They got it all in pre-flop but there was a king on the flop and Fohrenbach never caught up again. He's out, becoming the eighth placed finisher, and going home with $150,000. We're down to seven, with Pham still leading, but ElkY breathing down his neck, with an approximate $6.8 million.
Richard Fohrenbach--Eighth Place--$150,000
One time!--It's a raise to 160,000 from Joe Elpayaa and a snap all-in from Ricky Fohrenbach. Back to Elpayaa, he barely thinks before announcing a call for 950,000 more. Ricky had jacks, Elpayaa tens. By the river, the jacks had made a heart flush and Ricky is up to about 2.2 million. [11:54am]
Cagey--As predicted, it's been a tight start to the final table. No one is under any immediate pressure, and the all-in merchants have been weeded out of this field. The final eight are happy to make pot-sized bets and play real poker. If anyone has caught the eye it's been Hafiz Khan, who has been making a few moves. He picked up a pot of about 400,000 from Kris Kuykendall with a bet of the Kd turn, pairing the board. Then he picked off a probable squeeze play from Joe Elpayaa, moving all-in after "bigegypt" had reraised to 625,000 pre-flop. [11.45am]
Faces of the final table--Here are the people fighting for the $2 million first prize.
Silent morning--After a week of constant screaming and noise, the Atlantis Grand Ballroom is a little different this morning. The live action hasn't started up yet and the final table is still waking up. Right now, it's possible to hear one's self think. That, of course,is bound to change. The players at the final table have some rowdy sweaters who are bound to shake off the cobwebs soon. [11:24am]
Watch it live--Of course we appreciate you being here. However, if you have access to a good internet signal (and your boss doesn't mind), you might as well watch this as it happens. Check out EPT Live for real-time coverage and commentary.
Dragon's den--This is David Pham's house right now. With a commanding chip lead, a wealth of final table experience, and a morning spent taking aggression pills, Pham is playing the role of the bully. As always, nobody wants to be the first out, or give up too many chips while some shorter stacks are still around. Still, it's only a matter of time before somebody starts looking Pham up.
There are still 11 minutes left of level 24, which we'll be updating in this post. The blinds and antes are 30,000/60,000/5,000. If you're refreshing on a regular basis, the latest information will be at the top. Yesterday's level 24 action can be found HERE.
Done with 24--That level didn't have much time left. We're done and moving on.
Play underway--The final table, albeit a bit late, is underway. [10:58pm]
A reminder of the final table players and their chip stacks:
David Pham 7,390,000
Bertrand "ElkY" Grospellier 3,060,000
Joe Elpayaa 2,755,000
Haffiz Khan 2,560,000
Kris Kuykendall 2,150,000
Richard Fohrenbach 1,855,000
Craig Hopkins 1,770,000
Christian Harder 905,000
All the winners so far from the PCA can be found HERE.
The final table of the 2008 PokerStars Caribbean Adventure is scheduled to begin soon. You can follow the action here or at EPT Live. In the meantime, here's a look at the people who will be fighing for the $2 million first prize.
Kris, who turned 25 yesterday (January 9), graduated with a business degree from the University of Cincinatti and coaches wrestling in his spare time. He has only been playing poker for two years and turned pro after six months. He specialises in online cash games – 2/4 and 5/10 No Limit – and when he won his seat to the PCA, it was the first satellite he had ever played. The PCA is also his first ever live tournament but he says he found the transition from online to live pretty easy. This is his biggest result to date. He added: “I’ve had an up and down tournament so far. “
Kris Kuykendall
Seat 2: Christian Harder, 20, USA – PokerStars qualifier - 905,000 chips
Christian Harder, a student from Annapolis, Maryland, is playing in his first live big buy-in event. After studying business last semester at Salisbury University, he decided to take this semester off to play poker. He’s getting off to a pretty good start after qualifying on PokerStars in a $650 multi-table satellite. Known as “charder30” online, Harder is no stranger to tournament poker. He spends most of his time playing the biggest buy-in tournaments online with $8ok in a $1k event his biggest win to date. Although the shortest stack at the table, Harder still feels confident going into final table play.
Christian Harder
Seat 3: David Pham, 41, USA - PokerStars qualifier - 7,390,000 chips
David 'The Dragon' Pham enjoyed having odds on his side at an early age, when the 17-year-old was one of only 46 (out of 145) people to survive a boat journey fleeing his native Vietnam for the United States. He joined the cleaning business of his cousin Men 'The Master' Nguyen, who had registered some success at the Las Vegas poker tables. He studied the game under his cousin and learned well from the master, as he was soon wiping the floor with his opponents at the table. His breakthrough year was 2000, when his consistent performances saw him named Cardplayer's Player of the Year. The following year saw him claim his first WSOP bracelet on the $2,000 SHOE event, and he would add his second in a NL Hold'Em shootout event in 2006. He’s had five WPT final tables in all and two WSOP bracelets. Pham is considered one of the most aggressive pros in the game and lies 23rd on the all-time money list - with $5.4 million in career earnings.
David Pham
Seat 4: Bertrand “ElkY” Grospellier, 26, France- Team PokerStars Pro - 3,060,000 chips
ElkY was a famous professional gamer until a friend suggested he try his luck at poker seven years ago. He quickly proved his skills by qualifying for the WSOP two years running. He joined Team PokerStars in 2006. Rarely without his trademark sunglasses, poker has proved a profitable career switch for the young Frenchman. In EPT Season 3, he cashed three times including his second-place finish in Copenhagen for €309,000. ElkY is a prolific online player and said: "With gaming, I could practice 12 hours a day, but if I lost the game, the value would be zero. However, in poker every hour has some benefit”.
ElkY
Seat 5: Joseph Elpayaa, 19, USA – PokerStars qualifier - 2,755,000 chips
Joespeh “bigegypt” Elpayaa, 19, from Chicago, has played a few big live events in Europe - including last year’s EPT Grand Final and the Irish Open - but this is his first big cash. Online, he has had a lot of success and says he has won “several “ $100k prizes in various events. Joseph was in the top 1% of those who took the ACT college exams last year but he only attended for a week before deciding to focus on poker. He learned poker in home games with his brother Adam and friends. His preference is cash games but he says “being deep in a tournament beats anything else.”
Craig, a professional sports bettor from Chesterfield in the UK, has been playing poker for years with friends but only four years online. He played in last season’s EPT Grand Final but didn’t cash. He also qualified with PokerStars for last summer’s WSOP but couldn’t go because it clashed with his honeymoon. He said: “My wife Lindsey is here supporting me. She’s been brilliant. I got made redundant from work two years ago and decided to take up sports betting full-time. A lot of girlfriends wouldn’t be happy about that but she has been really supportive.” Craig has also had tons of support from friends and family back home – some friends even had champagne delivered to him at the Atlantis. His friends now call him “The Apple” after a picture of him eating fruit appeared on blondepoker on the first day of the PCA.
Craig Hopkins
Seat 7: Richard Fohrenbach, 20, USA – PokerStars qualifier - 1,855,000 chips
College student Richard, from Milford, Connecticut, says he played around 20 Double Shoot Out satellites for the PCA before finally winning a seat in October. “I came second in one, and then won one later the same day.” He said he doesn’t consider himself a pro but is taking some time off from studying at Boston College to focus on the game. “This is by far my biggest win to date. I’ve only ever cashed once in a live tournament before this, and that was for £2,000.” Richard has already bought in to EPT Dortmund at the end of January, as well as the Season 4 EPT Grand Final in Monte Carlo.
Richard Fohrenbach
Seat 8: Hafiz Khan, 33, USA – PokerStars qualifier - 2,560,000 chips
Former software analyst Hafiz Khan, from Stockton, Northern California, has been playing poker for four years and turned pro two years ago. Hafiz normally plays online. He said: “I’ve been enjoying the PCA. It’s been long and gruelling, but fun. I expected to do well. This is my best result so far.”
It started with a hula and it finished with a cheer. Forty players entered the Grand Ballroom at noon to find it transformed into a tiki lounge: the colors of the poker chips were matched in the feathers of parrots, the contents of cocktail glasses and the patterns on shirts.
It looked like the set for a party, but there was poker to be played first -- and the serious matter of a prize pool of about $8.6 million to contest.
The tiki bar at the final table of the 2008 PCA
When the final player, William Thorson, busted out at 10.30, leaving eight with a shot for the biggest money, relief was mixed with grenadine and ginger ale and shaken and then stirred. Still remaining in the mix, and those who will comprise our final table tomorrow, are:
Seasoned EPT watchers will notice a familiar pattern. There are a handful of well-known pros, and some internet whizz-kids. Some players fall into both categories.
David "Dragon" Pham, our chipleader, scarcely needs any introduction. He is already a serious force in the major league and has two World Series bracelets and five WPT final table appearances. There's not a lot he doesn't know about the game. He was the chip leader overnight, and even though it slipped during the day, he hauled it back and has done enough to take his place around the EPT final table felt for the first time.
Pham was also responsible for ending proceedings today. It was his pocket aces that bested William Thorson's fours to set our final table.
David Pham
Bertrand "ElkY" Grospellier, of Team PokerStars Pro, is definitely a player with a foot in both online and offline each camp. He's graduated from the online tables, where he flew to Supernova status in the blink of an eye, and is now a bone fide superstar in the bricks and mortar world. He'll be looking to go one better on his second place in Copenhagen in season two, and seal his place as one of the brightest players on the circuit.
ElkY
As for the others, they all seem to know one another even if the world at large doesn't know them yet.
Joe Elpayaa, or "BigEgypt" on PokerStars, was chewing the fat all day long with Richard Fohrenbach, another big-time online player. Each of them will renew their acquaintance tomorrow. Haffiz Khan has some previous, and has his supporters in the bleachers here.
Joe Elpayaa
Hafiz Khan
Meanwhile, Kris Kuykendall has been at the summit of the leaderboard ever since late yesterday, and he'll be a force to be reckoned with, yet to make a mistake. It's an unorthodox way to celebrate one's 25th birthday, but one we're sure Kris wouldn't trade for any other gift.
Kris Kuykendall
The final spot is taken by Craig Hopkins, a British player who is having his finest tournament to date. Cheered on by wife Lindsay, the serial PokerStars qualifier has gone deeper than ever before.
Craig Hopkins
Of course, in order for these eight to have made it, we lost 32. They included Victor Ramdin, the Team PokerStars Pro member, as well as other known players Eric "Rizen" Lynch and Rhett Butler. Thierry Van Den Berg also took a tumble when his aces were cracked by kings.
Behind all the grass skirts, it was just another day of brutality on the EPT.
Tomorrow, we start early. The cards will be in the air at the ungodly hour of 10am ET. Be sure to check back for the blow-by-blow account of the final table.
We can't end the day without recognizing Dustin "neverwin" Woolf for winning the third annual PokerStars World Championship of Battleship Poker. Woolf won six straight heads-up matches to capture the $48,000 firt prize and gold bracelet. For more on the Battleship Poker Championship, click here.
Woolf and his bracelet
As we close Day 4, see HERE for all the winners so far.
"I'm not being cocky," Dustin Woolf said as he strode across the psychedelic carpet of the Atlantis Grand Ballroom. "I'm just in the zone."
One of online poker's best-known players, Woolf arrived today as one of 32 players in the second flight of the PokerStars World Championship of Battleship Poker. He won his first four matches to advance to tonight's finals. He and Terrance Eischens met Vanessa "suckoutqueen" Selbst and Sorel Mizzi, the winners from Flight 1.
Woolf battled Eischens in the first round and emerged with the victory. The match between 2007 Battleship Champion Mizzi and Selbst took a bit longer. Selbst made sure Mizzi would not repeat his title and went on to face Woolf in the final. With a rowdy rail on hand, Woolf made quick work of the suckoutqueen from Brooklyn.
For winning six straight heads up matches, Woolf won $48,800 and the gold Battleship bracelet.
Woolf with his bracelet
Woolf and runner-up, Selbst
Here's a full rundown of the winners from the third annual Battleship Poker Championship.
1. Dustin Woolf $48,000
2. Vanessa Selbst $25,600
3-4. Sorel Mizzi and Terrance Eischens $12,800
5-8. Steve Silverman, Elia Ahmadia, Matt Kay, Mike Glasser $8,000
We'll be updating all the news from Level 24 in this post. We're moving to 25,000/50,000/5,000. If you're refreshing on a regular basis, the latest information will be at the top. Level 23 PCA news can be found HERE.
Final table--
David Pham 7,390,000
Bertrand "ElkY" Grospellier 3,060,000
Joe Elpayaa 2,755,000
Haffiz Khan 2,560,000
Kris Kuykendall 2,150,000
Richard Fohrenbach 1,855,000
Craig Hopkins 1,770,000
Christian Harder 905,000
Thorson out--William Thorson has just been busted in ninth place by David Pham. Thorson held 44 to Pham's aces. They got it in on a 66x flop. We're down to the final table. Chip coutns and a warap to come. [10:35pm]
Racing for millions
--Evan Tindell just went to the races for his tournament life. He started the action for a raise, Pham re-raised, Tindell pushed with tens, and Pham called almost instantly with AK. The race was over fast. The flop brought the ace and Tindell never caught up. He's out in tenth place $104,000.
[9:58]
Battleship in the books--Dustin "neverwin" Woolf is the 2008 World Championship of Battleship Poker winner. He takes home $44,800 and a bracelet. Congratulations to all the players. [9:50pm]
Huge pot, no eliminations--A massive pot was brewing on the featured table featuring Haffiz Khan, Joe Elpayaa and Craig Hopkins. Four players actually saw the Ks-8d-Qc flop, and Joe bet 95,000. Haffiz called, as did Craig. ElkY got out the way. Then Joe bet 250,000 on the 9s turn, Haffiz raised, Craig moved all in, and Joe moved in behind him. Now Haffiz knew he was beaten and got out the way, and the two all in players showed their J-10 hands for the nut straight and a split pot.
Battleship Finals underway--"suckoutqueen" and "neverwin" are battling here in the Grand Ballroom at Atlantis. Second place will take home $25,600. First will win $44,800 and a bracelet. [9:48pm]
Battleship Finals set--Vanessa "suckoutqueen" Selbst just took it down. She will face Dustin "neverwin" Woolf in the World Championship of Battleship Poker finals. Sorel Mizzi takes home $12,800. [9:44pm]
Battleship back-and-forth--They're fighting hard here in the second semi-final round of the World Championship of Battleship Poker. The rail here in the Grand Ballroom is growing for this match-up, which has been going back and forth for the past several hands. Vanessa "suckoutqueen" Selbst just doubled up.
Battleship finalist--Dustin "neverwin" Woolf will advance to the Battleship finals. He knocked out Terrance "Asiandude77" Eischens, who wins $12,800.[9:30pm]
Well, that was ugly--David Pham came in for a button raise to 150,000. Paul Holub called from the big blind. The flop came 9s7cQs. Holub pushed all in for 630,000. Pham thought for a long time before calling and saying, "I have big draw." He had, in fact, 5s8s for the flush draw and gutshot draw. But, wait. Holub held KsTs. The turn, in this case was irrelevant. The river...the 6c, making Pham's straight. Holub's out in 11th place for $96,000.
Battle underway--The battle has begun here at Atlantis. The Final Four of the World Championship of Battleship poker are facing off in two heads-up matches. Sorel “zangbez24” Mizzi of Toronto is playing Vanessa “suckoutqueen” Selbst of Brooklyn. Terrance “Asiandude77” Eischens of Minnesota is battling Dustin “neverwin” Woolf of Los Angeles. Stay tuned for updates. [9:14pm]
The eleven remaining players and their chip counts are as follows:
We'll be updating all the news from Level 23 in this post. We're moving to 20,000/40,000/4,000. If you're refreshing on a regular basis, the latest information will be at the top. Level 22 PCA news can be found HERE.
End of the level--The level is over, with 11 players still in the mix.
Not all right Jacques--Jacques Zaicik becomes our 12th place finisher. He'd allowed himself to get down to just 400,000 and shoved pre-flop with pocket fours. Haffiz Khan found aces and there were no complications on the board for the bullets. Zaicik, from France, takes $88,000. Eleven left.
BigEgypt gets bigger--Joseph Elpayaa, otherwise known as BigEgypt, just accounted for Glen Chorny on the featured table. Glen raised from the button to 110,000 and Joe defended his big blind. The flop came nine-high, rainbow -- 9d-2c-8s. Joe checked, Glen bet 160 and Joe moved all in. It was Glen risk, though, and he called, showing A-8 for middle pair, top kicker. Joe had check-raised holding Q-9 for top pair, and the third nine on the turn ended it. Glen takes $80,000. Joe's rail began chanting his name: his brother and four friends landed in the Bahamas today and have been to the bar, it seems.
Battleship docking soon--The Final Four of the World Championship of Battleship Poker kicks off at 9pm ET. They’re playing here in the Grand Ballroom at Atlantis, but you can watch it online in the Events section of the PokerStars Tournament Lobby. First place will take home $44,800. Second will get $25,600. Stay tuned for updates. 8:34pm
And the suckouts just keep on comin'--Marius Olsvik was getting way too short and finally jammed with AT. The bet was 241,000. Play folded around to Richard Fohrenbach who thought for a bit before saying "This is marginal" and calling with K2. Olsvik was good until the river when a king hit. Still, not too bad a week for Olsvik. He earns $72,000. [8:25pm]
Say goodbye to the overalls--Justin Phillips, the overall-wearing guy everybody calls "Red," has just run into a piece of bad luck. He came in for a raise on the button and saw William Thorson re-raise from the small blind. Phillips barely thought before pushing in the rest of his stack. Thorson was committed and called with Q4. The four came on the flop and Phillips didn't catch up. He's out in 15th place for $64,000 [8:22pm]
Ryan Phillips
Two quick busts--We're down to 16 and re-drawing for the final table tables. Pierre Neuville busted in 18th place. Mikko Pirinen went out in 17th place. Both were short-stacked going into the beginning of the level. We are working on getting details of their departure. Both players won $48,000. The next player out gets $56,000. For a complete look at the payout table, visit the PCA Prizes page.
Level 23 begins--Players are back in their seats, and play has begun in Level 23. Chip counts have been updated HERE.[7:27pm]
Level 23 about to begin--After a 15 minute break, Level 23 is about to begin. Eighteen players remain. We'll break down to two tables at 16 players. Headed into Level 23, it looks like Kris Kuykendall is still our chip leader with 3.3 million chips. The PokerStars cash qualifier is celebrating is 25th birthday. Right now, there is no birthday cake. He is, however, getting to munch on peanut butter Ritz bits at the break. He does not have the easiest table in the room. David Pham and William Thorson are to his left. [7:21pm]
We'll be updating all the news from Level 22 in this post. We're moving to 15,000/30,000/4,000. If you're refreshing on a regular basis, the latest information will be at the top. Level 21 PCA news can be found HERE.
Freeroller runs out of steam--Emil Timberg's fairytale run deep in this tournament has finally come to an end. He was all-in pre-flop with 10s and was not in such a bad spot against Evan Tindell's A-Q. But there was an ace in the window and Timberg couldn't catch up. The freeroller, who won his seat on a PokerStars-hosted Swedish magazine-sponsored tournament, is out in 19th.
Battleship ho!--We now have our finalists for tonight's World Championship of Battleship Poker. Dustin Woolf and Terrance Eischens will join yesterday's winners Sorel Mizzi and Vanessa Selbst tonight at 9pm to play for the big money and bracelet. Today, Stew Silverman and Eli Ahmadiam won $8,000 a piece for their finishes. [6:50]
Cooper down--Michael Cooper is out after getting AT in against David Pham's AK. Cooper wins $48,000 for his 20th place finish. [6:44pm]
ElKy making moves, Chorny fading--Glen Chorny is moving in the wrong direction after playing a big hand aganst ElkY and having to fold to an all-in raise on the river. Then he got involved and dropped some more to Joe Elpayaa. A few minutes later, ElkY got paid with QJ after making trip jacks. Elpayaa had JT. [6:35pm]
Mikko Pirinen doubles--Mikko doubles through Marius Olsvik all-in pre-flop. Mikko held As5s to Olsvik;s JhTc. An ace on the flop and Mikkko moved up to 480,000. Olsvik dropped to 240,000. [6:34pm]
Double-up-- The two relatively short-stacked Scandinavian players tangle on table two. Mikko Pirinen pushes, Marius Olsvik reluctantly calls. The former has A-5, the latter J-10. Olsvik pleads for any jack or any ten, but his prayers go unanswered as an ace flops. Pirinen doubles up, Olsvik down to his final 150,000-odd.
D'Ambrosio d'own and d'one-- James D'Ambrosio's tournament is over after he ran K-10 into William Thorson's A-J. They were all in preflop, but by the turn, Thorson had top two pair and D'Ambrosio a diamond flush draw. It didn't hit and D'Ambrosio is out in 21st for $48,000.
Gettler gotten-- Lance Gettler is out. He found ace king and got it all in pre-flop against Glen Chorny's ace-jack. Good spot, until a jack turned and Gettler was gone in 22nd.
King for a day...or at least a couple minutes--Richard Fohrenbach just doubled up and ranked a 1.1 million pot after getting KK to hold up against Allisen Connor's pocket sevens.
Break chat--During the break, I talked to Joe “BigEgypt” Elpayaa. He’s sitting at a little less than a million in chips right now, but he’s still feeling pretty good. His crew is making sure he’s fed and feeling the love from the rail.
Joe “BigEgypt” Elpayaa
I also caught up with Kris Kuykendall, who is the current chip leader. He has just under 2.6 million in chips, a pretty solid lead at this point. Kris told me he’s feeling pretty good. He thought he’d be a little nervous being at the featured TV table, but he says the hardest part was getting used to the hole card camera. He feels pretty comfortable about that now. He wishes his girlfriend, Kristyn Russell, could join his parents on the rail, but she had to return home to Cincinnati. She’s a teacher, and she’s also got a job to do. [5:53pm]
New level--Players are returning from a break to begin Level 22. [5:47pm]
We'll be updating all the news from Level 21 in this post. We're moving to 12,000/24,000/3,000. If you're refreshing on a regular basis, the latest information will be at the top. Level 20 PCA news can be found HERE.
Lights, camera, action--They’re standing on chairs at the rail of the PokerStars Caribbean Adventure. It’s obvious the stakes are getting higher, and the crowd here knows it. Their first clue might be all the TV equipment: the giant boom camera, boom microphones, and lights. Now under those hot lights at the featured TV table is an interesting story. The two guys who started the day as first and second in chips are now sitting side-by-side. David Pham, with a significantly smaller stack than a few hours ago, is sitting to the left of Kris Kuykendall, who still has a monster stack. At last check, he had more than $2 million. Kris’ parents say this is his first time on TV. Same goes for Michael Cooper of Atlanta. His wife is also sitting up there watching her husband’s TV debut. At one point, she looked up at me and said, “his hair is standing up.” He could certainly pay someone to deal with that problem with the money he’s already guaranteed here today.
Steady--It's all got a bit cagey out there, with the big stacks knowing that they don't really need to be taking any ridiculous risks. For instance, Allisen Connor just raised it up to 65,000 pre-flop and found a called in Marius Olsvik. The flop had two sevens and a three on it, and Connor bet 110,000. Olsvik thought better of it and folded.
New chip--There's a new chip in town. It's white and is worth 25,000. Not all players have any; some have a tower.
Last Brit sitting--Lindsey Hopkins is sitting on the rail, rubbing two coins in her hands. Every time her husband Craig is in a hand, his wife’s coins heat up. Craig is an online qualifier from Chesterfield, England. He’s the last Brit in the pack here at the PCA. Lindsey has been sitting on the rail watching for the past two days. She says she loves the atmosphere here, and she’s really proud of her husband, who also qualified for EPT Grand Final in Monte Carlo and APPT Singapore. He didn’t cash in those events, but he’s already guaranteed at least $48,000 here in the Bahamas.[5:08pm]
Goodbye to the Dutch--Erik Van Der Burg just got in with AJ against Allisen Connor's KsJs on a 4c7s2s flop. The turn was the 4s and Erik was drawing dead. He's out in 23rd place for $48,000. [5:05]
Redraw seating--The tables have been redrawn, and the new seating plan is as follows:
Featured table
1 - Christian Harder
2 - Michael Cooper
3 - James D'Ambrosio
4 - Kris Kuykendall
5 - Davd Pham
6 - Justin Phillips
7 - William Thorson
8 - Paul Holub
Table 2
1 - Mikko Pirinen
2 - empty
3 - Jacques Zaicik
4 - Allisen Connor
5 - Marius Olsvik
6 - Craig Hopkins
7 - Pierre Neuville
8 - Eric Van Den Burg
Winner's list updated--For a complete look at the winners up until now, visit the PCA Winners list.
Set up gone bad for Adelstein--"I'd been setting him up all day," Garrett Adelstein said of Hafiz Khan. In the last hand before the re-draw, Adelstein managed to get queens in aganst Khan's pocket tens. A ten on the flop and Adelstein in sent out in 24th place, earning $48,000.
Redraw--With 24 players remaining, they are currently redrawing for the final three tables. Details to follow. We play to the final eight today.
Ramdin rammed--Victor Ramdin's impressive run is over. He has played impeccably over the past three days, grinding his way up from a low of 2,500 to 25th place. He got his last 140,000 in with ace-ten and was up against Joseph Elpayaa's threes. The threes held up and Ramdin is gone.
Victor Ramdin
Tipping the dealer for services rendered--More details have emerged about the hand that saw Thierry Van Den Berg eliminated. The Dutchman and Glen Chorny were all in pre-flop with aces and kings, respectively. When Chorny saw what he was facing, he told the dealer that if he dealt him a king, he'd give him a thousand dollars. The king duly arrived and Chorny delved into his pockets, handing the dealer everything he had. It amounted to about $950, but the king could be worth a whole lot more to Chorny.
Thorson doubles--The action was hard to see on the featured table, but the upshot is William Thorson has doubled up with jacks up against Christian Harder.
Rizen deflated and done--Eric "Rizen" Lynch is out. He pushed his last 140,000 in with king-six and James D'Ambrosio looked at one card and called. D'Ambrosio's one card was also a king, and his jack kicker was better. A six came on the flop, but a jack on the turn, and Rizen is finished.
Butler busted--Rhett Butler is out in 27th. Hand details are not known, but he left the tournament area moments ago. The World Series final table player from 2006 couldn't make it that far this time.
Huge swings--Two massive hands on two different tables. David "Dragon" Pham is almost breathing his last. He just shipped another million dollar pot to Paul Holub, his nemesis today. The board read 3c-Kc-7h-8s-6s and Holub made a call for his tournament life with K-Q. It was good and he rockets up the leaderboard. Moments later, Eric "Rizen" Lynch went to the races against Richard Fohrenbach. Fohrenbach had queens, Lynch A-K. The board bricked and Fohrenbach doubled up, leaving Lynch absolutely crippled.
Chips, chips, chips--The full chip counts from the last break can be found HERE.
Aces cracked, bust-out--First round after the break and Thierry Van Den Berg is out. He found aces, and Glen Chorny had kings, but the king flopped and Thierry was taking the walk, leaving Chorny to stack a chip-leader's stack of about 1,800,000. Ouch.
We'll be updating all the news from Level 20 in this post. We're moving to 10,000/20,000/3,000. If you're refreshing on a regular basis, the latest information will be at the top. Level 19 PCA news can be found HERE.
Break time--Players are on a 10-minute break.
Elpayaa hits the Dragon--A pair of nines went in ahead for Joe Elpayaa against David Pham's AQ. The board ran out 77322 and Elpayaa doubled up.
Level coming to a close--Level 20 is about to end. We're going to dig into the chips and try to get a good count at the break.
Winner's list updated--For a look at who is making the most money today, check out the PCA Winner's List.
Ballroom paradise--Overnight, the Grand Ballroom has become an island paradise. Doubt it? Check out Neil Stoddart's pictures.
Dull done--John Dull becomes the 30th placed finisher when his ace-king doesn't win the race against Evan Tindell's jacks. They were all in pre-flop and there were no surprises. [3.10pm]
"Dragon slayer, baby!"--David "Dragon" Pham takes a sizeable hit to his sizeable stack. He bets 250,000 on a flop of 4h-9h-2d, but Paul Holub moves 280,000 more into the pot, putting himself all in. Pham folds and Holub's supporters chant "Dragon slayer," from the rail.
All the money was going in--Magnus Karlsson and Miko Pirinen just got it all in pre-flop behind queens and kings, respectively. The flop brought both a king and a queen, and Thierry Van Den Berg noted that Magnus was down to one out. Even that hope was snatched away when Richard Fohrenbach admitted that he'd folded a queen pre-flop. Pirinen doubled up.
Nothing Dull here
--His mom says it's in the blood. Both sides of Jonathan "KidPokerJD" Dull's family love to gamble, and he is no exception. 24 year old Jonathan is sitting at Table 2 this afternoon. His mother, Nahid, is on the rail. She and his father follow their professional poker player son to many of his tournaments. She says she's calm inside and is thinking positively, but she doesn't want to know his chip count. It's a superstition she has. Jonathan's sister, Jacqueline, was at his side in 2006, when KidPokerJD finished 7th at the EPT Barcelona event. It seems poker is a family affair for the Dulls.[3:02pm]
BigEgypt still walking
--19 year old professional poker player Joe "BigEgypt" Elpayaa has quite a crew with him here in the Bahamas. His buddy, Steve Marifjeren, has been here with him all week, but his brother and four friends arrived today to surprise him. They're already coming up with Joe chants. The leader so far is "Walk like an Egyptian." At the break, Joe had 664,000 in chips. So, to all the "Cashville" buddies out there reading on the internet, Joe is still walking the walk. [3:01pm]
Break report--I talked to some of the people on the rail just after play resumed here in the Grand Ballroom. Kris Kuykendall's parents say he had about $1.56 million in chips at the break. They say he's in good shape and feels comfortable and relaxed. His dad says Kris likes his table.
Michael Cooper's wife, Tina, says he had about $1.2 million in chips. She says he won a big hand just before the break to bust someone out. Tina says Michael is "in a zone." [2:58pm]
Battleship locking and loading--Lee Jones is making the call. The buzz is getting louder next to the blogger table, as players start to gather for the Battleship tournament. It gets underway in just a few minutes, so stay tuned for updates. [2:57pm]
D'Ambrosio: "I gotta defend my raise"--It's a raise to 49,000 from James "I was stuck 60k at blackjack" D'Ambrosio. Evan Tindell pushes all in for 219,000 more from the small blind. D'Ambrosio talks and talks and finally says, "I gotta defennd my raise. I have Q7, I call." And so he does. It's Qs7s vs Tindell's As3s. D'Ambrosio calls for a queen on the river. He doesn't get it anywhere and Tindell doubled up. [2:45pm]
Ramdin burned-- Victor Ramdin just paid off Dragon Pham's 165,000 river bet, starng at a board of A-K-4-4-3. Pham tabled ace-seven, Victor mucked, presumably holding a king. [2.40pm]
Van Den Berg likes ladies-- Thierry Van Den Berg just doubled up after he flopped a set of queens and got James D'Ambrosio to call his all in. D'Ambrosio mucked, but claimed to have king-queen, and still had a rubdown for Van Den Berg: "You weren't as good as you thought you were," he said. And: "You almost slow-rolled yourself into trouble." The amiable Dutchman smiled and stacked his chips, knowing that he might be as good as he thinks he is. Having made the final table of the past two EPTs in Dublin and Baden, as well as a Masters Classics fifth place, Van Den Berg is Europe's form player. 2.30pm
Hiccup--Sorry for the brief delay, folks. We had an isolated power failure that dropped our internet service for a bit. We're back at full power. [2:29pm]
One player per blind-- We start this level wth 30 players, having lost ten in the opening round and a half. The big blind is now 20,000, which is what each player started with at the beginning of the tournament; an entire existence rendered in the form of two red chips.
We'll be updating all the news from Level 19 in this post. We're moving to 8,000/16,000/2,000. If you're refreshing on a regular basis, the latest information will be at the top. Level 18 PCA news can be found HERE and HERE.
Reed falls with A9--All in with A9 against Paul Holub's AK, the last thing Reed wanted to see was a king on the flop. No miracle runners and Reed is out.
No club! Yes, a club.--It's a three way pot with a flop of Kd3cQc. Michael Cooper bets out 100,000. John Zioulas tanks and eventually puts in his final 176,000. Cooper calls to see Zioulas' QJ. Cooper has 8c9c. The turn blanks out, but the river is the 5c. Zioulas is eliminated.
At it again-- And now Richard doubles Magnus up again. (See previous post). This time Magnus has J-J, Richard K-8 and there's no improvement. [1.53pm]
Double-up, double-down-- Magnus Karlsson and Richard Fohrenbach are playing their own game on table five. First Richard doubles up Magnus, when his K-10 can't overtake Magnus's A-4. Then Magnus returns the favour and doubles up Fohrenbach when both players flop a king but Fohrenbach's kicker plays. [13.45]
Chop-chop-- The board read 9s-10h-8d-Qd-Jh when David Pham slid in 120,000. Pierre Neuville, from Belgium, had some thinking to do, but eventually called and announced he was playing the board. So was Pham and they chopped it. [13.40]
Elpayaa gives some back-- Joseph Elpayaa just doubled up Richard Fohrenback, whose kings held up against Elpayaa's ace-nine. [1.28]
Klodnicki completes his descent-- Christopher Klodnicki started the day sixth in chips, but he's now out, having been brutally beaten by the deck this afternoon. His last hand was typical: he had ace-queen, his opponent, Joseph Elpayaa, had tens. They were all in pre-flop and it looked good for Klodnicki when a queen appeared in the window. An ace turned, making two pair, but the jack on the river filled a straight for the tens and Klodnicki was out. [1.20]
Chinni gets unlucky, broke--Jesse Chinni is on the rail after making the mistake of getting AQ in against Craig Hopkins' AJ pre-flop. The inability to see the suckout coming means Chinni is done for the day. [1:18pm]
Cooper's nines--'Twas a scary board of 678 with two hearts when Michael Cooper got his 9h9d in against Christopher Klodnicki. Turned out, Cooper was in decent shape. Klodnicki held 5c7c and missed. Cooper is up close to a million now. 1:13pm
Kuykendall crew--Kris Kuykendall came into this world 25 years ago today. This afternoon, his parents are standing at the rail here at the PokerStars Caribbean Adventure, watching their "baby" play for nearly $8.6 million in prize money. His rail crew is a little smaller today. His sister and childhood friend had to return home, but they're reportedly checking in here for updates (we'll do our best, guys). Kris' parents are a strong support system, though, unwavering at the rail. Kris' mom says after play ended here in the Grand Ballroom last night, they all had a sandwich, went back to the room, and made A LOT of phone calls. For everyone following Kris who was second in chips at the start of play today, he's now seated at Table 3 along with starting chip leader, David Pham. A lot of chips on that table, folks. A lot of chips. 1:08pm
Tsang done-- Elton Tsang's tournament is over. He moved his short stack in with 3-3; he ran into Michael Cooper's larger stack and J-J. No outdraws this time and Tsang's day is done. 1.05pm
Pham's flames fizzle-- David "Dragon" Pham just tried to send Lance Gettler's tournament up in smoke, but Gettler survived and double through the chip leader. All the chips went in on an ace-high flop, and they both had one. But Gettler had A-J in the hole; Pham only had A-9. The kicker played.12.55pm
Colin out--Bryan Colin is no longer in his seat at the final table. The pro player from New York is 24. He's a mixed game specialist who plays high stakes games online and live. The world traveler used to be a trader on Wall Street. Today, he finishes short of the big cash.
Flushed--Magnus Karlsson likes him some spades, especially the fourth one on the river that kept him alive against Christopher Klodnicki. Fortunately for Klodnicki, it's not a big hit.
No break--There is no break as we barrel into Level 19. [12:48pm]
We'll be updating all the news from the end of Level 18 in this post. We're still at 6,000/12,000/2,000. If you're refreshing on a regular basis, the latest information will be at the top.
Mahoney outdrawn-- Jared Mahoney, the PokerStars qualifier, is today's first casualty, and he got unlucky. He was all in pre-flop with K-Q and was called by Evan Tindell. Tindell was dominated, with K-J, but the jack flopped and by the end of it, Tindell had a full house. "Sorry, man," he offered. "That's sick," was Mahoney's only comment as he shook hands with all and departed. He's $32,000 richer. 12.45pm
Victor victorious, doubles up-- It started slowly but suddenly there was a rush of activity. Victor Ramdin was loving a flop of 4d-4c-7c, especially with his A-4 in hand. All his money found its way into the center of the table, and Craig Hopkins called. Hopkins tabled Ac-Jc for the flush draw, but turn and river bricked, doubling up the Team PokerStars Pro member. 12.40pm
EPT Live--We'll be updating the news from all tables, but if you'd like a live look at the featured table, check out EPTLive.com.
Dream in the making--If you had looked at Michael Cooper's original airline ticket, you would think that he wasn't supposed to be here right now. They were scheduled to leave on Monday. "I never thought we would be here," his wife Tina told me a few moments ago with a nervous smile. They now have open-tickets to return to Atlanta, Georgia, because Michael is among the final 40 here at the PokerStars Caribbean Adventure. To get prepared for today, Michael and Tina ate some dinner last night and rented a movie. Now, he's taken his place at Table 5 with 426,000 in chips. That's a below-average stack, but anything can happen here. Michael and all the others left in this tournament are guaranteed to take home $32,000. So for the family reading this at home, your boy is well on his way to an American dream here in the Bahamas.
Play resumes--Play is underway with 40 players starting the day. [12:20pm]
Things have changed in the Grand Ballroom at the Atlantis. What was once a convention centre hosting a poker tournament -- think the Rio, Las Vegas, with fish -- is now a full-on tiki lounge hosting a poker tournament. Think Paradise Island, palm trees, a parrot, a straw cocktail shack, an aquarium, and a treasure chest stocked with the EPT trophy and bounteous wealth.
The bartender in the cocktail hut is wearing a busy, multi-colored shirt. And even Lee Jones is wearing a tie. It's a special day.
The reason? Today we play down from 40 to eight, and we edge ever nearer the $2 million first prize. The television crews have been industriously recreating the Bahamian beauty in the tournament room, while the players themselves have probably been trying to sleep and not really succeeding, dreaming of diving head first into the heap of gold coins.
A reminder of how many gold coins are up for grabs can be found by clicking HERE for the full tournament payout list. The names of those players who have already registered their wins can be found HERE.
They last 40 are unbagging their heaps of chips as I type. Mountains and mountains of red and blue disks are appearing in front of the remaining players, soon to be put to work. For a list of who has what, click HERE for the current chip-counts. We'll keep that list updated throughout the day.
For nine of them, their time in the spotlight has already begun. The cameras are out, the bleechers are packed and you can watch it all live online if you like. The live webcast begins today, so click HERE for the coverage. (The full edited version won't be on television for a while yet.)
We'll have all the updates here throughout the day, as well as interviews and profiles with the players and their families. This is also the best place to find the best tournament photographs.
Continue to check back as we go all the way to the final table.
In any poker tournament, the multitude of styles in the field is bound to run the gamut. There are the people who just want to survive until the money. There are the wide-eyed chip-slingers who play for nothing but first place. The PokerStars Caribbean Adventure is the definitive example of the phenomenon.
At the beginning of the day, all eyes in the tournament room were on big-stacked Eric "Rizen" Lynch. He came out of Day 2 as the chip leader with a commanding 526,900 in chips. His nearest competitor was Bertrand "ElkY" Grospellier at 435,000. While both players come from a feared subset of the poker tournament circuit, it soon became clear that there were other people who were not prepared to hand over their chips.
Enter the Dragon.
David "The Dragon" Pham is no wild, screaming, fire-breathing pro. To hear him make a noise or even break more than a small smile is an occasion. Today, the well-known pro let his stack do the talking. By day's end, Pham had risen above the two million chip mark and sat with a comfortable chip lead.
David Pham
Pham's story has been told in many venues over the years. For an untold tale, we had to look to Sweden's Emil Timberg. Not so long ago, Timberg won a freeroll sponsored by PokerStars and a Swedish newspaper. Having never played for real money online and having little to no big poker experience to his name, Timberg has proven to be a player with whom one shouldn't trifle. Late in the day, Timberg made a huge call with two-pair on a three-heart KQJ96 board. Tonight, he finishes fourth in chips.
While not an ongoing story of success tonight, Jeff Neuman is more than happy with how he ended the day. Neuman qualified for the PCA in a PokerStars Steps tournament for $7.50. The athletic club ownder from Maryland finished in 56th place for $16,000.
Jeff Neuman
The members of Team PokerStars Pro spent a good portion of the day beating each other into pieces. Barry Greenstein's kings couldn't outrun Hevad Khan's aces. While Khan got a copy of Greenstein's "Ace on the River," he would not be able to finish the day. ElkY put Khan out toward the end of play. Andre Akkari was also among the players who didn't finish the day. Remaining in the field tonight are ElkY and Victor Ramdin.
ElkY
Victor Ramdin
PokerStars qualifier Kris Kuykendall finished the day second in chips. He's here with family and a friend and will celebrate his 25th birthday tomorrow. At one point yesterday, the one-time high school wrestling champion was down to 17,000 in chips. He finished the day with 83,000 in chips and managed to work his stack over a million before going to bed tonight. Kuykendall is a VIP Club Supernova who qualified for the PCA in a Steps tournament. While he has a business degree from the University of Cincinnati, he's got his eye on a the $2 million first prize to fund his retirement.
The end of play saw 40 players finish with chips, including a sea of other notables including William Thorson, Eric "Rizen" Lynch, Eric Van der Berg, Rhett Butler, and Thierry Van Den Berg. Tomorrow, the field will resume at noon to play down to the final table of eight. Day 4 will also see the start of televised play and broadcast on EPT Live.
Here's a quick look at how the news looked from the camera's eye just before the end of the day.
Many a story played itself out here today. While the main event wound its way through the coolers, bad beats, and big bluffs, the Third Annual PokerStars World Championship of Battleship Poker also started in the Grand Ballroom of the Atlantis today. It was a good day for Imper1um and suckoutqueen. Find the details HERE.
