A record-setting 1,347 players entered the 2009 PokerStars Caribbean Adventure (PCA). Held at the Atlantis Hotel on Paradise Island in The Bahamas, the PCA is one of the standout tournaments of the year. This year’s installment attracted the largest field ever assembled for a live poker tournament held outside of Las Vegas and, at the end of the day, Canadian poker player Poorya Nazari grabbed $3 million and the title of PCA Champion.
In an interview conducted after the final cards were dealt in Nassau, Nazari told PokerStars staff, “I can’t believe it’s happening. My brain has been fried from playing all week. I was fortunate to come out on top. It hasn’t sunk in yet.” Coming into the day’s play, the title of chip leader belonged to Team PokerStars Pro member Alexandre Gomes, one of the top South American players in the world. However, when play was four-handed, Gomes was the unfortunate victim of holding pocket aces on a flop of J-J-J. While normally a cause for celebration, Gomes was significantly behind German player Benny Spindler, who held the case jack and crippled the PokerStars pro.
Kevin “BeL0WaB0Ve” Saul took home eighth place in the PCA for $234,000. The winner of the World Poker Tour’s Bellagio Cup III was sent packing holding K-J suited against Nazari’s pocket queens. Although a jack hit the flop, Saul’s hand failed to improve. Finishing in seventh was American Daniel Heimiller, who banked an even $300,000. Heimiller found himself a big underdog with pocket fives against Anthony Gregg’s pocket nines and Nazari’s pocket eights. The board ran out J-K-J-6-7, sending Heimiller to the rail. He commented, “It was a very difficult table with very aggressive players. I didn’t get many hands. I couldn’t give up the fives. I was too short. You just [have to] take your chances.”‘
Around 4:00pm in The Bahamas, Dustin Dirksen hit the beach after finishing in sixth place for $400,000. Spindler was the grim reaper this time, showing pocket tens in a coin flip against Dirksen’s A-K suited. The flop came Q-J-J, leaving Dirksen hanging on by a thread. However, a six on the turn and a three on the river sealed his fate. Shortly thereafter, Pieter Tielen’s run at the title of 2009 PCA champion was cut short when his A-Q ran into Spindler’s pocket eights.
About four and a half hours after Gomes was ousted in fourth place, Spindler saw his tournament life come to an end. He was all in pre-flop holding Q-J, but was dominated by Nazari’s A-J. The board came K-3-4-10-K and Splinder left The Bahamas $1.1 million richer for his third place showing. He discussed the grueling $10,000 buy-in tournament with PokerStars officials, saying, “It was getting very tough and I was kind of tired.”
Heads-up, Nazari held 17.7 million chips against Gregg’s 9.2 million. After only four hands, Nazari was crowned the winner of the 2009 PCA. The final one saw Gregg push with Q-7 and Nazari call with A-10. The board came ten high, keeping Nazari in front for good and awarding the 22 year-old $3 million. Gregg cashed for $1.7 million, commenting, “We played three-handed forever, so I’m kind of happy it’s over. I’m ready to have a good night.”
Nazari entered the final eight-handed table second in chips. Those finishing near the top of the leader board included Ryan Karp (10th place for $150,000), Kathy Liebert (12th place for $120,000), David Baker (16th place for $75,000), and Hafiz Khan (21st place for $50,000). Khan was the runner up to Bertrand “Elky” Grospellier last year, when he banked $1.1 million.
2009 marked the second year that the PCA was an officially sanctioned European Poker Tour (EPT) event. In fact, this was only the second time that an EPT tournament has been held in the Western Hemisphere. The top five players represented five different countries: Canada, the United States, Germany, Brazil, and Holland. Other countries that saw players finish in the money included Russia, Mexico, the United Kingdom, Spain, Italy, Finland, Portugal, France, Australia, Denmark, Bermuda, Hungary, the Netherlands, Cyprus, Argentina, Belgium, New Zealand, Norway, and Poland. Twelve of the top 20 players were from the United States.
