 The PokerStars Caribbean Adventure has a new champion with American Kevin Schulz taking down the $10k Main Event for $1,491,580.
Schulz, now 26, has been coming to the PCA since 2006 but has only had two small cashes on the tour before now. He’s an online grinder who, like scores of American poker pros, has relocated to Mexico to continue playing. Before today, his live tournament winnings totalled nearly $500k – today’s victory brings them close to $2m.
He said: “I’m pretty happy. I had some pretty good reads on everybody, but you never know what’s going to happen. I love skydiving but this is maybe one of the most intense things I’ve done in my life! I don’t have any plans in mind for the money right now ... I’ll take some time to think about it all - and try to make sure I don’t blow it because that seems to happen a lot!”
Ventura’s $860,580 runner-up payday was the single biggest tournament cash by a Peruvian player. He is already the country’s #1 online player, with $1.2m in winnings, and is now Peru’s #1 live player as well. He won his $16k PCA package at the very last possible moment - in a $700 qualifier just after Christmas. As well as taking part in the Main Event, he was also busy coaching the Peruvian team in the Americas Cup, held at the PCA on January 11 and 12. (Brazil won, Peru were fourth for $12,500).
American pro Chance Kornuth lead the final six players at the start of today but bust in third place, for a lifetime best cash of $641,140. Niklas Hambitzer from Germany, the only European at the table, was fourth for $482,820. Argentinian hopes for their first EPT champion died when Juan Martin Pastor bust in fifth place for $380,720. American Rami Boukai was out in sixth place for $285,740.
American pro Shyam Srinivasan, who finished sixth last year, narrowly missed making back-to-back final tables, finishing tenth this year for $91,420.
One of the most sensational stories at this year’s PCA festival was the incredible deep run in the Main Event by Brazilian football legend Ronaldo. He outlasted some of the biggest names in poker to make it to 26th place and a $42,180 payday, by far his biggest cash to date. The 38-year-old Team PokerStars SportStar, who was being railed worldwide via the EPTLive broadcast said: "It was an amazing experience and an honour to participate. I had a lot of fun. To be sure I will be here next year."
There were 816 entries for the Main Event, with 119 making the money.
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United States. Jan 18 2015 19:50. Posts 10197
