2011 PCA Main Event - Live Updates
Day 6 Live Updates
2011 PCA: Hall Wins 2011 PCA
Chris Oliver nearly went wire-to-wire at the 2011 PCA final table but ultimately fell one player short of the title.
Oliver has had a great deal of fortune over the last couple days but didn’t get any love from the poker gods in his final hand.
Hall looked down to find A♣ 8♣ while Oliver had Q♥ Q♣ and after a series of raises all the money went in the middle.
Oliver was ahead but for the first time at the final table his tournament life was on the line.
The last card Oliver wanted to see was an ace but that’s exactly what dropped when the flop came A♠ K♦ 8♠. Hall’s flopped two-pair put him firmly in the lead.
The 2♥ changed nothing and Oliver was left hoping for a two-outer on the river. The dealer flipped over… K♠!
Galen Hall is your 2011 PokerStars Caribbean Adventure champion.
It’s an impressive victory for Hall considering Oliver looked virtually unbeatable as heads-up began.
Hall was patient and thanks to his huge laydown he now finds himself with an extra $2.3 million in his pocket.
Oliver will pick up $1.8 million for second place but it’s got to be a bitter pill to swallow considering just how close he came to winning it all.
It’s been a memorable tournament with Chris Moneymaker essentially bubbling the final table, Ana Marquez running deeper than any woman ever in the PCA and now Oliver recording arguably the biggest meltdown’s in the tournament’s history.
Join us in Australia next week for live updates of the 2011 Aussie Millions.
2011 PCA: Hall Wins Biggest Hand Yet
In a dramatic turn of events, Galen Hall is our new overwhelming chip leader.
Oliver, who seemed to be tilted by his bad call against Hall in an earlier hand, bet 750,000 from the button with A♥ 9♣.
Hall looked down to find a monster K♣ K♠ and raised to 1.9 million chips.
Oliver wasn’t going anywhere and bet 4.3 million.
Hall stared Oliver down before eventually making the minimum five-bet. Oliver decided to shove and Hall immediately called making it a 39 million-chip pot.
Oliver was aghast to discover what he was up against and would need some major help from the board.
The board ran out 8♥ 7♦ 3♦ 4♠ Q♥ and Hall’s kings held up just fine. Suddenly Hall is up to 39 million chips while Oliver stumbles down to 7 million chips.
Will Oliver be able to come back from his first major bout of adversity at the final table?
2011 PCA: Hall Hits Double
Chris Oliver may have finally met his match in Galen Hall.
Hall just scored the all-important double up and for the first time of the final table there appears to be chink in Olivier’s armor.
After nearly two hours of heads-up play Oliver had beat Hall down to just 8 million chips and then something bizarre transpired.
Hall found Q♣ Q♠ in the hole against Oliver’s 8♦ 6♥. They saw a flop of J♦ T♥ 9♠ and Hall bet out 650,000.
Oliver called and the turn came 6♣. Oliver checked but Hall threw 1.3 million in the pot.
Olivier called and the river brought the 9♦. Oliver checked and Hall moved all-in for his last 5 million.
It seemed like an easy laydown for Oliver but after a few minutes he announced a call.
Hall showed him his hand and Oliver shook his head in disgust as he mucked his cards.
Suddenly Hall is right back in this with 15 million to Oliver’s 31 million.
2011 PCA: Incredible Laydown by Hall
Chris Oliver may have a huge chip lead but Galen Hall is putting up a great fight.
In one of the early heads-up hands Hall bet 450,000 with 8♣ 4♥ and Oliver called with A♦ 2♠.
The flop came 5♦ 3♦ 2♣ and once again Oliver had taken the lead, this time with a pair of deuces.
Oliver checked but Hall threw 575,000 into the pot. Oliver made the call and the turn rolled off 2♥ giving Oliver a set.
Both players checked but the river came A♠ giving Hall a straight but also giving Oliver a superior full house.
Hall bet 2 million and that sent Oliver into the tank. Oliver eventually decided to just go for gold and go all-in.
Hall was left with one hell of a decision and after a few minutes he did the unthinkable – he folded his straight.
Oliver scooped the pot never knowing just how close he came to ending the tournament.
The beat goes on.
2011 PCA: Anton Attacked
Anton Iodel lasted much longer than anyone thought possible but the Romanian has finally hit the rail.
Galen Hall opened a pot with K♣ Q♠ on the button and Chris Oliver called with A♥ 5♥ from the small blind.
Iodel looked down at K♠ 6♠ and decided to shove.
Bad idea.
Hall called and Oliver got out of the way. Hall had Iodel absolutely crushed as the dealer prepared to put out the board.
It came Q♦ 9♣ 7♦ 5♦ 3♠ to put the nail in Iodel’s coffin. Iodel didn’t seem concerned as he managed to fold his way into a top three payout. He will receive $1.3 million for coming in third.
We are now heads-up between Hall and Oliver and the stacks are as follows:
1. Chris Oliver – 33 million
2. Galen Hall – 13 million
2011 PCA: Stein Slips
Sam Stein has been one of the best players at this final table and many thought he might have a lock on second place considering how many times he has finished as the runner-up in major tournaments.
Unfortunately Stein couldn’t avoid red-hot chip leader Chris Oliver any longer.
Oliver opened for 455k from the button with A♦ Q♦. Stein raised to 1.1 million with A♥ 9♥ from the small blind.
Anton Iodel folded the big blind and Oliver moved all-in. Stein thought for several minutes but eventually felt he had to call the aggressive Oliver down.
The board ran out K♥ T♠ 5♠ K♦ 3♠ and Stein was sent packing. The Las Vegas resident picks up $1 million for coming in fourth place.
2011 PCA: Oliver Ousts Sowers
Whatever Chris Oliver had for dinner seems to be agreeing with him.
He seems to have suddenly woken up at the final table and after winning a massive pot, managed to effectively give Mike Sowers his walking papers.
The first hand saw Oliver win a huge pot against Sowers and Sam Stein while holding a paltry 3♣ 2♦.
Amazingly Oliver rivered a straight and although he wasn’t able to convince Sowers to a call a river bet he still scooped a pot that was worth over 8 million chips. Sowers was seriously hurt in the hand falling down to 6 million chips.
Shortly after that hand Sowers picked up 4♣ 4♦ and bet but Chris Oliver was up to his old tricks, and raised to 775,000 with 8♠ 2♥.
Sowers, correctly sensing something was up, made the call.
The flop came 8♥ 3♦ 2♠ hitting Oliver’s hand almost as hard as it possibly could.
Oliver bet 1.3 million chips and Sowers shoved all-in for 5.5 million. Oliver snap-called and tabled his cards.
The board finished with an uneventful K♣ and then the 7♣. Oliver scoops the pot, eliminates Sowers and moves into the upper stratosphere of chip counts with 30 million.
Sowers falls in fifth place for $700,000.
Oliver now has 30 million chips, which is more than the rest of the field combined.
2011 PCA: Five Alive
All five remaining players in the 2011 PokerStars Caribbean Adventure have returned from their dinner break and will set themselves to the task of taking this tournament down.
By the end of the night Chris Oliver, Galen Hall, Mike Sowers, Sam Stein or Anton Ionel will be crowned the 2011 PCA champion.
Game on!
2011 PCA: Soup’s On!
Chris Oliver has fallen slightly while Galen Hall continues close the gap as we hit the dinner break.
It was Sam Stein who got off to the best start at the final table but since then it’s been all Hall as the San Franciscan has busted Bolivar Palicios and Max Weinberg.
Chris Oliver has been strangely quiet over the last hour of play. There have been no crazy suckouts for Oliver today.
Mike Sowers has also been strong at the final table although he had some good fortune against Weinberg.
Anton Ionel is still floating near the bottom of the chip counts and is looking for a double up.
Action will resume at 10 p.m.
Here are the chip counts at the break:
1. Chris Oliver – 17 million
2. Galen Hall – 10.8 million
3. Mike Sowers – 10.4 million
4. Sam Stein – 6.8 million
5. Anton Ionel – 2.4 million
2011 PCA: Hall Finishes Palacios
Galen Hall is playing one hell of a final table here at the 2011 PCA.
Hall was quiet through his first 20 hands but since then he’s been very active raising with marginal hands at times and in general making good decisions.
He’s also doing the most work busting other players as he’s sent both Max Weinberg and now Bolivar Palacios to the rail.
It was a simple hand as Palacios was short-stacked and decided to ship it all-in with K♦ J♥.
Hall called in short order with A♦ 4♠ and held a slight lead as the dealer prepared to put out the board.
The board ran out 9♥ 8♥ 4♣ Q♣ 3♦ and that was more than enough to bust Palacios.
Palacios slides into sixth place for a $450k payday.
2011 PCA: Weinberg Wasted
Max Weinberg has been eliminated from the final table after two epic hands in rapid succession.
The first hand was a wild one where Chris Oliver opened for 250,000 with A♥ 2♣ and Sam Stein called 8♥ 7♥.
Galen Hall held a modest K♥ 2♠ on the button but sensing weakness in his opponent’s he decided to put in a raise of 735,000.
Mike Sowers did one better from the small blind and 4-bet shoved all-in with A♠ J♣.
The craziness continued as Weinberg picked up Q♦ Q♥ in the big blind and called. Everyone got out of the way and it was down to Weinberg vs. Sowers.
The flop came 7♠ 6♠ 2♥ and Weinberg maintained his lead in the hand. The turn was the 5♠ and Sowers suddenly had a flush draw.
The river came… J♠! Sowers completed his flush draw and won the hand while Weinberg was sent spiraling down the chip counts with only 900k.
On the very next hand Galen Hall bet 240,000 with J♦ T♣ and Weinberg decided to move all-in with A♣ 8♠.
Hall called and Weinberg’s tournament was suddenly on the line.
Hall ended up spiking a ten on the flop and the turn and river blanked to give him the pot and eliminate Weinberg.
Weinberg picks up $300k for coming in 7th place.
2011 PCA: Hall Cripples Ionel
Action at the 2011 PCA main event final table has slowed after Phillip Plouffe’s elimination on just the fifth hand.
Galen Hall and Sam Stein have both been trending up while chip leader Chris Oliver has dropped a few of his chips.
The most significant hand occurred when Galen Hall got involved with Romanian Anton Ionel.
Hall bet 250,000 pre-flop wile holding A♥ K♥ and Ionel called with J♦ T♦.
The flop came 5♣ 5♦ 2♣ and Ionel checked but Hall threw 240,000 into the pot.
Ionel check-raised to 460,000 and Hall made the call. The turn came A♠ hitting Hall’s hand hard.
Both players checked and the river came Q♦ and Ionel opted to bluff with a 545,000. It was a bad decision as Hall quickly called to scoop the pot.
After the hand Hall moved up to 6.9 million while Ionel dropped all the way down to 1.9 million.
There’s a good chance we’ll see an Ionel shove shortly.
2011 PCA: Stein Strikes Plouffe
It took just five hands to find our first casualty of the 2011 PokerStars Caribbean Adventure main event.
Chip leader Chris Oliver surprisingly limped K♦ J♥ but Sam Stein picked up A-K and decided to pop it up to 325,000.
Meanwhile the short-stacked Philippe Plouffe looked down to find Q♣ Q♥ and decided to ship his last 1.3 million in the pot.
Oliver got out of the way but Stein called.
The flop came J♣ T♥ T♦ and Plouffe was looking good for the early double up. The turn came 4♦ and changed nothing.
Stein would need a king or an ace on the river to bust Plouffe. The river came… A♦!
A disgusted Plouffe was escorted away from the table while Stein moves into second place in the chip counts with 8.7 million.
Plouffe picks up $202,000 for coming in eighth place.2011 PCA: It Ends Tonight
The 2011 PCA main event final table is officially underway.
The only problem is that no one except the sequestered crowd in the final table room knows what’s going on.
As you might have guessed, coverage is going to be a little unusual today as we’re going to be watching a live stream of the final table, complete with hole cards, although there will be a one-hour delay.
So check back at approximately 5 p.m. EST for the start of our live coverage. In the meantime here are the chip counts to start the day.
1. Chris Oliver – 19.6 million
2. Galen Hall – 6.4 million
3. Sam Stein – 5.8 million
4. Mike Sowers – 3.6 million
5. Anton Ionel – 3.5 million
6. Max Weinberg – 3.3 million
7. Bolivar Palacios – 2.4 million
8. Philippe Plouffe – 1.5 million
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Event Information
- Event Name
- 2011 PCA Main Event
- Venue
- Atlantis Resort, Paradise Island
- Date
- 2011-01-08
- Final Day
- 2011-01-14
- Buy In
- $10,000
- Entrants
- 1560
- Prize Pool
- $15,132,000
- First Prize
- $2,300,000
Event Winner
| Player | Prize Money | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Galen Hall | $2,300,000 |
| 2 | Chris Oliver | $1,800,000 |
| 3 | Anton Ionel | $1,350,000 |
| 4 | Sam Stein | $1,000,000 |
| 5 | Mike Sowers | $700,000 |
