Leonardo Pires is leading the $5,300 PCA 2016 Main Event in to Day 3. The 46-year-old Brazilian bagged 524,000 to top all 195 survivors. Pires came to the PCA from Brazilian state of Minas Gerais, where he won his Main Event ticket in a local poker tour. So far, his Hendon Mob page shows only three results - the biggest coming at the 2014 LAPT Vina del Mar High Roller. He was third there, winning $28,400.
Another Latin American poker player follows in third place with Argentinian Franco Spitale bagging 432,300 tonight. Only Agshin Rasulov (467,000) is between Pires and Spitale, who hails from Buenos Aires. The 26-year-old's live tournament results don't reveal much about him, showing only three cashes worth $17k. On PokerStars, Spitale's playing as "rojorulez" and his online resumé includes a six digit payday for a second place in a WCOOP 2nd Chance event, $68k for fifth place in the Thursday Thrill WCOOP Edition and third place in the Sunday 500.
Also, it was another great day in the office for Steve O'Dwyer, who's certainly not slowing down after crushing the $50k High Roller here. He didn't get much rest as he finished early in the morning, lifting up the trophy and collecting $945,495. However, when he sat back for the PCA Main Event at noon, O'Dwyer was ruling again. Soon, he climbed among top stacks and at the end of the day, he bagged 430,900.
Other notable players coming back for Day 3 with big stacks are 2014 Aussie Millions Main Event champ Ami Barer (353,000), IPT7 Malta1 winner Georgios Zisimopoulos (343,900), American pro Jonathan Jaffe (255,400), 2010 WSOP Main Event runner-up John Racener (192,200) and EPT6 Berlin champion Kevin MacPhee (182,400).
Team PokerStars Pro Jason Mercier was playing on the feature table today and he survived with 78,100. Tomorrow will see the bubble burst on Day 3 as we're only 60 places out of the money.
There were 928 entries (including five no-shows) in to the flagship event of the festival, creating a $4,500,800 prize pool. The top 135 players will get paid and the last man standing is set to take $833,260, along with the title and coveted trophy.
PCA 2016 Main Event Day 2 top five chip counts:
1st - Leonardo Pires, Brazil, 524,000
2nd - Agshin Rasulov, Azerbaijan, PokerStars qualifier, 467,000
3rd - Franco Spitale, Argentina, PokerStars qualifier, 432,300
4th - Steve O'Dwyer, Ireland, PokerStars player, 430,900
5th - Siarhei Melianiuk, Belarus, PokerStars qualifier, 428,900
POKERSTARS CARIBBEAN ADVENTURE MAIN EVENT HISTORY:
2004: 221 players, $1,657,500 prize pool, Gus Hansen (Denmark) for $455,780
2005: 461 players, $3,487,200 prize pool, John Gale (UK) for $890,600
2006: 724 players, $5 647 200 prize pool, Steve Ambrose (Canada) for $1,388,600
2007: 937 players, $7,063,842 prize pool, Ryan Daut (USA) for $1,535,255
2008 (EPT4): 1,136 players, $8,562,976 prize pool, Bertrand Grospellier (France) for $2,000,000
2009 (EPT5): 1,347 players, $12,674,000 prize pool, Poorya Nazari (Canada) for $3,000,000
2010 (EPT6): 1,529 players, $14,831,300 prize pool, Harrison Gimbel (USA) for $2,200,000
2011 (EPT7): 1,560 players, $15,132,000 prize pool, Galen Hall (USA) for $2,300,000
2012 (EPT8): 1,072 players, $10,398,400 prize pool, John Dibella (USA) for $1,775,000
2013 (EPT9): 987 players, $9,573,900 prize pool, Dimitar Danchev (Bulgaria) for $1,859,000
2014 (EPT10): 1,031 players, $10,070,000 prize pool, Dominik Panka (Poland) for $1,423,096
2015 (EPT11): 816 players, $7,915,200 prize pool, Kevin Schulz (USA) for $1,491,580
2016 (EPT12): 928 players, $4,500,800 prize pool, $833,260 for the winner
MEDIA INFO
All media attending the PCA are prohibited from any kind of gaming anywhere in the Bahamas for the duration of the event. This includes off-property casinos, online or in your hotel room. You must credit PokerStars in the first instance of your event coverage and write PokerStars Caribbean Adventure in full, not just PCA. The PSLive guidelines provides further general information.
PCA 2016
A record 104 tourneys are taking place at Atlantis during the 2016 PCA festival. Aside from the Super High Roller, second LAPT Bahamas Main Event (unlimited re-entries, starts January 7, now with reduced $2,200 buy-in) and PCA 2016 Main Event, there is also a $50k One-Day High Roller Single Re-Entry on January 9. The three-day $25k High Roller starts Jan 12 and the $600 Ladies Event on Jan 14. Check out the PCA 2016 promo video here.
POKERSTARS BLOG / SOCIAL MEDIA
Full reports and updates can be found on the PokerStars blog. For social media, see @PokerStars_PCA.
PCA WEBCASTS
EPTLive is broadcasting live today with coverage of the PCA Invitational Charity tourney from 2pm (EST). Tomorrow the cameras switch to Day 2 of the PCA Main Event on January 10. Coverage continues daily until the January 14 cards-up final table.
Leonardo Pires from Brazil leads the PCA 2016 Main Event for Day 3.
