PCA History 2004-2013

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PCA Highlights

The PokerStars Caribbean Adventure (PCA) has a long history of being an event that all players want to win. Since it started in 2004, over $60,000,000 has been awarded in prize money, with thousands of players taking part - including hundreds of PokerStars qualifiers.

PCA 2013 was the 10th Anniversary of this incredible poker event. From its beginnings on a cruise ship meandering its way around the Gulf of Mexico, to the live event extravaganza it has become today, the PokerStars Caribbean Adventure is an event like to other. Below you will find some essential PCA facts, plus details of every event since 2004, including tournament winners and prize details.

10 Essential PCA Facts

  1. The PCA was responsible for bringing poker to The Bahamas. Before the PCA, there was no poker in the islands.
  2. Tournament Director Mike Ward has been in charge of every single PCA festival, from its inception in 2004 to the 10th Anniversary Edition in 2013.
  3. The Bahamian archipelago is made up of 700 islands, covering 100,000 square miles, but only 40 of the islands are inhabited.
  4. The PokerStars Blog began life at the PCA. Way back in 2005 the PCA Blog was one of the first online sites to cover a live poker tournament start to finish.
  5. The World Championship of Battleship Poker first took place in 2006 and was won by Michael ‘luckylady519’ Banducci.
  6. In 2008 the World Cup of Poker made its first appearance at the PCA. Germany won the title that year, captained by Jan Heitmann.
  7. Bertrand ‘ElkY’ Grospellier’s biggest-ever live tournament score was at the PCA. The Frenchman scooped $2,000,000 for his Main Event win in 2008.
  8. Canada’s Poorya Nazari won the PCA’s biggest-ever single cash prize, when he won the Main Event in 2009 for an incredible $3,000,000.
  9. Aged just 19 in 2010, Harrison Gimbel from Jupiter, Florida, is the youngest-ever winner of the PCA Main Event.
  10. In an incredible run, Canada’s Will Molson finished runner-up in the $25,000 High Roller Event in 2009 and 2010 before finally winning it in 2011.

PCA 2013

The 10th Anniversary PokerStars Caribbean Adventure was a huge festival of poker with 41 events playing out over 10 days of incredible action. The big winners were the USA's Scott Seiver, who took down the Super High Roller for $2,003,480, Bulgaria's Dimitar Danchev who won the Main Event for $1,859,000, and Team PokerStars Pro Vanessa Selbst who scooped the High Roller for $1,424,420, making her the highest-earning female player in history. Russia became the latest World Cup of Poker Champions, Corina Lupascu from Romania notched the Women’s Event, and the schedule also saw the first-ever Open Face Chinese event, which was won by Peter Jetten from Canada.

Main Event Winner: John Dibella - PCA 2012

2012

Main Event Winner: John Dibella (USA, $1,775,000) | 1,072 players | $10,398,400 prize pool

The 2012 edition of the PokerStars Caribbean Adventure (PCA) was a huge success with millions of dollars awarded in cash prizes across 10 days of incredible live poker action. The Main Event drew a field of 1,072 players and was won by amateur player John Dibella from the USA, who scooped $1,775,000 and the title. The $100,000 Super High Roller was won by Swedish Team PokerStars Pro Viktor ‘Isildur1’ Blom for $1,254,400, and Leonid Bilokur snagged the High Roller, collecting $1,134,930. There was also a standout performance from Team Pro Jonathan Duhamel who cashed for over $1,200,000 in various events during the festival.

Main Event Winner: Galen Hall - PCA 2011

2011

Main Event Winner: Galen Hall (USA, $2,300,000) | 1,560 players | $15,132,000 prize pool

The 2011 PCA smashed all records, with 1,560 runners taking part in the Main Event, creating a total prize pool of $15,132,000. USA’s Galen Hall took the title, beating one of the toughest-ever fields for a payday of $2,300,000. Other highlights included a $1,500,000 win in the $100,000 Super High Roller event for Eugene Katchalov, a win for William Molson in the $25,000 High Roller tournament worth $1,072,850, with Team PokerStars Pros Leo Fernandez and Maxim Lykov finishing in 2nd and 3rd. There was also victory for Italy in the live final of the World Cup of Poker, led proudly by Team Pro Luca Pagano.

Main Event Winner: Harrison Gimbel - PCA 2010

2010

Main Event Winner: Harrison Gimbel (USA, $2,200,000) | 1,529 players | $14,831,300 prize pool

The 2010 PCA was the largest ever, with over 50 events in different games and formats staged over 10 days of competition. The biggest winner was Harrison Gimbel from the USA, who played through a field of 1,529 to claim the Main Event and $2,200,000 in prize money. The High Roller event attracted the elite of the poker world and William Reynolds made it a double for the USA as he collected $576,240 for the win. Elsewhere Team PokerStars Pro Vanessa Rousso won the Ladies Event, and Chinese Taipei entered the history books as World Cup of Poker VI champions, after they beat eight other nations in a nerve-shredding finale.

Main Event Winner: Poorya Nazari - PCA 2009

2009

Main Event Winner: Poorya Nazari (Canada, $3,000,000) | 1,347 players | $12,674,000 prize pool

The 2009 PCA Main Event proved to be the biggest so far, with 1,347 runners and a total prize pool of $12,674,000. PokerStars qualifier Poorya Nazari won the event, cashing for $3,000,000 - the biggest prize ever awarded in the history of the event. The victory was all the sweeter for Poorya because he qualified for the Main Event through a $33 triple turbo rebuy on PokerStars – an incredible return on his investment. Also making the final table was Team PokerStars Pro Alexandre Gomes, who finished fourth for $750,000. Elsewhere, Bertrand ‘ElkY’ Grospellier took down the prestigious High Rollers tournament - good for $433,500.

Main Event Winner: Bertrand ElkY Grospellier - PCA 2008

2008

Main Event Winner: Bertrand 'ElkY' Grospellier (France, $2,000,000) | 1,136 players | $8,562,976 prize pool

The 2008 Main Event was won by Team PokerStars Pro member Bertrand ‘ElkY’ Grospellier. After five days of action at the beautiful Atlantis Resort and Casino, ElkY emerged as the new champion, winning first place prize money of $2,000,000. Now part of the hugely successful PokerStars European Poker Tour, this event saw a record field of 1,136 players battle for a prize pool of over $8,500,000. The event attracted many of the world’s greatest players, including Team PokerStars Pro members Daniel Negreanu, Joe Hachem, Chris Moneymaker, Victor Ramdin, Vanessa Rousso and many more.

Main Event Winner: Ryan Daut - PCA 2007

2007

Main Event Winner: Ryan Daut (USA, $1,535,255) | 937 players | $7,063,842 prize pool

The USA dominated the Main Event of the PokerStars Caribbean Adventure in 2007, with every player on the final table, and every one of the top 13 finishers all hailing from the States. The field numbered 937 players and it was Ryan Daut from New Jersey that was victorious, taking home $1,535,255 for the win. By now the PCA was cementing its reputation as one of poker’s unmissable events, thanks to the quality of the action combined with the luxurious surroundings of the Atlantis Resort and Casino. Thousands of players made the trip, taking advantage of PokerStars outstanding hospitality.

Main Event Winner: Steve Ambrose - PCA 2006

2006

Main Event Winner: Steve Ambrose (Canada, $1,388,600) | 724 players | $5,647,200 prize pool

The 2006 PCA saw victory for Team PokerStars Pro Steve Paul Ambrose, who took home first prize of $1,388,600 - the first time that the event had generated a top prize of over one million dollars. The field size had also swelled, peaking at 724 runners. With half a million dollars in free seats awarded by PokerStars, there were scores qualifiers in the field, including Ambrose himself and eventual runner-up Brook Lyter. The event also had a strong international representation, with players from England, Sweden, France, Israel and Australia among others all cashing.

Main Event Winner: John Gale - PCA 2005

2005

Main Event Winner: John Gale (UK, $890,600) | 461 players | $3,487,200 prize pool

The 2005 PokerStars Caribbean Adventure marked the first time that the event was held at the Atlantis in The Bahamas - the location that’s been its home ever since. There were 461 players in total, generating a total prize pool of $3,487,200. British player John Gale took the title, along with first place prize money of $890,600. There was also a cash finish for Team PokerStars Pro Greg Raymer, at the time still riding high after his World Series Main Event victory the previous summer. Daniel Negreanu and William Thorson also cashed.

Main Event Winner: Gus Hansen - PCA 2004

2004

Main Event Winner: Gus Hansen (Denmark, $455,780) | 221 players | $1,657,500 prize pool

The first ever PCA was a World Poker Tour (WPT) event that took place on a luxury cruise ship visiting Miami, Florida, Jamaica, Mexico and the Cayman Islands. A field of 221 players came aboard for the event, including the biggest names on the scene - all playing for a total prize pool of $1,657,500. After seven days of action, it was Danish pro Gus Hansen who came out on top, beating a final table that also included Team PokerStars Pro Daniel Negreanu, who cashed in third to kick start a year that would see him go on to earn over $3,000,000 in WPT events.

COPAG

Official card supplier of the PCA

SLYDE

Official Watch Sponsor of PCA 2013