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PokerStars Biggest Tourney Ever |
This year it was a member of the PokerStars' Pro Team Bertrand "ElkY" Grospellier who took down the Stars' biggest yearly tournament, which already, in the second week of 2008, has already set the record for the largest televised poker tournament other than the World Series.
There were 1136 players entered into PokerStars's most prosperous event, the PokerStars Carribean Adventure. The event one was one of many upcoming stops on the 2008 European Poker Tour, and has already set the record for the biggest tournament to be televised (though there's no confirmed date for when it will air yet).
The first prize purse was a massive $2 million, taken down by the familiar Stars' pro. Though it's not quite clear what the 26 year old Frenchman will do with do with all that money (other than entering more tournaments and cash games), it's a pretty big feat. The huge crowd included well known players and PokerStars leaders Joe Hachem, Chris Moneymaker, and Greg Raymer, as well as many other pros including Daniel Negreanu.
On winning, Grospellier said: "The entire trip has been one thrilling experience after another – and now I’m returning home as the 2008 PCA Champion. This was definitely one of the hardest tournaments I’ve ever played. It was a very tough field with a lot of online American qualifiers who played really well. But I really wanted this title and I would have been very disappointed not to win."
According to the stats, 650 of the entrants (more than half, and all 7 of Grospellier's final table opponents) won their seats by playing satellites on the PokerStars online site. The trip included free stay at the Atlantis Hotel and Resort in the Bahamas. I'll say that's a win win situation.
Here were the final money winners:
1. Bertrand "ElkY" Grospellier 2,000,000
2. Hafiz Khan 1,094,976
3. Kris Kuykendall 800,000
4. David Pham 600,000
5. Craig Hopkins 450,000
6. Joseph Elpayaa 300,000
7. Christian Harder 200,000
8. Richard Fohrenbach 150,000
Not a bad kick off to the New Year!
January 14, 2008 |
