Day 1b of the 2019 PCA Main Event Kicks Off at Noon
The Imperial Ballroom at the Atlantis Resort & Casino on The Bahamas will once again be filled with poker enthusiasts from near and far, all aiming to become the next EPT Main Event champion. The second starting day of the 2019 PokerStars Caribbean Adventure (PCA) $10,300 Main Event on Paradise Island will get underway at noon local time and the event is off to a great start thanks to 356 entries on Day 1a, which doubled the number of entries from the previous year.
In 2018, Maria Lampropulos defeated a 582-entry strong field to lift the trophy and claim a seven-figure payday after defeating Shawn Buchanan in heads-up. Lampropulos has already taken part in other events during the festival and is expected to take a seat to try and defend her title.
Other previous PCA champions already took a shot in yesterday's first flight, but only Dimitar Danchev made it through to Day 2 thus far, while Harrison Gimbel busted twice and won't be allowed to re-enter anymore. Leading the field after Day 1a is Russia's Alexander Kharkov with massive 350,500, more than 11 times the starting stack.
PCA Main Events at a Glance
| Year | Buy-In | Entries | Total Prize Pool | Winner | First Prize |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | $7,500 | 221 | $1,657,500 | Gus Hansen | $455,780 |
| 2005 | $8,000 | 461 | $3,487,200 | John Gale | $890,600 |
| 2006 | $8,000 | 724 | $5,647,200 | Steve Paul-Ambrose | $1,388,600 |
| 2007 | $8,000 | 937 | $7,063,842 | Ryan Daut | $1,535,255 |
| 2008 | $8,000 | 1,136 | $8,562,976 | Bertrand Grospellier | $2,000,000 |
| 2009 | $10,000 | 1,347 | $12,674,000 | Poorya Nazari | $3,000,000 |
| 2010 | $10,300 | 1,529 | $14,831,300 | Harrison Gimbel | $2,200,000 |
| 2011 | $10,300 | 1,560 | $15,132,000 | Galen Hall | $2,300,000 |
| 2012 | $10,300 | 1,072 | $10,398,400 | John Dibella | $1,775,000 |
| 2013 | $10,300 | 987 | $9,573,900 | Dimitar Danchev | $1,859,000 |
| 2014 | $10,300 | 1,031 | $10,070,000 | Dominik Panka | $1,423,096 |
| 2015 | $10,300 | 816 | $7,915,200 | Kevin Schulz | $1,491,580 |
| 2016 | $5,300 | 928 | $4,500,800 | Mike Watson | $728,325 |
| 2017 | $5,000 | 738 | $3,376,712 | Christian Harder | $429,664 |
| 2018 | $10,300 | 582 | $5,645,400 | Maria Lampropulos | $1,081,100 |
Day 1b will feature a total of 10 hour-levels and there will be a 20-minute break every two levels, along with an 75-minute dinner break after the sixth level of the day. The re-entry option for a maximum of two entries in either of the flights is available until the first cards are dealt on Day 2, and all participants receive 30,000 in chips. The bagging and tagging of chips is expected to take place at around 1 a.m. local time.
The PokerNews live reporting team will be on the floor to cover all the action as if unfolds, and you can also follow the live updates of the $100,000 PCA Super High Roller and the $100,000 Single-Day High Roller events as both tournaments play down to a champion today.