In a final table beamed across the world in near-real time on PokerStars.tv, ESPN3.com, and ESPN2, Galen Hall overcame a 5:1 heads-up chip deficit to become the champion of the 2011 PokerStars Caribbean Adventure (PCA) Main Event. Hall booked $2.3 million for the win, while runner-up Chris Oliver earned $1.8 million.
Oliver entered the eight-handed final table with over 40% of the chips in play. About 15 minutes after the cards hit the air, Philippe Plouffe was the final table’s first elimination after coming out on the losing end of a race with pocket queens against the Big Slick belonging to Sam “KingKobeMVP” Stein. The board came 10-10-J-4-A and an ace on the river secured the early exit for Plouffe, who earned $202,000.
An hour after Plouffe’s departure, Max Weinberg was eliminated after moving his short stack in with A-8 and finding a caller in Hall, who held J-10. Hall hit a straight on the turn and Weinberg’s Broadway draw failed to come through on the river, sending him into the Bahamian afternoon in seventh place for $300,000.
Boliver “Ramux” Palacios was the next casualty. Palacios 3bet all-in before the flop with K-J of diamonds and Hall, who was the original raiser in the hand, came along with A-4. The flop of 8-9-4 gave Hall a pair to keep him out in front and the turn was a queen. Looking for a 10, jack, or king on the river to survive, Palacios watched in dismay as a three hit to bump him in sixth place for $450,000.
When ESPN2’s coverage joined the tournament at 10:00pm ET, the action was five-handed. Then, Mike “SowersUNCC” Sowers was the first to go. Oliver 3bet with 8-2 pre-flop and Sowers called with pocket fours. The flop came 8-3-2, giving Oliver top and bottom pair, and he bet out 1.3 million in chips. Sowers shoved over the top all-in for 5.5 million and Oliver insta-called with the superior hand. The board filled out K-7 and Sowers took home $700,000.
Stein exited in fourth place for an even $1 million after running A-9 into A-Q. The board fell 10-5-K-K-3 and Oliver’s A-Q held to bust Stein short of the title. Ten minutes later, Anton Ionel hit the rail in third place for $1.3 million. Ionel picked an inopportune time to 3bet all-in with K-6 of spades, as Hall woke up with K-Q and called. Hall flopped top pair on a Q-9-7 board and a running 5-3 sealed heads-up play between Hall and Oliver.
The tone for heads-up play was set at the onset. With the board showing 5-3-2-2-A, Hall fired out a bet of two million with 8-4 for a Wheel and Oliver moved all-in with A-2 for a full house. Somehow, Hall found the courage to lay down his premium hand, which PokerStars pro David Williams called “one of the best laydowns I’ve ever witnessed at the end of a tournament.”
Despite Hall being behind in chips, Chris Moneymaker and Daniel Negreanu, who were providing insight for the television broadcast, picked the underdog to win it all. Sure enough, they were right. At the tail end of play, Hall doubled through with pocket kings against A-9 to take a commanding chip lead and, just after the 200th hand of the nine-hour final table, his A-8 trumped Oliver’s pocket queens for the win.
Here were the results from the 2011 PCA Main Event:
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
6. Bolivar Palacios – $450,000
7. Max Weinberg – $300,000
8. Phillipe Plouffe – $202,000
Today marks the final table of the $5,000 PCA Bounty Shootout, whose lineup includes online poker pro Shaun Deeb. Keep it tuned to Poker News Daily for the latest.