Stars Arrive at Baha Mar for 2023 PokerStars Caribbean Adventure
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The 2023 PokerStars Caribbean Adventure (PCA) is underway in the Bahamas and, already, it looks like the series is going to set records. We can tell players are hyped about the first PCA since 2019 because the opening event, a $100,000 super high roller, will pay out over $4.7 million.
The big-money tournament attracted 49 players on Sunday, proving that a three-year COVID-induced hiatus hasn’t dampened the community’s love for the PCA. Indeed, with players from all four corners of the world flying in, pros like Isaac Haxton, Mike Watson, Stephen Chidwick, and Patrik Antonius were all in the mix at Baha Mar resort.
$100K Opener Gets PCA Off to a Strong Start
By the time registration closed, the prize pool was a heady $4.7 million, This means the first winner will take home $1.5 million. That’s a generous payday, and, more specifically, it’s a great way to start the 2023 PokerStars Caribbean Adventure.
The tournament team at PokerStars will be hoping the strong start continues. The $10,300 PCA main event got underway on Jan. 23. Day 1A attracted 166 entrants, but by the time registration closes on Jan. 25, many more will have anted up.
These events set the tone for two weeks’ worth of action in the Bahamas. For most, the focal point of the 2023 PCA is the PokerStars Players Championship (PSPC). The $25,000 tournament was introduced in 2019, but because of COVID-19 restrictions, it’s been dormant since then.
Expectations are that this year’s PSPC will raise the bar. Platinum Pass qualifier Ramon Colillas overcame a field of 1,039 entrants to win the 2019 PSPC. That performance earned Colillas a $5.1 million payday and a sponsorship deal with PokerStars.
All Eyes on PokerStars Players Championship
Colillas should be back in the mix this year, but if he’s going to retain the title, he’ll almost certainly need to come through another massive field. PokerStars’ promo team has given away more than 400 seats for the $25,000 tournament through Platinum Pass promotions.
With hundreds of amateurs and recreational players sitting down in a $25,000 event, the pros are likely to be out in force. Indeed, after speaking to members of Team PokerStars back in November, many of them described the PSPC as the best $25,000 tournament in poker.
The presence of so many people playing their first-ever five-figure buy-in event certainly figured into their assessments. This suggests that we could see the number of entrants sail beyond the 1,000 mark. If that happens, the 2023 PokerStars Players Championship would become the biggest $25,000 tournament in history and the top payout should be worth upwards of $5 million.
There’s a long way to go until we know the final figures. However, the early signs are positive. Many of poker’s top pros are already in the Bahamas fighting for seven-figure prizes. With more expected to arrive in Baha Mar over the next few days, things are starting to heat up at this year’s PokerStars Caribbean Adventure.
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Updated by
Daniel Smyth
Last Updated:
