Once again, the $25,000 High Roller at the PokerStars Caribbean Adventure didn't fail to disappoint. With a massive Day 1 field that set a new record for entries in this event with 257 total, it truly turned out to be the smashing affair that will close another spectacular event to kick off poker's calendar year. Of those, 117 players survived to Day 2, but with registration still open until the start of Day 2, it is highly expected to get some late entries that will see the number rise even more.
Topping the pack as the only player above 300,000 in chips was Scott Seiver. Seiver — who holds a World Series of Poker gold bracelet, a World Poker Tour title, and a PCA $100,000 Super High Roller win — bagged up 307,300 to end the night. He's trailed by Oleksii Khoroshenin with 272,000, Niall Farrell with 271,100, Georgios Sotiropoulos with 262,000, and Andre Akkari with 258,800 to round out the top five stacks.
Other notables who advanced with a healthy arsenal were Tony Gregg, Dani Stern, Will Failla, and Paul Volpe. As for Team PokerStars Pro, there's Akkari fifth in chips, and then Jason Mercier, Daniel Negreanu, Jake Cody, Eugene Katchalov, Leo Fernandez, and Jonathan Duhamel.
Play is scheduled to kick off at 12 p.m. local time, and PokerNews will be live with coverage starting then.
While you wait, check out Chris Moneymaker losing to our very own Remko Rinkema in beer pong:
Jake Schindler raised to 6,000 from under the gun only to have Kevin MacPhee three-bet the action to 15,500 from the next seat over. The action trickled back to Schindler who thought for about a minute before moving all in for his last 42,500. MacPhee instantly called and the hands were turned over.
Schindler:
MacPhee:
The board fell , giving Schindler trip kings for the double. He now has about 90,000 while MacPhee has dropped to around 145,000.
Team PokerStars Pro Jason Mercier opened the action with a raise to 8,000. Players folded their hands around the table until the action hit Team PokerStars Online Pro Vicente Delgado in the small blind. Delgado cut out a three-bet to 28,000 and the big blind folded. Mercier came back over the top with a four-bet to 59,000 and Delgado called to see a flop.
The dealer produced a flop and Delgado checked. Mercier continued out for 38,000 and Delgado check-raised all in over the top. Mercier went into the tank, visibly put in a tough spot while he quickly riffled chips and talked through the hand to himself under his breath. After pondering the decision for some time, Mercier announced a call for his own tournament life of what looked to be around 140,000 more.
Mercier:
Delgado:
Mercier's jacks were out in front but Delgado was drawing live with four to a spade flush. The on the turn put Mercier one step closer to a key double. Unfortunately for the PokerStars Team Pro, the drilled the river to give Delgado a winning flush. Mercier was eliminated from play and Delgado won a massive pot that brought his stack to about 780,000.
Sam Trickett opened to 12,000 from early position and it folded around to Vladimir Troyanovskiy in the small blind who three-bet all in for 65,000. Action came back to Trickett and he called.
Trickett:
Troyanovskiy:
Trickett was behind before the flop but that all changed in an instant after he flopped two pair with . Troyanovskiy stood from the table and shook his head as the board finished with the and the . He collected his belongings and left the tournament area while Trickett increased his stack to about 265,000.
Garrett Greer raised to 10,000 from early position and Govert Metaal flatted from the next seat over. Action folded around to Team PokerStars Pro Daniel Negreanu in the small blind and he cut out a three-bet to 37,000. Greer thought for about a minute before four-betting all in for 140,000. Metaal moved all in over the top of that and Negreanu folded what he said was ace-queen.
Greer:
Metaal:
The board fell down , pairing Greer's ace and giving him the double. Greer now has about 360,000 in chips while Metaal has dropped to 160,000.
There were plenty of chips already in the middle and a bet of 110,000 out in front of Darren Elias on the board. His opponent, Lee Markholt, took some time and then raised all in for 302,000. Elias quickly called with the for top two pair, but he was behind the for Markholt. The river completed the board with the , and Markholt doubled up.
Markholt moved to approximately 750,000 in chips, and Elias dropped down to 254,000.
A short-stacked Jeff Rossiter moved his last 22,000 all in on a flop of and Zvi Stern called. The hands were turned over to see Rossiter in the lead.
Rossiter:
Stern:
Rossister looked primed to double his short stack with his flopped pair, but that all changed after the turned and the rivered, giving Stern the best hand with kings and eights.
Simultaneously, Paul Volpe was eliminated from play at another table in the room. With that, the tournament is foregoing hand-for-hand play and the final 39 players are officially in the money!
Jonathan Karamalikis and Dominik Nitsche took a flop of in a raised pot. Karamalikis checked and Nitsche fired out a bet of 27,000. Karamalikis came over the top for 67,000 and Nitsche replied by shipping all in for 243,000. Karamalikis instantly called and the hands were tabled.
Karamalikis:
Nitsche:
Both players smashed the flop with Nitsche's set of jacks coming out on top. The board finished with the and the and Nitsche doubled to about 540,000. Karamalikis' stack fell to 216,000.
Robert Tepper opened for 22,000 and was called by Faraz Jaka and Dan Heimiller. Jonathan Little moved all in for 104,000 and Tepper folded. Jaka made the call and Heimiller got out of the way. Jaka flipped over and was racing against Little's .
The board ran out to send the pot to Jaka and eliminate Little from the tournament in 31st place.
Darren Elias was eliminated in unknown action at the hands of Niall Farrell. Elias collected $50,360 in prize money while Farrell increased his stack to 350,000.
![[user68268]](/img/avatars/avatar.svg){kind=avatar}
, giving Schindler trip kings for the double. He now has about 90,000 while MacPhee has dropped to around 145,000.
on the turn put Mercier one step closer to a key double. Unfortunately for the PokerStars Team Pro, the 
drilled the river to give Delgado a winning flush. Mercier was eliminated from play and Delgado won a massive pot that brought his stack to about 780,000.
. Troyanovskiy stood from the table and shook his head as the board finished with the 
and the 
. He collected his belongings and left the tournament area while Trickett increased his stack to about 265,000.
, pairing Greer's ace and giving him the double. Greer now has about 360,000 in chips while Metaal has dropped to 160,000.
board. His opponent, Lee Markholt, took some time and then raised all in for 302,000. Elias quickly called with the 
for top two pair, but he was behind the 
turned and the 
rivered, giving Stern the best hand with kings and eights.
to send the pot to Jaka and eliminate Little from the tournament in 31st place.
