$25,000 PokerStars NL Hold'em Players Championship Dia 1 | 2019 PokerStars Caribbean Adventure

2019-01-06 09:32 UTC-4

Tips for the Upcoming PCA and PSPC

Webjoker

PCA Logo - Trophy

The upcoming PokerStars Caribbean Adventure — with the accompanying $25,000 PokerStars Players No-Limit Hold'em Championship — kicks off on Saturday, so there's no better time than now to help poker players plan their trips.

Many players will be going to PCA for the first time, whether because they won $30,000 Platinum Passes or in hopes of taking advantage of the massive value present because of said passes and the $1 million added by PokerStars.

For those unaware, Atlantis Resort is on a small island called Paradise Island just across a short bridge from the main island of New Providence. When you land in the airport, you'll first need to take a cab through the capital city of Nassau to Paradise Island.

At that point, you've arrived. And if you're on your maiden voyage to PCA, consider these tips from PokerNews.

Meals, at Atlantis and Otherwise

Food expenses at the PCA can run you a pretty penny if you aren't careful. And be aware, service won't exactly be speedy no matter where you go, so make sure you block out ample time.

Some of the most popular places to eat for poker players attending PCA are nice restaurants within a relatively short walk of the convention center where the poker tournaments are held. These include Casa D'Angelo (Italian), Chop Stix (Chinese), Olives (pizza, fish, steak) and Nobu (sushi). Now, all of those are fine options, but they will easily set you back around $50 or more for a meal.

Atlantis Resort, home of the PokerStars Championship Bahamas — Atlantis Resort from afar.

Outside of the main resort, on the harbor where the ships are docked, sit a number of more affordable places to eat.

Those looking for the absolute cheapest option can try the pizzeria or the deli. Those might be the only spots on the island where you can get full for under $15. There are also a few mid-tier restaurants to check out where the prices will more be in the range of $30.

If you're looking to get brave and branch off outside of the resort, there are some options for that as well. Immediately across the bridge are a couple of palatable restaurants called The Poop Deck (seafood) and Seafront Sushi. Underneath that same bridge, there's a small strip of land called Potter's Cay that has a bunch of seafood shacks serving up freshly caught fish.

Or, you can head to the famous local fish fry shacks a couple of miles to the west. PokerNews' own Sarah Herring did just that, and you can see what she found in the video below:

If you are on the absolute tightest budget possible, there's a little spot in a strip mall just to the southeast of Atlantis called The Village Grocery Store. It's quite small, but you can get some of the bare essentials there like yogurt, fruit, oatmeal, and some dry and canned goods.

Things To Do

Maybe Christoph Vogelsang busted you early in the PSPC, and you still have several nights left on Paradise Island. Maybe you're just all pokered out and need a little break. Or maybe poker's secondary to vacation concerns and you are looking forward to relaxing and finding other stuff to do more so than grinding.

In any case, there are plenty of options for other things to do if you want to get away from the felt for a bit.

Obviously, those looking for water-based activities will find tons of stuff within easy access of the resort. There are beaches public and private and pools aplenty. Plus, you can sign up for activities like swimming with dolphins, scuba diving and snorkeling.

There's also a vast waterpark on the resort with tons of slides, rivers, and rides.

PokerNews' Herring checked out a popular attraction called swimming with the pigs, which you can check out in this video:

Atlantis is also near a popular golf course, with the likes of top pro Sergio Garcia among those frequenting the links.

Rum lovers have a unique opportunity just a couple of miles into the main island. John Watling's Distillery is a popular attraction offering complimentary tours.

Other Things to Consider

If it's exercise you're looking for, Atlantis has plenty of options — just make sure you don't overestimate your leg endurance. There are even basketball and tennis courts on the premises. Weekly passes run $50 for those not staying at Atlantis. Just be aware it's a significant walk into the resort.

Provided the weather is nice, there are plenty of paths to run around the islands — either down the beach or on solid ground — and catch a tan.

Yoga aficionados can check out the Sivananda Ashram Yoga Retreat on the western edge of Paradise Island.

If you're one of those people who absolutely can't get through the day without some caffeine to power you through, Atlantis has a Starbucks right down the staircase of the main entrance. Be warned, though, every morning before the tournaments begin there will be a sizable line of players waiting for their morning cup of joe, so get there early.

The PCA is always a special event on the poker calendar. It's sure to be even more memorable this year with the one-of-a-kind PSPC, so keep these tips in mind if you're making the trip to maximize your time in paradise.

Tags: PCA PokerStars PokerStars Caribbean Adventure

2019-01-06 09:36 UTC-4

Welcome to the $25,000 PokerStars NL Hold'em Players Championship!

[user38873]

One of the most highly anticipated tournaments kicks off right after the fireworks introduced the new year all over the world. An entire year filled with promotions at various PokerStars live event stops culminates in the $25,000 PokerStars NL Hold'em Players Championship as part of the 2019 PokerStars Caribbean Adventure (PCA).

More than 300 players have earned their Platinum Pass worth $30,000 and will be joined by the who-is-who on the international poker circuit for the biggest $25,000 buy-in event in poker history. What better location for dreams to come true could there be than The Atlantis on Paradise Island in the Bahamas?

The resort has hosted the PCA since 2004, and some of the biggest names in poker were among those to lift the trophy in the Main Event and High Roller tournaments. It all began with the victory of Gus Hansen in the $7,500 Main Event, and the Great Dane was followed by such big names as Bertrand "ElkY" Grospellier, Triple Crown champion Harrison Gimbel, Galen Hall, Dominik Panka and Mike Watson. Christian Harder claimed the Main Event title in 2017 and Maria Lampropulos scored her second seven-figure payday in the 2018 edition.

Former PCA Main Event Winners

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

Grospellier, who sits atop the French all-time money list with more than $13 million in cashes, is also among the previous High Roller champions at the PCA. In the first $25,000 High Roller back in 2009, Grospellier topped a field of 48 entries and received $433,500 for his efforts. Other High Roller champions include Alex Bilokur, Vanessa Selbst, Jake Schindler, Lucas Greenwood and two-time champion Steve O'Dwyer.

While a five-figure buy-in has already become common on the international poker circuit, there aren't as many tournaments with an even bigger price tag. Since 2011, the PCA has played host to the Super High Roller events with a buy-in of $100,000. The list of winners reads like a poker all-star line-up including Eugene Katchalov, Viktor Blom, Scott Seiver, Fabian Quoss, Steve O'Dwyer, Bryn Kenney, Jason Koon, and Cary Katz.

Bryn Kenney on top of the PCA all-time money list so far

It comes as no surprise that one of the Super High Roller winners tops the PCA all-time money list. Kenney has already cashed for more than $6.2 million on Paradise Island, O'Dwyer follows in second by some margin with more than $3,8 million. With the upcoming $25,000 PokerStars NL Hold'em Players Championship, there may however be a change at the top of the leaderboard. After all, the event guarantees $1 million on top for the eventual champion.

Unlike most other High Roller tournaments, the highlight of the festival schedule will be held rake-free and as a Freezeout over a total of five days. The structure and key features of the $25,000 PokerStars NL Hold'em Players Championship were based on player feedback collected at various PokerStars live stops.

Schedule of the $25,000 PokerStars NL Hold'em Players Championship

Tournament Day	Date	Time	Further Information
1	January 6th, 2019	12:00	Play 8 levels of 60 minutes each, no dinner break, finishes approx. 21:10
2	January 7th, 2019	12:00	Registration closes at start of day, 8 levels of 60 minutes each, no dinner break, finishes approx. 21:10
3	January 8th, 2019	12:00	Levels last 60 minutes each, possible dinner break, # of levels according to the pace of the event
4	January 9th, 2019	12:00	Levels last 60 minutes each, possible dinner break, # of levels according to the pace of the event
5	January 10th, 2019	12:00	Play down to a champion

Day 1 will feature a total of eight levels of 60 minutes each, and the registration closes at the start of Day 2 at 12 p.m. local time on Monday, January 7, 2019. The event will be played nine-handed at the start and, if space and seats allow, move to eight handed at the start of Day 2 at the latest.

All participants receive 60,000 in chips, and each level lasts 60 minutes each, down to the last three the level duration will be shortened to 30 minutes. There will be no dinner break on the first two tournament days to wrap up at just after 9 p.m. local time and all further days will be adjusted according to the pace of play.

The PokerNews live reporting team will provide updates and news articles from nine different tournaments throughout the festival, so make sure to check back regularly to find out who claimes the glory at the Bahamas to kick off the poker year 2019.

Atlantis Resort, home of the PokerStars Caribbean Adventure Bahamas

Tags: Bertrand Grospellier Bryn Kenney Gus Hansen Maria Lampropulos Steve O'Dwyer

2019-01-06 13:13 UTC-4

After Over a Year of Build-Up...

mnuwwarah

Nível 1 : 100/200, 200 ante

...and an introduction by Bruce Buffer, the PokerStars Players No-Limit Hold'em Championship is under way.

2019-01-06 13:26 UTC-4

The Biggest $25K Ever!

Webjoker

Nível 1 : 100/200, 200 ante

James Hartigan, Joe Stapleton, and Chris Moneymaker are ready

With 320 entries into this tournament courtesy of the PokerStars Platinum promotion, this tournament was always going to be the biggest $25,000 buy-in tournament in the history of the game. Among those 320, of course, were some lesser experienced poker players. Those, and the fact there's no rake, it's the Bahamas, and there's a guaranteed $1,000,000 added to first, attracted the sharks. And they are out in force.

When Bruce Buffer's last words echood through the Imperial Ballroom at the Atlantis Resort, the tournament clock indicated 728 players had registered. That's almost 100 players more than the standing record of 639 entries that was set in the WPT Championship event in the Bellagio back in 2007.

We took a look at the biggest $25,000 buy-in events in the history of the game. The Top 4 of that list, sorted by entries, is held by the WPT.

Year	Tour	Event	Buy-in	Entries	Prize Pool	Winner	First Place Prize
2007	WPT	Bellagio	$25,500	639	$15,495,750	Carlos Mortensen	$3,970,415
2006	WPT	Bellagio	$25,500	605	$14,671,250	Joe Bartholdi	$3,760,165
2008	WPT	Bellagio	$25,500	545	$13,216,250	David Chiu	$3,389,140
2005	WPT	Bellagio	$25,500	452	$10,961,000	Tuan Le	$2,856,150
2018	partypoker LIVE	MILLIONS World Bahamas	$25,500	394	$10,000,000	Roger Teska	$2,000,000
2004	WPT	Bellagio	$25,500	343	$8,342,000	Martin de Knijff	$2,728,356
2009	WPT	Bellagio	$25,500	338	$8,196,500	Yevgeniy Timoshenko	$2,149,960
2015	PokerStars Live	PCA	$25,000	269	$6,456,000	Ilkin Garibli	$1,105,040
2016	PokerStars Live	EPT Monte Carlo	€ 25,500	231	$6,531,825	Alexandru Papazian	$1,381,499
2014	PokerStars Live	EPT Monte Carlo	€ 25,500	214	$7,257,852	Philipp Gruissem	$1,378,059

Since 2010, PokerStars has organized a $25,000 event at the PCA. Here are the numbers for the main $25,000 event at the PCA since its inception:

Year	Tour	Event	Buy-in	Entries	Prize Pool	Winner	First Place Prize
2015	PokerStars Live	PCA	$25,000	269	$6,456,000	Ilkin Garibli	$1,105,040
2014	PokerStars Live	PCA	$25,000	247	$6,051,500	Jake Schindler	$1,192,624
2016	PokerStars Live	PCA	$25,000	225	$5,400,000	Nick Maimone	$996,480
2013	PokerStars Live	PCA	$25,000	204	$4,998,000	Vanessa Selbst	$1,424,420
2011	PokerStars Live	PCA	$25,000	151	$3,775,500	Will Molson	$1,072,850
2012	PokerStars Live	PCA	$25,000	148	$3,626,000	Leonid Bilokur	$1,134,930
2018	PokerStars Live	PCA	$25,000	144	$3,484,800	Christopher Kruk	$836,350
2010	PokerStars Live	PCA	$25,000	84	$2,057,998	William Reynolds	$576,240
2009	PokerStars Live	PCA	$25,000	48	$1,200,000	Bertrand Grospellier	$433,500

Registration remains open till the start of Day 2. While reentries are not allowed, it's a given that the number will grow. The registration line was long, and some might opt to start a little later.

2019-01-06 15:20 UTC-4

Pierce Loses to Kanit and Sow

poolshir

Nível 2 : 100/200, 200 ante

In the first hand, the board read with around 14,000 in the middle. Mustapha Kanit bet 7,000 from under the gun and Paul Pierce was considering his options from Kanit's direct left. After a while, Pierce reluctantly made the call but mucked as soon as Kanit tabled for the rivered straight.

The hand right after, Pierce raised to 1,000 from under the gun and Kalidou Sow three-bet to 2,200 from the button. The flop came , Pierce check-called the 2,000 bet of Sow. The turn was the , now Pierce check-folded to the 3,100 continuation-bet of Sow.

"I need to double up soon!" Pierce exclaimed while Kanit was filming an Instagram story claiming he was the real MVP and tagging Pierce in it. Pierce just laughed it off.

Jogador	Fichas	Progresso
Kalidou Sow	82,000 82,000	82,000
Mustapha Kanit	77,000 77,000	77,000
Paul Pierce	32,500 32,500	32,500

Tags: Kalidou Sow Mustapha Kanit Paul Pierce

2019-01-06 15:39 UTC-4

Garcia and Emmett Among Early Casualties

[user38873]

Nível 3 : 100/300, 300 ante

In the previous level, Randall Emmett joked in table chat who he considered as a professional player and fish. The American producer then claimed he had already engraved his name into the trophy and that the other players at the table could come outside and take a picture with it. One of them may well do that in a few days from now, but Emmett has been among the early casualties in the second level of the day.

Danny Tang and famous golfer Sergio Garcia also joined Emmett on the rail. Garcia ran into a set of David Yan twice in quick succession, first with aces versus queens on a queen-high flop and then with versus pocket tens when Yan immediately flopped another ten.

Jogador	Fichas	Progresso
David Yan	135,000 135,000	135,000

Ari Engel	95,000 95,000	95,000

Kenny Hallaert	85,000 25,000	25,000
Erik Seidel	80,000 80,000	80,000

Eoghan O'Dea	75,000 75,000	75,000
Goran Mandic	70,000 70,000	70,000
Adrien Allain	50,000 50,000	50,000

Chanracy Khun	45,000 45,000	45,000

Danny Tang	Eliminado

Randall Emmett	Eliminado
Sergio Garcia	Eliminado

Tags: Danny Tang Randall Emmett Sergio Garcia

2019-01-06 16:40 UTC-4

Introduction to the PokerStars Players Championship

[user76101]

Nível 4 : 200/400, 400 ante

The highly-anticipated PokerStars Players Championship is underway. Joe Hartigan, with the help of the UFC's Bruce Buffer, introduces you to the $25,000 tournament at the PokerStars Caribbean Adventure.

Tags: Atlantis Bruce Buffer Daniel Negreanu english Jeff Gross Norm Macdonald Paul Pierce PCA platinum pass Platinum Passes poker pokernews pokerstars PokerStars Caribbean Adventure Tony Hawk

2019-01-06 16:59 UTC-4

Mid-Stakes Grinders Take Their First $25K Shot in the PSPC

Nível 4 : 200/400, 400 ante

If you're a mid-stakes grinder that will ever play in a $25K tournament, this is probably the one to fire. With the more than one year of hype for the event, any serious poker player on the Circuit was aware of all the added value in the $25,000 PokerStars Players Championship, and most all of them dreamed of taking their seat in the event.

Some of those players secured the freeroll of a lifetime in the form of a Platinum Pass. But among those not as fortunate, many still decided to ship out to the Bahamas and take their shot anyway.

Chad Holloway

You usually see Chad Holloway on the media side in the poker world, but the PokerNews Associate Editor and MSPT Media Coordinator puts in his fair share of volume on the mid-stakes circuit. We caught up with Holloway as he was getting ready to take his seat in the biggest event he's ever played.

“This one’s definitely special as far as taking a big shot,” he said.

Holloway has a WSOP bracelet from winning the 2013 $500 Media Event for his biggest score of $85K, and has played in the $10K WSOP Main Event, but his usual tournaments are mid-majors with buy-ins ranging from $1,100 to $1,700. Playing in the $25K PSPC being out of the range of possibilities in his mind, an opportunity arose in a conversation with someone who believed in him enough to offer to take a big chunk of his action as an investor.

“That got my wheels turning and I decided to take him up on it. Then I sold a little more action and put up some of my own money."

Being a cornerstone of the poker media world for many years, Holloway is well aware of the significance of the event that suddenly came into the realm of the possible.

“I'm just taking a shot because it’s a historic event; being rake-free, all the added money, the Platinum Pass winners... If you have the means to play this tournament, you definitely should, and I think the poker world realizes that because they’re out in full force,” he told PokerNews.

“I didn’t charge any markup when I sold action, because for me, I’m never going to have the opportunity to play this event unless I sell shares, so people buying shares are doing me a huge favor, giving me the opportunity to play in this event.”

For many mid-stakes players, playing an event with a buy-in this big can put on a lot of extra pressure. Holloway did some extra preparation in the form of studying on training sites and reading Alexander Fitzgerald's new book 'Exploitative Play in Live Poker,' but ultimately Holloway just wants to play his game and enjoy the moment.

“My goals are just to take in the whole experience, have fun; it’s a historic moment in poker history and just to play my A-game and leave it all on the table. As long as I do that ,I think I’ll be content, no matter how it goes.”

Max Young

Another regular on the mid-stakes circuit who decided to take his shot in the PSPC is Max Young of Seaside, Oregon. The five-time Circuit ring winner has amassed over $1.2 million in live earnings, but he normally plays tournaments of $500 to $2,500 buy-ins, with a few $10Ks mixed in.

With some major recent success including winning the $1,700 WSOP Circuit Choctaw Main Event for his biggest score of $263,815, Young jumped on the chance to hop into the biggest $25K in history.

“Things have been going well for me lately in poker and I have a lot of friends and a lot of people in the poker community in the Northwest kind of believe in me. So I sold a little action and I figured why not, let’s give it a shot," Young told PokerNews before things kicked off. "I mean, this is going to be one of the best tournaments of all time. If I didn’t play, I’d definitely have a lot of FOMO.”

Fear of missing out can be strong, and you can be sure those players not in the PSPC field are feeling it to some extent. Young couldn't take that chance.

“I'm pretty excited, a little nervous," Young said. "It’s kind of cool to be here.”

Max Young has five Circuit rings. (Photo courtesy of WSOP Circuit)

As a full-time player with a busy routine of playing and studying, he didn't veer too much from his normal tournament preparation. When asked about his expectations of the PSPC, Young predicted:

“I think it’s just going to be bigger than anyone thought it was.”

Being a much bigger field than he's used to playing in, Young expects some differences from the $25K.

“I know there are going to be some top-level players in this field, so I’ll have to be aware of that and adjust accordingly. It’s not like I’m not used to playing against them some of the time, but there will be a higher percentage of them in this field. I mean it’ll be soft for a $25K but I don’t expect it to be soft.”

When asked about his goals for the tournament, Young responded:

“It’d be nice to win.”

Josh Reichard

Another familiar face in the mid-major circuit, Josh Reichard is also playing in his first-ever $25K event. The ten-time ring winner has $1.18 million in earnings to his credit. Like Young, Reichard recently notched his biggest career cash, which was $221,293 for winning the $2,500 HPT East Chicago Main Event last November. His normal buy-in being $1K or smaller, Reichard saw an opportunity in the PSPC.

“All the passes and added value... It seems like if I’m going to step up and play a bigger one like this, this is the one to do it in. And I’ve had some success lately so I can kind of justify it.”

With a backer who takes all of his action, Reichard didn’t need to sell off any pieces as the event is just a part of his deal. And although it's much bigger than he's ever played, Reichard didn't see a need to do anything differently in terms of preparation.

“I’m just pretty much treating it like any other tournament," Reichard told PokerNews." I think if you’re turning it into something bigger than what it is, it could be bad for you. I think you should just treat it the same as any other tournament.”

There is one key difference in this one, and Reichard is aware of what to expect.

“It’s a lot deeper than what I usually play which are Circuits and MSPTs. So I guess that would be the biggest difference in terms of preparation.”

Josh Reichard — Reichard is a ten-time WSOP Circuit ring winner.

It will also be tougher competition than he's used to, but Reichard welcomes the challenge.

“I think as far as competition level, it’s table-dependent, but in the end, this tournament will be way tougher than what I usually play. I look forward to it though,” he said with a smile.

Reichard just plans to play his best game with the goal of winning.

“That’s always my goal when I play a tournament.”

Tags: Chad Holloway Josh Reichard Max Young PokerStars PSC PSPC

2019-01-06 17:42 UTC-4

Terrence Chan Returns: "It's Not Like Any Other Event That's Ever Been Held"

Webjoker

Nível 4 : 200/400, 400 ante

PokerStars gave away 320 Platinum Passes, the majority of them to people who don't regularly play events with a buy-in of $25,000, or much poker at all. A field like that attracts a whole lot of other poker players; from super high roller regulars like Justin Bonomo and Adrian Mateos to circuit grinders taking a shot like Josh Reichard and Max Young.

And then there's the group of players who once dominated poker, but have since left the game behind. Walking through the hallways of the Atlantis Resort, you'll recognize many players who came out of poker retirement to give this event a shot.

Terrence Chan is one of those players. He was there right when PokerStars set up shop in the early 2000s, heading the customer service team at what would become the world's largest poker room. When the poker boom made poker rooms explode, Chan traded the corporate job for the life of a poker pro. Chan dominated the limit hold'em tables, winning SCOOP and WCOOP titles and becoming a familiar face at the WSOP. Some years ago, the now 38-year old Chan made another impactful life change, focusing his attention on becoming a professional MMA fighter.

His last cash came from the 2017 WSOP, but here at the PokerStars NL Hold'em Player Championship, Chan is back.

"I think if you 're looking for a one-word answer; it would be FOMO," Chan said when asked what made him come out to the PSPC. The fear of missing out saw him take a flight from Canada to get to the Bahamas; "I heard everyone talking about it, and it looked like it was going to be a great field. So I just said; you know what..."

While him showing up in this event might not prove to be a comeback to life as a professional poker player, it ís more than just gambling in a big event for Chan. What seemingly goes for all the things in his life, if he goes for it, he really goes for it. Playing this event wasn't a last-minute decision; Chan decided quite some time ago to give the PSPC a shot and did everything he could to be competitive.

"I had a fight a few months ago, and it didn't go my way. So I've been looking to channel my energy into something else. So I channeled myself into really studying hard, and I said 'Fuck it, I'll work hard; I'll try hard and see if I can catch up to the top pros in the field and give it a shot."

Coming up in the world of poker, limit hold'em was the game of choice for Chan. That game's popularity has been on a multi-year decline to the point it's hardly offered anywhere outside of some events at the WSOP these days.

"You can't swim against the current. You can't try to play a game that's not there anymore. I stopped playing limit hold'em a really long time ago," Chan said about his somewhat involuntarily decision to get into no-limit hold'em. "The good news is there's so much information out there, so much more than there used to be about how to play good no-limit hold'em. So you just soak up as much energy and hope that you can become a better student and that you worked a little harder than everybody else. That's all you can do."

When you take a look at Chan's accomplishments over the last two decades, it seems that Chan has a high level of success in the things he puts his mind to. He was highly praised in his time with PokerStars setting up the gold-standard of customer service in poker at the time, he became one of the top (limit hold'em) poker pros, and is a successful MMA fighter today. Just glancing over his accomplishments showcases the evidence of some of the hard work he's put in.

His accomplishments haven't come without challenges though, and these days, Chan is experiencing a new kind of life challenge.

"We have a one-year-old baby now. I'm trying to make her the focus of my life, and that's really hard to do with fighting. I spend 3 or 4 hours a day in the gym (or traveling to the gym or taking care of my body and that kind of stuff), and that's really hard [to combine with being a father]. I still love to do it. I'm 38, kind of old for MMA. I would absolutely still love to do it but the time commitment of something like this is hard, especially when it's not something that pays the bills or anything."

In an interview with Nolan Dalla back in 2016, Chan said he saw his fighting career somewhat as an apprenticeship to become an MMA instructor. Asked if that was still his plan for the future, he said it was still of multiple possible trajectories. "I talked to my coach; he's a family man too so he understands that balancing being a pro fighter and a family man is hard. He said 'you can train the next generation.' I would take a lot of enjoyment out of that. I do love the sport; if my body would hold up, I would do it forever, but that's just not realistic."

Chan had a decent enough start in the event. In the first break, when we caught up with him, Chan was anything but unsatisfied; "It's a lot of fun, there's a lot of energy in the room. A lot of people who don't play a lot of poker, like myself, coming back out. It's a good time to be here."

When Chan first started in poker, half a decade before Chris Moneymaker would ignite the poker boom, poker was anything but mainstream. The biggest event of them all, the WSOP Main Event, attracted 500 players. Now, almost 20 years later, over 900 people signed up for a $25,000 buy-in event. "It's shocking. When I was with PokerStars, there really weren't $25,000 events at all, of any kind. Those didn't start till the mid-2000's," Chan said. "For them [(PokerStars)] to have 900 people, that's pretty fantastic. It's wonderful. PokerStars really went all-in in 2018 on making sure people got into this and make sure they played it."

Chan had a front row seat when poker ballooned, but he also witnessed up close the decline in popularity that followed. The PSPC may be an outlier, an exceptional event pushed hard by the biggest player in the game, and might not be a reliable indicator of the state of poker. But, looking at the bigger picture with the PSPC's entry-number considered as just one of many data points to assess the game's popularity, things don't seem all that bad.

"If you look at tournament numbers around the world, it seems that it's actually very healthy. It's like a renaissance," Chan said. "I think it changed a lot from a gambling recreational game to now where everyone is a bit more serious. Even the recreational players are serious; they get coaching, they study online. I think it's a different evolution of the game. It's definitely not as mainstream as it once was from a pure gambling perspective. It's something the people who continue to play it, they take very seriously and they really enjoy doing it."

The game, one might say, has matured. People realize that to be competitive, one needs to have a strategy a bit more balanced than some years ago. Chan, having been out of the game for a bit, had a hard time coming up with an answer to the question where he ranks himself in the PSPC. Given the polarized playing field, judging his own skills proved not that easy. "Oh god, the variance could be tremendous. I could be maybe in the top 20 percent, or I could be in the bottom 20 percent. I really don't know."

Given the fact that Chan had played on a single table when we talked to him, gives him an incomplete scope of the field. "I've seen some really great players and some weaker players for sure. It's really hard to say. It so unique; it's one-of-a-kind for sure. It's not like any other event that's ever been held."

Tags: Terrence Chan

2019-01-06 18:00 UTC-4

Update Your Own Chip Count Using the PokerNews MyStack App!

mnuwwarah

Nível 5 : 200/500, 500 ante

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