The PokerStars Championship Bahamas Main Event began with 738 players, but today just 16 will return to action. They're all guaranteed $24,640 in prize money, but each have their eyes set on making the final table to stay in contention for the $480,012 first-place prize.
The man best positioned to make a run at it is Canada's Michael Gentili holds the chip lead with 3,708,000, which is over 150 big blinds. Gentili has $666,302 in live tournament earning, of which $494,797 came when he finished runner-up this past summer in the 2016 World Series of Poker Event 59: $5,000 No-Limit Hold’em.
Gentili holds a healthy lead as his next closest competitor is Russia’s Aleksei Opalikhin, who sits with 2.084 million. Others returning to action are former PokerStars Big Game “Loose Cannon” Nadya Magnus (1.87 million), 2016 WSOP Main Event third-place finisher Cliff Josephy (1.331 million), poker pro Christian Harder (1.305 million), 2012 PCA champ John Dibella (1.294 million), 2013 WSOP Main Event champ Ryan Riess (371,000), and the short-stacked PokerStars Team Pro Jason Mercier (340,000).
Day 5 kicks off at Noon local time with action picking up in Level 23. Here's how things stack up:
Rasmus Glæsel opened to 53,000, this time from the hijack after having done the same the hand before but getting no resistance. This time, he would meet someone willing to dance. It was Pedro Cabeca in the cutoff that shoved all in for what appeared to be 505,000.
The button and both blinds folded before Glæsel quickly called.
Rasmus Glæsel:
Pedro Cabeca:
The flop came and Cabeca was already getting up from the table to say his goodbyes. The on the turn and on the river were blanks and Cabeca was headed for the exit.
Down to 15 players now, all guaranteed $32,200 from here on out.
The former WSOP Main Event winner Ryan Riess is out in 15th place after being in the dominating position preflop. Reiss was all-in for 303,000 over the top of a Nadezhda Magnus opening bet to 52,000 pre-flop which Michael Vela had called. Once Riess was committed, Vela was the only caller.
Michael Vela:
Ryan Riess:
The flop of flipped the odds on their head and Riess was two cards from elimination. The turn gave Riess additional outs, but the , left Riess in pieces and Vela stacking up over two million chips.
A short-stacked Jason Mercier moved all in for 178,000 from the cutoff and action folded to Michael Bartholomew in the big blind.
"I have to call," he said before doing just that.
Bartholomew:
Mercier:
Mercier had a kicker problem, and it didn't get resolved on the flop. The turn paired the board and gave Mercier a bunch of chop outs, but the river was not one of them.
With that, the last Team PokerStars Pro remaining in the field hit the rail.
Alan Schein was eliminated after an aggressive hand against Aleksei Opalikhin ended up finishing the American's tournament. Pre-flop, Schein made it 53,000 and Aleksei Opalikhin raised to 147,000. Schein called to a flop of and Opalikhin moved all-in. Schein called off his remaining stack and he needed help.
Aleksei Opalikhin:
Alan Schein:
The turn of and river couldn't help Schein and he was out in an unlucky 13th place. We have a dozen players left, one of whom will be the first ever PokerStars Championship Main Event winner.
Marcin Kapkowski raised to 65,000 under the gun and action folded to Michael Gentili in the big blind. The chip leader pushed back with a three-bet to 210,000, and Kapkowski called to see the flop.
Gentili led out for 240,000, Kapkowski moved all in for 835,000, and Gentili called.
Kapkowski:
Gentili:
Kapkowski was in desperate need of a five, but he was left wanting as the blanked on the turn followed by the on the river.
After Michael Gentili raised to 65,000 under the gun, Michael Bartholomew three-bet all in for 915,000 from the cutoff. Christian Harder then four-bet all in over the top from the small blind, and Gentili got out of the way.
Harder:
Bartholomew:
Harder woke up with pocket rockets, and they sent Bartholomew to the rail after the board ran out a clean .
Rodrigo Cordoba raised to 85,000 from the button only to have Christian Harder three-bet to 245,000 from the small blind. Cordoba pushed back by moving all in for 1.075 million, and while Harder didn't seem excited about it, he called the additional 830,000 to put his opponent at risk.
Cordoba:
Harder:
It was a classic race, but not after the flop paired Harder. Neither the turn nor river helped Cordoba, and he hit the rail in 10th place. The remaining nine players will now combine to one table.
Nadya Magnus was down to just 605,000 when she moved all-in over the top of Michael Vela's opening bet of 95,000. Vela alone called off the shove, and it was a classic race once the cards were turned onto their backs.
Nadya Magnus:
Michael Vela:
The flop of saw Vela maintain his lead, but the on the turn gave Magnus 15 outs on the river. A serious sweat for Vela, then. But the river ended Magnus' tournament hopes and she bowed out before the official final table of eight players which is now formed.
There will be no second Main Event title for John Dibella in the Bahamas, at least not this year.
In what would be his final hand, Christian Harder raised to 90,000 and Cliff Josephy called from the cutoff. When action reached Dibella in the small blind, he moved all in for 235,000 and Harder isolated by moving all in over the top.
Dibella:
Harder:
The 2012 PCA champ got it in good, but he fell behind on the flop. Neither the turn nor river helped Dibella, and he owed out in eighth place for $56,260.
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and Cabeca was already getting up from the table to say his goodbyes. The 
on the turn and 
on the river were blanks and Cabeca was headed for the exit. 
flipped the odds on their head and Riess was two cards from elimination. The 
turn gave Riess additional outs, but the 
, left Riess in pieces and Vela stacking up over two million chips.
turn paired the board and gave Mercier a bunch of chop outs, but the 
and Opalikhin moved all-in. Schein called off his remaining stack and he needed help. 
couldn't help Schein and he was out in an unlucky 13th place. We have a dozen players left, one of whom will be the first ever PokerStars Championship Main Event winner.
blanked on the turn followed by the 
.
flop paired Harder. Neither the 
turn nor 
on the turn gave Magnus 15 outs on the river. A serious sweat for Vela, then. But the 
turn nor 