Matthew Zarcadoolas raised it up from the hijack and was called by Mihails Morozovs on the button and Sergio Fernandez in the small blind. The flop came and the action checked around to the on the turn.
Fernandez led out with a bet of 3,500 and was called by both of his opponents. The river was the and Fernandez splashed in a bet of 11,200. Zarcadoolas laid his hand down but Morozovs quickly called. Fernandez tabled for a set of sevens but Morozovs held for a flush.
Andrew Graham raised to 1,200 from under the gun and was called by Taco de Goede in early position and Florencio Campomanes on the button. Scott Brown came along in the big blind.
The flop came and action checked through.
The came on the turn and Graham bet 3,000. Only De Goede called.
The river was the and Graham bet 3,000. De Goede called. Graham said "You're good" as De Goede tabled for top pair to take down the pot.
The PokerStars Players NLH Hold’em Championship (PSPC) is underway, and one man in attendance here in the Bahamas is Rakesh Ramdial, the winner of PokerStars’ ONCOOP (Ontario Championship Of Online Poker) Prize Draw, which awarded him a Platinum Pass package, worth $30,000.
PokerNews recently had the opportunity to chat with Ramdial prior to the PSPC.
PokerNews: Can you tell us a bit about yourself?
Rakesh Ramdial: I am 36 years old from Brampton Ontario, Canada. I am married with one child and another on the way. I am a certified Forklift Operator.
PN: Is it true that when you received the news that you’d won, both you and your wife thought it was a scam at first and didn’t believe it?
RR: Yes, at first we both didn’t believe it was real until I did some google searches on the PSPC and quickly found out that it’s legit.
PN: When and how did you learn to play poker?
RR: I started playing in my early 20s with some friends. Small tourneys like $10 buy-ins. I learned how to play from watching Poker After Dark on TV.
PN: What inspired you to join PokerStars?
RR: I just wanted to play without going to a casino, so when I learned about online poker, I just felt like I had to try it out.
PN: Is this your first live tournament? What does this opportunity mean to you?
RR: This is my first live tournament and this opportunity to play against the best in the world means a lot. I am by no means anywhere near some of these players’ level, so just being there soaking it all up for the experience is good for me. Plus, I get a free trip to the Bahamas!
PN: What’s your proudest poker accomplishment to date?
RR: I finished second in the Midnight Lightning for $800. That’s my biggest cash ever. So if I cash the PSPC, that will be amazing.
PN: Aside from maybe winning, what are you most looking forward to about your upcoming PSPC stop? Any poker pros you would like to meet? If so, why would you like to meet them?
RR: Just going to try and learn as much as I can from whomever I can. I remember watching Daniel Negreanu, Phil Hellmuth, (Phil) Ivey, Tom Dwan back in the day when Poker After Dark first came out, so if I see any of those guys that would be pretty cool.
PN: Will any friends or family be joining you in the Bahamas?
RR: Yes, my wife Ria and my daughter Malia will be coming with me.
Martin Jacobson opened to 1,500 from the button before Yuri Dzivielevski made it 5,500 from the small blind. Jacobson responded by four-betting to 12,500 and was called.
The flop checked through to the turn. Dzivielevski check-called for 6,500, leaving around 13,500 behind.
Dzivielevski checked for a third time on the river. Jacobson put his opponent all in but took in the pot after Dzivielevski folded.
Michael Addamo opened to 1,200 in middle position and Olga Iermolcheva flat-called from the next seat, while Aivaras Bardauskas also called from the big blind.
All three players checked on the flop and Bardauskas led out for 2,000 on the turn. Addamo called and Iermolcheva folded.
Bardauskas then checked on the river and Addamo checked back. Bardauskas announced he had ace-high but Addamo wanted to see it. The Lithuanian tabled and Addamo then showed to win the pot with a pair of sixes.
Action was caught on the turn with the board on show. Matt Affleck checked in the big blind. Boris Kolev and Michael Mirallez did the same from middle position and the cutoff respectively.
On the river, Affleck led out for 1,600. Only Mirallez called and he mucked after seeing Affleck had a straight with his .
Georgios Vrakas and Vladas Tamasauskas were heads up to the turn of a board showing . Vrakas checked to Tamasauskas, who fired 13,500.
Vrakas then announced all-in, betting enough to force Tamasauskas to a decision for the rest of his stack. Tamasauskas took some time and counted out his chips before ultimately folding, as Vrakas took down a sizeable pot.