Poker news

Poorya Nazari from Toronto, Canada, has won the sixth PokerStars Caribbean Adventure for a record $3 million first prize.

The 22-year-old biochemistry graduate was one of 1,347 entrants in the $10k NLHE event, a number that crushed all records for a poker tournament held outside the USA and created a total prize pool of more than $12.5 million.

Poorya won his seat on PokerStars in a $33 triple turbo rebuy tournament, investing only $700 to win his trip to the Caribbean. The record field included 1,059 PokerStars players, of whom 746 had won their seats online with PokerStars.

He admitted he was stunned by the win; one of the biggest sporting prizes in the world. He said: “It was only today that I started thinking about winning. At one point yesterday I was down to virtually nothing but I got off to a good start today and at that point I thought I might have a shot.”

Poorya, who has never been to Europe, has also won a seat in the EPT Grand Final which takes place April 28 - May 3.

The Team PokerStars Pro Alexandre Gomes made the final table but was knocked out in fourth place, earning $750,000. Among the stars in the tournament were the German tennis legend and PokerStars ambassador Boris Becker as well as 26 Team PokerStars Pros. The roll call of top players included last year’s PCA champion Bertrand “ElkY” Grospellier, the former world champions Joe Hachem, Greg Raymer and Chris Moneymaker, the multiple bracelet winner Daniel Negreanu and sponsored PokerStars player Peter Eastgate, who became the youngest ever WSOP world champion when he won $9 million in November. Other stars who took part included Phil Ivey, Gus Hansen, Chris Ferguson, Antonio Esfandiari and Eli Elezra.

The Team PokerStars Pros Vicky Coren, Barry Greenstein, Marcin Horecki and Tom McEvoy also cashed in the main event, alongside sponsored players Kathy Liebert - 12th for $120,000 - and PokerStars Six players Ylon Schwartz and Eastgate.

Team PokerStars Pros excelled during the PCA “Festival of Poker” with ElkY, last year’s PCA champion, taking home $433,000 for winning the $25,000 PCA High Roller event and Hevad Khan winning the $2,000 side event for $200,000. Eastgate followed up his cash in the main event by winning the $5,000 event for $343,000.

Other events this week included the Battleship tournament, won by Bahbak "bigredAK" Oboodifor a $44,800 first prize, and the finals of the World Cup of Poker, won by Germany.

John Duthie, the Executive Producer of the PokerStars.com European Poker Tour, said: “The PCA is the first major poker event on the hectic 2009 poker calendar and the recent worldwide financial crisis did nothing to deter more than 1,300 people entering the $10,000 buy-in main event that smashed all records for a poker tournament outside of the States.”