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Casinos> 2009
- Real Casinos News Archive> POORYA NAZARI WINS $3 MILLION AT POKERSTARS CARIBBEAN
ADVENTURE
Poorya Naziri from Toronto, Canada, turned $700 into $3 million
today when he won the sixth PokerStars Caribbean Adventure.
Atlantis, Paradise Island, Bahamas- January 11, 2009 - Poorya Naziri
from Toronto, Canada, turned $700 into $3 million today when he
won the sixth PokerStars Caribbean Adventure.
The 22-year-old biochemistry graduate won his seat on PokerStars
in a $33 triple turbo rebuy tournament, investing only $700 to win
his trip to the Caribbean and a seat in the PCA ‘Festival
of Poker’ main event. He was one of 1,347 entrants in the
$10k no limit hold 'em event - a number that smashed all records
for a poker tournament held outside the United States and created
a total prize pool of more than $12.5 million.Poorya, who graduated
last month, 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 a won a seat in the EPT Grand Final which takes place in
Monte Carlo, April 28 - May 3.
To see more of the PCA tournament please click here http://www.pokerstars.tv/channels/66296/movies/show.html?video_construct_id=6317
The record field at this year’s PCA included 1,059 PokerStars
players, of whom 746, including Poorya, had won their seats online
with PokerStars.
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 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, 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.
Also sponsored into the event were PokerStars Six players Ivan
Demidov, Darus Suharto and Dennis Philips as well as the Norwegian
star Johnny Lodden, the American baseball legend Orel Hershiser
and the Brazilian Indy stock car racer Gualter Salles.
Team PokerStars Pros had a great week during the PCA ‘Festival
of Poker’ with Grospellier, 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.”
Final Table / Payouts
Name Country PokerStars Status $
1st Poorya Nazari Canada PokerStars Qualifier $3,000,000
2nd Benny Spindler Germany PokerStars Player $1,700,000
3rd Tony Gregg USA PokerStars Player $1,100,000
4th Alexandre Gomes Brazil Team PokerStars Pro $750,000
5th Pieter Tielen Holland PokerStars Qualifier $550,000
6th Dustin Dirksen USA PokerStars Supernova Elite $400,000
7th Daniel Heimiller USA $300,000
8th Kevin Saul USA PokerStars Qualifier $234,000
The next stop on the PokerStars.com European Poker Tour is the
€5,300 buy-in EPT Deauville event running from 20-24 January
at Deauville Casino. For more information, please visit http://www.ept.com.
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