Punta Cana Poker Classic 2018
In Poker news, Becky talks to Ivonne Montealegre, Event Coordinator of the 2nd Punta Cana Poker Classic on Nov 8 - 13th. Featured Articles Time for investors to abdicate the Crown. The Punta Cana Poker Classic Main Event is going to be running from November 10th through to November 14th and members of the DoylesRoom online poker community will be there en mass with packages worth $3,100. Each of these packages will cover the buy-in to the $100,000 Main Event, $1,000 for travel, 4 nights’ accommodation, all inclusive. Mostly though, I am excited that in less than two weeks I will be heading to the Punta Cana Poker Classic with RonFezBuddy. Should be a blast and I cannot wait to play some live poker again. It’s been tooooo long! We will be doing an episode of the TPE LIVE podcast from their, so stay tuned for that.
Guillermo Olvera won an exciting conclusion to the Americas Cardroom-sponsored Punta Cana Poker Classic Main Event to collect the first prize of $171,000.
Guillermo Olvera won an exciting conclusion to the Americas Cardroom-sponsored Punta Cana Poker Classic Main Event to collect the first prize of $171,000.
Due to the fantastic packages being offered by primary sponsor Americas Cardroom, 490 players arrived in the Dominan Republic last week to compete in the $500,000 guaranteed Punta Cana Poker Classic Main Event – smashing the guarantee and creating a $712,950 prize pool which was shared by the top fifty players.
The $1,650 buy-in tournament attracted such names as WSOP November Niner Marc Etienne “Go_Irish_Go” McLaughlin and last year´s WPT Montreal Main Event winner Jonathan Roy but, by the time the final table was set, both players had been sent to the rail. When play resumed at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino, Chilean poker player Leo Otazo held the chip lead ahead of two former WPT Main Event winners – Chanracy Khun and Anthony Zinno.
# | Punta Cana Poker Classic | Chips |
1 | Leo Otazo | 2,475,000 |
2 | Chanracy Khun | 2,360,000 |
3 | Derrick Scott | 1,250,000 |
4 | Guillermo Olvera | 940,000 |
5 | Gabriel Diaz | 885,000 |
6 | Patrick Serda | 650,000 |
7 | Anthony Zinno | 615,000 |
8 | Jonathan Iavouelli | 495,000 |
9 | Stuart Marshak | 195,000 |
Ace-King Good for Iavouelli
With blinds of 25,000/50,000 (ante 5,000) when the final table of the Punta Cana Poker Classic got underway, it was no surprise to see Stuart Marshak shoving from the off. Twice in succession he managed to collect the blinds and antes, but it was to be third time unlucky when he shoved with pocket Queens into the Ace-King of Jonathan Iavouelli, and an Ace landed on the flop – Marshak quickly out in ninth place.
Jonathan Iavouelli chipped up almost immediately to beyond one million chips when getting all-in – again with Ace-King – and receiving a call from Derrick Scott (pocket Sixes). A King on the flop and a second one on the River crippled Scott, and the American was soon eliminated in eighth when Chanracy Khun rivered a straight and Scott missed his club flush draw.
Three Bad Beat Stories
Despite two quick eliminations, the action continued thick and fast. Patrick Serda was bust in seventh by Anthony Zinno after his flopped set of Eights was not good enough to overcome Zinno´s flopped set of Aces, and Gabriel Diaz was sent to the rail in sixth when Chanracy Khun rivered a Ten to best Diaz´ flopped top pair of Nines and quieten the Peruvian LSOP winner´s vocal support.
With the elimination of Diaz, Chanracy Khun moved into the chip lead; but he was soon to be eliminated himself after Anthony Zinno had forced him out of a massive pot, and then he suffered an incredible bad beat at the hands of Leo Otazo. Otazo had moved all-in with J♠ J♥, and it was an easy call to make for Khun – who was holding K♦ K♠. However the board ran 8♥ 9♠ Q♥ / 10♥ / 9♦ to give Otazo a straight and move him into the chip lead. A rather upset Khun gone in fifth place.
There was a Mexican, a Chilean and two Americans …
The formerly anonymous Guillermo Olvera now started to get into the act, and he reduced Anthony Zinno down to the short stack before Leo Otezo finished the job Ace-Nine > Jack-Ten. Olvera and Otezo combined again to first cripple and then eliminate Jonathan Iavouelli in third; but only after the last American player standing had got in with pocket Kings against Otezo´s pocket Sixes, and watched in horror as the board gave Otezo a rivered straight.
Going into the heads-up (blinds 60,000/120,000 – ante 15,000) both players were similarly stacked with about 5 million chips each, and for two hours the balance of power swung back and forth to the cheers of “Vamos” from the animated Mexican and Chilean supporters. Eventually, Guillermo Olvera opened up a gap between the two players and, in attempting to recover his position ahead of the Punta Cana Poker Classic, Leo Otezo moved all-in with Q♦ 2♦ on the flop of 10♦ 3♠ {4♦ç.
Olvera made the call having two diamonds of his own – K♦ 7♦. The Turn of 6♣ was of no use to Otezo, as a Five on the River would have given Olvera a better straight, and the Chilean was left hoping for a Queen on the River. Unfortunately for Otezo – and against the run of play on a final table that had already seen its fair share of bad beats – the A♠ completed the board and Mexican Guillermo Olvera had become the 2013 Punta Cana Poker Classic Champion.
# | Punta Cana Poker Classic | Prize |
1 | Guillermo Olvera | $171,100 |
2 | Leo Otazo | $101,952 |
3 | Jonathan Iavouelli | $62,740 |
4 | Anthony Zinno | $38,500 |
5 | Chanracy Khun | $30,657 |
6 | Gabriel Diaz | $23,527 |
7 | Patrick Serda | $20,676 |
8 | Derrick Scott | $17,824 |
9 | Stuart Marshak | $14,972 |
Related Poker News:
San Jose, Costa Rica – March 5, 2018 – After eight successful years, the Punta Cana Poker Classic in the Dominican Republic has decided to close its doors. Flagship sponsor, the Winning Poker Network, has searched for an alternative for their players and come up with something big.
Punta Cana Poker Classic 2018 Leaderboard
The Punta Cana Poker Classic offered the online Winning Poker Network (WPN) a great opportunity to connect with players in a real-world setting. And while the door has closed for one land-based destination, another is just opening.
WPN is turning their attention to their own backyard in San Jose, Costa Rica. That’s where they will host the Live Cage five times this year, starting in March. The Live Cage lasts two days and is based on their online cash game in tournament format that runs every Wednesday.
While the Punta Cana Poker Classic was suitable for families, The Live Cage is geared toward singles who want to get a little crazy. The event takes place at the popular Taormina Hotel in San Jose.
Punta Cana Poker Classic
Players looking to win their way into The Live Cage can do so every Sunday (6pm ET) at WPN sites. For $55, players can buy into a Beast and Sit & Crush Live Cage Satellite. Those who rank on the Beast or Sit & Crush weekly leaderboards can win their satellite seat for free.
The weekly satellite awards three $8,000 guaranteed Live Cage packages. Each includes the $5,250 buy-in, up to 3 nights hotel accommodations, $800 in airfare and $1,000 spending cash.
Package winners can choose to attend any of the remaining Live Cage events in 2018. The packages are a must-play as they cannot be redeemed for cash and are non-transferable.