2006 PokerStars Caribbean Adventure Attracts Record Turnout
The centre of the poker universe moved to the Bahamas during the first two weeks of the new year as Poker Stars hosted the third annual PokerStars Caribbean Adventure (PCA). The poker tournament took place at the Atlantis Casino and Resort, on the beaches of Paradise Island. Most of the players attending won their tournament entries and paid vacations by qualifying online at Poker Stars, the world's largest and most innovative poker tournament website, some for as little as $6.
The championship event attracted a whopping 724 entries, over 60 percent higher than last year's number, with a total prize pool of $5,647,200. The winner was Steve Paul-Ambrose, a 22-year-old college student from Canada. Ambrose, a student at the University of Waterloo (in Ontario), outplayed the huge field - including the last three world poker champions - over a five- day span and won $1,363,100 for first place. He was cheered to victory by his mother, sister, and several friends who watched anxiously as the final table was taped for broadcast on the World Poker Tour. Ambrose won his way into the PCA via a satellite tournament held on Poker Stars for a total investment of $102.
"I don't think it has fully sunk in yet," Ambrose at a post-tournament press conference. "I was just so excited to be playing with some of the greats like Raymer and Moneymaker, but I never thought I would win it all. I am so glad PokerStars put together this great event to allow someone like me to compete, to win, and now - to defend my title next year."
Five of the six players who made it to the final table were relative newcomers to the poker tournament scene. Most who made it into the money were cashing in a live tournament for the first time ever - proving once again that online poker can be a significant training ground for major televised tournaments. The PCA also attracted several notable professionals and superstars, including current and former World Series of Poker champions Joe Hachem, Greg Raymer, Chris Moneymaker, and Tom McEvoy. But in the end, it was the young Canadian college student who walked away with the top prize.
The PCA also featured six secondary tournaments, which awarded over $1 million to winners. There were also a number of high-stakes cash games which attracted players from the United States and many countries throughout Europe, Central and South America. But perhaps the most memorable juncture at the PCA, aside from the record-setting main event, was the inaugural World Championship of Battleship Poker, launched exclusively by Poker Stars. Sixty-four online poker players paid the $1,000 entry fee and played a series of heads-up matches reminiscent of the traditional parlor game, called "Battleship." The matches were played online on Poker Stars, but in a unique twist, each set of opponents was seated across from one another, battleship-style. Michael Banducci, from Traverse City, MI was the first-year winner.
"This year's PCA was even bigger and better than we expected," said Lee Jones, poker room manager for Poker Stars. "And that's really saying something based on our high expectations from last year. This tournament brought everything together - great poker action, a multi-million dollar prize pool, and world-class amenities at the Atlantis. Best of all - the PCA demonstrates once again that Poker Stars is leading the way when it comes to originality and turning regular poker players into champions."
