Welcome to Day 1a of the 2019 PCA $10,300 Main Event
Poker enthusiasts from near and far will be heading to the Atlantis Resort & Casino on Paradise Island at the Bahamas for the 2019 PokerStars Caribbean Adventure (PCA) $10,300 Main Event. The first of two starting days kicks off at noon local time and plenty of big names are expected to join the action and try to become the latest EPT Main Event champion.
The defending champion is Argentina's Maria Lampropulos, who topped a field of 582 entries one year ago to lift the trophy and score a payday of $1,081,100, her second seven-figure score on the international poker circuit. Lampropulos has already taken part in the record-breaking $25,000 PokerStars NL Hold'em Players Championship, which concluded yesterday with the victory of Platinum Pass qualifier Ramon Colillas, and will be there to defend her title in the days to come.
Further previous winners in the PCA Main Event include such big names as Gus Hansen, Bertrand Grospellier, Harrison Gimbel, Galen Hall, Dominik Panka and Christian Harder, who have all engraved their names into the history books of poker.
PCA Main Events at a Glance
| Year | Buy-In | Entries | Total Prize Pool | Winner | First Prize |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | $7,500 | 221 | $1,657,500 | Gus Hansen | $455,780 |
| 2005 | $8,000 | 461 | $3,487,200 | John Gale | $890,600 |
| 2006 | $8,000 | 724 | $5,647,200 | Steve Paul-Ambrose | $1,388,600 |
| 2007 | $8,000 | 937 | $7,063,842 | Ryan Daut | $1,535,255 |
| 2008 | $8,000 | 1,136 | $8,562,976 | Bertrand Grospellier | $2,000,000 |
| 2009 | $10,000 | 1,347 | $12,674,000 | Poorya Nazari | $3,000,000 |
| 2010 | $10,300 | 1,529 | $14,831,300 | Harrison Gimbel | $2,200,000 |
| 2011 | $10,300 | 1,560 | $15,132,000 | Galen Hall | $2,300,000 |
| 2012 | $10,300 | 1,072 | $10,398,400 | John Dibella | $1,775,000 |
| 2013 | $10,300 | 987 | $9,573,900 | Dimitar Danchev | $1,859,000 |
| 2014 | $10,300 | 1,031 | $10,070,000 | Dominik Panka | $1,423,096 |
| 2015 | $10,300 | 816 | $7,915,200 | Kevin Schulz | $1,491,580 |
| 2016 | $5,300 | 928 | $4,500,800 | Mike Watson | $728,325 |
| 2017 | $5,000 | 738 | $3,376,712 | Christian Harder | $429,664 |
| 2018 | $10,300 | 582 | $5,645,400 | Maria Lampropulos | $1,081,100 |
The Main Event features two starting days and a single re-entry option for a maximum of two entries in either of the flights is available, all players receive 30,000 in chips. The registration for the event closes at the start of Day 2 on Sunday, January 13th, 2019.
Both Day 1s will feature 10 levels of 60 minutes each and there will be a break every two levels. After the end of the 6th level of the day, there will be a 1:20 dinner break (approx. 18:40 - 20:00) and each Day 1 will conclude just after midnight local time.
As of Day 2, the level duration increases to 90 minutes each and once the money has been reached, a 30 second shot clock and 30 second time bank cards will come into play until a winner has been crowned. The tournament also features the popular Big Blind Ante. In an all-in situation, the Big Blind will be posted prior to the Ante.
Day 1 Level Structure
| Level | Duration | Small Blind | Big Blind | Ante |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 60 min | 100 | 100 | |
| 2 | 60 min | 100 | 100 | 100 |
| BREAK 20 min | ||||
| 3 | 60 min | 100 | 200 | 200 |
| 4 | 60 min | 100 | 300 | 300 |
| BREAK 20 min | ||||
| 5 | 60 min | 200 | 400 | 400 |
| 6 | 60 min | 200 | 500 | 500 |
| DINNER BREAK 80 min | ||||
| 7 | 60 min | 300 | 600 | 600 |
| 8 | 60 min | 400 | 800 | 800 |
| BREAK 20 min | ||||
| 9 | 60 min | 500 | 1,000 | 1,000 |
| 10 | 60 min | 600 | 1,200 | 1,200 |
Follow the PokerNews live coverage from the Bahamas to find out who will become the next EPT Main Event champion.