$25,000 8-Handed
Day 2 Completed
2023 PokerStars Caribbean Adventure
$25,000 8-Handed
Day: 2
Event Info
Final Results
Event Info
Level Info
Players Info - Day 2
2023 PokerStars Caribbean Adventure
Buy-in
$25,000
Prize Pool
$3,361,400
Entries
140
Level
27
Blinds
100,000 / 150,000
Ante
150,000
Entries
140
Players Left
1
Level 27
: Blinds 100,000/150,000, 150,000 ante
Poker's all-time money leader Justin Bonomo extended his lead early this morning when he took down $25,000 8-Handed at the 2023 PokerStars Caribbean Adventure (PCA) for $574,529 after a three-handed ICM chop with chip leader Rui Ferreira (2nd -$664,820) and Isaac Haxton (3rd - $491,550), who was a few runouts away from winning his second trophy of the series after a victory in $100,000 PCA Super High Roller for $1,082,230.
Bonomo had $58.9 million in earnings before the six-figure haul that puts him at a historic $59.5 million. It will take a multi-million dollar score for anyone to pass the American as he sits comfortably ahead of Bryn Kenney ($57.2 million) and Erik Seidel ($42.4 million).
The victory marks Bonomo's first tournament win outside of Las Vegas since 2019 and just his second cash out of Vegas since that time. The first came earlier this week when he finished 44th in the $10,000 PCA Main Event for $29,400.
“Just like any other tournament, you have to play your best, you have to get lucky, catch the right cards at the right time," Bonomo said when asked what propelled him to his latest victory. "Just a combination of things coming together, really.”
While many of the high rollers so far at PCA have attracted intimate fields with just a few dozen runners, the $25,000 8-Handed ballooned into a massive field of 140 players, an astonishing number for an event at this buy-in, to generate $3,361,400 in prize money.
“It was a great field," Bonomo told PokerNews in a winner's interview. “I’m used to playing these high-roller tournaments against a lot of the best players in the world, a lot of the same people over and over. So it’s definitely exciting when I get to play with new people, people I don’t recognize."
Other players who made deep runs in the event include Alex Kulev (9th - $108,450), Seth Davies (7th - $130,600) and Jean-Noel Thorel (5th - $220,700), who received a round of applause from Steve O'Dwyer and several others as he exited the final table.
2023 PCA $25,000 8-Handed Final Table Results
| PLACE | PLAYER | COUNTRY | PRIZE (IN USD) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Justin Bonomo | United States | $574,529* | |
| 2 | Rui Ferreira | Portugal | $664,820* | |
| 3 | Isaac Haxton | United States | $491,550* | |
| 4 | Carlos Chadha | Canada | $286,950 | |
| 5 | Jean-Noel Thorel | France | $220,700 | |
| 6 | Mario Mosboeck | Austria | $169,800 | |
| 7 | Seth Davies | United States | $130,600 | |
| 8 | Alex Kulev | Bulgaria | $108,450 | |
| 9 | Dominykas Mikolaitis | Lithuania | $90,350 |
A Massive Field Dwindles
The tournament was already shaping to be a big one when 78 players registered on Day 1, but another 62 joined during the late-reg period on Day 2 to turn the high roller into the biggest of the series so far.
The field included all the normal high-stakes pros, including Stephen Chidwick, Michael Addamo, Mike Watson and Ben Heath, as well as some players who aren't seen in any many PCA high rollers like Ethan "RampagePoker" Yau.
Only 20 places paid in the event and Tauan Naves bowed out on the money bubble in a three-way pot between himself, Bonomo and Dan Shak, who himself went out in 18th place when he moved in with ace-nine only to find himself dominated by the ace-queen of Haxton.
Several familiar faces fell after that, including Timothy Adams (17th - $43,050), Dan Smith (15th - $56,950) and Chad Eveslage (14th - $56,950) before Daniel Dvoress went out in tenth on the final table bubble.
Battle of Poker's Greatest Minds
Kulev went out in 8th place when he open-jammed with pocket threes in the small blind and Bonomo woke up with pocket queens in the big blind. Mario Mosboeck managed to double up through the eventual champion before Ferreira picked up jacks and the Austrian couldn't get ahead with his king-ten.
Bonomo and Ferreira, who took down €10,300 EPT High Roller at EPT Barcelona for €767,750 in August 2022, exchanged chip leads at the final table and both did their part to apply pressure on their shorter-stacked opponents.
“What you want to look for are spots where you can pressure them using only a small amount of chips and make them afraid that they’re going to lose their whole stack," Bonomo explained. "Because you don’t just want to go all-in for heaps every hand, because then you can actually lose a bunch. But just by putting in small bets (or) small raises, every hand they’re afraid that they might go bust. They might end up in sixth instead of third place, or whatever.”
After Carlos Chadha went out in fourth as his pocket eights were pipped by the pocket nines of Haxton, the three high-stakes crushers agreed to chop and flip for the trophy.
Bonomo, who celebrated the victory with his girlfriend, told PokerNews he agreed to chop in part because he was “playing against two great players."
"Isaac and I go way back," he said. "I think he’s one of the best players in the world, possibly the greatest poker mind in the world. And Rui is a tough player as well.”
That wraps up the PokerNews live reporting team's coverage of the larger-than-anticipated $25,000 8-Handed. Be sure to check out the team's coverage of other events here in The Bahamas.
Level 27
: Blinds 100,000/150,000, 150,000 ante
Rui Ferreira was all in against Justin Bonomo and the cards were on their backs.
Rui Ferreira: 
Justin Bonomo: 
The board ran out 
for Ferreira to pair his seven to double through Ferreira for a shot at the trophy. But Ferreira was still at risk and the cards were again flipped.
Rui Ferreira: 
Justin Bonomo: 
The board ran out 
and Bonomo stayed ahead with king-high to eliminate Ferreira in second place.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
21,000,000
6,000,000
|
6,000,000 |
|
||
|
Busted | |
Level 27
: Blinds 100,000/150,000, 150,000 ante
The three players were all in blind and Isaac Haxton was the effective stack.
Isaac Haxton: 
Justin Bonomo: 
Rui Ferreira: 
The board ran out 
for Bonomo to scoop as Haxton was eliminated in third place for $491,550.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
15,000,000
8,550,000
|
8,550,000 |
|
|
||
|
|
6,000,000
4,910,000
|
4,910,000 |
Level 27
: Blinds 100,000/150,000, 150,000 ante
The three remaining players have agreed on an ICM chop for the prize money and will be flipping for the trophy. Rui Ferreira had the chip lead and will take home $664,820, while Justin Bonomo will get $574,529 and Isaac Haxton will get $491,550.
Level 27
: Blinds 100,000/150,000, 150,000 ante
Isaac Haxton open-shoved from the cutoff and Carlos Chadha called off on the button as the clear short stack.
Carlos Chadha: 
Isaac Haxton: 
"Ah! I thought I was in good shape," Chadha lamented after seeing he was pipped.
"You were a big favorite to be," replied Haxton.
The board proceeded to run out 
and Chadha was eliminated in fourth place.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
3,600,000 | |
|
||
|
|
Busted | |
Level 27
: Blinds 100,000/150,000, 150,000 ante
Justin Bonomo opened to 300,000 and was called by Rui Ferreira, but then Jean-Noel Thorel moved all in, which prompted a quick fold from Bonomo.
Ferreira double-checked his cards and promptly made the call, putting Thorel at risk.
Jean-Noel Thorel: 
Rui Ferreira: 
This was about as even of a flip as it gets, but the flop of 
gave the lead to Ferreira right away as he paired his jack. The board ran out and having failed to hit his deuce, Thorel was eliminated in fifth place. He was then greeted with a big round of applause from the rail as he made his way outside of the tournament area.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
6,450,000
-850,000
|
-850,000 |
|
|
||
|
|
1,090,000
-7,910,000
|
-7,910,000 |
|
Busted | |
Level 27
: Blinds 100,000/150,000, 150,000 ante
Rui Ferreira opened to 300,000 on the button and Carlos Chadha defended out of the big blind.
Chadha checked on the 
flop and Ferreira continued for 450,000. Chadha used a time bank and called. Chadha checked again on the turn and Ferreira sized up further to 750,000. Chadha again called.
The 
river completed the board and Chadha used a time bank before leading for a peculiar 330,000. Ferreira quickly raised all in and Chadha folded to hang onto his remaining 1,100,000.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
9,000,000
2,500,000
|
2,500,000 |
|
|
1,100,000
-1,000,000
|
-1,000,000 |
Level 27
: Blinds 100,000/150,000, 150,000 ante
The remaining three players have been sent on another 15-minute break.
Level 27
: Blinds 100,000/150,000, 150,000 ante
Rui Ferreira opened to 300,000 under-the-gun, but was then three-bet to 750,000 by Carlos Chadha on the button. Jean-Noel Thorel folded from the small blind and after some pause, Justin Bonomo then four-bet to 1,700,000 from the big blind.
This seemed to do the trick as the other players quickly mucked their hands and the pot was pushed to Bonomo for a nice pickup.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
7,300,000
1,500,000
|
1,500,000 |
|
|
||
|
|
6,500,000
-1,000,000
|
-1,000,000 |
|
|
2,100,000
-200,000
|
-200,000 |