ElkY wins PCA

Team Pokerstars Pro Bertrand “ElkY” Grospellier has won the 5th PokerStars Caribbean Adventure, and a record first prize of $2 million, after besting a field of 1,136 players in the biggest televised poker tournament outside of the World Series of Poker.

The 26-year-old Frenchman said: "The entire trip has been one thrilling experience after another – and now I’m returning home as the 2008 PCA Champion. This was definitely one of the hardest tournaments I’ve ever played. It was a very tough field with a lot of online American qualifiers who played really well. But I really wanted this title and I would have been very disappointed not to win."

Hafiz Khan, 33, from northern California took second place for just over $1 million, and third place went to Kris Kuykendall, 25, from Cincinnati, for $800k. Top tournament professional David Pham, USA, came in fourth.

ElkY’s best friend Jacques Zaicik – who came 12th in the same tournament – said: “ElkY and I have been joking since the first day that he was just lending all his chips to the other players so they could play a bit, but they would have to give them back by the end of the week. And that’s what happened.”

A total of 650 players won their PCA seats – and a holiday at the Atlantis Resort and Hotel in the Bahamas – online with PokerStars, including all seven of ElkY’s final table opponents.

After a good start at the tournament, ElkY – who joined Team PokerStars two years ago – had a difficult Day 3 and on Day 4 went down to 400,000 chips but he managed to double up and began the final table in second position with just over 3 million. The key moment came when ElkY knocked out renowned professional Pham, one of five players he personally bust out of the tournament.

The deciding hand came when ElkY successfully called the bluff of Hafiz Khan with his pair of eights. That was enough to beat 9/3 off suit and secure the first prize of $2m for the Frenchman.

As an official stop on the PokerStars European Poker Tour, the 2008 PCA featured some of the best known and celebrated poker players in the world, including 20 Team PokerStars Pros such as WSOP Champions Chris Moneymaker, Greg Raymer, and Joe Hachem, plus multiple WPT champion Daniel Negreanu.

"This year’s PCA is an exciting addition to the EPT, attracting the widest field of European and international contenders for the biggest prize pool on the tour," said Lee Jones, Executive Host of the EPT. “There is no better way to kick off the 2008 EPT season.”

The next EPT is in Dortmund, Germany (January 29 – February 2, 2008). Satellites for Dortmund as well as EPT Warsaw, Copenhagen and the EPT Grand Final in Monte Carlo are running now on PokerStars.

Final results:
1. Bertrand "ElkY" Grospellier, France, $2,000,000
2. Hafiz Khan, United States, $1,094,976
3. Kris Kuykendall, United States, $800,000
4. David Pham, United States, $600,000
5. Craig Hopkins, United Kingdom, $450,000
6. Joseph Elpayaa, United States, $300,000
7. Christian Harder, United States, $200,000
8. Richard Fohrenbach, United States, $150,000