John Dibella Claims 2012 PCA Main Event Title; Jason Koon Leads High Roller
After a week's worth of play at the Atlantis Casino and Hotel, John Dibella, a 43-year-old stock trader from New York, has won the 2012 PokerStars Caribbean Adventure Main Event title, outlasting a field of 1,072 players and a tough final table to take the title. After a final-table deal with eventual runner-up Kyle Julius, Dibella took home a cool $1.775 million for his efforts. Meanwhile, Jason Koon leads the way for tomorrow's eight-handed final table in the $25,500 buy-in High Roller event
The final table began with a trio of players nearly tied for the lead, with Faraz Jaka in front with 6.47 million, Kyle Julius next with 6.45 million, and Xuan Liu trying to be the first woman ever to win the PCA Main Event with her 6.335 million. Meanwhile, Dibella began with an average stack in fifth with 3.465 million.
It would take more than two hours of poker before the first elimination occurred. Ruben Visser began the final day in fourth, but had slipped to short-stacked status and found himself all in with 6c-6s against Julius' Ah-Qd. A queen flopped, and two cards later Visser was out in eighth.
Shortly after it was David Bernstein hitting the rail in seventh after running pocket fours into Dibella's Ad-Ac. And just a few hands later Xuan Liu took care of Anthony Gregg in sixth when the latter's As-10s failed to improve versus Liu's Ad-Qc.
Mark Drover was the next out in fifth when his Kh-Js couldn't catch against Jaka's 6c-6s. At that point Julius led with nearly 10.7 million, with Jaka right behind with just over 10 million. Meanwhile, Dibella and Liu were nearly even, with Dibella sitting at about 5.5 million and Liu at almost 5.4 million.
Those four would battle for more than two-and-a-half hours before Liu open-shoved a stack of about 3.8 million from the button with Ad-7d and got called by Jaka in the big blind with Ah-6d. The flop came 3s-Ac-6h, pairing Liu once but Jaka twice, and after the 5d turn and 2d river Liu was out in fourth.
Jaka would continue to accumulate chips, pushing out over 14 million and into the lead before a huge hand developed between Jaka and second-place Julius.
That one began with Julius opening for 700,000 (a bit over 2x) from the button, then Jaka reraising to 1.85 million from the small blind. Dibella folded, then Julius four-bet to 3.095 million. Jaka waited a beat, then announced he was all in and Julius called immediately, tabling Ad-Kc to Jaka's Kh-Jd.
The community cards came 7d-Ac-Ks-9h-8h, and suddenly Julius had a commanding lead with more than 21 million while Jaka had been crippled down to just 1.35 million.
Jaka would double up once through Julius. Then Dibella scored a big double through Julius as well in a wild hand in which Dibella flopped a set of sevens against Julius' pocket aces, filled up on the turn, then got all of his stack in and a call on the river to take the chip lead.
Jaka would be eliminated in third soon thereafter by Julius when the latter shoved with Ks-10c, Jaka called with As-Js, then the board came Kh-6s-2c-10d-Ac.
The two remaining players then took a break to discuss a possible deal, and after agreeing to terms returned to play it out. Both would take $1.5 million for their efforts, with the remaining $275,000, the trophy, and the Shamballa winner's bracelet still up for grabs.
Heads-up would last a little less than an hour (including a break), approximately 15 hands or so. After starting heads-up play with 18.585 million to Julius' 13.105 million, Dibella would chip away at Juilius, building to about a 3-to-1 chip advantage. Then came the final hand.
With the blinds at 200,000/400,000, Julius opened with a raise to 825,000 from the button and Dibella called. The flop came Ac-Qh-3c. Dibella checked, Julius bet 725,000, and Dibella called. Both then checked the 8d turn.
The river brought the 10c and a bet of 1 million from Dibella. Julius deliberated a bit, then announced he was all in, and Dibella wasted little time with the call. As it turned out, Juilius' shove was a bluff as he held but 9d-6s. Meanwhile, Dibella had rivered a flush with his 6c-5c to take the title.
2012 PCA Main Event final table payouts (*reflects two-way deal):
1st: John Dibella -- $1,775,000*
2nd: Kyle Julius -- $1,500,000*
3rd: Faraz Jaka -- $755,000
4th: Xuan Liu -- $600,000
5th: Mark Drover -- $468,000
6th: Anthony Gregg -- $364,000
7th: David Bernstein -- $260,000
8th: Ruben Visser -- $156,400
High Roller
The $25,500 buy-in High Roller event played out its Day 2 as well on Friday. After the starting field of 148 had been trimmed to 56 on the first day, that group played down to a final eight with Jason Koon ending the day in first with Jonathan Duhamel close behind in second.
Here's how the final eight of that event stack up for Saturday's final day of play:
1. Jason Koon -- 1,646,000
2. Jonathan Duhamel -- 1,530,000
3. Nicolas Fierro -- 1,181,000
4. Leonid Bilokur -- 1,139,000
5. Isaac Haxton -- 762,000
6. Govert Metaal -- 545,000
7. Michael Telker -- 397,000
8. Randy Lew -- 197,000
The top 16 cashed, with Elio Fox (16th, $58,020), Bill Perkins (15th, $58,020), Matt Marafioti (11th, $72,520), and end-of-Day-1 leader Nick Yunis (9th, $79,770) among those profiting in the event. All of the final eight will earn at least six figures for their finishes, with a prize of $1,134,930 awaiting tomorrow's winner.
