Home / Poker News January 2016 / What's Next for the PCA?
What's Next for the PCA?
Posted by: James Carter. - Wed, 2016-01-27 08:57
In the years following the popularity explosion of poker and
online poker in 2004, various poker tours and tournaments sprung up everywhere, of which some have long landed in the dustbin of poker history. Few players out there remember the partypoker Millions or the World Poker Open for instance, and there are indeed scores of other such once major events, to have been permanently erased from event calendars. With all that in mind, the success of the PCA (PokerStars Caribbean Adventure) has been quite remarkable to say the least. The first major event-series of the new year, the PCA never fails to attract throngs of well-to-do players as well as scores of online qualifiers and recreational players who look for their piece of poker glory in the side events. This year though, something went wrong, even though the PCA was there yet again and it was drawing players.
Attendance numbers failed to impress however, and the Main Event set the dubious record of awarding its smallest top-prize ever.
Sign up to PokerStars: besides being the very best destination for online poker, the site is the most prolific gateway to live events such as the PCA.
The PCA Main Event was one of the potentially life-altering tournaments, on nearly equal footings with the WSOP Main Event. In 2009 for instance, winner Poorya Nazari took home a record haul of $3 million from its tables, but this year's winner, Mike Watson, had to settle for $833.2k, the smallest such prize in the land-based history of the Series. A total of 928 players coughed up the buy-in this time around, representing an increase of some 14% over last year's 816 registrants. The problem was though that the buy-in was just $5.3k this year, compared to the $10k of years past. This seemingly positive move turned out to be a misstep: players who can afford to go to the Caribbean to play poker, can afford the $10k buy-in and the reduced prize-pool probably didn't sit well with these guys.
Register an account with PokerStars right now and start building up that bankroll!
