2012 PokerStars Caribbean Adventure

Day 1 of the 2012 PokerStars Caribbean Adventure $25,000 High Roller is in the books, and after eleven levels of play, 56 players remain and Nick Yunis is our chip leader with 407,100 chips. There were 141 players and seven re-entries (Bertrand “ElkY” Grospellier, Chris Moorman, Chance Kornuth, Eui Woong Kim, Joe Elpayaa, and Nick Yunis), making the total number of entries 148 – just ten less than last year. The total prize pool reached $3,626,000, and 16 players will cash for a minimum of $58,020. The lucky eight who make the final table are guaranteed $108,780, and the winner will receive $1,134,930 and the Shamballa bracelet.

Yunis, who leads by nearly 60,000 chips, busted during the first four levels, then re-entered. He steadily trended upwards with his second bullet, and in one key pot against Carlos Boyd, Yunis was faced with an all-in bet with the board reading . He had Boyd covered, but it was still a big decision, and he called, holding the . Boyd held – a monster draw – but the river was a blank, and Yunis secured the knockout. Yunis’ largest cash to date came late last year, where he finished fourth in a Partouche Poker Tour event for $47,763.

Businessman Bill Perkins stole the show today, playing seemingly every pot at his table. He was unafraid to get his chips in the middle, and his chip stack rocketed to 100,000 chips, then 200,000 chips, then 300,000 chips, and ended the day with 345,700 chips. Perkins recorded a few knockouts along the way, inclduding Viktor “Isildur1” Blom, Ludovic Lacay and Carlos Mortensen. The businessman always seems to enjoy his time at the table, but poker’s always a little more fun when the chips are gravitating towards you.

Leading Team PokerStars Pro in the field today was 2010 World Series of Poker Main Event Champion Jonathan Duhamel. Duhamel, who is having an amazing PCA, finished the day with 226,300 chips, and won several key pots, including one against fellow Team Pro Eugene Katchalov. In the hand, Duhamel opened to 1,300, and Katchalov three-bet on his direct left. The action folded back to Duhamel, he called, and the flop fell . Duhamel checked, Katchalov tossed out 2,500, and Duhamel check-raised to 7,700. Katchalov called. Duhamel led for 13,700 after the turned, Katchalov called, and the completed the board. Duhamel led again – this time for 28,400 – and Katchalov tank-called. Duhamel tabled for a straight, Katchalov mucked, and Duhamel pulled in a massive pot.

Katchalov survived the day though, and so too did Team Pros Pierre Neuville, Barry Greenstein, Joe Cada, and Ville Wahlbeck. Online Pro Randy Lew and Sports Star Gualter Salles also made it through to Day 2.

Will Molson will not reach heads-up play for the fourth straight year. Molson, who has cashed for over $1.6 million in this event in the past three years, was eliminated in the last level of the night, joining a long list of casualties including Pius Heinz, Daniel Negreanu, Jason Mercier, Vanessa Selbst, Chance Kornuth (twice), Joseph Elpayaa (twice), Matt Waxman, Justin Smith, Erik Cajelais, and many more.

The tournament is scheduled to resume at noon local time tomorrow, but there have been some rumblings that the re-start may be delayed. If there are any developments between now and the start of play tomorrow, we will let you know as soon as possible. Until then, goodnight from The Bahamas!

All tables are done for the night and the players are bagging and tagging. We'll have a complete recap of the day coming for you shortly.

The clock has been paused with just under 15 minutes left and each table will play out four more hands before bagging and tagging for the night.

Team PokerStars Pro Barry Greenstein fired 8,000 on the flop before Chris Hunichen raised to 20,000. Behind him, Nick Yunis made the call and then Greenstein folded.

The turn was the and both players checked through to see the land on the river. Hunichen bet 45,000 and Yunis tank-called after a couple minutes of thought. Hunichen revealed the and Yunis mucked.

Defending champion Will Molson has been eliminated from the tournament, meaning someone new will be wearing the crown this year.

Bill Perkins has just sent the 2001 World Series of Poker Main Event champion to the rail. With a little over 50,000 chips in the middle on the flop, Mortensen moved all in for 65,000. Perkins made the call after thinking for a bit with the . He was ahead of the for Mortensen and held after the hit the turn and hit the river.

Galen Hall was all in preflop for 22,900 in chips with the against the for Chino Rheem. The flop came down to make for a quick and easy double as the followed on the turn and on the river. Hall doubled and is now back to nearly the starting stack.