This Week's Big Winner: Chino Rheem Wins PCA Main Event For More Than $1.5 Million

Chino Rheem is a three-time World Poker Tour champion. The 38-year-old also made the final table of the 2008 World Series of Poker main event. From 2008 through 2013, the L.A. poker pro put together an impressive run, managing four seven-figure scores during that stretch.

While he has found major success at the WSOP and on the WPT, Rheem entered 2019 having yet to secure a signature win in an event outside of the United States. That all changed when he outlasted a field of 865 entries to win the 2019 PokerStars Caribbean Adventure $10,300 buy-in no-limit hold’em main event, taking home $1,567,100. This was the fifth seven-figure score of Rheem’s career, and it saw his lifetime live tournament earnings surpass the $10 million mark.

Rheem has been at the center of controversy in the tournament poker world in the past, and was even put on probation by the now-defunct Epic Poker League shortly after he won one of their main events for $1 million. The punishment was due to his alleged failure to repay debts owed to other poker players. While Rheem has himself admitted that he has had issues, as far as his performance on the felt is concerned, his record speaks for itself.

Rheem dominated the final table of this event. He came into the day as the chip leader with six players remaining and proceeded to eliminate each and every one of his opponents on the way to securing the title.

Here are the five elimination hands that propelled Rheem to the title.

Tournament: PCA Main Event
Buy-In: $10,000
No. of Entries: 865
Prize Pool: $8,390,500
1st Place Prize: $1,567,100

The Action

Altman raised to 200,000 from under-the-gun and Rheem three-bet to 700,000 from the big blind. Altman then moved all in for 3,200,000 and Rheem made the quick call with pocket queens. Altman was caught holding just A 3, and failed to come from behind as the board fell 8 8 7 3 10. He picked up $297,020 for his sixth-place showing.

The Action

Bosca raised to 260,000 from the cutoff and Rheem defended from the big blind. The flop fell Q 10 3, and Rheem checked. Bosca bet 300,000, and Rheem opted to move all in. Bosca instantly called off the rest of his stack, and Rheem was a little surprised to see that his 5 3 was temporarily ahead of Bosca’s A J. Bosca could still win with any ace, jack, king, or diamond, making him a 60 percent favorite to double up according to the Card Player Poker Odds Calculator. The turn was the 10, shifting the advantage slightly to Rheem. The river was the 5, and Bosca was eliminated in fifth place, taking home $396,880.

The Action

The action folded around to Rheem in the small blind and he opted to move all in. Veksler looked down at A Q in the big blind and made the call, readying himself for a coinflip against Rheem’s pocket sixes. The board fell J 10 2 8 8 and Veksler hit the rail in fourth place, earning a payout of $503,440.

The Action

Rheem raised to 270,000 from the button and Wellenbach moved all-in for his last 1,950,000. Rheem made the call with A 10 and saw he was ahead of K Q. The flop of K 8 7, however, pushed Wellenbach into the lead. The turn was the J, giving Rheem outs to a straight. The river was the 9, and Rheem made his straight to take the pot and a 4:1 chip lead going into heads-up play. Wellenbach, who pledged to donate all of his earnings to charity, banked $671,240 for his third-place finish.

The Action

On just the seventh hand of heads-up play, Strelitz shoved for his last 3,590,000 on the button and Rheem snap-called with pocket fives. Strelitz had one overcard with A 2, and picked up additional outs to a straight as the flop fell K J 10. The 3 on the turn was no help, nor was the 10 on the river. Strelitz picked up $951,480 for his runner-up finish, the second largest score of his career following the $1,001,110 he pocketed when he took down the 2017 WPT L.A. Poker Classic. Rheem earned the title, the trophy, and the $1,567,100 first-place prize. He now has more than $10.2 million in career live tournament earnings.

Final Table Results

1. Chino Rheem — $1,567,100
2. Daniel Strelitz — $951,480
3. Scott Wellenbach — $671,240
4. Pavel Veksler — $503,440
5. Vincent Bosca — $396,880
6. Brian Altman — $297,020
7. Mihai Minole — $208,920
8. Marc-Andre Ladouceur — $146,840
9. Simon Deadman — $116,460