Chris Kruk Wins 2018 PCA $25,000 High Roller

Chris Kruk has won the 2018 PokerStars Caribbean Adventure $25,000 no-limit hold’em high roller, outlasting a field of 144 entries to win the title and the first-place prize of $836,350.

“I feel good. I feel happy with the decisions I made. And that’s all you can really do in tournament poker, just hope to run good and make good decisions. And today was my day,” Kruk told PokerStars reporters after coming out on top.

This was the largest live tournament cash of the 25-year-old Canadian poker pro’s career, and it brought his lifetime live earnings to $2,031,009. Just three days earlier Kruk finished seventh in the $25,000 buy-in single-day high roller event for another $71,580.

Kruk had to overcome a stacked final table en route to the win. Other players to make the final nine included all-time money leader Daniel Negreanu (9th – $83,640), high roller regulars Stefan Schillhabel (7th – $146,360) and Mikita Badziakouski (6th – $195,150), and WSOP bracelet winners Igor Kurganov (5th – $249,160) and Justin Bonomo (4th – $310,150).

Retired NFL defensive end Richard Seymour was the next player to go, hitting the rail in third place for $376,360 when his A9 couldn’t outrun Jonathan Jaffe’s QQ.

Jaffe took more than an 11-to-1 lead heading into the final showdown, but Kruk was able to win a few key all-in hands to find a couple of double ups and narrow the gap. Kruk was able to battle his way into the lead from there. By the time the final hand arose Jaffe had only nine big blinds.

With the blinds at 25,000-50,000 Kruk limped in from the button and Jaffe moved all-in for 450,000 with the 44. Kruk called with the JJ and the board ran out 852K8 and Kruk’s jacks held up to win him the pot and the title. Jaffe earned $569,760 as the runner-up finisher.

Here is a look at the payouts and POY points awarded in this event:

Photo credit: Carlos Monti / PokerStars.

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