Dan Shak Leads Field into PCA Super High Roller 2014 Final Table

Dan Shak is accompanied by Vanessa Selbst, Antonio Esfandiari, Fabian Quoss, Matt Glantz, Tony Gregg and Ole Schemion in the seven-handed finale for the $1,629,940 first prize.

With the $100,000 Super High Roller event, the first major live poker festival of the year, the PCA 2014 started on 5 January. 45 players registered in a total of 52 entries and with registrations on Day 2, they accumulated a prize pool of $5,433,120. Current world champion Ryan Riess, as well as Bertrand ‘ElkY’ Grospellier, John Juanda, Steven Silverman, Daniel Negreanu, Mike Watson, JC Alvarado and Keith Lehr got eliminated. Of them, Negreanu was out twice but announced to enter on Day 2 as well nevertheless. He was eliminated on Day 1 by one of the best heads-up players of today, Daniel ‘mrGR33N13’ Colman.

Like Negreanu, Guy Laliberté was also eliminated twice but he re-entered immediately and managed to survive the day with 270,000 in chips (the starting stacks being 250,000). Day 1 was clearly owned by EPT Prague champion Martin Finger: the German pro bagged 829,000 in chips. He led the 37 players, who returned on Day 2 and to whom five others joined.

On Monday, they aimed to reach the eight-handed finale and, due to a double elimination in the last hand of the day, only seven remained in the end to compete for the champion’s title. In the notorious hand, Paul Newey shoved his extreme short stack of 20,000 on Level 19 (10,000/30,000/60,000) and it was folded down to Mike McDonald in the CO, who also had only 50,000 in chips left before him. He took long tanking, unable to decide what to do, and then called all-in. Glantz limped from the SB and then Quoss raised to make a surprised Glantz fold.

Newey: 9 6
McDonald: K Q
Quoss: A Q

Board: 8 3 A 6 5

Quoss won the pot, McDonald walked home with $217,320 for his 8th finish and Newey was eliminated as the bubble boy.

Poker player and hedge fund manager Dan Shak leads the remaining field into today’s finale with 3,700,000 in chips. Selbst is only slightly behind with 3,645,000, and so are Esfandiari and Quoss. Glantz, Gregg and Schemion are, on the other hand, forced to fight for their survival from the very first hands, having less than 10 BBs each.

The chip counts are as follows:

Dan Shak – 3,700,000
Vanessa Selbst – 3,645,000
Antonio Esfandiari – 2,830,000
Fabian Quoss – 2,650,000
Matt Glantz – 480,000
Tony Gregg – 410,000
Ole Schemion – 280,000