Robionek wrote on Facebook about his plan. “After receiving so much love and help with my PSPC deep run, my goal is to give something back to the poker community,” he said, adding that one purpose for his Twitch shows will be to help the 2020 PSPC winners “be prepared in the best possible way.”. The Freebuys are freerolls that offer re-buys for a few pennies. Still something for low rollers Last week, PokerStars launched a PSPC promotion for players of all bankrolls called Platinum Madness. Over the course of 21 days, the poker room is giving out more than $1 million in prizes, a sum which includes 21 Platinum Passes. The 46-year-old from Gelsenkirchen-Buer in North Rhine-Westphalia is a true micro-stakes player. He won his Platinum Pass in the “Human Lie Detector” Freeroll and cashed at the Atlantis Resort for $150,600. Much was written about Michael’s run during the PSPC, but the story is far from over. Investment in the future.
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It happened. Not only did PokerStars make history with the largest-ever $25K buy-in tournament in the history of live tournament poker, the company’s investment in the event paid off in a unique way. One of the Platinum Pass winners won the tournament for $5.1 million.
PokerStars awarded 320 Platinum Pass prize packages – each worth $30K – over the course of the past year. Each player with a pass was able to buy in to the inaugural PokerStars Players No Limit Hold’em Championship (PSPC) for $25K and use the other $5K to fly to the Bahamas for the event, reserve a room, and handle expenses for the trip.
While Platinum Pass winners made up approximately one-third of the players in the tournament, many of them did not have the experience at the tables that many of the pros brought to the game. It was a longshot that one of them would win.
Ramon Colillas did it, though. The 30-year-old Spaniard is a professional poker player but won his Platinum Pass through a leaderboard challenge at the Campeonato de Espana de Poker series throughout the 2018 year. He topped that leaderboard and won his pass in December. And that free ticket to the tournament turned out to be worth $5.1 million.
Platinum Pass winner, Spain’s Ramon Colillas, wins #PSPC for record-breaking $5.1 million.
“Now, it’s only about happiness and enjoying the moment,” he said.
Full story here:https://t.co/1oVEKxgQdI
— PokerStarsBlog (@PokerStarsBlog) January 11, 2019
The Making of the Final Table
The PSPC actually began on January 6, and there was a total of 1,039 players in the field. By the time those buy-ins were tallied and PokerStars added its extra $1 million to the winner’s take as promised, the prize pool was set at $26,455,500.
On Day 3 of the tournament, the money bubble burst to allow the last 181 players with chips to be guaranteed a payout of at least $25,450. The field dwindled greatly, leaving only 38 players to return on Day 4, when minimum payouts were $86,400.
Day 4 closed in on the final table, and as pros like Griffin Benger and Kristin Bicknell busted for six-figure payouts, the stakes continued to increase. Ultimately, Florian Duta busted in ninth place for $405K to end play for the night and set the final table.
The final table of the #PSPC is set.
Who's going to win the magnificent trophy and $5.1M?
Join us at 13:30 ET to find out. pic.twitter.com/CuXJ4tTZVj
— PokerStars LIVE (@PokerStarsLIVE) January 10, 2019
The final table began on Day 5 with these players and these corresponding chip counts:
Scott Baumstein (US): 10,725,000
Marc Rivera (Philippines): 10,350,000
Julien Martini (France): 8,600,000
Farid Jattin (US): 8,525,000
Ramon Colillas (Spain): 8,300,000
Jason Koonce (US): 7,125,000
Talal Shakerchi (UK): 5,500,000
Marc Perrault (Canada): 2,275,000
Final Table Action
It didn’t take long for short-stacked Perrault to shove all-in, and he doubled through Jattin. Rivera took the lead from Baumstein, and then Martini climbed to the top. And when Shakerchi moved all-in with pocket aces, Martini called with A-Q of spades. The flush finished on the river to eliminate Shakerchi in eighth place.
So brutal…?
Watch the #PSPC final-table live at: https://t.co/hRFaQAqWdkpic.twitter.com/c0ERyyUeqE
— PokerStars LIVE (@PokerStarsLIVE) January 10, 2019
Perrault doubled through Martini to keep playing, but the latter continued to take chips all around and climb over 16 million chips. Jattin then made his move with A-J suited, but Martini called with A-K. The board didn’t help Jattin, who departed in seventh place.
Perrault had lost more chips to Martini before Jattin busted, but he just watched as Martini and Rivera battled. That big hand left Rivera fairly short and Martini over the 30-million chip mark. Perrault was soon all-in with his short stack holding 6-3 offsuit, and Colillas’s pocket kings ousted Perrault in sixth place.
Colillas gained some confidence and got aggressive, taking some pots uncontested and a sizeable one from Koonce to climb above 15 million chips. Koonce then shoved with T-7 suited, and Colillas called with pocket fives to send Koonce home in fifth place.
Rivera took some wind out of Colillas’ sails when he doubled through him, and Martini took chips from Rivera. Baumstein hadn’t found many places to do any damage to his opponents at the final table and finally needed to move. He pushed all-in with A-9, and Martini called with K-Q. A king on the flop was enough to send Baumstein out in fourth place.
Pspc Freeroll Ticket
Martini held a significant chip lead going into three-handed play, but Rivera and Colillas both took some. Rivera climbed into a solid second, but Colillas then doubled through Rivera. Soon after, Rivera took his chance with A-3 from the big blind after Martini raised with A-K from the button. Martini quickly called, the board helped no one, and Rivera was out in third place. The Platinum Pass winner from the Philippines picked up a solid profit from his free buy-in.
At the start of heads-up play, Martini was still the chip leader, but Colillas quickly chipped up. The two then got involved in a pot. On the board of Ah-4h-Qh-Qd-5d, Martini moved all-in with 9-6 of hearts for the flush, but Colillas called with Q-5 for the full house and doubled up to more than 48 million chips. Martini was down to little more than 13 million. Colillas continued to chip up, and Martini did double from his low stack of 6.25 million but remained in danger. Martini then shoved with J-9 of clubs, and Colillas called with A-5 offsuit. The board delivered 9d-8h-Ah-2c-5d, and Martini was out in second place.
We have a champion! #PlatinumPass winner Ramon Colillas is the #PSPC champion, winning $5.1M! pic.twitter.com/C5w52JZCxs
— PokerStars LIVE (@PokerStarsLIVE) January 11, 2019
Platinum Pass winner Ramon Colillas won the first-ever PSPC for $5.1 million.
1st place: Ramon Colillas (Spain) $5.1 million
2nd place: Julien Martini (France) $2,974,000
3rd place: Marc Rivera (Philippines) $2,168,000
4th place: Scott Baumstein (US) $1,657,000
5th place: Jason Koonce (US) $1,304,000
6th place: Marc Perrault (Canada) $1,012,000
7th place: Farid Jattin (Colombia) $746,000
8th place: Talal Shakerchi (UK) $509,000
Photo courtesy of Neil Stoddart for Rational Intellectual Holdings Ltd.
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Heiko Warnke, a 30-year-old from Berlin, became the fifth German player to win a Platinum Pass to the PokerStars Players NL Hold’en Championship (PSPC) 2020 in Barcelona after he won the final of PokerStars Germany’s “Chase Your Dream” promotion, held at EPT Prague.
“In Barcelona I’m looking forward to the sun, finally vacationing on the beach again,” Warnke said. “But above all, I‘m happy to play against all the big sharks.”
Five poker players from Germany and one from Austria had won through to the grand final, after beating thousands of competitors in an online, freeroll. It gave them a seat at the final table in Prague, with a Platinum Pass worth €26,000 on the line. The action was broadcast live on Twitch.
The Chase Your Dream finalists pose with Felix Schneiders in Prague
The familiar face of Marc Gork was among the last six. More than 10 years ago, Gork made the final table of EPT Dortmund, winning €307,000 for finishing third. Although live tournament poker has taken a back seat, he has still been active in the scene as a player, coach and and video producer.
Gork got off to a good start in the final, but ultimately, like the Austrian Paul Hofer, he fell victim to Dilip Tandon, who quickly opened up a dominating lead. With four left, Tandon held well over half of the chips in play.
Marc Gork: Former EPT finalist back in the big time
Warnke then came to the fore and was responsible for the next elimination. He got it all in pre-flop with 9♣9♠ against Falk Frede’s A♦Q♠. Frede flopped well when the dealer put the 10♠7♣A♥ on the table, but Warnke hit a one-outer when the 9♥ came on the river — Tandon had folded the 9♦ before the flop.
Martin Barisch was the next to go, pushing his last eight big blinds from the button Q♥5♦, but ran into Tandon’s K♠K♦ and was eliminated in third place.
Tandon led heads-up with 203,800 to Warnke’s 96,200, and they got it all in on the very first hand. Warnke’s top pair stayed good against Tandon’s open-ender and Warnke doubled up, and into the lead.
Only a few hands later, a cooler ended it all.
Warnke raised to 30,000 with A♥K♦, Tandon pushed for 105,600 from the big blind with A♦Q♣. Warnke would have called without hesitation in an online, freeroll, but here in Prague it was about the Platinum Pass and so it took a few seconds longer until the showdown.
Warnke, right, consoles his heads-up opponent Dilip Tandon
Pspc Freeroll Pokerstars
Eventually he did call, however, and the last board fell 3♠J♠10♠7♦8♠, which was good for Warnke. He seemed stunned at the conclusion, an indication of the great tension that prevailed during the day. But after Felix Schneiders handed him the Pass, he was finally able to relax–and start planning for Barcelona next year.
“First of all I want to thank PokerStars and Felix Schneiders for the opportunity,” Warnke said. “I was really excited before the final started and now I’m even more exited, because there is a much bigger tournament coming up with the PSPC in Barcelona.“
He added: “The last one and a half months I have thought of this event every day. I watched videos, read a lot of poker content, gave my best and now I‘m very pleased that everything worked out. I have never played a tournament like the PSPC and if I were alone now I would probably cry.
Felix Schneiders, right, hands over the pass to Warnke
“My current game is certainly not enough to achieve something in Barcelona, so I will look for someone who will give me private coaching and try to play a few live tournaments before then.”