The second edition of the partypoker-sponsored Caribbean Poker Party turned out to be pure success. The festival took place at the Meliá Caribe Tropical resort in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic from November 19-25. It distributed more than $10 million in prize money to hundreds of players who flocked to the host venue to celebrate their favorite game and enter the plethora of tournaments featured on the schedule.
Canada’s Sam Greenwood was indisputably the festival’s biggest winner. The player took down the $5,300 Main Event on Saturday night to collect the first-place prize of $1 million. Here it is important to note that the Canadian poker pro cashed in two more tournaments within the Caribbean Poker Party. He finished third in the opening $10,300 High Roller, good for a payout of $124,100, and then improved to a second-place finish in the $25,500 Super High Roller. The player scooped the amount of $242,750 for his runner-up finish in the highest buy-in event that took place within the festival.
Aside from Greenwood, there were several more players who ran particularly good during the Caribbean Poker Party. Here are some of these lucky participants as well as a little more information about their performance.
Preben Stokkan
Norway’s Preben Stokkan took down the $10,300 High Roller that officially opened the Caribbean Poker Festival. The player was awarded the amount of $275,000 for his performance. He bested a field of 103 entries to eventually capture the title and the first-place prize.
The Norwegian player cashed in one more Caribbean Poker Party tournament – the Main Event. He took sixth place in the prestigious event and was paid the amount of $150,000 for his good run.
Rainer Kempe
One of Germany’s most profitable players once again demonstrated excellent performance and skills on the felt. The player bested a field of 812 fellow contenders to eventually remain the last man standing in the $1,100 No-Limit Hold’em tournament. Kempe’s share of the guaranteed prize pool of $1 million totaled $200,000.
Kempe currently boasts live tournament earnings of more than $11 million and is his home country’s fifth most profitable player of all time. In 2016, he emerged victorious in the $300,000 buy-in Aria Super High Roller Bowl for his largest live cash of $5 million.
Chris Hunichen
Hunichen was the winner of the Caribbean Poker Party’s highest buy-in tournament, the $25,500 Super High Roller. The player took down a field of 43 entries to collect a cash prize of $400,000. This was actually Hunichen’s largest-ever cash from a live tournament.
Hunichen also finished 20th in the closing $5,300 No-Limit Hold’em with a guaranteed prize pool of $1 million. His share of the prize pool totaled $10,000. The player thus brought his live tournament earnings to nearly $2.6 million.
Adrian Mateos
The young Spanish poker star was also among those to secure a spot in the list of the festival’s biggest winners. The player took fourth place in the $25,500 Super High Roller to add $110,000 to his poker bankroll. Several days later, he took down the closing $5,300 No-Limit Hold’em tournament for a prize of $250,000.
Mateos is known to be Spain’s second most profitable player. His poker bankroll currently exceeds $11.3 million and is comprised of in-the-money finishes in some of Europe’s and the world’s most prestigious tournaments.
