The $25 000 buy-in Pokerstars Caribbean Adventure High Rollers event came to a conclusion this week with a 21-year-old poker pro besting a field of 84 that included many major international names.
Sioux City, Iowa’s William Reynolds outlasted respected players like Lex Veldhuis, Italy’s Dario Minieri, Justin Bonomo, WSOP champ Joe Cada, Isaac Baron, Sandra Naujoks, Greg Raymer, Peter Eastgate, Daniel Negreanu, Lisa Hamilton, John Duthie, Mike Matusow, Chad Brown and last year’s PCA winner Bertrand “ElkY” Grospellier to triumph in the event.
The composition of the heads up was decided when Adolfo Vaeza, an EPT London High Roller event veteran, was eliminated by chip leader Reynolds, leaving the young Iowan with just Will Molson standing between him and the main prize of Euro $576 240.
Reynold’s superior chip stack enabled him to dominate the game, losing the lead briefly only once when Molson doubled up. The pressure was irresistible, and Molson soon found himself on the way to the cashier and a second placing consolation prize of $322 075. It must have been disappointing for Molson, who was the runner-up at this event last year as well.
For Reynolds it was a career high as he told reporters: “It was the most roller coaster of a ride I’ve ever been on. I was all in so many times at the end of Day 3 it looked like I was going to be the final table bubble. I ended up doubling up four times in a row and making it to the final table, chipping up, winning some key hands and taking it down.”
Other final table players were Dmitry Stelmak, Tobias Reinkemeier, Matt Marafioti, Lisa Hamilton and Michiel Brummelhuis.