On Monday, the 2023 PokerStars Players No-Limit Hold’em Championship (PSPC) started and by mid level 4 the field is already closing in on 1000 runners! It’s a truly special event with hundreds of Platinum Walk winners battling it out with some of the biggest names in the game.
Even though players started with 60,000 in chips and are playing hour-long levels, it didn’t take long for the action to heat up. In fact, there have already been a ton of eliminations with the first coming at Tier 1. Since then there has been a steady stream of players heading for the exit.
Here’s a look at some of the first hands from the 2023 PSPC.
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Eliminations are coming fast
Alexandru Papazian
At Level 2 (100/300/300), PokerNews’ Kirk Brown holding a large hand between Alexandru Papazian and PokerStars Platinum Pass winner Hugo Rodilla. They participated in a heads-up pot and faced a board of . Papazian was first to act from the small blind and bet 7,400 into the 10,000 pot.
Rodilla made the call from under the canyon and the two went to the river. Papazian re-fired for 18,200, leaving him 25,000 chip behind.
Moments later, Rodilla moved all in, covering Papazian, and now he was the one under pressure.
Papazian chuckled to himself, checked his cards once more and shook his head as he threw in his last chip. He then turned over for a full house, jacks full of fives, but then Rodilla put his hand in for an even bigger hand to win the pot.
The table collectively groaned as they saw how fast he was, and Papazian was sent to the rail becoming the third elimination of the day.
However, it was far from the last as the tastes Juan Pardo, David Yan, Marius Gierse, Fintan Hand, Dan Sepiol, Johan Guilbert, Thomas Boivinand UFC announcer Bruce Bufferwho earlier in the day had given the traditional “Shuffle and negotiate”.
The money maker destroys Coutinho
Chris Moneymaker
One player who got off to a good start was the 2003 World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event Champion Chris Moneymakerwho you may recall finished 11th in the 2011 PCA Main Event for $130,000.
At level 3 (200/400/400), PokerNews reporter Connor Richards took a hand between Moneymaker and Sergio Coutinho. In it, Moneymaker was on the good end of a massive cooler.
Coutinho was seen rising from his seat facing up against Moneymaker’s with the board reading. Similarly, Coutinho found himself on the rail as Moneymaker grew his stack to 135,000.
Aces Giveth and Taketh by Anthony Hu
Anthony Hu at PCA.
At level 3 (200/400/400), PokerNews’ Callum Grant caught a big hand implying Anthony Hu, who you may remember survived the PCA Main Event money bubble in a back-and-forth matchup of aces vs. kings. This hand was featured in our “Biggest Hands of the Week” roundup here.
At the PSPC, Hu opened to 800 from under the gun and was called by a player in late position. Tamer Alkamli he then three-bet to 4,200 from the big blind and only Hu called.
Hu called bets of 3,600 and 9,500 for the final board to read
Alkamli put his last 26,000 on the river and it was called.
Alkamli took the first set, but Hu held it for the straight set. Alkamli seemed less impressed as he left the room.
2023 PCA Hands of the Week: What the player said “I don’t know why I tried against this guy”
Chad Holloway Executive Editor USA
US Executive Editor, PokerNews Podcast co-host and 2013 WSOP bracelet winner.
