After a big day of action over in The Bahamas yesterday on what was Day 3 of the PokerStars Players No Limit Hold’em Championship (PSPC) we saw the bubble burst and ten Platinum Pass winners head into Day 4 all with healthy stacks.
With 54 Platinum Pass winners headed into Day 3, the field got remarkably smaller over the course of the day—with the bubble finally bursting, pay-outs for those in the money and nine Platinum Pass winners making it through to another day.
In an unexpected twist after the bubble burst last night, PokerStars gave out a consolation prize. Paul Leckey from Ireland received an EPT Monte Carlo package valued at $11,000 for finishing 182nd in the PSPC—a lovely gesture considering the pressure that built up to the bubble finally bursting.
Team PokerStars Online pros Ben Spragg and Felix Schneiders both enjoyed the largest cashes of their careers yesterday, winning $35,000 in 140th place and $69,100 for 40th place respectively.
Who Heads Into Day 4?
New Yorker, Scott Baumstein is currently leading the pack with 4,740,000 in chips, a comfortable lead over second place chip leader Yiannis Liperis from the UK who has 4,210,000 in chips as they head into Day 4.
To date, Baumstein’s biggest live cash is $220,238 according to the Hendon Mob — so if he goes on to win the PSPC, Baumstein would be looking at a $5.1 million pay day.
Spain’s Ramon Colillas, a PSPC Platinum Pass winner, is currently sitting in fifth place as Day 4 is about to begin with 2,895,000 in chips making him definitely still in the running for a first place finish.
GPI Female Player of the Year and partypoker pro Kristen Bicknell heads into Day 4, with 1,115,000 chips. Dan O’Brien heads into Day 4 with 1,764,000 chips in 13th place.
Griffin Benger, from WSOP 2016 Check Your Privilege Fame, also heads into Day 4 with 1,560,000 chips, just behind O’Brien.
If Colillas or any other Platinum Pass winner goes on to win the PSPC it will also be a huge win for PokerStars—showing that sending a mix of players to the tournament was a worthwhile endeavour.
The PSPC prize structure shows that the six top finishers will be becoming millionaires.
Honourable Mention
Even though technically this hand happened on Day 2 of the tournament, everyone was still talking about it on Day 3, calling it one of the best laydowns at the PSPC. Thi Xoa Nguyen makes an incredible fold against two-time WSOP bracelet winner Athanasios Polychronopoulos.
Where To Watch
Don’t forget that PokerStars is still committed to providing top-notch coverage on all of its platforms whilst the PSPC continues and beyond into the PCA. You can check out the coverage on PokerStars TV (link below) or on their YouTube and Twitch channels. Competitions are running during live streams, so subscribing to the PokerStars Twitch channel could be worth it.
PSPC Schedule of Webcast Events
With the PokerStars Caribbean Adventure and the PSPC Final Table just around the corner, there is plenty of action still to be had, for both the players and the fans.
Check out the scheduled webcasts below so you can be part of the excitement happening in over in The Bahamas.
| PSPC Events | Date | Start Time |
| PSPC Day 4 | January 9 | 12:30 EST |
| PSPC Final Table | January 10 | 13:30 EST |
| PCA $100k Super High Roller Day 2 | January 11 | 12:30 EST |
| PCA $100k Super High Roller Final Table | January 12 | 13:30 EST |
| PCA Main Event Day 2 | January 13 | 12:30 EST |
| PCA Main Event Day 3 | January 14 | 12:30 EST |
| PCA Main Event Day 4 | January 15 | 12:30 EST |
| PCA Main Event Final Table | January 16 | 13:30 EST |
