Friday, 29th March 2024 05:59
Home / Uncategorized / One man’s remarkable journey to the PCA (for free)

Perhaps it’s understandable that when presented with a story almost impossible to believe, your first thought might be based on obscenity. That was how it worked for one reader of the PokerStars Facebook page this week, who on hearing news that a 24 -year-old from Edinburgh had completely freerolled his way to a PCA package, simply wrote: “Bull****”.

Putting aside the lack of couth, they had a point. For a package to the PokerStars Caribbean Adventure starting next month, including flights, accommodation, expenses and of course a Main Event seat, is worth $16,000. Surely that can’t be free? Surely there was some mistake? Surely there was at least some nominal satellite fee involved, even one that could be paid for in coins found down the back of the couch?

No, it was free.

But then when you assess the hardship involved perhaps free was the only logical price tag. For not only did Luke “Pokergeist99” Stirling have a freeroll to beat, which included some 24,231 players, he then discovered there was another obstacle in the way, four actually, arguably more difficult than anything he’d faced up to now.

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For real: Luke Stirling


Standing between a winter in Scotland, or on the beaches of the Bahamas were four Team Online Pros, waiting to play a series a heads-up matches with Stirling to determine whether his dream would ever become a reality.

Thinking about it Stirling had only a little experience on which to draw, a 55 cent tournament he once won worth $840. Now, after ten hours in a freeroll, he had two days to wait for the heads-up matches that would determine his mood, at least for January.

Up first was Lex Veldhuis, followed by no lesser foe Isaac Haxton.

“Haxton was hard and I was struggling until I got queen-ten, and he called my all-in with queen-three,” said Stirling. “The very hardest match though was with Alex ‘kanu7’ Millar. It took 27 minutes to defeat him as both of us just wouldn’t lose.”

After that hard slog Stirling still had Andre Coimbra to dodge. Buoyed perhaps by his success so far, Stirling took it to the Portuguese, finally moving all-in with a pair of sevens. It was not a bad shove, but ultimately, as Coimbra turned over king-jack, he would be racing for a seat to the PCA.

“The flop was a king and so I thought ‘Oh well, that’s me lost the PCA!'”

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Stirling is on his way here next month

For a second it appeared all the hard work had been undone by a single card. Some 24,000 players defeated, not to mention three Team Online Pros, all of which was now set to be jinxed by an uncaring flop. Stirling might even have been forgiven for yelling that same B-word at the top of his lungs. Lesser men have. But then from out of nowhere the miracle seven.

“Well, then I just went mental and started dancing around!”

Bull****?

Don’t be ridiculous, this stuff happens all the time on PokerStars. Well sometimes.

If you fancy joining Stirling in the PCA, perhaps so you can poke him in the arm to see if he’s real, then there is plenty of time to win your seat in one of the countless satellites which you can find in the PokerStars lobby. For as little as a few dollars you too could be flying out the Bahamas in a month’s time. For all the information about the PCA, check out the PCA homepage.


Stephen Bartley is a staff writer for the PokerStars Blog.

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