"Cant-Miss" PCA Treating Tony Gregg Well Again in Quest for 3rd Main Event Final Table
Tony Gregg isn't known for consistently grinding all of the stops on the live circuit, but the PokerStars Caribbean Adventure (PCA) certainly seems to suit him.
Back in 2009, he showed up at the PCA with one recorded live cash for $8,625 under his belt, though he was an experienced and respected online player under the moniker "wwwBTHEREcom." He promptly booked a second-place finish for $1.7 million, falling heads up to online qualifier Poorya Nazari, who won the largest first-place prize in PCA Main Event history at $3 million.
Three years later, Gregg found himself at the final table once again. This time, he finished sixth for $364,000 in a tournament eventually won by John Dibella.
Here in 2016, he's threatening a third final table appearance. With less than 40 players left on break after Level 21 (6,000/12,000/2,000), Gregg had amassed a stack of 805,000, and he spoke with PokerNews about what makes him so consistently successful at PCA.
"It's one of those things where PCA was my first big score, so I'm always going to have really positive vibes when I come down," he said, adding that it's an easy trek for him since he's from the East Coast. "It's so awesome to get out of the winter in the middle of January. So, I always just feel so good when I come down here. It's a can't-miss stop for me. "
If feeling good is the norm for Gregg at PCA, he might be described as downright stellar here in 2016. That's because a major lifestyle change stemming from a prop bet has him healthier than usual. Though he wouldn't reveal the exact amounts he stands to win or lose, Gregg said he booked a wager that he won't drink for the entire year, which he says is going "really well" so far.
After he returned from that break, Gregg, who said he liked his situation at that point in the tournament, continued to play high-level poker.
"I feel pretty good about my table," he said. "I've been here a little over a level now, and I'm just trying to let this happen and not really force anything crazy. I definitely think I can final table again."
While others around him hit the rail and the field got smaller, Gregg's chip stack increased. He went on to bag up 1.091 million at the end of play on Day 4, which is good enough for 11th out of the 19 players that remained. Also in his bag was a guaranteed payout of $32,360, but for Gregg it'll be all about making the final table and sealing the deal.
Given his track record here, another final-table run for Gregg is going to be a tough thing to bet against.
To follow along with PokerNews' coverage of the 2016 PokerStars Caribbean Adventure, please click here.
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