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He might fly under the radar in terms of poker coverage, but thanks to a win at the 2015 PCA, Steve O’Dwyer has cemented his place in the community as something more than the people’s champion.

This year’s PokerStars Caribbean Adventure (PCA) was another glittering affair thanks to the world’s finest grinders taking their chance to get some winter sun in the luxury Bahamian resort of Atlantis on Paradise Island.

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photo by derekskey

As usual, the roster was jammed-packed with top quality events both on and off the felt and one of the early success stories was Steve O’Dwyer. The underrated American not only won the first major poker event of 2015 when he lifted the 2015 PCA’s Super High Roller title, but he managed to add another $1.8 million to his already burgeoning bankroll.

Once again, the $100,000 showdown was awash with high profile players from around the world, including the likes of Andrew Robl, Scott Seiver and Bryn Kenney. However, when the chips were down and the fanfare started playing, it was O’Dwyer’s time to stand in the sun and shine like the Caribbean’s golden sand.

A Record Breaking Start

After attracting a record breaking 66 entrants, the Super High Roller event was finally whittled down to the final seven players after two days of action. When the action got underway on day three, it was the formidable Sorel Mizzi leading the way. However, flanking the chip leader and hungry for chips was the aforementioned selection of pros, including the always dangerous Christoph Vogelsang and Sam Greenwood.

As the chips began to fly and the pressure kicked up a notch, Mizzi gradually slipped from his lofty perch and into the chasing pack while O’Dwyer gradually eased into the lead. Leaving a slew of talented pros reeling in his wake, O’Dwyer eventually collected enough chips to secure the chip lead heading in the final showdown against Roger Sippl.

With a comfortable lead and another chance to show the poker community he’s a world class player within touching distance, O’Dwyer didn’t let up against Sippl. Not prepared to give up an inch, O’Dwyer gradually wore down his opponent before bringing the hammer down on a Qh 8d 8c 2s 3s board.

Having seen his plucky competitor make a bold all-in, a stoic O’Dwyer sat and contemplated his options for roughly five minutes. Despite only holding Ah Tc, O’Dwyer correctly deduced that Sippl had enough bluff hands in his range to make a call profitable with only his Ace high.

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Making the call and watching his opponent turn over Jd Td, O’Dwyer let out a sigh of relief. As the final pot was pushed his way and the confetti began to fall, a jubilant O’Dwyer soaked up the applause from his supporters before hoisting the first PokerStars Caribbean Adventure trophy of 2015 aloft.

PCA 2015 $100,000 High Roller Results:

1. Steve O’Dwyer – 1,872,580 2. Roger Sippl – $1,344,420 3. Bryn Kenney – $873,880 4. Sorel Mizzi – $659,400 5. Christoph Vogelsang – $512,160 6. Sam Greenwood – $396,920 7. Andrew Robl – $313,700 8. Scott Seiver – $243,820

As if there was Any Doubt

As the news of O’Dwyer’s masterful display filtered through the community, a wave of congratulations and praise washed across the virtual airwaves.

Naturally, the community was less humble than O’Dwyer and, as the congratulations poured in, a host of pros tweeted their support for one of poker’s most unsuspecting beasts:

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PokerStars – Joe Giron

O’Dwyer: A Profile

Playing out of Ireland by way of Las Vegas, Steve O’Dwyer has managed to amass almost $10 million in live tournament earnings. However, unlike some of the poker world’s more extraverted poker pros, O’Dwyer’s exploits often go unnoticed by the poker media.

Although his latest victory in PokerStars Caribbean Adventure Super High Roller is the largest of his career, O’Dwyer has eight outright wins in the live arena to his name. That record, coupled with numerous deep runs at major events around the world, has given him an overall bankroll boost of $9,141,205, which puts him at position #37 on the all-time money list.

Considering that record, as well as the admiration many established pros have for him, it’s fair to say that O’Dwyer is the player’s player. Although sometimes ignored by the poker media, the accomplishments O’Dwyer has achieved in the MTT world have made him one of the most respected players in the game today.