If at first you don't succeed try, try again. That might be the family motto for the Molsons of Canada, after their boy Will Molson, watched by his father on the rail, took down the PokerStars Caribbean Adventure $25,000 High Roller event tonight at the third time of asking.

It's not just that Molson has played this event before. In the last two seasons he's reached the final table both times. More than that, he's finished runner-up each time, first in 2009 to Bertrand "ElkY" Grospellier, then in 2010 to another Will, Will Reynolds. This year he finally broke his bridesmaid curse, defeating Team PokerStars Pro Leo Fernandez heads-up to win a first prize of $1,072,850.

Will Molson

"Finally," said Molson, after hugging his father and friends on the rail. "No more second place."

Molson hugs his father moments after winning

Molson is something of a High Roller specialist, having reached three High Roller final tables in the past year. As far as tournaments go they tend to produce something special. It's poker for purists, foregoing the random element that comes with the territory in a thousand-seater Main Event, with the buy-in restricting entrants to only the very best.

This was an exclusive group, masters with proven track records, trying to outwit their peers for more than just a winner's cheque, and Molson proved once again that when it comes to masters he may be a grand one.

The final was played in near silence, amid a tournament room now almost deserted, save for a turbo event and the remains of the cash game players. There was no hollering or shouting, except for a few guys with beers watching the Jets game on the big screen. Absent from the eliminations was any yelling or hoopla, no overt relief or disappointment. An outsider stopping by could never tell how much was at stake.

A total of 12 players returned this morning, having played until 2.30am last night in an attempt to reach a final eight. Instead we played through four more eliminations before the actual final began. Short stack Matt Affleck went first, almost immediately, followed by NAPT Venetian Deep Stack Extravaganza winner Tom Marchese.

Tom Marchese

Brandon Steven followed in tenth place, the same position he busted in the World Series Main Event last year, sending his chips to Leo Fernandez. That was followed by the elimination of Shander De Vries, fourth place finisher at EPT7 Barcelona, who departed in ninth, the final table bubble.

Shander De Vries

First out from the final had been Jason Mercier, the chip leader coming into the last day who when normally in such shape annihilates anyone trying to stop him. But he suffered setbacks early, notably against Matt Marafioti and he was unable to win back that advantage.

Team PokerStars Pro Jason Mercier

Following Mercier went Marafioti. Another of the short stacks, Marafioti, who finished seventh in this event last year, scrapped efficiently, but was ultimately eliminated in seventh place when Fernandez saw him off with pocket eights to Marafioti's ace-queen.

Matt Marafioti

By now Leo Fernandez has taken the chip lead, his stack of more than two million spread out on the table directly opposite the dealer. The Team PokerStars Pro then sent David Baker to the rail.

David Baker

Eliminated in fifth place he may have been but Govert Metaal did not go easily. Crippled by Molson the Dutchman, with a big rail of countrymen and women supporting him, managed to triple-up, double-up and double-up again. But Molson had him on the ropes and landed the killer blow a short while later, flopping quad jacks against Metaal's ace-three.

Govert Metaal

The veteran Erik Seidel looked likely to go deep having snatched pots against Max Lykov, Molson and Metaal. More would come from Fernandez as the quiet American amassed close to two million.

But then came a hand against Molson in which Seidel tried to push the Canadian out of a hand only for Molson to turn over aces. Molson would deliver the coup de grace some time later when his fives won a race with ace-queen sending Seidel to the rail in fourth.

Erik Seidel

It left the trio of Molson, Lykov and Fernandez, each of whom had handled the lead at one stage. But after the dinner break, during which a deal was proposed and then dropped, Lykov had pecked away at Fernandez, seizing the advantage. But Molson, sensing this was his chance to put aside memories of the previous two years, struck the Russian, snap calling Lykov's all-in with pocket sixes with his own pocket tens. Despite some dramatic draws on the board the tens held, sending Lykov to the rail.

Team PokerStars Pro Max Lykov

Then it was Fernandez getting his chips in, doubling-up with pocket deuces when his set on the turn outdid Molson's pair of queens on the flop. Then once more, this time his nine-seven against Molson's king-queen, with a king-nine-seven flop.

Leo Fernandez (left) and Will Molson heads-up

With the advantage it was now Molson playing catch-up and finally he got his double up, his king-jack of hearts turning a flush against Fernandez's pocket fives. Then more, Fernandez doubled, his queen-seven flopping a seven to beat Molson's ace-five.

But finally this endless back and forth had to end. The chips went in, Fernandez shoving and showing [jd][2h] to Molson's [ad][5s]. The subsequent board of blanks gave Molson the title. He broke the silence, made a "whoop" noise and shook Fernandez's hand. At last this event was over.

PCA High Roller winner Will Molson

It brings the 2011 PokerStars Caribbean Adventure to an end, although the Bounty Shootout is still taking place, coverage of which can be found here. It seems only yesterday we were detailing the opening $100,000 Super High Roller event, not to mention waving off the Fish and Chips Showdown players from the quayside as they set sail to slay deep sea fish (fish count: 0).

Thanks for following all of our coverage from Paradise Island. We've had everything from gale force winds to a quarantined Main Event final at the Atlantis Resort, not to mention enough Jamba Juice to float one of the yachts parked out in the marina; time to fly home and allow vegetables back into our lives.

We're off to pack our bags. The 2012 PCA is only 11 months away and up next is EPT Deauville, in France, starting next week. We'll see you there.

Until then it's good night from the Bahamas.

The 24-year-old man from San Francisco came into the day second in chips. His style stood in stark contrast to chip leader Chris Oliver's wild and crazy approach. It looked as though Hall's patience and cerebral approach wouldn't compete with fate, but in the end, he stood as the champion.

Still reeling after his victory, Hall said. "I feel pretty awesome. It still hasn't set in yet. We played heads up for a really long time, so I haven't been thinking about the win."

It looked as though the fates had determined Oliver was always going to win the 2011 PCA. The only question was who would finish in second place. With a giant chip lead and streak of good fortune as long as an airport runway, Oliver's destiny was revealed on every flop, turn, and river. It looked at most times like Oliver won this tournament three days ago and today's final table was just a formality.

Oliver brought 42% of chips in play to the final day. He won them in an unconventional fashion that had people shaking their heads. That kind of lead wasn't unprecedented. In 2007, Isaac Haxton came into the six-handed final table with half the chips in play. He ended up finishing in second place, a testament to the Curse of Isaac Haxton.

This year's PCA main event was historic for a number of reasons. It was the biggest ever with 1,560 players, it had it's deepest-ever run by a female player, and 2003 WSOP champion Chris Moneymaker nearly made the final table. The most visible of the history-making events came by way of a big satellite truck in the parking lot outside. For the first time in the PCA's eight-year history, ESPN broadcast the event live across America (on a one-hour security delay) with the players hole cards exposed.

ESPN picked the right time to take a chance on live poker coverage. The final table did not disappoint. Oliver's fast and loose style made for some of the most interesting poker. Sadly for Phillipe Plouffe, he didn't get to see much of it. In the early minutes of the final table, Plouffe got [qs][qh] all-in against Sam Stein's [ac][kh]. The flop and turn were nice, but Stein rivered his ace and Plouffe went out in eighth for $202,000.

If ESPN could've scripted the event, the following hand would've been the writer's greatest inspiration. Loosey-goosey Oliver came in for a raise with [ah][2c]. Stein called, and Galen Hall re-raised with king-deuce. Mike Sowers seemed to know all three of the guys were full of it and put in another raise with [as][jc]...this one was all-in. Max Weinberg then woke up with pocket queens and got it in, too. Sowers looked like he might be on his way out the door, but managed to find four spades on the board to cripple Weinberg. A couple of minutes later, he lost his last few chips and went out in 7th place for $300,000.

Despite being very active at the tables in the run-up to the final table, Bolivar Palacios couldn't seem to get involved when it counted. Finally blinded down to his final 1.7 million chips, he shoved all-in with [kd][jd]. Hall looked him up with [ad][4s]. Palacios didn't catch up and went out in sixth earning $450,000.

In one of the more shocking hands of the evening, Mike Sowers came in for a raise with [4c][4d]. Oliver, true to form, three-bet with [8s][2h]. The flop was just silly: [3d][8h][2s]. Oliver led for 1.3 million. The only thing quicker than Sowers' all-in was Oliver's call. With no four on the turn or river, Sowers went out in fifth place for $700,000.

Sam Stein was on a mission. After two high-profile runner-up finishes last year, Stein was bound and determined to win this event. It was clear from the very beginning that Stein intended to complete the mission using Oliver's chips. The chip leader's reputation made him easy to three bet, and Stein did it over and over. It turned into a problem, because Oliver was eventually going to wake up with a hand. When Oliver came in for a raise with [ad][qd], Stein three-bet with [ah][9h]. Oliver moved all-in. Stein fell deep in the tank but eventually decided he had the best hand. Stein couldn't come from behind and he went out in fourth place for a cool million bucks.

Romania's Anton Ionel was a picture of patience. He made it here on a $33 PokerStars satellite and was making sure the return on investment was a good one. He barely played a hand throughout the final table. Down to just a few big blinds, he managed to double up with jacks. Just a few hands later he got his short-stack all-in with [ks][6s]. Up against Galen Hall's [kc][qs], Ionel was drawing slim. He couldn't find a way to suck out. For his patience, he earned a third place finish and $1,350,000.

That left only Galen Hall between Oliver and the winner's check. Hall made sure Oliver got no closer to the trophy. At one point down by a margin of more than 4 to 1, Hall battled back. After a lengthy heads-up match, Hall managed two quick double-ups that seemed to tilt Oliver right off the table. The first had Oliver and Hall both flopping two pair and Hall having the best of it. Right after that, Hall doubled up with kings versus Oliver's [ah][9s]. Those two pots put Hall in a commanding lead. It didn't take long for Hall to get it in with [ac][8c] versus Oliver's queens. After cracking big hands for a week, it was finally time for Oliver to get a taste of his own medicine. Hall flopped two pair and Oliver was gone in second place. He was comforted by a prize worth $1.8 million.

Photography © Neil Stoddart

"I feel like a young rock star," he said.

He is, in fact, the youngest of stars to ever win this seven-year old sun-drenched poker contest. At nineteen years old, Gimbel takes over as the youngest PCA champion in history. Five days ago, we introduced you to him as he cracked Barry Greenstein's aces with six-four offsuit, all-in pre-flop. Today, he can hold a trophy and millions above his head.

Gimbel (aka gibler321) is an online grinder for the most part, but was confident going into this final table. A one-time high school wrestler, Gimbel recalled his coach once telling him to see victory in his head.

"One of the things my coach always used to say was to envision something and it will come true," Gimbel said.

The winner of a $1,000 live satellite here at the PCA, Gimbel parlayed a seat into $2.2 million, a result that few poker pros will ever see.

Gimbel very well could've been the first player out. It took less than 15 minutes of play before the first giant pot of the final table developed. It happened when Ryan D'Angelo came in for a raise and Harrison Gimbel re-raised to 650,000. D'Angelo wasted no time re-raising to 1.3 million. Gimbel pushed all-in for 5,085,000 and D'Angelo called with barely a moment of thought. The hands:

Gimbel [ad][kd]
D'Angelo [jc][js]

The flop [3h][qh][as] dashed D'Angelo's hopes. "Nice hand," he said. The turn and river, [ac] and [kc] were no better for the man known as "g0lfa." Gimbel raked in more than 11 million chips and took over D'Angelo's two-day hold on the chip lead. He would not hold it for long.

Just a few minutes later, a queens versus aces battle would change everything. Less than 24 hours before, Ty Reiman had cracked John Duthie's aces with a pair of queens. Today, Reiman held aces in his hand and got them all-in pre-flop against Thomas Koral's queens. Believers in karma might have suggested that today was the day Reiman got paid back for what he did to Duthie. Instead, fate looked on him nicely and put out a board of [6c][tc][6d][jc][kh]. The hand helped Reiman take over the chip lead and sent Koral out in 8th place for $201,300.

The level passed, the blinds moved up to 60,000/120,000/15,000, and the players took their seats again. With the first player gone, the action picked up. When Reiman came in for a raise to 280,000, short-stacked Zachary Goldberg moved all-in for 1,530,000. That's when Aage Ravn move all-in over the top for more than three million. Reiman chose to sit this one out and we saw the two hands on their backs. Ravn held [as][qd] to Goldberg's [ts][td]. When the flop came out [8h][js][kh], the only thing that changed was Ravn's number of outs. Before he had time to count them, hit hit the [ah] on the turn. Goldberg missed on the river and went out in seventh place for $300,000.