After coming back from a 5:1 chip deficit heads-up, Galen Turk MalloyHall (pictured) took down the 2011 PokerStars Caribbean Adventure (PCA) Main Event. Hall, who will attend Stanford University and get his MBA later this year, earned a colossal $2.1 million for the win following a heads-up deal and outlasted former #1 ranked player Chris Gettin DaizeOliver. The community watched the event unfold last night in near-real time on ESPN3.com, ESPN2, and in a thread in Poker Discussion.

Philippe Plouffe moved all-in pre-flop with pocket queens and received a call from Sam KingKobeMVP Stein (pictured), who held A-K to set up a classic race situation. The board came 10-10-J-4-A to trim the eight-handed final table to seven just 15 minutes in. Plouffe picked up $202,000 for his six-day run.

Max $Kill GameWeinberg was the next to go. After doubling up Mike SowersUNCC Sowers, Weinberg pushed his remaining stack into the middle with A-8 offsuit. Hall made the call with J-10 and soared into the lead when the flop came 9-10-K. A queen on the turn gave Hall a straight and no help came on the river for Weinberg, who bowed out in seventh place for $300,000.

Boliver Ramux Palacios 3bet all-in pre-flop with K-J suited to diamonds and Hall made the call with A-4. The 8-9-4 flop gave Hall a pair and kept him out in front. A queen on the turn gave Palacios some hope, but he bricked out on the river to cut the final table to five players. Palacios’ sixth place finish was worth $450,000.

Fifth place in the 2011 PCA Main Event went to Sowers (pictured). He raised pre-flop with pocket fours and Oliver 3bet with just 8-2. Sowers called and the flop of 8-3-2 gave Oliver top and bottom pair. Oliver led out for 1.3 million in chips and Sowers pushed for 5.5 million. Oliver quickly called and a running K-7 sent Sowers home $700,000 richer for his wear.

Stein ran A-9 of hearts into Oliver’s A-Q of diamonds on his final hand to land in fourth place for $1 million. The final board read 10-5-K-K-3 and Stein was eliminated about six hours into the final table. Then, Hall relegated Anton Ionel to the rail with K-Q against K-6. Hall flopped a queen and never looked back, setting up heads-up play against Oliver. “Gettin Daize” held a 3:1 chip advantage at the onset.

An early heads-up hand had the entire poker world buzzing. On a board of 5-3-2-2-A, Hall led out for two million with 8-4 for a straight and Oliver (pictured) pushed over the top all-in with A-2 for a boat. Hall, who would have had to call all-in for his tournament life, instead laid down his hand in an impressive moment during the late stages of the event. PokerStars pro David Williams, who was providing television commentary at the time, called it “one of the best laydowns I’ve ever witnessed at the end of a tournament.”

Hall ultimately broke through after doubling up with pocket kings against Oliver’s A-9. The board came five cards queen or lower and Hall took a commanding chip lead. In the final hand, Hall’s A-8 overcame Oliver’s pocket queens for the title. Here’s how the final table cashed out:

1. Galen Turk Malloy Hall – $2,100,000
2. Chris Gettin Daize Oliver – $2,000,000
3. Anton Ionel – $1,350,000
4. Sam KingKobeMVP Stein – $1,000,000
5. Mike SowersUNCC Sowers – $700,000
6. Bolivar Ramux Palacios – $450,000
7. Max $Kill Game Weinberg – $300,000
8. Phillipe Plouffe – $202,000

One member of the community summed up his thoughts in the sweat threadin Poker Discussion, which has received over 400 replies: “Gotta give some love to Galen. This guy was a 3:1 dog against one of the best players in the world and Galen just outplayed him heads-up. It was one of the best heads-up matches I have seen. Two great players and in the end, Galen made a huge fold heads-up that most could not. He definitely deserved the win.” Weigh in now.