With the coming of a New Year, the start of the 2015 tournament poker season also kicks off. On Tuesday, the 2015 PokerStars Caribbean Adventure marked the start of the 12th annual event with the start of the $100,000 Super High Roller and an episode of “The Shark Cage.”

The Super High Roller event was the main focus of many at Paradise Island in the Bahamas, as deep-pocketed pros and wealthy businessmen alike vied for the first big money championship of the 2015 poker season. While you might think the high-pressure tournament would have the complete attention of the players in attendance, it was actually the opposite, as the combatants engaged is various prop bets. Mike timex McDonald, the focus of those prop bets, demonstrated his physical stamina in addition to his poker acumen.

Challenged by businessman Bill Perkins, McDonald first was challenged to complete 300 “air squats” (a CrossFit exercise maneuver) within the span of one level of play in the tournament, or 60 minutes, to earn a $10,000 payday. McDonald was able to complete this task, prompting Perkins to issue another challenge to complete 350 pushups within another one hour period for another $10,000 plus $10,000 to McDonald’s charity of choice. Unfortunately, McDonald wasn’t able to complete this task, coming up just short in completing “only” 323.

In between the frivolity, there was some actual poker being played. Sam Greenwood was the story of the day, as he blasted past the million-chip mark on Day 1 of the Super High Roller. On two occasions, Greenwood was the beneficiary of coolers – his pocket aces running into the pocket kings of Scott Seiver and Byron Kaverman – to build that stack.

McDonald (pictured), while engaging in a stringent workout, took the second place slot at the end of Day 1, while Vladimir Troyanovskiy, Bryn BrynKenneyKenney, Sorel Imper1umMizzi, Erik Seidel, and Justin ZeeJustin Bonomo also were among the survivors.

Day 2 of the Super High Roller is underway on Wednesday and, as late registration was still available, final totals for the tournament are not known.

The true action at the PCA doesn’t start until Wednesday. Along with Day 2 of the Super High Roller, the Latin America Poker Tour has its $3,000 Main Event on the schedule. In an intriguing experiment, the PCA will also be the laboratory for a $2,200 “Double Bubble”tournament. In this tournament, 50% of the field will receive $2,200 from the prize pool and once that 50% is determined, the first bubble will pop. The “double bubble” will pop once the final 8% of the field has been determined. It should be a unique tournament and one that will surely create some conversation.

The PCA Main Event will begin on Thursday with the first of its two Day 1s. The $10,000 buy-in tournament is expected to draw a sizeable field, perhaps even challenging the 1,031 players it pulled in 2014. Defending champion Dominik Panka is expected back to defend his title and McDonald, who was barely denied his chance to become the first-ever two-time champion on the EPT with his runner-up finish, will also be in attendance.

By the time the 2015 EPT PCA ends a week from Wednesday, there will be more poker played, including the $25,000 High Roller on January 12 and the America’s Cup of Poker, and plenty of time spent on the pristine sands of Paradise Island. Visit PokerStars for more details.

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