It’s not very often that we get to make hair-cutting puns here on PocketFives, so we’ll take advantage of it while we can. In early September, Canada’s Kerry shears458Shears (pictured) took second place in the weekly PokerStars Sunday 500 for $61,000. He has been a member of PocketFives since 2010 and generated over $200,000 in tracked MTT scores in his profile.

“It’s a great feeling,” Shears told PocketFives when asked what it felt like to book his largest tracked cash. “I have been close to a big score before, so coming through in a tournament with such a strong field is a thrill. I feel this tournament is one of the toughest out there. Even though I’m a part-time player, it’s confirmation that I can compete.” Members of PocketFives impressively represented 40% of the tournament’s in the money finishers and the final table also featured former #1 player Steve gboro780 Gross, who took seventh place for $14,000.

“Whenever I get the chance to play, I go for higher stakes, so the Sunday 500 is a good one,” Shears told us. “I’ve played it a few times before, but this was my first real run in it. I love the competition from good poker players.” The Sunday 500 on PokerStars boasts a $500 buy-in and a guarantee of $300,000 that is often easily exceeded.

No chop occurred in the Sunday 500 on September 2, although talk of one went down when play was three-handed. One of the finalists, hnidel, was not interested in a deal and, perhaps ironically, wound up busting out in third. Shears went into heads-up play against Gaasbeek888 as a 3:1 underdog and landed in second place.

Shears calls Newfoundlandhome. If you, like us, are not familiar with poker in Newfoundland, here’s a once-in-a-lifetime look at it courtesy of Shears: “The poker scene around here is almost non-existent. There’s no casino in the province and the only poker in my small town of 900 people is around the kitchen table with buddies. There are definitely no high-stakes MTTs. I’m very thankful for my success, which allows me to travel to live events across Canada, the United States, and the Bahamas. 2013 will be my fourth year going to the PokerStars Caribbean Adventure.”

So what does he look forward to the most about the PCAand how has the tropical tournament series gone for him in the past? Shears responded, “I love everything about the PCA. It is the perfect kickoff to a new poker season. There are so many tournament and cash game options, an incredible venue, lots of pros, and people from all over the world converging on Paradise Island for two weeks of madness. I have done really well at the PCA in the past, cashing in several tournaments and making two final tables in the last two years where the buy-ins were $1,500 and above.”

We think he’s dead set on making his third final table in three years when the 2013 PCA begins in January.

Chris Moneymaker‘s victory in the 2003 World Series of Poker Main Event was a catalyst for many players to hop on the poker bandwagon, including Shears. He explained the origins of his poker career: “I deposited on an online poker site when I was in college and built my game from there. My wife travels to Ottawa a lot for work and I tag along with her. That’s how I came across a tight group on a site called JackSevenand met some incredible people who help me with my online and live game. I’d like to give props to FouTight(pictured), spektah, qihu00, and ottcanada. I also want to recognize Marc and Angie for running JackSeven.”

Perhaps even more impressive than his online and live poker balance is the fact that he’s only a part-time player. Shears and his wife own several businesses that occupy a significant portion of their free time. As such, Shears pointed out, “It’s hard to play until 5:00am and function the next morning. Outside of poker, I like to golf, play hockey, travel, and have a good laugh with buddies.”

If you don’t already have a PokerStars account, PCA qualifiers are running around the clock, so now is the perfect time to sign up. Create your account through PocketFives to show your support for our online poker community. Get started here.