partypoker Caribbean Poker Party champion Filipe Oliveira makes a deep run in the 2019 PCA Main Event

Filipe Oliveira has a quiet, unassuming presence at the poker table. No temper tantrums, no trash talk, no outward emotion after a bad beat. You might think it has something to do with playing poker in a tropical location such as the Bahamas. Apparently, it’s the exact opposite.

“The Bahamas likes me,” Oliveira joked on Day 3 of the 2019 PokerStars Caribbean Adventure Main Event.

No kidding. In November, Oliveira topped the 1,815 player field to win the partypoker Caribbean Poker Party Main Event at the Baha Mar resort in Nassau for $1.5 million. He showed up to the Atlantis Resort last week and made a deep run in the PokerStars Players NL Championship event, finishing 29th for $105,000. To date, 91.8% of his lifetime live earnings have been won on the island.

That number will actually increase. He’s one of 60 players still left in the hunt for the PCA Main Event title and the $1,567,100 first place prize. All kidding aside, Oliveira has a theory as to why he’s had success in the Bahamas.

“I think the time zone helps,” Oliveira said. “I wake up at 9 am, I go do some sports, I go to the pool, I watch some hands and I’m ready to play poker before I start.”

Getting a chance to start his day a full five hours earlier than he does at home, Oliveira is now giving thought to coming back to the Bahamas – or another country in the same time zone, to play online.

“I didn’t notice (the time zone) was really good for me, but I really enjoyed the time zone,” Oliveira said. “I think I might come here to play some series in this time zone, because I normally play in Europe. It’s completely different.”

Navigating his way through 3,630 players (and counting) over those three events, Oliveira believes the PCA Main Event, which had 865 entries, is actually softer than the partypoker CPP Main Event, which included 1,815 entries, including those who fired multiple bullets.

“(The CPP) was tougher because of the re-entries, it was more Day 1s and two re-entries so you were able to enter like 8 times or 10. So it’s way tougher,” said Oliveira. “The (PSPC) was really good. This $10K is worse than I expected in terms of field. It’s not really soft for a main event, but it’s still softer than a $10K high roller in Barcelona.”

He’s no stranger to online success either. In 2016, he won PokerStars Spring Championship of Online Poker Event #15- Medium ($82 NL Hold’em Ante Up) for $22,818.65. Last September he finished fourth in the PokerStars World Championship of Online Poker Event #28- High ($5,200 Turbo High Roller) for $65,244.