Friday, 29th March 2024 05:31
Home / Uncategorized / PCA 2016: Five lads, a night in, and a cardboard Alan

You might remember earlier this year PokerStars teamed up with Prostate Cancer UK to raise money and awareness of prostate cancer. Lads Night In proved an enormously popular campaign, raising vital resources for the cause, while getting men (and women) together to play some cards and send some money the way of a great cause.

Naturally PokerStars added a few incentives for those taking part. If your home game raised £100 that earned you entry into a draw to win a trip for your and your home game pals to the PCA. We’d throw in spending money and get you playing a special sit and go for a chance to win entry into a PCA side event.

That day came for five players from Scotland, whose name came out of the hat for this once in a lifetime trip. Well four of them.

lads_night_in_pca2016_1.jpgLads Night In, PCA style
Alas, as preparations were made for the five winners to fly out to the Bahamas one member of the group, Alan MacVicar, had to cancel. The birth of his child took priority and his trip was cancelled. But that didn’t stop his home game pals from bringing him along – albeit a cardboard version.

cardboard_alan_gerry_rhodie_pca2016_4.jpg“Alan” with Gerry Rhodie
Hence those at the PCA might have seen “Cardboard Alan” hanging around Atlantis, carried by his friends Mathew Brown, John McRoberts, Gerry Rhodie and John Bell. All of them have been soaking up the PCA atmosphere, while lugging around their card board friend for pictures.

john_mcroberts_cardboard_alan_pca2016_2.jpgJohn McRoberts and cardboard Alan
That includes today, when the “five” friends, took seats in a special sit and go to win entry into a PCA side event. Alan was there also (tight, rather passive) as the four played to a winner.

Mathew_brown_john_mcroberts_pca2016_3.jpgMathew Brown and John McRoberts
That, and experiencing a first trip to a PokerStars event, and to the Caribbean, made taking part in that home game last year worth it, not to mention the contribution to a great cause. Mathew Brown won the four-way sit and go, and will play a side event this week, be encouraged on the rail by his three buddies, and cardboard Alan.

To the real Alan, best wishes to you and your wife. You’ve been missed.


Stephen Bartley is a staff writer for the PokerStars Blog.

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