Lifelong friends Marc Charley and Craig Evans are helping turn the Caribbean Poker Series into one of the region’s premier poker destinations.
Marc Charley and Craig Evans were just 10 years old when they met in grade school.
Long before either of them could have imagined packed tournament rooms, international partnerships or more than half a million dollars in prize money, they were simply childhood friends.
Decades later, that friendship sits at the heart of the Caribbean Poker Series.
Charley represents the Hilton Aruba Casino. Evans represents the Caribbean Poker Series. Together, they have transformed a relationship that began in a grade-school classroom into a shared vision that is bringing poker players from around the world to Aruba.
Now entering its fourth year, the Caribbean Poker Series has become the largest privately owned poker event in the Caribbean islands, and its growth shows no signs of slowing down.
Launched in 2023, the series immediately showed its potential. Its inaugural Main Event attracted 194 entries and generated a $208,550 prize pool. David Helpard captured the title and the $54,671 first-place prize.
In 2024, the Main Event field surged to 325 entries and the prize pool more than doubled to $438,750. Katie Lindsay emerged as the champion, earning $102,915.
The upward trajectory continued in 2025, when a record 353 entries created a $529,500 prize pool. Pieter Susebeek claimed the championship and the largest first-place prize in the event’s history at $120,557.
Caribbean Poker Series Main Event History
2023: 194 entries, $208,550 prize pool
Champion: David Helpard, $54,671
2024: 325 entries, $438,750 prize pool
Champion: Katie Lindsay, $102,915
2025: 353 entries, $529,500 prize pool
Champion: Pieter Susebeek, $120,557
In just three completed editions, Main Event participation has increased by more than 80 percent, while the prize pool has grown by more than 150 percent. Those numbers reflect the reputation the Caribbean Poker Series has earned among players from the Caribbean, the United States and beyond.
Partnerships Expanding the Series
The series has also expanded its reach through partnerships with two respected American tournament brands, the Moneymaker Poker Tour and the RunGood Poker Series.
The Moneymaker Poker Tour carries the name of poker icon Chris Moneymaker, whose historic victory in the 2003 World Series of Poker Main Event helped inspire an entire generation to take up the game.
The RunGood Poker Series has developed a loyal following by delivering professionally operated, community-focused poker festivals across the United States.
Those partnerships have connected the Caribbean Poker Series with established poker communities while introducing more players to Aruba. They bring together recognizable brands, trusted tournament experiences and a shared belief that poker should be welcoming, exciting and memorable.
The Team Behind the Series
A respected group of players and personalities represents the festival as official Caribbean Poker Series ambassadors. The ambassador team includes Ray Henson, Ronnie Bardah, Heather Alcorn, Kris Burchfield, Scott Roberts and Lisa Roberts.
Their involvement has helped extend the reach of the event while preserving the player-first atmosphere that has become part of its identity.
The continued success of the series is also driven by the people working behind the scenes.
Bridget Stein, event coordinator for the Caribbean Poker Series, plays an integral role in bringing the festival together. Her coordination helps ensure that the many moving parts of the series come together to create a smooth and memorable experience for players, partners and guests.
Alexina Vandenberg, marketing manager for the Hilton Aruba Casino, has also been an integral part of the event’s growth and success. Her work connecting the Hilton Aruba Casino with the Caribbean Poker Series has helped strengthen the event’s presence, reach new audiences and showcase Aruba as an international poker destination.
Diego Evans serves as the financial expert for the Caribbean Poker Series. His financial insight and oversight help provide the foundation necessary for the festival to operate successfully, grow responsibly and continue building toward the future.
The tournament operation is led by renowned tournament director Dennis Jones. His experience and professionalism provide another important layer of credibility to a festival that continues to expand in both size and ambition.
Together, Stein, Vandenberg, Diego Evans and Jones form an essential part of the team responsible for turning the vision shared by Charley and Craig Evans into a successful annual event.
A Friendship at the Heart of It All
But the real story of the Caribbean Poker Series cannot be told through numbers alone.
It is the story of two friends who grew up together and stayed connected long enough to build something meaningful together.
Charley’s work with the Hilton Aruba Casino and Craig Evans’ leadership of the Caribbean Poker Series have created a partnership rooted in decades of familiarity, loyalty and trust. That history gives the festival something no marketing campaign can manufacture.
It makes the event personal.
The Caribbean Poker Series is not simply a poker tournament placed inside a tropical destination. It is a homegrown Aruba success story, created through friendship, strengthened by major industry partnerships and supported by an integral team working behind the scenes.
It has also been embraced by a poker community that returns in greater numbers each year.
As the series enters its fourth chapter, the fields are growing, the prize pools are climbing and its place on the international poker calendar is becoming increasingly difficult to ignore.
For Marc Charley and Craig Evans, however, the story will always begin in the same place: two 10-year-old friends who could not have known that one day they would help bring the poker world together on an island.