Online Poker Weekend: $100K Added Marks Sunday Million Anniversary Warmup

March 05, 2007

Haley Hintze

Online Poker Weekend: $100K Added Marks Sunday Million Anniversary Warmup 0001

Poker Stars began its celebration of the anniversary of the Stars Sunday Million by dropping a little extra something into the night's prize pool. Or a hundred thousand extra somethings --- dollars, to be more precise.

Poker Stars Sunday Million

6,672 players signed up for the anniversary edition of the Poker Stars Sunday Million, and with the $100,000 in seed money, the total prize pool swelled to $1,434,400. 900 players cashed, with first prize a generous $206,266.72. '5iveofaKind' led a tight race to the final table with nearly $12 million in chips, but three other players lurked closely behind.

The elimination parade began when 'DeuceBuster,' all-in with K♥Q♣, couldn't overtake 'admiral77's A♣10♣ when the board of 4♣8♦5♥7♥J♣ missed both players. 'Hist007' fell next, his push with K♠7♦ finding a caller in FiveofaKind (who held 7♣7♥), with the board arriving J♦5♠A♥5♥9♦. Seventh place went to '10Ten_Deuce2,' whose J♠K♥ couldn't catch up to admiral77's A♦10♦ when the board displayed 3♠K♣A♣4♥7♦.

admiral77 picked up the next knockout as well, sending '#1PEN' to the rail in sixth when his 7♦7♣ stayed ahead of #1PEN's A♣2♣, with the 9♦K♣J♥5♦9♣ board helping neither player. Then, moments after nixing deal talks, 'alcswab' was bounced in fifth; 5iveofaKind pushed the small blind with Q♦8♦, and alcswab made the call with A♦4♦, but the board came J♦Q♥2♥3♦K♠.

The four remaining players then agreed on a chop for most of the remaining prize money, with the standard $30,000 remaining in play for the winner. With the tourney blinds soon climbing to $500,000/$1,000,000 there was little room for play, regardless. Moments after winning a huge pot from admiral77 behind pocket kings, 'OnlyHope' cracked the kings of 'jintsrule56' (K♠K♦) to narrow the field to three. OnlyHope made the initial push with A♣10♥, which worked when the board arrived J♥6♥A♥9♠J♠. 5iveofaKind then finished off admiral77, winning with K♠9♥ against admiral77's A♣2♥ with a board showing 3♣K♣Q♦8♣4♠.

Heads-up play saw 5iveofaKind take down two big pots to move into the lead, only to see OnlyHope close out the tourney with a rush, taking down the last eight pots. The final hand saw all the chips go in after a 7♥3♥3♦ flop, with OnlyHope bluffing with A♠6♥ and 5iveofaKind making the call with 9♠7♠. The turn and river, though, were the A♣ and A♦, giving OnlyHope the hoped-for title.

Final standings:

* 1st ($118,383): OnlyHope

* 2nd ($123,346): 5iveofaKind

* 3rd ($118,548): admiral77

* 4th ($90,985): jintsrule56

5th ($46,044.24): alcswab

6th ($32,991.20): #1PEN

7th ($23,667.60): 10Ten_Deuce2

8th ($14,344.00): Hist007

9th ($8,893.28): DeuceBuster

Full Tilt $200,000 Guarantee

An unexpected system crash forced cancellation of the normal $400,000 Guaranteed at Full Tilt, though once the system was brought back online, Full Tilt added a late-starting $200,000 Guaranteed to its schedule. The unexpected bonus also meant an overlay of almost $30,000 was available for players who stayed up for the late-night fun. 851 players participated, 99 cashed, and all sights were set on the $45,000 first-place money. 'FERRARI73' led the nine final-table survivors to the big-money spots.

The first of the nine to depart was 'RollTide1992,' whose A♥10♥ couldn't improve against 'get_that's 9♣9♠ when the board arrived 4♠3♠Q♥8♣Q♣. 'rmonkeypoker' lasted only two hands longer, out when an A♦9♣ holding was dominated by 'BergyBunch's A♥J♥, and the board provided 2♥8♥J♣K♦A♣. BergyBunch fell next, however, when get_that turned a modest 8♥3♠ start into flopped trips, the board finally showing 3♥3♣K♠9♥4♠ when complete. BergyBunch's cards were mucked and not shown.

'Claw1980' picked a bad time to make a stand with A♠9♠, running the hand square into FERRARI73's K♥K♠, which flopped the set and were never threatened; the board for the hand read K♣A♥4♥J♠4♣. Then 'pkgrant' exited in fifth after committing the last of his chips to a pair and a draw to the nut flush with one card to go --- pkgrant held A♦7♣ to FERRARI73's 9♣6♣, but was behind after the turn when the board read 6♦7♣Q♦9♦. A 9♠ on the river completed FERRARI73's full house and trimmed the field to four.

It went to three immediately after the jump to the $12,000/$24,000 blinds level. 'neilz_' had been whittled down to little over $100,000 in chips, and chose to try his luck with K♥J♦. FERRARI had 9♠9♥, and won the race when the board offered 5♣5♦10♣A♥8♦. 'askeladden2' faced a similar death-by-blinds predicament two hands later, and met the same fate --- his 6♠5♥ start trailed FERRARI's 7♦7♣ from the start, and missed a last chance at a gutshot straight as the board presented 7♥9♣10♦K♥10♠.

FERRARI73 started heads-up action with the lead, but the tide turned when both players got all their chips into the pot in a hand where the flop came J♠10♥9♠. get_that showed K♦K♥, but trailed when FERRARI73 offered J♦9♥, for two pair. However, a 10♣ turn put a pair on the board and counterfeited FERRARI73's bottom pair, and a 2♣ river meant get_that's better two pair won out, and get_that had over 90% of the chips in play. The end came three hands later, with get_that having A♥10♥ to FERRARI73's 9♦6♦. The board showed K♥9♥10♠Q♠10♦, giving get_that trip tens and a $45,000 win

Final standings:

1st ($45,000): get_that

2nd ($29,000): FERRARI73

3rd ($21,500): askeladden2

4th ($16,500): neilz_

5th ($12,500): pkgrant

6th ($9,000): Claw1980

7th ($6,000): BergyBunch

8th ($4,500): rmonkeypoker

9th ($3,200): RollTide1992

Party Poker $300,000 Guaranteed

1,468 players were on hand for the latest edition of the Party Poker $300,000 Guaranteed, with a small overlay a part of the purse. The cash ran 200 places deep, with first place worth $60,000. 'gedansk1,' with over $1.3 million chips, was the highest of four players over the million-chip mark as the last table began. Moments after losing most of his chips after running tens into jacks, 'PARSHAK's last gasp with K♣Q♣ couldn't outrace 'lebowski105's 10♣10♦, when the board came J♦9♥3♣7♥J♥.

'russco13' was next to depart, his K♠Q♦ unlucky against 'DrawnOut's 8♦8♥, the board arriving 9♦6♣5♠9♥8♠, and was quickly followed to the rail by 'nisse1876,' whose A♠8♦ holdings fell to 'EASTLE's K♥Q♥ when the board offered 4♣10♦9♠Q♣7♠. 'Mr_Jannson' exited in seventh when his A♣2♣ couldn't catch gedansk1's A♥K♠ on a board of 4♦K♥3♥4♠J♥, and a short-stacked 'lebowski105' placed sixth when his A♣K♣ found two callers; gedansk1 with A♠5♥ and DrawnOut with 7♣5♣. A 7♥5♠5♦ flop meant more fireworks were coming, with DrawnOut completing a huge double-through to a commanding lead when 2♥6♠ completed the board. That knockout allowed 'challle123' to move one spot higher before bowing it; challle123 had been crippled by an earlier bad beat at the hands of DrawnOut. DrawnOut picked up the knockout on a hand where challle123's cards were mucked.

DrawnOut's surge continued when his A♦J♠ outraced EASTLE's 2♠2♦ when the board arrived 7♥K♥K♠10♥J♦. At this point, the three surviving players agreed to a chip-count chop for the remaining prize money, with DrawnOut the technical winner.

Final standings:

** 1st ($50,412.38): DrawnOut

** 2nd ($33,814.84): Ziebed

** 3rd ($29,472.79): gedansk1

4th ($16,350): EASTLE

5th ($13,800): challle123

6th ($10,350): lebowski105

7th ($7,950): Mr_Jansson

8th ($5,250): nisse1876

9th ($4,050): russco13

10th ($2,850): PARSHAK

** --- three-way deal for remaining prize money

Ultimate Bet $200,000 Guaranteed

The weekly $200,000 Guaranteed at Ultimate Bet saw 1,001 runners, generating a $200,200 purse. Prize money was paid to the top 110 finishers, with first worth $44,044. The leader as the final table gathered together was 'hemipwered05,' at just over $600,000 in chips, though he then lost a couple of big races to drop back into the pack. hemipwered05, however, came back to notch the first knockout when his 8♥8♣ easily won over the A♥K♦ of 'bart1111,' the board coming 5♣6♥8♠2♥Q♣ for trip eights.

'Vulcher' was the next player bounced, his J♠J♥ falling to 'sliknik3's A♣A♦, the board showing 7♠8♥4♠K♣9♠. Then 'bob_11' hit the rail, his last stand with 6♣7♠ no good against the 10♦10♠ of 'Goldwatch' when the board arrived A♦8♦4♠4♥K♦. And seventh was decided moments later, going to 'LuckyDutch' when his J♠Q♣ lost to K♠A♥, the board coming Q♠K♣5♦7♠8♠.

'Avril23' suffered two late breaks and finally bowed out in sixth, a last push with J♣4♣ doomed against sliknik's A♣K♣ when the board arrived Q♣7♦A♠6♦9♦. It was followed by 'highrollin07's departure in fifth, his push with Q♥10♥ finding a quick call from hemipwered05, who held 10♠10♦; the board delivered 7♣3♦3♥7♥7♠, leaving highrollin07 to play the board and giving hemipwered05 the better full house.

hemipwered05 stayed hot, building his lead and eliminating opponents. The next to fall was 'lawdork1980,' whose A♣4♦ found no help against hemipwered05's A♠K♠ as the board brought Q♦5♣2♠10♦Q♣. Goldwatch's time ran out next, his A♦2♣ dominated by hemipwered05's A♠Q♦, which stood up when the board showed 6♣4♣5♦K♦9♣. And finally, hemipwered05 trapped sliknik3 into committing all of his chips on a hand where hemipwered05 started with 8♥8♣, sliknik3 10♠9♦. Both players caught a piece of the 8♠10♦A♦ flop, and when the 10♥ arrived on the turn, the chips went in; sliknik3 thought his trip tens were good but he was drawing to seven outs instead. The river 7♣ was none of them, sealing hemipwered05's victory.