FTOPS X Roundup: Amit Makhija Captures 'High Rollers' Title

November 17, 2008

Mickey Doft Live Reporter

FTOPS X Roundup: Amit Makhija Captures 'High Rollers' Title 0001

The tenth Full Tilt Online Poker Series (FTOPS X), concluded late on Sunday as action in three different events wrapped up. Rising star Amit Makhija entered the day in the $5,000+200 "high rollers" event as the chip leader among 35 survivors, and maintained that lead to the final table, where he eventually put away the win. "slaskovic" took down the night's $120+9 NLHE "Knockout Special" (Event #24). The FTOPS X Main Event will appear in a separate recap shortly.

FTOPS X Event #22: $5,000+200 NLHE (Day 2)

FTOPS Event #22, the $5,000+200 NL Hold'em 6-max tournament, resumed on Sunday with 35 players returning to action. Among those falling short of the final table were Brandon Adams in 7th ($57,500), Kevin "GetPWN3D" Saul in 11th ($33,750), David "Davidp18" Peters in 12th ($33,750), Shawn "buck99" Buchanan in 15th ($26,250), Steve "thorladen" Weinstein in 16th ($21,250), Hans "miAmihAns" Winzeler in 17th ($21,250), Eugene "myrabbifoo" Katchalov in 20th ($17,500), Craig Marquis in 24th ($17,500), Christian "da_professional" Iacobellis in 26th ($15,000), David Pham in 27th ($15,000), Kyle "kwob20" Bowker in 28th ($15,000), David "Bussa Buss" Baker in 29th ($15,000), Joe "Dyzalot" Morneau in 31st ($13,750) and Luke "magikstick" Vrabel in 34th place ($13,750).

The chip counts to start the final table were as follows:

KaKeTKa - 832,144

Amit "amak316" Makhija - 746,125

PureCash25 - 565,184

dpowell - 344,096

Evan "NEONPILS99" Parkes - 328,584

Mark "Buster Love" Seif - 183,867

Mark "Buster Love" Seif got to work quickly at the final table. He doubled up, won a few pots and eliminated dpowell. At blinds and antes of 5,000/10,000/1,000, PureCash24 opened to 25,000 on the button and Seif called from the small blind. Dpowell, in the big blind, raised it up 120,000 and PureCash25 got out of the way. Seif then shipped it in and dpowell called all in with 5♠5♥, trailing Seif's 6♥6♣. When the board came 10♦9♣J♠9♠K♥, dpowell was eliminated in sixth place for $90,000. Out next was Evan "NEONPILS99" Parkes. PureCash25 raised to 25,000 under the gun and Parkes shoved all in from the small blind for 216,575. PureCash25 started the hand with 397,418 in chips and went into the tank before calling with A♦9♥. Parkes turned up Q♣10♥ and would need some help. He found none as the board rolled out 7♦9♠2♠9♣4♥. Evan "NEONPILS99" Parkes earned $137,500 for fifth place.

Seif was sent to the rail next. KaKeTKa opened to 24,567 from the cutoff and Seif called from the small blind. The flop came 4♦7♥5♥ and Seif checked the action to KaKeTKa who bet 34,567. Seif then shoved with the bigger stack and KaKeTKa called all in for 430,744 with 7♦7♣ for top set. Seif showed 6♥6♦ and needed to make a straight. The turn and river came 2♥ and 2♣, putting Seif on a severe short stack. He was eliminated the next hand in fourth place for $195,000.

Three-handed play began with the following chip counts:

Amit "amak316" Makhija - 1,364,684

KaKeTKa - 982,756

PureCash25 - 652,560

PureCash25 worked up the ranks to take over the chip lead, but on the last hand of the 6,000/12,000/1,500 level, Amit Makhija's Q♠Q♥ held in a race against PureCash25's A♦K♣. Heading into the five-minute break, the counts were these:

Amit "amak316" Makhija - 2,186,192

KaKeTKa - 547,810

PureCash25 - 265,998

Shortly into 8,000/16,000/2,000, Makhija raised to 40,000 on the button and PureCash25 moved all in for 293,998. Makhija called with A♠J♦ but trailed the Q♠Q♣ held by PureCash25. The flop and turn came 2♠4♥7♣6♣, but the A♥ fell on the river. PureCash25 busted in third place for $262,500.

Makhija's chip lead heads-up was almost 5-to-1 and he never let up an inch. He sealed the deal when, on the button and with over 2.8 million in chips, he shoved with A♥2♠; KaKeTKa, with just 195,310, called with K♠8♠. The board rolled out 2♥9♣J♦9♠4♥ and the tournament was over. KaKeTKa took second place for $362,500.

The winner of Event #22 was Amit "amak316" Makhija. One of the game's hottest players right now, Makhija final tabled the $10,000 Pot-Limit Hold'em World Championship at the World Series of Poker, finishing fifth for $198,000. He followed that up with a second-place showing at the Championship Event at the Legends of Poker for $563,000. He came into the Event #22 final with the chip lead and never gave up much ground en route to a winner's payday of $550,000.

Final Results:

1. Amit "amak316" Makhija - $550,000

2. KaKeTKa - $362,500

3. PureCase25 - $262,500

4. Mark "Buster Love" Seif - $195,000

5. Evan "NEONPILS99" Parkes - $137,500

6. dpowell - $90,000

FTOPS X Roundup: Amit Makhija Captures 'High Rollers' Title 101

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FTOPS X Event #24: $120+9 NLHE Knockout Special

FTOPS Event #24, a $120+9 NL Hold'em "Knockout Special," drew 7,000 entrants. The prize pool was $700,000, with each individual bounty paying $20. Among the best finishers were Matt "ma77th3gr34t" Page in 10th ($4,550), STELLA05 in 34th ($1,680), Ryan "BADBOYNEL" Nelson in 40th ($1,470), Devin "TranquilChaos" Porter in 29th ($1,680), willcutyou in 41st ($1,470) and Josh Arieh in 93rd ($630).

The chip counts to start the final table were as follows:

Luke "IWEARGOGGLES" Staudenmaier - 9,879,511

GabrielFortune - 4,953,284

bmm77 - 4,215,786

HorningT12 - 4,039,186

moneymaking78 - 3,257,566

slaskovic - 2,698,357

Iceman Wins - 2,680,431

imfatandugly - 2,559,249

JAGERN - 716,630

Eliminated first from the final table was imfatandugly. With blinds and antes at 100,000/200,000/25,000, imfatandugly's remaining 2,199,249 chips were in the middle against HorningT12. Imfatandugly's Q♥9♥ was unable to catch up to HorningT12's K♥J♦. Ninth place paid $7,000. At 140,000/280,000/35,000, JAGERN surged back into contention after starting the final as the short stack. JAGERN was able to cross the 5,000,000 chip mark when his tens cracked bmm77's aces. Following that, most of bmm77's chips were lost running A♦6♥ into Iceman Wins' 9♣9♦. A nine hit the board and bmm77 was eliminated the next hand in eighth for $9,800. Despite that win, Iceman Wins would not make it to the next level. On the button, Iceman Wins raised to 888,888 and slaskovic shoved with the bigger stack. Iceman Wins called all in for 3,775,552 and turned up K♦K♠, leading slaskovic's AcJh. The board, though, rolled out 10♦2♣J♦A♥7♠, Iceman Wins was left out in the cold in seventh for $14,000.

The 170,000/340,000/40,000 level was the last for Luke "IWEARGOGGLES" Staudenmaier, despite entering the final with the lead. HorningT12 made it 876,899 to play from the cutoff and Staudenmaier moved all in for 4,934,817 with 3♣3♠. HorningT12 called, showing 9♦9♠, and won the pot as the board came K♣6♥2♠8♥4♠. Luke "IWEARGOGGLES" Staudenmaier took home $20,300 for sixth. GabrielFortune was a casualty at this level as well. Slaskovic opened to 802,111 under the gun and GabrielFortune shipped it in for 2,449,297 with Q♦10♣. With K♥9♥, slaskovic called. The board brought no help and GabrielFortune departed with $30,100. Moneymaking78 bit the dust shortly thereafter in a hand against chip leader slaskovic. With 10♥10♠, moneymaking78's last 2,790,264 went in against slaskovic's A♦Q♥. The board came A♠J♥3♣6♠7♥ and moneymaking78 was sent to the rail in fourth for $42,000.

JAGERN battled back valiantly from beginning the final table as the short stack, but finished the event in third place at 200,000/400,000/50,000. HorningT12 raised 1,111,111 on the button and JAGERN moved all in for 5,368,413 with A♥9♣. HorningT12 called with A♦4♣ and was favored by fortune as the board ran out Q♥8♦10♠K♠4♦, sinking JAGERN on the river. A payday of $58,800 headed JAGERN's way for third.

Heads-up play began with slaskovic ahead with 22,000,000 to HorningT12's 13,000,000. On the 12th hand of the battle, HorningT12 made it 1,234,567 to go and slaskovic shoved. HorningT12 called all in with Q♣10♥, which trailed slaskovic's A♣K♠. The final board came 6♥A♠8♠2♦J♥ to close the tournament. HorningT12 finished as the runner-up for $83,300. Slaskovic emerged victorious from the starting field of 7,000 to win Event #24 and $136,164.00, in addition to a collection of knockout bounties.