The Online Railbird Report, Vol. 9: Friday Night Massacre on Full Tilt

April 19, 2009

Nicole Gordon

With a $4,000/8,000 mixed game and a $1,000/2,000 NLHE/PLO game running in Bobby’s Room at the Bellagio, the online high-stakes poker tables were still a relative ghost town this week. After more than a year of a live game drought, high-limit regulars like Phil Ivey, Eli Elezra, Daniel Negreanu, Tom Dwan, and David Benyamine were licking their chops as several unknown players took a shot at the nosebleed tables and game catalyst Sammy Farha paid a visit to Las Vegas for this weekend’s WPT Championship. Everyone’s favorite Finns, Patrik Antonius, Sami “LarsLuzak” Kelopuro, and Ilari “Ziigmund” Sahamies were still hanging around and exchanging pots at the $500/1,000 tables on Full Tilt Poker, Antonius posting a particularly good week with over $787,000 in earnings. Gus Hansen, however was not so fortunate, posting one of the largest single-day losses in his entire career.

Gus Hansen Loses $1.2 Million in Friday Night Massacre

Playing all night on four of his eponymous $500/1,000 tables, Gus Hansen posted over $1.2 million in losses, primarily sustained playing heads-up pot-limit Omaha against Di “Urindanger” Dang and David “MR B 2 U SON” Benyamine. Dang took at least $740,000 off Hansen, while Benyamine padded his online roll to the tune of $645,000 during the all-night session, where $200,000-plus pots were not uncommon.

In one epic hand, Benyamine raised to $3,000 from the button and Hansen called from the small blind. Hansen check-called a $5,000 bet from Benyamine on the Q♦10♥2♥ flop, then check-raised his $16,000 turn bet to $64,000 when the 4♦ fell. Benyamine responded with a three-bet to $208,000, setting Hansen all in. He called, turning up K♣7♣2♠2♦ for a set of deuces, but Benyamine had him crushed with Q♠Q♥8♠3♠ for a higher set. The board paired on the river with the 10♣ and Benyamine raked in the $236,000 pot with queens full.

Another one of the largest pots of the night came on one of his heads-up tables with Di Dang. Dang opened for $3,000, Hansen bumped it to $9,000 and Dang called. Hansen led out for $14,000 on the A♣6♣5♥ flop and Dang made the call. The turn came the J♥ and Hansen took another shot at the pot for $46,000. Dang raised to $122,000, setting Hansen all in and the Dane made the call, turning up J♦J♣6♠5♦ for a set of jacks while Dang turned out to be semi-bluffing with 10♣10♥9♦7♥ for a flush draw and a gutshot. Proving that it just wasn’t Hansen’s night, the K♥ hit the river, making Dang’s flush and sending him the $238,000 pot.

Hollink Hauls $87,000 at $500/1,000 H.E.R.O.S.

WSOP bracelet winner Rob Hollink and high-stakes limit specialist Matt Hawrilenko came together Monday afternoon for a session of heads-up $500/1,000 H.E.R.O.S. on Full Tilt. They were able to go one-on-one for about a half-hour before Eli Elezra joined the table and made it a three-handed game. Over close to 200 hands of action, Hollink emerged as the session’s big winner, collecting $87,000 from his two opponents – $68,000 from Hawrilenko and $18,000 from Elezra.

Though many of the major confrontations unfolded in the stud rounds, Hollink won the session’s largest pot with a scoop in Omaha hi/lo. Hawrilenko opened for a raise from the button and both Elezra and Hollink called. The action was checked to Hawrilenko on the 10♣10♥2♣ flop and he made a continuation bet. Elezra called, Hollink raised, Hawrilenko called and Elezra three-bet to $1,500. Hollink capped the betting and both his opponents called. The turn brought the 8♦ and Elezra led out, earning calls from both players. The river was the 9♣ missing any potential low draws. Elezra led again, Hollink raised, Hawrilenko called, Elezra reraised, and Hollink capped. With the action back on Hawrilenko, he decided to fold and Elezra called the final bet. Hollink showed down K♥10♠9♦4♣ for tens full of nines and Elezra mucked, the Dutchman raking in the $22,000 pot.

Antonius Has a Banner Week

This week (and hey, let’s face it almost every week) it was good to be Patrik Antonius. The chiseled Finn raked in over $877,000 in profit over the last seven days, most of it in the $500/1,000 HA games. On Sunday night alone, Antonius booked a $684,000 win in short-handed sessions against Tom “durrrr” Dwan, Hac “trex313” Dwan, Gus Hansen, Phil Ivey, and Ilari “Ziigmund” Sahamies. One of the night’s biggest confrontations came in an Omaha pot where Antonius went up against Sahamies and ended up snapping off his aces.

Sahamies opened for $3,000, Antonius three-bet to $9,000 and Sahamies came back over the top, re-potting to $27,000. Antonius called and they both checked the K♣Q♠6♠ flop. When the 3♣ came on the turn, Antonius made a pot-sized bet of $54,000, Sahamies moved in for $92,000 and Antonius made the call, turning up Q♦Q♥J♣9♥ for a set of queens, cracking Sahamies' A♦A♠4♦2♦. The river was the 6♥ and Antonius raked in the $239,000 pot, leaving Sahamies to rebuy.

Antonius’ results this week increased his year-to-date total winnings to nearly $4,000,000.

Pot of the Week: Kelopuro Wins $308,000 with Quads

On Thursday night, Sami “LarsLuzak” Kelopuro and Patrik Antonius sat down for a little heads-up $500/1,000 HA and ended up playing the largest online pot of the week at $308,000. Kelopuro finished up about $200,000 to the good, much of it courtesy of this hand.

Kelopuro opened for $3,000 and Antonius three-bet to $9,000. Kelopuro called and they saw the 8♣4♦2♠ flop. Antonius led out for $15,000 and Kelopuro smooth-called. The turn brought the 8♦. Antonius slowed down and checked, Kelopuro bet $34,000 and Antonius called. A third eight, the 8♥ hit the river and Antonius checked again. Kelopuro put out $96,000 and Antonius looked him up. Kelopuro revealed 10♦9♥9♠8♠ for quad eights and Antonius mucked, leaving railbirds to wonder just what the heck he was calling with in that spot(could he have three-bet preflop with aces or kings?).