Online Poker Weekend: Sweden's 'ZIGENAAREN' Surges to Stars Win

February 26, 2007

Haley Hintze

Online Poker Weekend: Sweden's 'ZIGENAAREN' Surges to Stars Win 0001

Sunday's big events saw a late rush to victory in the Stars Sunday Million, a see-saw battle for the big bucks in the Full Tilt $400K, and a lengthy war of attrition in the Ultimate Bet $200K. One site that did not see a lengthy final table was Party Poker, where the last six players settled on a multi-way chop after no one could break clear of a tightly bunched pack.

Poker Stars Sunday Million

The last Sunday of the month means it's the $500+35 version of the Poker Stars Sunday Million, and last night's event drew big numbers. 2,801 participants meant a $1,400,500 prize pool, with $257,551.95 the scheduled winner's share and the cash running 414 places deep. 'Ravanelli' led a tightly packed field to the final table with just over $5 million in chips.

'Randers's stay at the final table was brief, his push on a flop of 2♦4♣6♠ (holding 6♥5♦), always behind 'chrisrokx's J♣J♥; the board completed with 4♠K♦. Next out was 'PokiAnn,' unfortunate to find A♠K♠ when chrisrokx held Q♦Q♠, with the outcome not close when the board brought 5♣Q♥4♠4♣5♠. Seventh went to 'Reno_Jones,' who found A♥9♥ a loser against 'GrinderMJ's J♥J♠, with the board displaying 9♣Q♦K♥4♦3♠, and sixth went to chirsrokx, tough-luck loser of a huge pot to Sweden's 'ZIGENAAREN.' ZIGENAAREN re-raised all-in before the flop with A♠Q♦, and chrisrockx, slightly outchipped, made the call with A♣K♠; however, the Q♥9♣10♦A♥9♥ board gave ZIGENAAREN a better two pairs and a pot worth almost $10 million.

GrinderMJ lasted to fifth, but bowed out when he tried to steal the big blind with Q♠9♥. 'Previcator,' in the big blind, made the call with A♥8♥, and was rewarded with the knockout when the board came 4♦6♣8♦2♣4♠. A few hands later, ZIGENAAREN picked off 'Kongsgaard,' Q♣J♣ topping Q♦9♠ when the board of A♣10♠K♣2♥8♦ gave ZIGENAAREN a flopped straight. ZIGENAAREN continued his late rush by eliminating Ravanelli, on a hand where Ravanelli started ahead with A♠9♥ to ZIGENAAREN's K♥J♠. The board, though, arrived 2♥8♥10♣K♠3♦, with the king on the turn giving nearly 80% of the chips beginning head-to-head play.

ZIGENAAREN kept the pressure on, pushing Prevaricator closer to the brink, only to see Prevaricator catch a two-outer to make a set of deuces and stay alive. The reprieve, though, was short-lived. Six hands later, Prevaricator made an aggressive re-raise push before the flop with K♦10♠, and ZIGENAAREN made the call with K♣Q♣. The board came 8♥2♠K♠Q♦6♦, giving ZIGENAAREN top two pairs and the quarter-million dollar triumph.

Final standings:

1st ($257,551.95): ZIGENAAREN

2nd ($130,946.75): Prevaricator

3rd ($86,690.95): Ravanelli

4th ($71,425.50): Kongsgaard

5th ($57,420.50): GrinderMJ

6th ($43,415.50): chrisrokx

7th ($30,530.90): Reno_Jones

8th ($19,326.90): PokiAnn

9th ($11,204): Randers

Full Tilt $400,000 Guarantee

After a two-week hiatus due to the recent FTOPS, the normal Full Tilt Sunday event returned with a $400,000 Guarantee. 2,302 players signed up, meaning $460,400 was at stake, and while 351 of the runners made the money, the first prize of $84,460.38 was the target in everyone's sights. 'CaptRunDown' was the runaway leader as the final table gathered, with $2,83 million in chips as no one else was over $900,000. However, the second-place 'donkeylounge' soon won a huge race from CaptRunDown and later vaukted into the lead

'bballer88' finished in ninth when his K♠7♦ holdings couldn't catch against the A♠K♣ of 'easymoney05,' the 8♦Q♦9♥5♣2♦ board giving bballer8 hopes for a straight that went unfulfilled. 'sonofchufty' feel next, his A♥K♦ unable to overtake donkeylounge's 9♥9♠ when the board delivered 6♣3♣3♥8♣10♦. One hand later, 'Jonutenh's A♠Q♠ fell to 'eazymoney05's K♥K♦, the board arriving 5♦5♥3♠J♦10♦, trimming the field to six.

'GROOTEGOED' made it five by ending 'letters2006's run, when letters2006 started with 3♦3♠, but lost to GROOTEGOED's K♣10♥ as the board showed 5♦8♣K♠6♠7♥. The hand was part of a rush that took GROOTENOED all the way to the lead, much of it at donkeylounge's expense. donkeylounge's night ended at fifth place, his last steal attempt with K♦9♥ picked off by eazymoney05's A♥K♠, with a board of 10♣2♦J♦8♠8♣. 'NateJizzle' made one surge but bowed out in fourth, his Q♠Q♦ cracked by eazymoney05's 6♣6♥ when the board offered 7♦10♥4♠2♠... and the fateful 6♠.

Third place went to GROOTEGOED, courtesy of a classic bad beat. GROOTEGOED made an initial raise with A♦A♥, but CaptRunDown, holding A♠6♦, re-raised enough to set GROOTEGOED all-in, with GROOTEGOED happy to make the call. The board, however, played out 4♥10♣7♦8♦9♠, sending GROOTEGOED to the rail and making for heads-up play. CaptRunDown then fell well behind eazymoney05 before mounting a huge comeback and sealing of the win. On the final hand, eazymoney05 held K♦9♦, but CaptRunDown was favored with Q♦Q♠ and flopped a set. The final board read Q♥2♦4♦9♣10♠, closing out CaptRunDown's win.

Final standings:

1st ($84,460.38): CaptRunDown

2nd ($51,841.04): eazymoney05

3rd ($33,931.48): GROOTEGOED

4th ($27,071.52): Nate Jizzle

5th ($20,487.80): donkeylounge

6th ($14,732.80): letters2006

7th ($10,819.40): Jonutenh

8th ($8,471.36): sonofchufty

9th ($6,445.60): bballer88

Party Poker $300,000 Guaranteed

Party Poker continued its recent string of cleared guarantees, with 1,525 players generated a $305,000 prize pool. $61,000 was on the line for first, with 200 players cashing. The UK's 'dalassenos' and 'Jennifer2113' from Sweden were the early final-table leaders, each well over $1 million in chips, with a well-spaced field on the chase. 'CSKxAQUARIUS' exited when his last stand with A♠9♦ didn't connect against the 7♥7♠ of 'drEskilstuna,' the board arriving 3♦10♠10♣K♣8♠, and 'repoman21' fell moments later, Q♣5♥ unsuccessful against the A♦K♦ of 'maltis2,' with a J♥4♠2♦7♥6♥ board missing both.

drEskilstuna notched the next knockout as well, turning A♣K♣ into a winning flush despite 'zeNUTcracker,' with 5♠5♥, flopping a set as the board arrived 5♣2♦J♣9♣10♣, with the chips all-in before the flop. drEskilstuna's rush continued when he found Q♠Q♦ after 'Jarmush' pushed with A♦9♦, with drEskilstuna winning when the board showed 7♦4♠2♠8♥9♥.

The six remaining players battled through dozens of hands, a period which saw several unlikely showdown survivals, and the players even explored a deal on repeated occasions before finally agreeing to a chop based on chip counts. After winning a large, late pot, 'maltis2' was technically the winner of the event.

Final standings:

* 1st ($31,292.57): maltis2

* 2nd ($28,028.28): dalassenos

* 3rd ($28,003.43): MrDiceman_

* 4th ($26,319.04): Jennifer2113

* 5th ($24,386.13): Salmo23

* 6th ($18,740.58): drEskilstuna

7th ($8,082.50): Jarmush

8th ($5,337.50): zeNUTcracker

9th ($4,117.50): repoman21

10th ($2,897.50): CSKxAQUARIUS

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

Ultimate Bet $200,000 Guaranteed

897 players were on hand for the weekly $200,000 Guarantee at Ultimate Bet, meaning over $20,000 in overlay was up for grabs. 90 players cashed and first prize was worth $45,000. 'classyploppy,' with nearly $700,000 in chips, had nearly doubled his nearest competitor as final-table action began. 'ml7651' began the knockout parade by catching an ace to send 'KelseyLou' packing in tenth; ml7651 started with A♦Q♠, KelseyLou Q♦Q♥, and the board cards were 10♥K♠9♠A♥2♠. 'hemp' fell moments later, his 8♣8♦ outraced by the A♠K♥ of 'zestfullyclean' when the board came A♦5♥J♦10♥10♣.

A shortstacked 'Fingerpost' fell next, his K♥Q♦ no match for classyploppy's A♥9♥, which turned into trips as the board arrived 9♣2♥8♣5♣9♦. and 'Luie Sojo' became the fourth departee within ten minutes of play, his steal attempt with 8♠7♠ running into the J♣J♦ of 'DonT77,' the board bringing 9♥Q♣8♦4♥9♣.

Six-handed play spanned nearly 90 hands before the next knockout occurred, when 'KRISPJAK's A♦10♥ didn't connect against classyploppy's 2♥2♠, the board showing 7♦3♦4♣8♠9♣. DonT77's run ended soon after, when his push with A♥2♠ found a caller in 'ml7651' with A♠K♦. ml7651 had DonT77 slightly outchipped, the board arrived 5♥8♣3♣7♦3♠, and four players remained. It became three when zestfullyclean's all-in re-raise with A♣10♣ was called by 'tutnik11,' with Q♥Q♦; the 9♦Q♠10♥A♥7♥ board gave zestfullyclean two pair, but gave tutnik11 the winning trips.

tutnik11 doubled through classyploppy, then sent classyploppy to the rail in third place after catching a nine when dominated before the flop. The players were all-in pre-flop, tutnik's A♠9♠ to classyploppy's A♦K♣, and the board favored tutnik11, showing 10♣4♥9♥7♦5♦. All that remained was for tutnik11 to grind away the rest of ml7651's chips. The end came when ml7651 moved in for his $200,000 with K♣6♥, and tutnik11 called with K♥Q♥. The board brought 4♦9♥2♥5♠3♥, giving tutnik11 a heart flush and the $45,000 win.