PokerStars.com World Championship of Online Poker (WCOOP) Day 1 Report
PokerStars' World Championship of Online Poker is now underway and for the next 15 days, over $30,000,000 will be on the line in various events. Two events kicked off the excitement on Friday afternoon, the first of 33 on the 2008 WCOOP slate.
WCOOP Event #1: $215 NLHE 6-max
The WCOOP started with a bang as 7,217 participants flocked to the $1M guaranteed event for a total prize pool of $1,443,400. Several known players got off to impressive WCOOP starts, including Mark "RandALLin" Flowers in 103rd place ($1,948.60) and Christopher "TaTaTunes" Antunes in 43rd place ($2,886.81). Thirty-minute levels meant a long day, an entire night, and well into the next morning for the ones that made it
to the final table. Fourteen and a half hours after play began the final six were set. The chip counts to start the final table were:
shane147 - 6,854,221
SilverSocks - 4,867,367
- DoV - - 3,455,180
Jordan "scarface_79" Smith - 3,016,834
pffwhatever - 2,199,042
CURDOG1KCK - 1,258,356
A deal was discussed early on at the final table, but no agreement could be reached and play resumed. When blinds and antes were at the 20,000/40,000/4,000 level, the first elimination occurred. Shane147, from under the gun, made it 200,000 to go and Jordan "scarface_79" Smith raised it up to 700,000. Shane147 then put his big stack to use and moved all in, but Smith snap-called with Q♠Q♣ and was ahead of shane147's K♥Q♦. The flop came 10♦10♣9♦ giving shane147 a gutshot straight draw and the J♦ on the turn completed the straight. Jordan Smith could only survive with a queen or a ten river, but it was the 9♣ instead, eliminating Jordan "scarface_79" Smith in sixth place for $23,686.20.
The next to fall was CURDOG1KCK at the 25,000/50,000/5,000 level. Short-stacked, CURDOG1KCK found A♠7♠ and pushed all in from the small blind for 419,712. SilverSocks called from the big blind with K♣9♠ and took the lead when the flop came Q♠9♥5♦. After the A♦ hit the turn, CURDOG1KCK looked primed to double up. However, the river delivered the K♦, making two pair for SilverSocks and felting CURDOG1KCK in fifth place for $49,075.61.
A deal was then hammered out between the remaining players. Each was guaranteed:
shane147 - $180,856
SilverSocks - $140,000
- DoV - - $110,000
pffwhatever - $92,583
Left in the middle was the required $20,000 and the championship bracelet. The next one out in the quest to take down Event #1 was - DoV -. With the blinds at 40,000/80,000 and an ante of 8,000, - DoV - raised to 199,999 and shane147 called from the big blind. The flop came 9♠8♥J♣ and shane147 moved all in. - DoV - thought for a while before making the call and revealing 10♠10♣, trailing shane147's J♠6♠. The turn and river were the 5♦ and 6♥, eliminating - DoV - in fourth place for $110,000.00. SilverSocks was eliminated a few hands later after getting all in with A♦10♦, but needed help against shane147's A♠Q♥. The board ran out 6♣4♥Q♣8♣4♣ and SilverSocks earned $140,000.00 for the third-place showing.
Heads-up play began with these chip counts:
shane147: 17,623,677
pffwhatever: 4,027,323
Though pffwhatever was able to double up once, it would not be enough. Facing an all-in preflop raise from shane147, pffwhatever called all in himself and was in dominating position to double up and take the chip lead, with A♥J♣ to shane147's J♦2♣.
Unfortunately for pffwhatever, the flop came 2♥K♣Q♦ and shane147 took the lead. The 4♥ turn brought shane147 within one of the championship bracelet. The river was the K♠ and it was all over. Pffwhatever finished runner-up for $92,583.00. shane147 emerged as the winner of Event #1, outlasting 7,216 opponents and withstanding over 17 hours of play to win the championship bracelet and $200,856.00.
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The final standings were:
*1. shane147 - $200,856
*2. pffwhatever - $92,583
*3. SilverSocks - $140,000
*4. - DoV - - $110,000.00
5. CURDOG1KCK - $49,075.61
6. Jordan "scarface_79" Smith - $23,686.20
* — four-way deal for remaining prize money; $20,000 to eventual winner
WCOOP Event #2: $215 Pot-Limit 5-Card Draw
PokerStars guaranteed $100,000 for Event #2 and the field more than doubled that amount with 1,024 entrants for a prize pool of $204,800. Team PokerStars pro Hevad "RaiNKhAN" Khan fell just short of the final table, finishing in seventh place for $4,096.00.
The event took over 15 hours to complete and in the end the battle was between wedlowjones and ImBillMcNeal. The heads-up match started nearly even in chips, but ImBillMcNeal pulled away to wikn WCOOP Event #2.
The final results were:
1. ImBillMcNeal - $34,201.60
2. wedlowjones - $25,395.20
3. Isidor3 - $18,739.20
4. Yamzit - $14,848
5. nathalie111 - $11,038.72
6. xoxol73 - $7,680
