Online Poker Roundup: 'caio_pimenta' Runs Gamut in Stars Super Tuesday

October 29, 2008

Mickey Doft Live Reporter

Online Poker Roundup: 'caio_pimenta' Runs Gamut in Stars Super Tuesday 0001

Monday and Tuesday brought the usual big early-week events at Full Tilt and PokerStars, respectively, with both major tournaments producing a rush of exciting action. A frenetic pace marked the conclusion of the Full Tilt Monday $1,000, where Ben "1Mastermind" Chen walked off with top honors, while "caio_pimenta" pulled off a rare sweep in the final of the Stars Super Tuesday, eliminating each of the other eight players. Here's a look at the action:

PokerStars Super Tuesday

The PokerStars Super Tuesday attracted 372 participants to its $400,000 guaranteed prize pool. Among the best finishes were Seth "SFisch4" Fischer in 10th place ($5,600), UH Big Tex in 13th ($4,800), BleedBlue33 in 15th ($4,800), and Jordan "scarface_79" Smith in 19th ($2,800). The final table saw one player dominate, pulling off a most impressive run to the win. The chip counts to start the final were as follows:

Tom "kingsofcards" Marchese - 204,820

Daniel "amichaiKK" Makowsky - 175,604

Phidias "ael1979" Georgiou - 131,424

Raja "tiger76" Kattamuri - 124,733

Mariklus - 117,866

Altrum Altus - 102,387

Jamie "pokerjamers" Armstrong - 99,928

caio_pimenta - 98,484

Jeff "JSchnett" Schnettler - 60,754

Exiting first was Jamie "pokerjamers" Armstrong. The blinds and antes were 1,500/3,000/300 when Armstrong ran Q♠Q♦ into caio_pimenta's K♠K♣ and could not improve, finishing ninth for $7,000. Jeff "JSchnett" Schnettler was the next to go. Altrum Altus raised to 7,444 from middle position and caio_pimenta called from the small blind. Schnettler, in the big blind, moved all in for 59,554 with 6♣6♠. Altrum Altus got out of the way but caio_pimenta called with 10♣10♠. The board rolled out 3♥2♦7♣8♣9♠ and Schnettler was sent packing in eighth for $10,000. At the 3,000/6,000/600 level, Caio_pimenta raised to 15,250 on the button and Mariklus moved over the top all in for 87,732 from the small blind. Caio_pimenta called and revealed A♥9♣, ahead of Mariklus' A♣4♣. The board came 10♦5♥A♠3♦6♦ and sent Mariklus to the rail in seventh for $14,000.

Eliminated in sixth was Raja "tiger76" Kattamuri. At 4,000/8,000/800, caio_pimenta raised to 20,500 from middle position and Kattamuri moved all in from the big blind for 106,346. A quick call revealed A♥Q♠ for caio_pimenta, dominating Kattamuri's A♠8♦. The board did not help Raja as it came A♦2♣7♣K♦9♣, ending his tournament for $18,000. Falling on the next hand was Phidias "ael1979" Georgiou. Down to 52,690, he moved all in from the button with K♥5♠, but ran into caio_pimenta's pocket jacks. No king would appear, eliminating Georgiou in fifth for $23,000. The 5,000/10,000/1,000 level saw the demise of Tom "kingsofcards" Marchese in fourth. From the cutoff he shoved for 95,250 with A♠10♠ and was called by caio_pimenta on the button with 6♦6♣. The flop came K♦K♠9♠, giving Marchese many ways to win. However the turn and river were the J♥ and 2♥, sending him off with a $33,600 payday.

With blinds and antes moving to 6,000/12,000/1,200, these were the chip counts:

caio_pimenta - 418,925

Altrum Altus - 418,744

Daniel "amichaiKK" Makowsky - 278,331

Daniel "amichaiKK" Makowsky exited next. A series of raises preflop led to an all-in coin flip situation with Makowsky holding 8♥8♦ against caio_pimenta's A♣J♦. The board paired caio_pimenta as it came 5♣Q♦A♥9♣3♦, sending amichaiKK to the rail with $44,000. The next hand ended the tournament. Again, a series of preflop raises led to an all in showdown. This time, caio_pimenta was holding J♥J♣ and was dominating Altrum Altus' 4♥4♠. The board came 7♠Q♣2♦K♣6♠, busting Altrum Altus as runner-up for $59,000. The winner of the Super Tuesday and its first-place prize of $78,000 was caio_pimenta, who started the final table looking up the leader board, but ran the table and eliminated every opponent for a well-deserved victory.

Final Results:

1. caio_pimenta - $78,000

2. Altrum Altus - $59,000

3. Daniel "amichaiKK" Makowsky - $44,000

4. Tom "kingsofcards" Marchese - $33,600

5. Phidias "ael1979" Georgiou - $23,000

6. Raja "tiger76" Kattamuri - $18,000

7. Mariklus - $14,000

8. Jeff "JSchnett" Schnettler - $10,000

9. Jamie "pokerjamers" Armstrong - $7,000

Online Poker Roundup: 'caio_pimenta' Runs Gamut in Stars Super Tuesday 101

</center>

Full Tilt Monday $1,000

The Full Tilt Monday $1,000 drew a field of 343 for a total prize pool of $343,000. Among the highest finishers falling short of the final table were James "P0KERPR0" Campbell in 12th place ($4,288), Jeff "YellowSub86" Williams in 15th ($3,430), Cliff "JohnnyBax" Josephy in 22nd ($1,887), James "TheFatFISH" Obst in 23rd (1,887), Luke "IWEARGOGGLES" Staudenmaier in 24th ($1,887), and Justin "WPThero" Rollo in 27th ($1,886.50). The chip counts to start the final table were as follows:

Iridium - 241,615

THE_GOLDMINE - 146,374

tsk3434 - 140,089

Brady "vegan213" Shepard - 130,144

Ben "1Mastermind" Chen - 125,193

orangeman88 - 71,788

Tom "titantom32" Braband - 65,068

cool0813 - 60,084

solohomer - 48,645

With blinds at 2,500/5,000 and a 600 ante, Iridium was knocked out in ninth place. After entering the final table as the chip leader, a few tough hands brought his demise. It ended with Iridium moving all in from middle position with K♠Q♥ and finding action from Ben "1Mastermind" Chen on the button with A♦J♠. The board rolled out 10♣6♣3♥10♥3♣ and Iridium took home $6,860. The next to go was solohomer. At 3,000/6,000/750, tsk3434 made it 18,000 to play from early position with 9♣9♠ and solohomer called all in from the big blind with K♠8♦. The board came J♣Q♠K♦10♥8♠ and solohomer's two pair were second best to tsk3434's straight, felting solohomer in eighth for $8,575. Tsk3434's tournament life would end next. From middle position, tsk3434 raised to 24,000 and Ben Chen raised all in from the big blind. Tsk3434 called all in for 79,954 with 4♦4♠, but trailed Chen's J♠J♥. No four appeared, eliminating tsk3434 in seventh for $11,147.50.

Tom "titantom32" Braband bit the dust next after shoving all in from the cutoff for 65,892 with A♣6♣, and finding an opponent in the form of orangeman88's K♠Q♠. The {5c Qd Th 4d 2d board eliminated Braband in sixth for $17,150. The 4,000/8,000/1,000 level saw cool0813 bust in fifth place. On the button, cool0813 moved all in for 106,024 with 4♦4♣ and was called by Ben "1Mastermind" Chen in the big blind with 8♥8♦. The board rolled out Q♠3♣7♥5♦10♦ and sent cool0813 to the rail with $24,010. Once the blinds and antes hit 5,000/10,000/1,000, a flurry of eliminations saw the tournament come to an end in a mere ten hands. From the small blind, THE_GOLDMINE moved all in for 151,027 with A♠9♦, but in the big blind Ben Chen woke up with A♥Q♠. The board came 9♠7♥Q♥6♥8♠ and sent THE_GOLDMINE to the rail in fourth for $31,727.50. Brady "Vegan213" Shepard bowed out in third after running K♠10♦ into orangeman88's K♣Q♣. The board brought no ten and Shepard earned $41,160 for third.

The chip counts at the start of heads-up play were these:

Ben "1Mastermind" Chen: 719,079

orangeman88: 309,921

It took two hands and it was all over. A 3♥2♦A♣ board saw several bets before orangeman88's tournament life was on the line with A♠6♦, needing help against Chen's A♥Q♠. The turn and river were the J♣ and 8♠, eliminating orangeman88 runner-up for $54,880. Ben "1Mastermind" Chen won the tournament and $85,750.