FTOPS XI, Event #1: Unlucky Queens Make David 'muckducks' Cairns a Winner

February 05, 2009

Mickey Doft Live Reporter

FTOPS XI, Event #1: Unlucky Queens Make David 'muckducks' Cairns a Winner 0001

The eleventh Full Tilt Online Poker Series (FTOPS XI) kicked off with a $200+$16 no-limit hold'em poker featuring a million-dollar guarantee. Event #1 drew a crowd of 6,275 for a total prize pool of $1,255,000 and a first-place prize of $216,512.60. The top 738 spots paid. Among the best finishes from notable players were Dan "Wretchy" Martin in 13th place ($8,722.25), Chris "Cmoney3" Kline in 19th ($4,518), Josh "professorpeanut" Will in 21st ($4,518), Jeremiah "Believer8219" Vinsant in 37th ($2,761), Jagz7 in 42nd ($2,761), Mohsin "chicagocards1″ Charania in 48th ($2,196.25) and Matt "MattSuspect" Molinari in 50th ($2,196.25). Nearly eleven hours after the cards were dealt to 6,275, just nine remained. The chip counts to start the final table were as follows:

David "muckducks" Cairns - 8,847,150

sticky seat - 8,542,663

John "John Newcombe" Newcombe - 3,679,525

amster_ATX - 2,037,866

headbang - 1,846,196

two8off - 1,805,256

song1234 - 1,566,232

Almerud - 1,529,339

ich_bin_pro - 1,520,773

The first to be sent home from the final table was amster_ATX at 80,000/160,000/20,000. From the cutoff, amster_ATX shoved for 977,054 with AsTs, but ran into headbang's K♣K♦ in the big blind. The board came Q♦3♠3♣K♠6♣ and amster_ATX was out in ninth place for $16,315. Next to bust was ich_bin_pro. David "muckducks" Cairns opened for 400,000 in early position and ich_bin_pro raised all in for 780,773 with J♠J♦. Cairns called with A♣Q♣ and took down the pot when the board rolled out K♦2♥A♥A♦6♠. A total of $21,962.50 went to ich_bin_pro for the eighth-place finish.

Song1234 left on a low note at 100,000/200,000/25,000. From the cutoff, sticky seat raised to 525,555 and song1234 went all in from the small blind for 2,018,129, backing 10♦10♥. Sticky seat called and revealed K♣K♠ and when the board ran out A♥9♠4♦J♦3♣, song1234 was eliminated in seventh place for $28,865. Almerud departed a few hands later after losing a race to two8off. Almerud held A♦10♥ to two8off's 9♥9♦ and the board brought neither an ace nor a ten. The sixth-place finish earned Almerud a $37,022.50 payday. Late in the level, headbang's tournament ended as well. In the cutoff, sticky seat raised to 600,000 and headbang went all in for 1,198,250 from the small blind with A♠K♠. Pot-committed, sticky seat called with J♦9♦. The board rolled out 5♥8♠2♥6♥J♥ as sticky seat paired up on the river to send headbang to the rail in fifth place for $49,572.50.

At 120,000/240,000/30,000 two8off was felted. From the small blind, two8off shoved for 1,751,690 with A♣4♥, but ran into chip leader sticky seat's 7♥7♣. The board came J♠Q♦Q♣3♥5♥ as two8off went out in fourth place for $65,887.50. John Newcombe went out in third at 140,000/280,000/35,000. From the small blind Newcombe raised to 660,000 and sticky seat called out of the big blind. The flop came 2♦9♥4♠ and John Newcombe check-raised all in for 4,921,492 holding J♠J♥. Sticky seat called with 9♠6♠ and trailed, but the turn and river came 8h and 9d as sticky seat rivered trips to win. John Newcombe earned $84,336 for the third-place showing. The chip counts at the start of heads-up play:

sticky seat - 23,901,715

David "muckducks" Cairns - 7,473,285

The counts became nearly even when Cairns was fortunate with A♣6♠ against sticky seat's Q♠Q♦. An ace fell on the flop and Cairns closed the gap significantly. The heads-up battle lasted for almost two levels before the key hands occurred. David Cairns was in dire straits at 170,000/340,000/40,000. After a series of raises preflop, Cairns was all in with 7♣7♥ against sticky seat's Q♥Q♦. The flop and turn came 9♣A♥K♠8♦ and things looked bleak, but the 7♦ hit the river and Cairns took a big lead with the two-outer, again leaving sticky seat's pocket queens a loser. He won the match a while later at 200,000/400,000/50,000. Sticky seat opened to 1,111,111 and David Cairns shoved with the big stack. Sticky seat wasted little time and called all in for 9,692,357 with A♠K♣. It led Cairns' J♦10♦, but the flop came 8♦9♣Q♣ to give Cairn the then-nut straight. The turn and river came Q♠ and 5♦ as sticky seat bowed out as the runner-up for $131,147.50. David "muckducks" Cairns' triumph in FTOPS XI Event #1 at <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.pokernews.com/download/244">Full Tilt</a> was worth $216,512.60.