FTOPS Event #20, $200+16 NLHE 6-max: 'wesh cousin' Visits Victory Circle

February 14, 2009

Mickey Doft Live Reporter

FTOPS Event #20, $200+16 NLHE 6-max: 'wesh cousin' Visits Victory Circle 0001

Event #20 of the eleventh Full Tilt Online Poker Series (FTOPS XI) was a $200+16 NL Hold'em 6-max guaranteeing $400,000. After 2,360 players registered, the prize pool was set at $472,000 with first place awarding $92,984. Just missing the final table were Karls_Hungus in ninth ($6,112.40) and Huck Seed in 11th ($4,484). The chip counts at the start of the final table were the following:

doezz - 3,163,147

wesh cousin - 2,159,514

Jack "Doctor_Fun" Powell - 2,118,310

JBlaze20 - 1,822,555

Rafal (Ralph) "lilfishy897" Michalowski - 1,275,157

bankrollme87 - 1,261,317

JBlaze20 was the first to depart the final at the 25,000/50,000/6,000 level. After JBlaze20 min-raised from under the gun, Jack "Doctor_Fun" Powell re-raised all in for 965,256 in the cutoff holding A♣Q♠. JBlaze20 called with 9♦9♣, but saw the board come 10♦Q♣2♥K♠2♣ and was out in sixth place for $14,868. Busting on the final hand of the level was bankrollme87, courtesy of Jack Powell. In the small blind Powell shoved and bankrollme87 called all in for 440,460 with A♦4♣. Powell tabled K♣6♣ and won the hand as the board rolled out 5♣K♠7♥10♥2♦. For the fifth-place showing, bankrollme87 added $22,184 to his.

Former chip leader doezz went out at 30,000/60,000/7,500. Ralph "lilfishy897" Michalowski raised to 160,500 in the cutoff and doezz called from the button. In the big blind wesh cousin called as well and the flop came 5♠3♥Q♥. It was checked to Michalowski, who bet 328,500, but doezz raised to 1,530,000. Wesh cousin got out of the way and Michalowski re-raised all in with the bigger stack. doezz called all in and showed 5♥5♣ against Michalowski's A♥8♥. The 10♥ on the turn made Michalowski's flush and a safe J♥ landed on the river. Doezz took fourth for $31,152. Jack "Doctor_Fun" Powell departed shortly thereafter. Ralph Michalowski opened to 161,500 on the button and Powell shoved from the small blind for 1,280,191 with 4♦4♠. Michalowski called and tabled A♥A♣. The 7♠4♣A♠ made sets for both players. The turn and river came 9♦5♠ and Jack Powell was out in third for $40,828.

The chip counts to start heads-up play:

Ralph "lilfishy897" Michalowski - 10,930,137

wesh cousin - 869,863

Surprisingly, when the tournament ended less than one level later it was wesh cousin who took it down. Wesh cousin doubled up several times, including A-Q vs. A-9 and A-6 vs. K-Q, to take the chip lead. On the final hand Michalowski opened to 240,000 and wesh cousin shoved with a slightly bigger stack. Michalowski called all in for 4,769,548 with 10♣10♥, leading wesh cousin's A♣8♣. However, the board ran out 7♥3♠7♠5♠A♥ as wesh cousin rivered the ace for the win. Michalowski's runner-up effort was worth $58,981.12, while wesh cousin took down $92,984 for winning FTOPS Event #20.