FTOPS XI Event #4, $300+22 NLHE Triple Shootout: Watkins Returns to Winner's Circle

February 07, 2009

Mickey Doft Live Reporter

FTOPS XI Event #4, $300+22 NLHE Triple Shootout: Watkins Returns to Winner's Circle 0001

Event #4 of the Full Tilt Online Poker Series XI, $300+$22 NL Hold'em Triple Shootout, drew a full house. The cap of 729 entrants was reached and first place offered $45,927. Notable finishes included MrRenniW in 18th ($1,858.95), Connor "negroblanco" Drinan in 21st ($1,312.20), Chris "fisheater111" Walsh in 22nd ($1,312.20), Boris "fratboy247" Kravets in 24th ($1,312.20) and Scott Montgomery in 26th ($1,312.20). Highlighting the final table was Va Shon "Julian Verse" Watkins, winner of the FTOPS X Main Event. The lineup was as follows:

ClockWyze

Va Shon "Julian Verse" Watkins

sentin

donivan31

jolly001

Thin_Hamster

lauraj111

PeachyMer

scrapper41

Each player started with 243,000 and the first to be eliminated was Thin_Hamster at 2,000/4,000/500. After a failed bluff attempt, Thin_Hamster was down to 11,016 and was all in the next hand with A♣4♥ against jolly001's Q♣J♠. The board came 5♦K♠J♣J♦5♣ and Thin_Hamster was out in ninth place for $2,952.45. The next to exit was sentin at 2,500/5,000/600. From the cutoff, sentin opened to 12,500 and jolly001 called out of the big blind. The flop came 9♦J♠2♣ and jolly001 check-called sentin's 18,250 bet. The 10♣ hit the turn and jolly001 led out for 45,000. Sentin shoved with Q♣Q♦ and jolly001 called all in with J♥10♠. The river was the 4♠ and sentin was down to 55,000 chips. The next hand sentin shoved with A♥K♥ and jolly001 called with J♣10♦, finishing the job as the board ran out 10♣J♠6♥4♦8♦. Sentin finished in eighth place for $4,155.30.

Despite eliminating the first two players to depart the final, jolly001 went out in seventh, at the 5,000/10,000/1,000 level. Donivan31 shoved from the small blind with K♠J♠ and jolly001 called all in from the big blind for 170,776 with A♣10♣. The board ran out 4♣8♠8♦J♦7♥ and jolly001 was sent home in seventh place for $6,123.60. Departing a few hands later was scrapper41. After shoving all in for 126,174 with A♥Q♠, Va Shon "Julian Verse" Watkins isolated with 9♠9♥. The board rolled out 7♥5♥4♦3♥3♠ and scrapper41 headed to the rail in sixth place for $8,748. PeachyMer was on the losing end of the next coin flip. All in with 9♣9♦, she faced off with ClockWyze, who held A♠K♣. The board brought a king on the flop and PeachyMer did not catch up, collecting $12,028.50 for fifth place.

Lauraj111 fell at 8,000/16,000/2,000. In the cutoff lauraj111 opened to 48,000 and ClockWyze re-raised all in with the bigger stack on the button. Lauraj111 called all in with AhTc, but trailed ClockWyse's Q♥Q♦. The board ran out K♣7♣10♦2♦K♦ and lauraj111 took home $16,402.50 for a second final-table finish of FTOPS XI thus far. Donivan31 bid adieu shortly thereafter. A raising war pre-flop ended with donivan31 being all in for 657,300 with A♣A♦, crushing Va Shon "Julian Verse" Watkins' A♥K♠. However, the board rolled out 8♠Q♣K♦K♥J♣ and the reigning FTOPS main event winner pulled off the unlikely suckout to eliminate donivan31 in third for $21,870.

Heads-up play began with the following chip counts:

Va Shon "Julian Verse" Watkins - 1,358,402

ClockWyze - 828,598

It didn't take very long for the chips to get in the middle. On the final hand, ClockWyze opened to 32,000 and Watkins re-raised to 108,775. ClockWyze then popped it up to 355,555 and Watkins shoved. ClockWyze called all in for 673,249 with 9♣9♦ and it was off to the races against Va Shon Watkins' A♣J♥. An ace found its way onto the table to give Watkins the victory as the board ran out 4♣8♠A♦3♣8♥. ClockWyze collected $30,618 for finishing as runner-up, while the winner of FTOPS XI Event #4 was Va Shon "Julian Verse" Watkins for $45,927.