Online Poker Recap: Schlein, Keating Win Early-week Majors

February 18, 2009

Mickey Doft Live Reporter

Online Poker Recap: Schlein, Keating Win Early-week Majors 0001

With Full Tilt's eleventh FTOPS series in the books, online poker action returned to its normal pace early in the week. The biggest early-week events ran on Monday at Full Tilt and Tuesday at PokerStars, respectively, and Alex Keating and Josh Schlein emerged with the wins. Here's how the final tables of each unfolded:

PokerStars Super Tuesday

The PokerStars Super Tuesday drew 352 entrants with first place awarding $68,640 to the winner. Notables falling shy of the table included Chris "Moorman1" Moorman in 11th place ($4,928), Chris "cdbr3799" Dombrowski in 13th ($4,224) and Steve "thorladen" Weinstein in 16th ($3,520). The chip counts to start were the following:

CPT CRUX - 213,599

Norm427 - 200,638

Josh "Sdouble" Schlein - 189,550

Hernan "HN Kakaroto" Novick - 107,114

Le_Liz@Rd - 104,869

Alex "utahjazz33" Heller - 85,559

Jerry "sandler1860" Payne - 76,600

krazieass - 50,135

HAPPYFAN - 27,936

Norm427 was the first to be bounced from the final. From early position Norm427 raised to 9,885, and Josh "Sdouble" Schlein called in middle position. Le_Liz@Rd then shoved for 87,134 on the button and Norm427 re-shoved for a little more. Schlein folded, and Norm427 showed A♥A♠ to Le_Liz@Rd 's Q♥Q♠. Le_Liz@Rd spiked the queen on the flop and the full board read Q♣K♦8♥6♣8♣. Norm427 was eliminated soon after, collecting $6,160 for ninth. Starting chip leader CPT CRUX exited at 3,000/6,000/600. After losing a few big hands, CPT CRUX ran K♣Q♦ into Josh Schlein's A♥K♦. No queen hit the table and CPT CRUX was out in eighth place for $8,800.

A few hands later, Jerry "sandler1860" Payne limped in from the small blind and krazieass shoved for 47,720 in the big blind. Payne snap-called with K♦K♣ and had krazieass' Q♣3♣ in bad shape. The board rolled out 4♣A♣K♠4♦5♠ and krazieass hit the road in seventh place for $12,320. Hernan "HN Kakaroto" Novick was the next to exit. He raised to 14,991 under the gun and Josh "Sdouble" Schlein shoved from the big blind. Novick called all in for 78,485 with K♥K♣ and had Schlein's 7♣7♦ crushed, but the board came 6♥8♠4♠6♣7♥ and Novick's tournament was over. He collected $15,840 for sixth.

At 4,000/8,000/800, Le_Liz@Rd busted. Under the gun, Le_Liz@Rd went all in for 27,074 with A♥3♠ and Josh Schlein called from the big blind with K♥9♥. The board brought 4♦5♠4♥Q♠9♦ and Le_Liz@Rd was out in fifth for $20,240. Alex "utahjazz33" Heller went to the rail a few hands later. Jerry "sandler1860" Payne raised to 20,221 from the small blind and Heller shoved for 178,020 out of the big blind, with A♦4♣. Payne called with A♣10♣ and won the hand as the board ran out 7♠2♣Q♥A♥5♦. Heller took home $29,568 for fourth place. Payne was the next to fall, late in the level. He opened to 19,400 on the button and Josh "Sdouble" Schlein re-raised to 52,192 in the small blind. Payne shipped it in for 292,900 with A♥K♦ and was racing against Schlein's Q♥Q♣. The board came 3♣8♥5♥9♠7♥ and Payne was out in third place for $38,720.

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

Josh "Sdouble" Schlein - 753,844

HAPPYFAN - 302,156

Josh Schlein emerged victorious during the 7,500/15,000/1,500 level. In the final hand, Schlein raised enough to force HAPPYFAN to an all-in choice. HAPPYFAN called, and his A♥4♠ started ahead of Schlein's 8♣6♠. However, the board ran out Q♠6♦9♥2♣4♣ and HAPPYFAN was out in second place for $51,920, with Josh "Sdouble" Schlein capturing the Super Tuesday for $68,640.

Final Results:

1. Josh "Sdouble" Schlein - $68,640

2. HAPPYFAN - $51,920

3. Jerry "sandler1860" Payne - $38,720

4. Alex "utahjazz33" Heller - $29,568

5. Le_Liz@Rd - $20,240

6. Hernan "HN Kakaroto" Novick - $15,840

7. krazieass - $12,320

8. CPT CRUX - $8,800

9. Norm427 - $6,160

Full Tilt Monday $1K

With FTOPS XI complete, the Full Tilt $1K Monday resumed in its regular spot and attracted 355 entrants, with first place set at $88,750. Just missing the final table were James "mig_com" Mackey in tenth place ($4,437.50), Matt "Claw1980" Holtzclaw in 11th ($4,437.50) and Jason "JCarver" Somerville in 13th ($3,550). The chip counts at the start of the final table were as follows:

Ryan "ryanwelch" Welch - 512,337

Bahbak "bigredAK" Oboodi - 391,913

Alex "Kadabra" Keating - 221,100

JPaps18 - 165,766

Renee1978 - 123,285

cruiser5917 - 113,869

Patrick "PMJackson21" Jackson - 92,014

letters2006 - 86,502

xx BabyGrand xx - 68,214

Eliminated first was xx BabyGrand xx at the 2,500/5,000/600 level. Alex "Kadabra" Keating opened to 11,885 in middle position and xx BabyGrand xx went all in on the button for 44,814 with A♦7♦. Keating called with Q♥10♣ and won the hand as the board rolled out 9♠3♦10♥6♦Q♦. For the ninth-place finish, xx BabyGrand xx took home $7,100. At 3,000/6,000/750, letters2006 was bounced. Bahbak "bigredAK" Oboodi limped in from middle position and Alex Keating raised to 28,825 on the button. Letters2006 shoved for 65,802 with AcKs from the small blind and only Keating called, with Q♦Q♣. The board came J♥8♥8♣6♦2♠ and letters2006 was out in eighth place for $8,875.

Later in the level, cruiser5917 sailed off. Alex Keating went all in with the big stack from the cutoff and cruiser5917 called all in for 94,968 with A♦Q♠. Keating only held J♦10♥, but emerged as the winner as the board ran out 6♠K♠2♣10♦10♠. Cruiser5917 earned $11,537.50 for seventh. Patrick "PMJackson21" Jackson busted next after shoving under the gun for 62,514 with Q♣J♠ and running into Bahbak "bigredAK" Oboodi's A♥A♠. Oboodi's aces held and Jackson was out in sixth place for $17,750.

At 4,000/8,000/1,000, Renee1978 went all in from the cutoff for 94,240 with Q♣Q♥, but in the big blind Alex "Kadabra" Keating waited with A♠A♥. The board ran out 6♣J♥8♣9♦9♣ and Renee1978 fell in fifth place for $24,850. JPaps18 exited during the next level, 5,000/10,000/1,000. JPaps18 shipped it in from the cutoff with K♣Q♣, for 152,000, and Ryan "ryanwelch" Welch called with 8♠8♥ in the small blind. The flop and turn provided hope for JPaps18, coming A♣2♥10♥5♣, but the 3♦ river blanked and JPaps18 finished fourth for $32,837.50. Bahbak "bigredAK" Oboodi gave way at 6,000/12,000/1,500. Alex Keating shoved with the big stack in the small blind and Oboodi called all in for 122,140 with K♥9♦. Keating had that dominated with K♣10♣ and the board came 7♦2♥3♥4♦10♥. Oboodi took home $42,600 for third place.

Alex Keating's chip lead was just over 2:1 as heads-up play began and he went on to win the tournament. On the final hand, after a flop of K♠6♦7♦, the chips went in and Ryan Welch's tournament life was at stake with A♠A♦ against Keating's 4♦3♦. Welch faded the 8♥ turn, but the Q♦ river made a flush for Keating. Ryan Welch finished as the runner-up and collected $56,800, as Alex "Kadabra" Keating won the Full Tilt $1K Monday for $88,750.