button in SafariPlayer Stages Impressive Comeback to Win the 888 Mystery Bounty Main Event
Ukraine's "6eJlbluZ" staged an impressive comeback to become the latest champion of the $109 Mystery Bounty Main Event at 888. The Ukrainian started their quest for glory sixth in chips at the final table, but kept their cool, chipped up, and ultimately emerged victorious.
Although "6eJlbluZ" came out on top of the 558-strong field, they didn't take home the largest slice of the $55,800 prize pool. That honor went to the fourth-place finisher, 888 regular "neverback" of Romania, who padded their bankroll with $9,137 thanks to opening $7,271 worth of mystery bounty envelopes.
$50,000 Mystery Bounty Main Event Final Table Results
| Rank | Player | Country | Bounties | Prize | Total Prize |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 6eJlbluZ | Ukraine | $628 | $5,497 | $6,125 |
| 2 | M.Flush.M | Brazil | $542 | $3,896 | $4,438 |
| 3 | corkirl5555 | Ireland | $57 | $2,756 | $2,813 |
| 4 | neverback | Romania | $7,271 | $1,866 | $9,137 |
| 5 | YalcinTaskay | Germany | $0 | $1,235 | $1,235 |
| 6 | gwhyberd93 | United Kingdom | $3,042 | $914 | $3,957 |
| 7 | __APO__1 | Germany | $599 | $686 | $1,286 |
| 8 | Eman604 | Canada | $0 | $508 | $508 |
The final table began with Canada's "Eman604" bringing up the rear with only seven big blinds. Their attempts to improve their perilous position proved futile as their suited ace-deuce lost to the pocket eights of "6eJlbluZ" in one of the early clashes at the final table.
On the very next hand, chip leader "M.Flush.N" opened from the button and then instantly called when "__APO__1" three-bet all-in from the small blind for 16 big blinds. The at-risk player revealed a pair of fives in the hole, which needed some serious help to beat the pocket aces of "M.Flush.N". No help arrived, and the final table was suddenly down to only six players.
The sixth place finisher was something of a surprise because they started the day second in chips and had more than 40 big blinds at the start of six-handed play. "gwhyberd93" was cut down to 15 big blinds after being unable to let go of top pair in a hand where "M.Flush.N" backed into a flush.
A couple of hands later, "gwhyberd93" made some unorthodox moves from a 10 big blind stack that ultimately resulted in them jamming on the river on a board displaying a full house, doing so with suited king-eight. Unfortunately for them, "6eJlbluZ" was sitting there with pocket aces for a better full house.
Fifth place was decided five minutes later. "YalcinTaskay" had allowed their stack to dwindle to fewer than three big blinds. That nano stack went into the middle from late position with queen-jack, which lost to the ace-five of "M.Flush.N."
That hand gave "M.Flush.N" a stack of almost 150 big blinds – three times as many chips as anyone else --and everything pointed toward them becoming the latest Brazilian to take down 888's flagship weekly tournament. However, poker has a funny way of not going to plan, as they were about to find out.
"M.Flush.N" initially improved their position when they open-shoved with king-five of hearts on the button, and "neverback" called off their 13 big blind stack from the big blind with ace-queen. A king and a five on the flop left "neverback" drawing thin, and they were drawing dead on the turn.
Heads-up was set when "6eJlbluZ" cracked the pocket kings of Ireland's "corkirl5555." All the chips went into the middle on a seven-six-three board showing two diamonds, "corkirl555" holding pocket kings and needing to stay ahead of their opponent's eight-five of diamonds. An offsuit four on the turn gifted "6eJlbluZ" a straight, which further improved to a flush on the river.
Despite winning that hand, "6eJlbluZ" trailed "M.Flush.N" by almost two-to-one going into heads-up. A long, arduous one-on-one battle followed, one that spanned the best part of 90 minutes.
Neither player seemed able to shake off the other, but then things started to go the way of "6eJlbluZ". By the time the final hand occurred, "6eJlbluZ" held a four-to-one lead. They raised with the lowly nine-six after "M.Flush.N" limped in with queen-nine. The chip leader continued their aggression on the four-seven-queen flop and was called. A ten on the turn was greeted with a second barrel and another call. An eight on the river gifted "6eJlbluZ" an unlikely straight, and they set their opponent all-in. "M.Flush.N" obliged with a call and was shown the bad news.
The runner-up added $4,438 to their 888 account, while the champion took home $6,125 for their efforts.
