The
World Championship of Online Poker kicked off its pot-limit Omaha eight-or-better tournament yesterday at noon. The 12th event in the Poker Stars series brought in 1,303 players and lasted almost 13 hours. As per the norm at this point, the meaningless $200,000 guaranteed prize pool was almost double that at $390,900.
Poker Stars regular Evelyn made another appearance in this tournament.
After taking fifth in yesterday's seven-card stud tournament, she made it to 13th place ($2,540.85) in this tournament before busting. Actor Wil Wheaton also made it past the bubble in the tournament, landing himself a 70th-place payday of $742.71.
As a weird coincidence, the final table of this tournament, just like the final table of the other Omaha eight-or-better tournament this year, consisted of only eight players due to a double elimination. As hand for hand play commenced on the final table bubble, both Aurfish and LucKat pushed all in at separate tables. Both lost as Aurfish's two pair was beaten by the higher two pair of hasumutas and LucKat's two pair was up against the ace-high flush of Nati Thunder. Aurfish had more chips before the hand began, so he received ninth-place designation and the $5,472.60 prize money that went with it. LucKat got $2,540.85 for 10th and the final table was set.
It would be almost another half hour before another elimination occurred. Katyrix called all in against hasumutas' preflop raise. Hasumutas flipped up A
A
Q
4
and katyrix turned over J
10
4
2
. The flop came 7
7
2
, keeping hasmutas in the lead. The turn put the A
on the board, giving hasumutas a locked hand. The river brought the K
and katyrix was eliminated in eighth ($8,599.80).
OlliPolli was next to go when he pushed all in preflop and was called by Mr. Shhhhhhh. Both players eventually completed spade flushes, but Mr. Shhhhhh had the A
in the pocket to take the high. Both players also paired their sevens to leave no possibility for a low hand, and OlliPolli busted out in seventh, taking home $11,531.55.
After duking it out for another 20 minutes, it was finally mrrain's time to go. Mrrain put his chips in before the flop and Nati Thunder obligingly called. Mrrain showed his A
8
7
2
and Nati Thunder turned over A
Q
5
2
. The flop put out 10
9
4
, giving mrrain an open-ended straight draw. The turn was the A
, giving both a pair, but Nati Thunder with a better kicker. The river paired Nati Thunder's queen kicker to give him two pair and bar a low hand possibility. Nati Thunder raked in the pot to eliminate mrrain in sixth ($15,088.75).
At this point all five remaining players had very similar chip stacks, all hovering around $600,000 with Mr. Shhhhhhh having a slight lead. The players paused the tournament to go into deal-making discussions and finally decided that a chip chop was appropriate, with $10,000 and the 14 karat gold
WCOOP bracelet still on the line to race for, per Poker Stars rules. Because of his lead, Mr. Shhhhhhh ended up with about $10,000 more than the other players in the deal.
Nati Thunder, the shortest stack at the time the deal was made, was also the first to be eliminated post-deal. Nati Thunder pushed all in on a flop of A
6
5
and was called by Mr. Shhhhhhh. Nati Thunder showed a pair of aces and a 7-2-low. Mr. Shhhhhhh flipped up a pair of sixes and a 7-3-low, trailing on both ends. The turn gave the low over to Mr. Shhhhhh when it spiked the 2
and the river spiked another miracle for Mr. Shhhhhhh when it came the 6
to give him trip sixes. Mr. Shhhhhhh scooped the pot to eliminate Nati Thunder in fifth. Nati Thunder made $33,644 for his finish (rather than the $18,958.65 the payout structure promised) because of the deal.
Hasumutas called all in against 011180's raise 20 minutes later. The board didn't allow for a low hand, but did complete a straight for 011180. Hasumutas, having only paired a king in his hand, was sent to the rail in fourth, giving him a $36,833 payday with the chip-chop.
Chip leader 011180 wasn't sitting easy in the final three, having less than $200,000 more than Mr. Shhhhhhh in second place and not even twice as much as kdhspyder in third. The next crucial hand would show just how fragile his lead was. After a raise from Mr. Shhhhhhh and a call from kdhspyder, 011180 reraised. This reraise prompted Mr. Shhhhhhh to fold, but got a call from kdhspyder. The flop put A
3
2
on the board and kdhspyder checked. 011180 shot out with a bet big enough to put kdhspyder all in and kdhspyder did, in fact, push his remaining chips in the middle. Kdhspyder flipped up 5
5
4
2
for a flopped wheel and nut low, while 011180 showed A
A
6
5
for a set of aces and the third nut low. Neither further improved and kdhspyder doubled through 011180, crippling him in the process.
Just three minutes later, 011180 was the one with all of his chips in the middle against kdhspyder. Kdhspyder completed a jack-high flush to send 011180 packing in third, taking home $35,351.
The heads-up match between Mr. Shhhhhhh and kdhspyder would last just over 10 minutes. Kdhspyder forged a chip edge over Mr. Shhhhhh until Mr. Shhhhhhh retook the chip lead by causing kdhspyder to fold a big hand on the river without a showdown. Shortly thereafter, kdhspyder pushed all in on a flop of 8
7
2
and was called by Mr. Shhhhhhh. Kdhspyder showed A
K
Q
7
for a spade draw and a low draw and Mr. Shhhhhhh flipped up A
6
5
4
for a made 7-low and a straight draw. The turn put the J
on the board and the river brought the 6
, giving Mr. Shhhhhhh the straight and retaining his lead in the low hand to scoop the pot. Kdhspyder was eliminated second and got $36,903 per the deal.
Mr. Shhhhhhh took first place in the event and earned the extra $10,000 and the
WCOOP bracelet, putting his total winnings at $56,080.
The final standings for the tournament are as follows:
*Mr. Shhhhhhh - $56,080
*kdhspyder - $36,903
*011180 - $35,351
*hasumutas - $36,833
*Nati Thunder - $33,644
mrrain - $15,088.74
OlliPolli - $11,531.55
katyrix - $8,599.80
[Aurfish - $5,472.60] (Not technically at the final table, due to a double-elimination)
* Payouts due to a by-the-chips chop deal per Poker Stars rules
