While the goings were sometimes tough for the
FullTilt Online Poker Series (FTOPS), the main event blew through its $1 million guarantee to make for a generally successful run-through.
The series had two events miss their guarantees (H.O.R.S.E. and limit hold'em), requiring FullTilt to provide overlays, and those that made their guarantees sometimes barely snuck past them. The main event soared past expectations by gathering 2,449 players to buck up the $500 + $35 entry fee to build a total prize pool of $1,224,500. While not nearly as successful as PokerStars
World Championship of Online Poker held this September, the
FTOPS main event helped it regain footing to remain a respectable online poker series.
Some red-named FullTilt sponsored pros made the money in the event, which paid out 351 places. The pros included Keith Sexton, who made it deep before busting in 30th ($3,796) and Berry Johnston (277th for $795). Internet pro Steve "MrSmokey1" Billirikas also cashed in the event, busting out in 163rd ($1,102).
Four players were basically neck-and-neck for the chip lead with just over $1 million going into the final table including CaseyTheKid, bballer88, soxfan1985, and Spiked. The remaining players had between $450,000 and $760,000 chips. The rail was all abuzz over the fact that CaseyTheKid, with the ever so slight chip lead, was sporting a golden
FTOPS jersey as his avatar, indicating a win in a previous
FTOPS event. CaseyTheKid had won the Omaha eight-or-better event in the first ever
FTOPS, earning $27,600.
None of the nine final tablists budged from their seats for a full 45 minutes of play. Over that time, CaseyTheKid had lost his lead and was down to a still respectable $698,000, with Spiked and Dewey123333 now vying for the lead. With the big blind at $60,000, CaseyTheKid pushed all in preflop for his remaining stack and was called by soxfan1985. Soxfan1985 showed pocket nines and CaseyTheKid turned over A
7
and would need to improve. The flop came K
J
9
, spiking a set for soxfan1985 to put CaseyTheKid even further behind. When the K
hit on the river, CaseyTheKid was drawing dead and was out in ninth after having the early chip lead. He took home $17,143 for his finish.
THE__D__RY had been nursing a short stack for a while before he finally followed right behind CaseyTheKid just three minutes later. THE__D__RY pushed all in preflop and was called by Spiked, who showed pocket kings. THE__D__RY flipped over A
9
and needed help. Like CaseyTheKid before him, the flop all but sealed the deal against THE__D__RY's staying alive when Spiked spiked a king to give him a set. Running sixes further improved Spiked to a full house and THE__D__RY was sent to the rail in eighth ($22,531).
Inter27's $655,000 stack was more than halved over the following 10 minutes before he too pushed his chips in preflop. Dewey123333 had raised to $320,000, with the big blind at $80,000, and soxfan1985 had called before inter27 also called for his remaining stack. The board came 9
3
2
6
Q
, with both active players checking it down to the river. Dewey123333 turned over A
7
for ace high while soxfan1985 showed A
K
for ace high with a better kicker. The ace high was enough to eliminate inter27, who mucked and finished in seventh ($28,776).
One more minute meant one more elimination when luffii raised all in preflop and was called by bballer88. Bballer88 showed K
7
and luffii revealed Q
9
and was behind. The board came out A
10
5
4
10
, improving neither and giving the hand to bballer88. Luffii left the table in sixth with $39,184.
A few minutes later, a big hand altered the chip lead. Soxfan1985 raised to $240,000 preflop and Spiked reraised up to $650,000. Soxfan1985 called to see a flop of 9
4
3
. Soxfan1985 pushed all in on this flop for $1.9 million and Spiked called with his remaining $900,000 and showed pocket kings. Soxfan1985 showed an apparent bluff with K
Q
and would need running cards to defeat Spiked or else he would be left crippled. The turn and river came the 8
and the A
, no improvement for soxfan1985 and Spiked doubled up to take the throne as chip leader.
Not 10 minutes after bballer88 eliminated luffii, he would also be railward bound. Spiked raised all in preflop with the action folded to him in the small blind. Bballer88 called all in from the small blind with his remaining $847,000 and showed A
4
. Spiked was behind when he flipped up K
6
when the flop came Q
10
10
. Bballer88 retained the lead as the turn came 8
, still improving neither player. The river was killer for bballer88 when it put out the 6
to pair Spiked and eliminate bballer88 from the tournament in fifth ($54,490).
Action was getting plenty aggressive now and the next elimination was just two minutes later. Dewey123333 went down to the felt preflop against dmkai3. Dewey123333 showed J
9
and dmkai3 turned over K
10
. The board paired itself twice and dmkai3's king high played to bust Dewey123333 in fourth with a $72,000 payday.
With only three players left, Spiked had a good-sized chip lead at $4.2 million versus soxfan1985 in second with $1.6 million and dmkai3 very close behind at $1.5 million. Three minutes later, Spiked raised to $300,000 with the big blind at $100,000. Soxfan1985 called and the flop came 7
6
6
. Both players checked and the turn came the 8
. Soxfan1985 now shot out a min-bet of $100,000 and Spiked raised up to $600,000. Soxfan1985 called and the river put out the 4
. Soxfan1985 pushed all in for just over $1 million more and Spiked called, after some thought, and showed 10
8
for two pair with the pair on the board. Soxfan1985 turned over A
9
for an ace high to go with the board pair and he was eliminated in third ($90,246).
Spiked was now heads up with $6.2 million against dmkai3 with $1.2 million. Despite an early double-up, dmkai3 lasted just 10 more minutes in heads up against Spiked's massive stack. Dmkai3 pushed all in preflop and Spiked called and showed A
10
. Dmkai3 flipped up Q
4
and would need to improve. The flop came 10
6
3
, pairing Spiked's 10 and giving dmkai3 even fewer outs. The turn was the 9
and the river the K
and dmkai3 was sent packing in second, earning $137,879. Spiked won the coveted special-edition gold
FTOPSavatar he'd seen CaseyTheKid wearing earlier at the table for his victory in the event. Of course, he also won $224,635 for first-place.
The final standings were:
1) Spiked - $224,634.53
2) dmkai3 - $137,878.70
3) soxfan1985 - $90,245.65
4) Dewey123333 - $72,000.60
5) bballer88 - $54,490.25
6) luffii - $39,184
7) inter27 - $28,775.75
8) THE__D__RY - $22,530.80
9) CaseyTheKid - $17,143
FullTilt will announce the
FTOPS all around best player, and winner of a customized avatar akin to those sported by FullTilt pros, very soon. Keep checking
CardPlayer.com to find out who the winner is.
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