This weekend was yet another big one for the PokerStars
World Championship of Online Poker (
WCOOP), and it was all capped off by a huge name in online poker taking down the weekend's biggest event. Recent
World Series of Poker bracelet winner
James "mig.com" Mackey now has a shiny new
WCOOP bracelet, as well.
Event No. 14 - $1,000 No-Limit Hold'em
The $2 million-guaranteed no-limit hold'em event of the
WCOOP - event No. 14 in the series, held on Sept. 23 - enticed 3,325 entrants at a grand apiece to generate a prize pool of $3,325,000. The first-place finisher stood to earn more than a half million dollars if the prize pool wend unchopped.
Among the notable players who finished within the top 50 were
Ari "BodogAri" Engel,
Shawn "slimshaggy" Luman (aka phat_cat1),
Kenny Rap (a player who has made six Online Player of the Year-qualified cashes in September alone, for more than $95,000), and, of course, mig.com. BodogAri eventually busted out in 31st place, earning $9,975. Slimshaggy made it into the top 20 but missed the final two tables by the skin of his teeth when he was eliminated in 19th place ($13,632).
Both mig.com and Kenny Rap claimed seats at the final table of the event, and mig.com - in fourth place when the final table began - made it clear from the get-go that he wasn't interested in dealmaking. He told the other players, "No chop as long as I am playing." Kenny Rap was the second-shortest stack of the final eight players (there was a double-elimination on the final table bubble), and, correspondingly, he went out in seventh place when his pocket tens failed to hold up against an opponent's A-J. He earned almost $70,000 for his finish.
Mig.com came into a commanding chip lead when he eliminated the fourth-place finisher, Ephman. He then made it to heads-up play with a 3-2 chip advantage over his opponent, Chulwoo. The final hand occurred when chulwoo check-raised all in on a bluff, holding K-2 on a board of Q
8
6
4
. Mig.com called and turned over the nuts with 7
5
and Chulwoo was out in second place ($292,933). James "mig.com" Mackey scooped in the final pot to snag the entire $580,213 first-place prize and yet another tournament bracelet.
The final results were:
- mig.com - $580,212.50
- chulwoo - $292,932.50
- Trickybstrd - $210,472.50
- ephman - $166,250
- saphire1 - $130,340
- jochen8 - $96,425
- Kenny Rap - $69,825
- tralaira - $43,890
- UWillSuckOut- $25,935 *
* Never technically at the final table due to a double-elimination hand on the final-table bubble.
Event No. 13 - $500 Pot-Limit Hold'em
Saturday, Sept. 22 had two
WCOOP events in store for poker players, the biggest of which was the $400,000-guaranteed pot-limit hold'em tournament. The tournament, event No. 13 in the
WCOOP series, had a buy-in of $500 (with $30 entry fee). The event's prize pool came to $545,000 when 1,090 players bought in, and the players were gunning for a first-place payday of $117,175.
When it came down to the final 20 players, two Team PokerStars members were still in the running: two-time
WSOP bracelet-winner
Bill Chen (using his eponymous screen name) and
Bertrand "ElkY" Grospellier. Grospellier was the first person to achieve Supernova status on PokerStars and then the first to achieve Supernova Elite status(achievements earned by accumulating frequent player points). Notable Internet pros
amichaiKK and
teacuppoker, a player who has already made four OPOY-qualified cashes this month, were also still aiming for the bracelet and the top prize.
AmichaiKK hit the rail in 20th place, earning $2,452 and teacuppoker made it near the final-table bubble before being eliminated in 11th place ($3,542). Both members of Team PokerStars found seats at the final table, Bill Chen in third place and ElkY in fifth place. ElkY, however, became the first player eliminated from the table when he got all in preflop with A-J versus A-K and failed to catch up. He collected $6,258 for ninth place.
Ace-jack was the end of Bill Chen, as well, when he got all in holding the hand versus his opponent's dominating A-Q. Bill Chen went out in fifth place ($28,068).
When it got down to heads up, betgo and antroff were the last two men standing, and betgo had a 2-1 chip lead over his opponent. The heads-up battle was a grueling one, but antroff eventually managed to pull into a sustainable lead and then sealed the deal to collect his unchopped first-place prize of $117,175 and a gold
WCOOP bracelet.
The final results were:
- antroff - $117,175
- betgo - $64,473.50
- Tycoon_Kid - $43,600
- shahmat - $34,880
- William "Bill Chen" Chen- $28,067.50
- kedvedert - $21,255
- sh00ter - $15,805
- SpotLIGHT19 - $10,900
- Bertrand "ElkY" Brospellier - $6,267.50
Event No. 12 - $200 H.O.R.S.E.
H.O.R.S.E. tournaments are becoming more and more mainstream in the poker world, recently, especially with such a bright spotlight on the winner of the
WSOP H.O.R.S.E. world championship event. Given the popularity of the poker variant, it came as no special surprise when the $200 buy-in H.O.R.S.E. event of the
WCOOP - the 12th event in the series, also held on Saturday, Sept. 22 - easily surpassed its $200,000 guarantee. The event had 1,639 entrants and a prize pool of $327,800.
Team PokerStars member
Lee "LeeNelsonP*" Nelson made the final table of the event before eventually busting out in sixth place after winning almost no hands. He earned $13,112. Jaliks, the chip leader when the final table began, followed through and finished off his final opponent to snag the $72,116 first-place prize. He also earned a
WCOOP bracelet for his efforts.
The final results were:
- jaliks - $72,116
- Hikkespett - $42,614
- TheBigViking - $27,863
- Cactus Benny - $20,651.40
- JJJanet - $16,717.80
- Lee "LeeNelsonP*" Nelson - $13,112
- Phillyho - $9,834
- BBwinz - $6,883.80
Event No. 11 - $200 Razz
Razz is usually one of the least-popular poker variants (hence the existence of H.O.S.E., H.O.R.S.E. without razz), but event No. 11 in this year's
WCOOP proved that razz still has quite a few fans. The event, which took place on Friday, Sept. 21, had a $100,000 guarantee and a buy in of $200 (with $15 entry fee). That guarantee was more than doubled when 1,176 razz players entered the fray to generate a prize pool of $235,200.
Prominent Internet poker player
Danny "THE__D__RY" Ryan made it deep in the tournament before eventually busting out in 16th place, for $2,117. When it got down to threehanded play, the remaining players decided on a by-the-chips chop deal with the chip leader, needabanana, getting the largest payout at $37,296. The three players were still scrapping for $7,000 that was left in the middle for the eventual winner. The most appropriately named razz-player at the table, OnlyPlayRagz, wound up taking down the final pot of the tournament and earning the extra money, bringing his total winnings to $41,137. OnlyPlayRagz also won himself a
WCOOP bracelet for his achievement.
The final results, considering the deal, were:
- OnlyPlayRagz - $41,136.80*
- needabanana - $37,296.11*
- larki1 - $29,759.09*
- JAMEST1 - $15,240.96
- atactor - $12,465.60
- lvstraddle - $10,113.60
- tsudneves - $7,764.60
- Ima_QT - $5,409.60
* Payout reflects a three-way by-the-chips chop with $7,000 remaining for the eventual winner, per the PokerStars chopping rules.
Event No. 10 - $300 Heads-Up No-Limit Hold'em
Heads-up no-limit is commonly argued to be the one of the most skill-reliant forms of poker, and 1,886 players bucked up $300 apiece (with $20 entry fee) to try their hands at taking down this important
WCOOP event, held on Friday. The ultimate winner of this event would have to win 11 straight heads-up matches to be crowned the victor. The prize pool was $565,800, just $65,800 more than guaranteed (a relatively low surplus for this tournament series), and the first-place prize was $96,186.
Quite a few notable players made it to match No. 7 (the top 32), including
Jeff "ActionJeff" Garza,
Sasha "bikocruz" Rosewood,
Lex "RaSZi" Veldhuis,
Ben "-BBJ-"Sprengers,
Perrio, and
loooser17 (a player who made a brief appearance in the top 10 of the OPOY). RaSZi, Perrio, and loooser17 all dropped out in that round of play, earning $3,395 each. The eighth match (the top 16) claimed both bikocruz and -BBJ-, who earned $5,092. ActionJeff survived for one more round before eventually busting in the ninth round of play (with eight players remaining).
When it finally got down to, well ... heads up, it was ansuz and ugotmeyet? duking it out for the top prize. The two players decided that they'd made it far enough that they each deserved as least half of the remaining prize pool. The prize pool was chopped between the two, giving each player $65,000 with $17,000 left in the middle for the eventual winner, per the PokerStars chopping rules. The match saw the two players' stacks see-saw back and forth until ugotmeyet? took and held the chip lead for the final time. When the chips went in for the last time, ugotmeyet? held A-J and ansuz showed pocket queens for a good-sized lead. The flop turned the tables when it brought an ace, and the turn and river bricked out to secure the tournament, the extra $17,000, and the
WCOOP bracelet for ugotmeyet?. His total winnings came to $82,054.
The results of the final three rounds were:
Round 11:
- ugotmeyet? - $82,054*
- ansuz - $65,054*
Round 10:
3. Aldahan - $31,119
4. postbear - $31,119
Round 9:
5. wired_c4 - $15,559.50
6. DEEZZZ_NUTS - $15,559.50
7. Axabaxa - $15,559.50
8. Jeff "ActionJeff" Garza - $15,559.50
*Payouts reflect an even-chop deal struck when heads up with $17,000 left for the eventual winner, per the PokerStars chopping rules
Today's event in the
WCOOP is event No. 15, a $100,000-guaranteed seven-card stud event with a $300 buy-in (and $20 entry fee). The event started at 3 p.m. ET and has $696 entrants and a prize pool of $208,800. The winner of the event will get almost $49,000 if no deal is made at the final table. Tomorrow's event is a $200,000-guaranteed pot-limit Omaha eight-or-better event with a $300 buy-in (with $20 entry fee). The event will start at 3 p.m. ET. To sign up for PokerStars to play in tomorrow's event - or any of the eight remaining events - and to collect an exclusive deposit bonus through
Card Player, please
click here. For a list of events remaining in the
WCOOP,
click here.
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