High Stakes Online Poker -- LarsLuzak Banks During HA SessionsKelopuro Earns Over $700K Playing Heads-Up Hold'em/Omaha Over Three-Day Stretch |
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In this new series, CardPlayer.com takes a closer look at online poker’s high-stakes cash games. The report wraps up all of the stomach-churning variance, provides details of the seven-figure swings and highlights the most interesting hands along the way.
This week, much of the high stakes shenanigans were driven by Sami “LarsLuzak” Kelopuro and his presence in the $500-$1,000 pot-limit HA (half hold'em, half Omaha) games on Full Tilt Poker.
Kelopuro is a Finnish player who rose to success over the last few years online thanks to a take-on-all-comers attitude. Though his aggressive style of play has been known to get him into some trouble, his ability to go on long winning streaks has always kept him in the game.
Kelopuro Takes on Fellow Fin Patrik Antonius
Sami Kelopuro started his upswing off strong by taking a little more than $308,000 from Patrik Antonius on the Full Tilt pro’s own table, Patrik’s Paradise. The two played a little less than 300 hands, but that was all Kelopuro needed to collect $117,000 in hold’em and another $191,000 in Omaha.
Kelopuro won the first six-figure pot in hold’em, betting the whole way on a board reading A
K
6 Q
4. After his $42,000 river bet was called, Kelopuro took down the $126,000 pot by showing down A K
for top two pair.
Though Antonius got back most of that with tens full in Omaha, he got further and further behind thanks to two more monster pots. Having his opponent covered, Antonius reraised Kelopuro’s button raise to $9,000, only to see Kelopuro repop it to $27,000. Antonius called out of position and led the flop of 10 7 2 for $22,000. Kelopuro then moved all in for $54,500, and Antonius made the call with K Q J 10 for top pair, over cards and the second-nut-flush draw. Kelopuro showed down A A 10 5 for the overpair, and they won unimproved when the turn and river bricked out 3 and 9.
On one of their final hands, Antonius got the last of his $69,500 in on a board reading 10 5 4 4 with Q J J 8, only to see Kelopuro’s full house with 6 5 5 3. The river failed to bring Antonius his jack, and Kelopuro took the $139,000 pot.
Enter Gus Hansen
Just hours later, Kelopuro took on the Great Dane himself, Gus Hansen. Interestingly, Kelopuro once again gave up “home-field advantage,” playing on the Full Tilt table Hansen Knockout at $500-$1,000 in pot-limit Omaha. The two went at it for just about three hours, playing over 300 hands before Kelopuro emerged with a win of $147,000.
In the first major confrontation, Kelopuro raised to $3,000 on the button, and Hansen reraised to $9,000. Kelopuro called, and both players saw a flop of K 7 2. Hansen continued with a bet of $12,000, and Kelopuro called. The turn was the J, and Hansen bet $42,000. Kelopuro then moved all in for $79,500, and Hansen called, showing A K 10 6 for top pair, a straight draw, and a diamond-flush draw. Kelopuro revealed 10 8 7 2 for bottom two pair and a gutshot-straight draw. The river was the 3, and Kelopuro’s two pair, sevens and deuces, were enough to take the $170,000 pot.
The second-biggest pot the two played came when Kelopuro raised the button to $3,000 and Hansen called. The flop came K 10 9, and Hansen checked. Kelopuro bet $5,000, and Hansen called. The turn was the 5, and Hansen checked once again. Kelopuro bet $16,000. Hansen tanked, eventually requesting time, before he reraised to $64,000, leaving himself with just $1,500 behind. Kelopuro put that in the pot, as well, and Hansen called all in, showing down K 10 6 5 for top two pair. Kelopuro flopped the nuts, however, holding Q J 8 5. Hansen failed to boat up on the 3 river, and the $147,000 pot went to Kelopuro.
Even though Kelopuro won all six of the six-figure pots in the session, Hansen minimized the damage by taking down a majority of the mid-sized pots. He later recouped all of his losses, and then some, when Phil Ivey, David Benyamine, Hac “trex313” Dang, and Kelopuro all decided to play short-handed.
Phil Ivey Sits Down For Some HA Action
Just a day after taking on Hansen, Kelopuro sat down across Phil Ivey for some more $500-$1,000 HA play. Kelopuro continued to ride his hot streak and eventually took over $500,000 from Ivey.
The first major hand of consequence saw Ivey get his K 8 6 5 wrap straight draw all in on a flop of 7 6 2 against Kelopuro’s A 10 7 6 for top two pair. Kelopuro made his full house when the turn came the 7, and it’s a good thing he did, because the river was the 5, giving Ivey a losing straight and shipping the $152,000 pot to LarsLuzak.
The biggest pot of the session also went Kelopuro’s way when Ivey raised to $3,000 on the button, and Kelopuro reraised to $9,000. Ivey called, and both players saw a flop of J 8 6. Kelopuro bet $13,000, and Ivey raised to $57,000. Kelopuro moved all in for $108,500, and Ivey made the call with J 6 5 3 for top and bottom pair. Kelopuro showed Q J J 10 for top set and took the $209,000 pot when the turn and river failed to produce any miracles.
The last major pot of the session saw Ivey raise the button to $3,000, Kelopuro reraise to $9,000, and Ivey reraise once again to $27,000. Kelopuro called, and the flop came out Q 6 4. Kelopuro checked, and Ivey bet the pot, leaving himself with just $7,000 behind. Kelopuro put it in, and Ivey called, revealing K K J 3 for an overpair. Kelopuro showed Q 10 7 5 for top pair and an open-ended straight-flush draw. The turn was the 8, and Kelopuro made his straight, leaving Ivey drawing dead and unable to claim the $176,000 pot.
Kelopuro did lose a few smaller sessions on the day, but overall ended his three-day hot streak with just over $700,000 in winnings.
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