Online Poker Weekend: Mike Matusow, Carlos Mortenson Highlight Action
A final table featuring Mike Matusow and Carlos Mortenson at Full Tilt highlighted Sunday night's online tournament results, with another record-setting purse and a marathon-length conclusion to the Poker Stars Sunday Million not far behind. The Stars prize pool didn't quite match that of the previous week, but was still the highest ever for the Sunday Million version that features the normal $215 buy-in.
Poker Stars Sunday Million
6,606 players meant the largest-ever field for the Poker Stars Sunday Million, with 975 players cashing and the total pool equaling $1,321,200. 'peedsster35' led this one as the final table began, with just over $12 million in chips, trailed closely by three other players, and one of those, 'UGOTPZD,' claimed the first knockout by sending 'Gussjio' out in ninth. Both players moved in pre-flop, Gussjio with A-K and UGOTPZD with pocket tens, and the 9-2-8-4-8 board left UGOTPZD's tens ahead. The next knockout came courtesy of peedsster35, who delivered a bad beat to '04bosh,' catching a queen while holding A-Q to overcome 04bosh's A-K.
Another unlikely hand followed, and this time 'aptharry' found A-K to be unlucky, losing to UGOTPZD's A-9 when a nine dropped on the turn, and it became three knockouts in the span of four hands when the 'chickenhawk9' turned A-5 into a wheel straight to triumph over 'Brkln55's pair of tens. Not long after, Jonaz exited in fifth after losing an all-in race against UGOTPZD, whose fives held up against Jonaz's Q-J suited when the board arrived 2-4-T-4-8. And chickenhawk9, who had dropped a huge pot to 'CZuke39' only minutes before, then bowed out in fourth, again losing a big pot to CZuke39 when CZuke39 made a big push with A-2, was re-raised all-in by chickenhawk9 with Q-J, and CZuke39 made the call --- the board came 3-7-J-3-8 and the field was quickly trimmed to three.
After the knockout flurry, the three remaining survivors found themselves with stacks between $15 and $30 million, which meant a lengthy battle would ensue --- the blinds were maxed out at $200,000/$400,000. In fact, an amazing 146 hands passed before the next knockout occurred, spanning several sea changes in chip-stack size among the three remaining players. Finally, CZuke39 eliminated peedsster35 on a hand where the last of peedsster35's chips went in pre-flop behind A-7, and CZuke39 made the call with K-Q. The flop came Q-7-K, hitting both players but putting CZuke39 ahead with two pairs, and he stayed there after a T-5 turn and river.
Heads-up play began with UGOTPZD owning 70% of the chips, but that quickly flipped when CZuke39 took down a huge $53 million pot after hitting a straight on the turn. After UGOTPZD pulled back a few million, the two agreed to chop most of the remaining prize money and play for the final $30,000. The two slugged it out for another 153 hands before the winner was decided. On the last hand, CZuke39 made a pre-flop raise to $1.2 million, and UGOTPZD called. The flop came 9-9-8, UGOTPZD checked, CZuke39 bet $1.5 million, UGOTPZD check-raised to $3 million, CZuke39 pushed all-in and UGOTZPD made the call for his last $12.1 million. CZuke39 showed Q-8, and UGOTPZD had 8-6, meaning UGOTPZD was dead to one of the remaining eights or nines for the chop, or runner-runner sixes for the double-through. A six did raise hopes on the turn, but a queen on the river ended the marathon, and CZuke39 claimed the win.
Poker Stars Millon - Final standings:
*1st ($157,965): CZuke39
*2nd ($119,091): UGOTPZD
3rd ($57,472.20): peedsster35
4th ($44,788.68): chickenhawk9
5th ($35,408.16): Jonaz
6th ($28,537.92): Bklyn55
7th ($22,460,40): aptharry
8th ($16,647.12): 04bosh
9th ($10,833.84): Gussjio
* two-way chop leaving $30,000 for eventual winner
Full Tilt $350,000 Guarantee
Full Tilt upped the guarantee for its biggest every-Sunday event to $350,000, and the turnout didn't disappoint. 2,006 Full Tilters signed on, pushing the prize pool to $401,200. 306 places paid, five-figure paydays ran six spots deep, and first prize computed to $73,820.80, among the largest in Full Tilt history. After several weeks where none of the famous "red name" Full Tilt pro endorsers ran deep, both Mike Matusow and Carlos Mortenson made extended runs here, with Matusow and Mortenson among several players who shared time at the top of a tight leaderboard. Matusow finally pulled into a healthy lead as the final table began play. Mortenson began the final table in fifth position, but took down a big pot on the second hand to move into second place before encountering a long run of dry hands.
With the blinds at $12,000/$24,000, the first and third hands meant the demise of 'DEADMONEZZZZ,' who started as one of the largest stacks, but first lost a big pot when his jacks ran into 'MrTimCaum's kings, then tried a steal with K-Q and found a caller in 'kchang3,' who held A-J. The 5-5-A-4-5 board filled kchang3's full house and ended DEADMONEZZZZ's run. The fourth hand continued the early action rush as 'freegas2' and 'HoosierAlum' got their chips in pre-flop; HoosierAlum had A-T but never caught up to freegas2's pocket sevens when the board showed 5-Q-4-2-2. Matusow then dropped about half his stack to '1stueyungar1' when he tried to run a re-raise steal with 9-7; 1stueyungar1 had pocket fours, made the call, and though Matusow was fortunate to have two live overcards, he couldn't connect for the knockout.
A few hands later, Matusow added more new fuel to the classic "blow up" fires, when, with the blinds at $15,000/$30,000, he completed to $30,000 from the small blind. MrTimCaun raised to $120,000, from the big blind, and Matusow paused for a few moments, then made an all-in push. MrTimCaun made his own tough call with K-Q and it turned out to be the right play; Matusow was again on a steal, with 8-7, and when the board showed J-A-K-2-6, Matusow was driving on fumes. On the very next hand, freegas2 slowplayed pocket aces from middle position, got the push from Matusow (who held Q-J offsuit on the button), and notched the knockout when the board came 7-T-2-9-5.
kchang3 was the next player out when he made a raise with K-J of clubs, was re-raised by 'The-Toilet O' (who had A-J), and called for the last of his chips. The-Toilet O paired his ace on the flop, no other helpers showed, and five players were left. A long, knockout-free span then ensued before MrTimCaum's luck ran out, when he lost a race to The-Toilet O for his last $250,000; MrTimCaun had eights, The-Toilet O showed A-J, and the board provided Q-J-A-9-3. The next hand saw the largest pot of the tourney, when the two largest stacks, 1stueyungar1 and freegas2, clashed. With blinds of $25,000/$50,000, 1stueyungar1 raised from under the gun to $199,000, and freegas2 re-raised to $696,000 from the button. The flop came 5-7-3, 1stueyungar1 checked, and freegas2 pushed for his last $1.2 million. 1stueyunger1 made the call, and showed pocket queens, catching freegas2 trying to buy the huge pot with K-J. A six and a queen completed the board, sending freegas2 out in fourth.
Mortenson fell next, lasting until third despite having the shortest stack through the later stages. The blinds were at $30,000/$60,000 when he pushed for $750,000 with A-6; 1stueyungar1 called from the big blind with K-3, and was rewarded with the knockout when the board showed K-3-8-A-J. The end came only six hands later, when The-Toilet O opened to $200,000 with A-7 of diamonds, 1stueyungar1 pushed over the top with pocket eights, and The-Toilet O made the call. The flop was J-2-T with two diamonds, but the flush draw never filled, no ace showed, and 1stueyungar1's eights stood up for the victory.
Full Tilt - $350,000 Guarantee - Final standings:
1st ($76,540): 1stueyungar1
2nd ($49,840): The-Toilet O
3rd ($36,045): Carlos Mortenson
4th ($28,925): freegas2
5th ($21,822.80): MrTimCaun
6th ($16,020): kchang3
7th ($10,324): Mike Matusow
8th ($7,476): HoosierAlum
9th ($5,293.72): DEADMONEZZZZ
Ultimate Bet $200,000 Guaranteed
Ultimate Bet had 992 runners this time out, putting the standard guarantee numbers in play --- 100 players cashed and a $45,000 first prize was up for grabs. 'Ninja_Nate' held a narrow lead over 'huskydog' as the final table began, with these two players between $500,000 and $600,000 in chips and, more than twice that of any other player. Ninja_Nate logged the first elimination, when his pocket sevens held up over the suited A-K of 'RiskyBusines,' when neither player improved. The tiniest stack, GB2005, fell next, his all-in K-10 little match for huskydog's pocket queens when the board showed A-J-8-4-5. A short while later 'NeddyFlanders' exited in eighth, again as a short stack pushed all-in with a marginal holding (8-7); an aggressive huskydog played Q-8, caught top pair on the T-Q-7 flop, and sent NeddyFlanders to the rail.
The short stacks continued to drop when K-J pockets worked for their owners on back-to-back hands. With blinds at $6,000/$12,000, Ninja_Nate called an all-in push from 'Bolikk' for $112,000 and found himself racing Bolikk's pocket tens, and stayed in front after an A-J-A flop. Then 'HIGH FLUSH' flopped a king to help his K-J when 'Kush99' pushed with pocket eights.
Five-way action saw the blinds move to $8,000/$16,000 and two players, 'MoeDobbs' and 'Zorro99,' in dire need of big hands. The two finally clashed in the blinds, with Zorro99 k.o.-ing MoeDobbs when MoeDobbs pushed 8-4 into Zorro99's A-K, and the board provided 3-J-J-2-K. Zorro99 then doubled through huskydog to pull back into the hunt. It was Zorro99's high point, though, as he drifted lower in chips, then went out in fourth when he flopped middle pair (nines) on a 6-9-K flop and made a re-raise push against Ninja_Nate, only to find Ninja_Nate with pocket tens and the right price to call. huskydog eliminated HIGH FLUSH three hands later, his A-9 winning a race against HIGH FLUSH's sixes when the T-8-J-7-A board completed a straight.
The big pot gave huskydog a large lead as heads-up action got underway. The end came when both players made pre-flop moves, with Ninja_Nate ending up all-in with J-9 suited, and huskydog holding A-8. The board arrived 6-6-A-9-3, pairing huskydog's ace and giving him the $45,000 win.
UB $200k Guarantee - Final standings:
1st ($45,000): huskydog
2nd ($27,000): Ninja_Nate
3rd ($18,500): HIGH FLUSH
4th ($13,000): Zorro99
5th ($11,000): MoeDobbs
6th ($9,000): Kush99
7th ($7,000): Bolikk
8th ($5,000): NeddyFlanders
9th ($3,500): GB2005
10th ($2,000): RiskyBusines
Party Poker $200,000 Guaranteed
926 players were on hand for Party Poker Sunday $200,000 Guarantee, putting the paid entries just a bit shy of the guarantee. 100 players made the money, with $47,000 up for first. Switzerland's 'Tiefenmuehle' held a narrow lead when the last ten players arrived at the final table, with no players desperately short of chips, and Tiefenmuehle extended her lead by scoring the first knockout, when her jacks and threes held up over the nines and threes of 'bb_king69.' After a lengthy span of nine-way play that pushed several players to the brink, Tiefenmuehle notched two more quick knockouts, first when her suited K-9 caught two nines on the flop to knockout a short-stacked 'novpe's pocket sixes, then dominated another small stack, NannaU, staying ahead throughout in an A-K vs. A-4 race.
'Food4Fishes' suffered the first bad-beat exit, finishing seven when his A-9 fell to the A-7 of 'DittieAce' when a seven flopped, and on the very next hand, 'Barlor' sent 'Egyptian1' to the rail behind pocket queens. One more knockout quickly followed: Tiefenmuehle flopped a set of nines to crack the pocket aces of 'rphmgj04.'
With four players left, Tiefenmuehle had almost two thirds of all the chips in play, and with blinds moving up to the $20,000/$40,000 plateau, the room for maneuvers had grown slim. DittieAce avoided a bad-beat knockout when he caught a river king to double through Barlor, who held A-J and caught a jack on the flop; Barlor then survived two all-in showdowns of his own to pull back from the rail's edge. The other player left in the chase, Germany's 'DonkeyStyle2', also survived several all-in moments.
Tiefenmuehle finally sent Barlor out in fourth after Barlor made a re-raise push with A-T, was called by Tiefenmuehle's A-K, and didn't improve. Not long after, DonkeyStyle2 eliminated DittieAce after being priced in with Q-J against DittieAce's K-7, catching the needed Q on the turn.
Tiefenmuehle held a roughly 3.2 million to 1.3 million lead over DonkeyStyle2 as heads-up play began, but DonkeyStyle2 made two big playbacks to bring the matchup back to even. At that point, both players agreed to take $36,000 from the prize pool and play for the last $1,000, and DonkeyStyle2 claimed the nominal win after winning an A-J vs. A-2 race.
Party Poker - $200k Guarantee - Final standings:
**1st ($37,000): DonkeyStyle2
**2nd ($36,000): Tiefenmuehle
3rd ($15,000): DittieAce
4th ($12,000): Barlor
5th ($10,000): rphmgj04
6th ($8,000): Egyptian1
7th ($6,000): Food4Fishes
8th ($4,000): NannaU
9th ($3,000): novpe
10th ($2,200): bb_king69
** two-way chop leaving $1,000 for eventual winner
