FTOPS XI Event #13, $200+16 NL Hold'em (1R/1A): Darren 'darrenelias' Elias Wins

Mickey Doft Live Reporter

Feb 11, 2009 3 min read

FTOPS XI Event #13, $200+16 NL Hold'em (1R/1A): Darren 'darrenelias' Elias Wins 0001

Event #13 of the eleventh Full Tilt Online Poker Series (FTOPS XI), $200+16 NL Hold'em (1R/1A) easily topped its pre-tourney $300,000 guarantee. The number was nearly doubled after 1,210 entrants, 861 rebuys and 805 add-ons. The total prize pool was $575,200, with first place offering $126,544. Notable finishers falling short of the final included Kenny "Hixx" Hicks in 10th ($4,889.20), Carter "ckingusc" King in 18th ($2,502.12), Jaroslaw "YanniYankiev" Jaskiewicz in 24th ($1,984.44) and David Pham in 27th ($1,984.44). The chip leader to start the final table was Kroko-dill, who won an event in FTOPS IX. The chip counts to start the final table were as follows:

Kroko-dill - 1,226,172

Eppi80 - 1,125,381

Julian "jae_rod811" Rodriguez - 1,053,721

nimzon - 777,200

Im yr bad beat - 615,615

Darren "darrenelias" Elias - 531,958

charoff - 413,788

safeT1st - 303,456

holdidona - 107,209

The first to exit the final was holdidona, at the 10,000/20,000/2,500 level. From middle position, holdidona went all in for 104,709 with A?10? and Im yr bad beat called from the cutoff with A?Q?. A queen came on the flop and it would be enough to send holdidona to cashier in ninth place for $8,628. At 12,000/24,000/3,000, nimzon said goodbye to the final table. Under the gun, nimzon opened to 60,000 and, acting next, Kroko-dill popped it up to 192,000. In middle position, Darren "darrenelias" Elias re-raised all in for 540,508, and action folded back to nimzon who re-shoved for 865,200. Kroko-dill called instantly with Q?Q? and led nimzon's J?J?, but trailed Elias' K?K?. The board ran out 4?7?8?A?8? and Darren Elias won the main pot to triple up. Kroko-dill won the side pot to eliminate nimzon in eighth place for $12,079.20. Toward the end of the level, charoff busted after making a move with 10?8?. Unfortunately for charoff, Julian "jae_rod811" Rodriguez woke up with A?A? and the board brought no help for charoff, who finished in seventh place for $16,680.80.

Im yr bad beat departed at 14,000/28,000/3,500 after shoving from the button for 279,824 with A?5?. In the big blind, safeT1st called with A?10? and won the pot when the board rolled out J?K?6?3?8?. Im yr bad beat took home $25,884 for sixth place. Those chips weren't safeT1st's for long. At 17,000/34,000/4,000, safeT1st limped in from the cutoff and Darren Elias raised to 96,500. Action folded back to safeT1st, who shoved for 377,692 with 5?5? and Elias called holding A?K?. The board ran out K?A?8?4?3? and safeT1st headed to the rail in fifth place for $35,259.76. Julian "jae_rod811" Rodriguez busted later in the level after a preflop raising war. Rodriguez's tournament life was on the line with 9?9? against Eppi80's A?K?. The board came A?10?J?5?8? and Julian "jae_rod811" Rodriguez was out in fourth place for $46,735.

Eppi80 succumbed in third at 20,000/40,000/5,000. Darren Elias raised to 102,500 in the small blind and Eppi80 shipped it in for 667,382 from the big blind. Elias called with J?J? and had Eppi80's J?9? crushed. The board came 8?J?2?A?8? and Eppi80 collected $58,239. At the beginning of heads-up play, Darren Elias held a slight chip lead, and he went on to win the tournament at the 25,000/50,000/6,000 level. Elias raised to 120,000 and Kroko-dill called, bringing a 9?5?9? flop. Kroko-dill checked, Elias bet 112,500, and Kroko-dill check-raised to 250,000. Elias called and the 8? hit the turn. Kroko-dill moved all in for 1,110,432 and Elias snap-called with 6?7? for the straight. Kroko-dill held 7?5? and needed a five to win or six to chop. Neither came as the J? fell on the river. Kroko-dill earned $80,528 for second place, falling short in his effort to return to the winner's circle, as Darren "darrenelias" Elias took down FTOPS XI Event #13 for $126,544.