The Online Railbird Report: Sahamies Wins $803,000; Sulsky Takes Million-Dollar Lead

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Oct 26, 2012 6 min read Last updated Nov 16, 2021

There was some big action on the PokerStars high-stakes cash-game tables this week as Ilari ��Ilari FIN�� Sahamies and Ben ��Sauce123�� Sulsky both won big. Sahamies won an remarkable $803,468, making him far and away the week��s biggest winner, and Sulsky banked $576,291, taking a million-dollar lead in the race to become the year��s biggest online winner against Ben ��Ben86�� Tollerene.

Sahamies�� success came from 5,276 hands spread across 67 sessions and Sulsky played 5,054 hands over 54 sessions. Other big winners included Sam ��tr1cky7�� Trickett (+$433,546 in 88 sessions/5,342 hands), ��The Liar�� (+$257,823 in 236 sessions/11,222 hands), and Andreas ��Skjerv?y�� Torbergsen (+$213,047 in 259 sessions/16,237 hands).

��Fake Love888�� was the week��s biggest loser after dropping $562,769 in 3,516 hands over 51 sessions, while ens ��Jeans89�� Kyll?nen (-$425,216 in 89 sessions/3,420 hands), Terje ��Terken89�� Augdal (-$392,215 in 82 sessions/1,539 hands), Tollerene (-$302,781 in 145 sessions/5,610 hands) and ��patpatman�� (-$284,002 in 96 sessions/7,775 hands) rounded out the top five in the losing column.

Torbergsen Books a Thursday Win

It��s been awhile since we��ve seen Andreas ��Skjerv?y�� Torbergsen in any significant action, but he was back on Thursday, Oct. 18, when he played 5,000 hands at both $25/$50 and $50/$100 pot-limit Omaha. After nine hours, Torbergsen logged off up $162,500 �� enough to make him the day��s biggest winner.

In his biggest pot, which took place at a heads-up $50/$100 PLO table, ��VietRussian�� ($18,911.63) opened for $218 on the button and was met with a three-bet to $654 by Torbergsen ($31,247.36). ��VietRussian�� responded with a four-bet to $1,962 and Torbergsen called before checking the 8?2?7? flop. ��VietRussian�� took the opportunity to bet $2,235.53, and then moved all in for $16,949.63 after Torbergsen check-raised to $10,628.59. A call was made and the cards turned up:

��VietRussian�� flopped a wrap with a straight-flush draw, while Torbergsen was drawing to the ace-high flush. The 5? turn gave Tobergsen the lead, and the 4? on the river meant he would take the $37,821 pot.

It was also on Thursday that ��Fake Love888,�� dropped $263,000 playing fixed-limit Omaha hi/lo (FLO8) and 2-7 triple draw, of which, $149,200 went to Viktor ��Isildur1�� Blom.

Sulsky Extends 2012 Lead to Over a Million

In recent weeks, Ben ��Sauce123�� Sulsky has been in a tight race with Ben ��Ben86�� Tollerene for the biggest winner of 2012 on PokerStars. This week, Sulsky opened things up and brought his total to $3,312,031, which is million-dollar lead over Tollerene��s $2,259,824.

Sulsky was able to do so thanks in part to a $279,000 win on Saturday that he won playing $50/$100 PLO against Andreas ��Skjerv?y�� Torbergsen, ��The Liar,�� Gabriel ��verve.oasis�� Goffi, Phil ��MrSweets28�� Galfond and Viktor ��Isildur1�� Blom.

In Sulsky��s biggest win, action was six-handed when Sulsky ($34,434) opened for $470 from the hijack and Torbergsen ($29,482) three-bet to $1,680 from the cutoff. From there, ��The Liar�� ($8,482) called from the small blind, Sulsky four-bet to $7,410, and Torbergsen five-bet to $24,400. ��The Liar�� called off his stack, Sulsky six-bet, and Torbergsen called off his remaining $5,082, creating a pot worth $67,601.

Everyone had a little something, but Sulsky took down the pot with a king-high straight after the board ran out 6?Q?9?10?8?.

In the biggest pot of the day, which took place after Sulsky had left the table, action was five-handed when Blom ($44,912.40) opened for $600 under the gun and cleared the field all the way to Jared ��Harrington10�� Bleznick ($41,599.59), who three-bet to $2,000 from the big blind. Blom made the call and then raised to $8,600 when Bleznick led out on the 4?2?J? flop. The latter proceeded to three-bet to $30,095, and then called off his last $9,504.60 when Blom four-bet to $42,912.40.

Blom got it in good with top set, but Bleznick was drawing to clubs. The 5? turn filled Bleznick��s draw, and after the 3? failed to pair the board, so Bleznick was pushed the $83,414 pot.

As if Sulsky's $279,000 win wasn��t big enough on Saturday, he followed it up with a $344,000 win playing $200/$400 PLO on Sunday courtesy of Blom. In the most notable hand between the two, action was four-handed when Sulsky ($83,860.19) opened for $1,200 on the button and Blom ($58,156.48) three-bet to $4,320 from the small blind. The big blind got out of the way, Sulsky called, and they were heads-up to the J?4?3? flop. Blom led out for $6,400, Sulsky raised to $28,555, and Blom moved all in for $53,836.48. Sulsky made the call, the 4? turn and 6? river completed the board, and Blom rolled over J?J?Q?3? for jacks full of fours; however, it was no good as Sulsky revealed 4?4?6?7? for quad fours to take the $116,868 pot.

Sahamies Wins a Over a Million Dollars in 48 Hours

Between Monday and early Wednesday morning, Ilari ��Ilari FIN�� Sahamies banked an astounding $1,030,543. About 20 percent of that came on Monday when he played $50/$100 and $100/$200 PLO. In his biggest hand from that session, action was heads-up when ��Gozoboro�� ($33,808) opened for $250 and was met with a three-bet to $750 from Sahamies ($26,920). ��Gozoboro�� four-bet to $1,250 and then called when Sahamies five-bet to $3,750, bringing about a flop of 9?5?3?. ��Gozoboro�� ended up calling a bet of $7,498, and then bet $22,494 when Sahamies checked the 4? turn. Sahamies called off his last $15,672, creating a pot of $53,838, and the J? river completed the board. ��Gozoboro�� turned over Q?A?6?4?, but it was no good against Sahamies' 6?8?7?J?.

On Tuesday, Sahamies returned to action, this time winning $662,000 playing $200/$400 PLO before adding another $187,000 in the early hours of Wednesday morning. The huge win helped Sahamies dig out of his $1.4 million hole for 2012, and conjured images of a late-year comeback like he experienced in 2011.

On his way to such a huge win, Sahamies ran over Jens ��Jeans89�� Kyll?nen and ��patpatman,�� who lost $414,000 and $321,200 respectively. Others in the losing column included Terje ��Terken89�� Augdal (-$300,000) and Ben ��Sauce123�� Sulsky (-$193,000); meanwhile, Sam ��tr1cky7�� Trickett (+$250,000) and Andreas ��Skjerv?y�� Torbergsen (+$183,600) both profited on the day.

Needless to say, there were some big pots throughout Sahamies�� incredible run. Here��s a look at his top three:

Hand #1: Play was four-handed when action folded to ��patpatman�� ($102,879.21) in the small blind and he opened for $1,200. Sahamies ($375,491.79) responded with a three-bet to $3,920 from the big blind and then called when ��patpatman�� four bet to $12,080. The 9?6?10? flop saw ��patpatman�� check, Sahamies bet $9,200, and ��patpatman�� check-raise to $52,075. Sahamies then three-bet to $180,700 and ��patpatman�� called off his remaining $38,724.20, creating a $205,913 pot.

Both players had flopped top two pair, but the J? turn gave ��patpatman�� the lead with an even bigger two pair. Fortunately for Sahamies, the 8? peeled off on the river to give him the flush and the win.

Hand #2: Action was three-handed when Sahamies ($86,560) opened for $1,640 on the button and then called when ��patpatman�� ($98,385) three-bet to $5,360 from the big blind. The 5?3?2? flop saw ��patpatman�� check, Sahamies bet $4,400, and ��patpatman�� check-raise to $18,000. Not to be outdone, Sahamies three-bet to $65,155, and then called off his last $16,045 when ��patpatman�� four bet to $93,025.

��Patpatman�� had flopped the wheel, but he needed to dodge Sahamies�� diamond draw. He did it on the 9? turn, but not on the J? river. Sahamies hit the nuts and took down the $173,395 pot.

Biggest Weekly PokerStars Winners/Losers

Week��s biggest winners (10/18-10/24): Ilari ��Ilari FIN�� Sahamies (+$803,468), Ben ��Sauce123�� Sulsky (+$576,291), Sam ��tr1cky7�� Trickett (+$433,546), ��The Liar�� (+$257,823), Andreas ��Skjerv?y�� Torbergsen (+$213,047)

Week��s biggest losers: ��Fake Love888�� (-$562,769), Jens ��Jeans89�� Kyll?nen (-$425,216), Terje ��Terken89�� Augdal (-$392,215), Ben ��Ben86�� Tollerene (-$302,781), ��patpatman�� (-$284,002), Phil ��MrSweets28�� Galfond (-$213,805)

Year-to-date winners: Ben ��Sauce123�� Sulsky (+$3,312,031), Ben ��Ben86�� Tollerene (+$2,259,824), ��EireAbu�� (+$2,178,923), Phil ��MrSweets28�� Galfond (+$2,117,386), Jens ��Jeans89�� Kyll?nen (+$1,922,058), ��bernard-bb�� (+$1,627,156)

Year-to-date losers: ��Zypherin�� (-$3,202,084), ��patpatman�� (-$2,726,625), Viktor ��Isildur1�� Blom (-$2,476,594), Gus ��broksi�� Hansen (-$1,085,191), Benny ��toweliestar�� Spindler (-$1,012,435)

_{Data, hands and re-player obtained from HighStakesDB.com}

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PR & Media Manager for PokerNews, Podcast host & 2013 WSOP Bracelet Winner.

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• Tags Ben Tollerene Ilari 'Ilari FIN' Sahamies Ben "Sauce123" Sulsky Jared Bleznick Isildur1 Viktor Blom PokerStars Railbird Report Online Poker
• Related Players Viktor BlomJared BleznickBen Tollerene