Doing well in an 8-Game Mix tournament requires a warehouse full of poker skills with flop, draw, and stud games in the rotation. The low version of the SCOOP 8-Game tournament brought a large crowd looking to show their chops to the world. 2,780 players registered for the tournament creating a nice $68,249 prizepool for just a $27 buy-in. The tournament played down as expected with the No Limit Hold'em and Pot Limit Omaha generating a lot of aggression from those specialist while the Stud game were chipping away at stacks with the extra round of betting.
Several big names were making moves late in tournament including Team PokerStar's George Danzer and COOP monster Shaun Deeb but neither would have a final say for the title. Play moved quickly from 3 tables down to the final table bubble with the short-stacks taking a stab for a double-up until jakobgold moved all-in during a Deuce-to-Seven TD hand holding a little over 1.5 big bets. Chip leader Kusu_a came along for the ride and made a better hand in the end to form the SCOOP 32-L final table. Russia was well represented with half the final table flying their flag and in the middle of the remaining field.
Final table chip counts:
Seat 1: Shpikachka (1,970,658 in chips)
Seat 2: Name1ess0ne (892,991 in chips)
Seat 3: Alximik1203 (3,102,880 in chips)
Seat 4: Kusu_a (5,364,352 in chips)
Seat 5: kr1voship (981,960 in chips)
Seat 6: babefish (1,587,159 in chips)
Shpikachka scooped, eliminated in 6th place
Limit Omaha Hi/Lo, limits 100k/200k
Shpikachka began the final table with a comfortable chipstack but half was lost during the early stages of play. kr1voship opened from middle position and called Shpikachka's 3-bet from the small blind before the [Th][8s][6h] flop. Shpikachka and kr1voship bet/called the flop and the [2d] turn before Shpikachka check/called all-in for the remaining 120,658.
kr1voship: [7c][6s][4s][3d]
Shpikachka: [Ad][Kd][Jh][Jc]
kr1voship was sitting on a made low and a boatload of outs for the high versus the Jacks of Shpikachka. The [5c] completed the straight and Shpikachka was eliminated in 6th place for $1,219.60.
babefish gets pipped in Razz, eliminated in 5th place
Razz, Limits 100k/200k (20k ante and 30k bring-in)
babefish was also a victim of early final table stack abuse and began a Razz hand with just 2.5 big bets as the bring-in with the [7s] in the door. Name1ess0ne completed with the [7d], Kusu_a called with [2s], kr1voship called with [6h], and babefish came along for the ride. Name1ess0ne opened with [7d][Qh] and it folded around to babefish who called with [7s] [5s]. babefish lead out on fifth street with [7s][5s][8h] and called all-in when Name1ess0ne raised with [6h][8d][9c].
Name1ess0ne: ([7h][4d])[6h][8d][9c]
babefish: ([As][6c])[7s][5s][8h]
babefish was alive for the double up until Name1ess0ne drew [Ad] on sixth street babefish's [9d] for a better 8-7. No help came for babefish with the [Ac] river and was eliminated in 5th place for $2,388.71.
kr1voship hits the river, eliminated in 4th place
7 Card Stud, Limits 120k/240k (24k ante and 36k bring-in)
The extra rounds of betting during the Stud hands begun to play a major part in chip movement and it was a Stud Hi hand which would end the night for kr1voship. With [Ac] in the door, kr1voship completed and was only called by Alximik1203 with [9s]. Alximik1203 on fourth with [9s][5h] kr1voship bet on fourth with [Ac][8h] and was called by Alximik1203 with [9s][5h]. Another round of betting by kr1voship with [Ac][8h][6s] and a call by Alximik1203 [9s][5h][7h]. kr1voship bet the last 213,474 of the stack with [Ac][8h][6s][Js] and was called by Alximik1203 with [9s][5h][7h][2c].
Alximik1203: ([Qh][9h])[9s][5h][7h][2c]
kr1voship: ([6h][5d])[Ac][8h][6s][Js]
Alximik1203 was ahead with the pair of Nine versus a pair of Sixes. kr1voship improved to Eights up with the river [8s] but was beaten when Alximik1203 hit the King high flush with the [Kh]. kr1voship hit on the river but it wasn't good enough, knocked out in 4th place for $3,752.69.
Kusu_a stages a small comeback but eliminated in 3rd place
No Limit Hold'em, Blinds 40k/80k (10k ante)
Chip counts:
Alximik1203: 12,736,354
Name1ess0ne: 764,390
Kusu_a: 399,256
Alximik1203 began three-handed play with a large chiplead over the other two players and used the stack to bully them during the limit portions of play but things can change rapidly once No Limit Hold'em and Pot Limit Omaha roll around the rotation. Kusu_a used whatever chips left to nearly triple up without a showdown until running into the aggressive chipleader.
Alximik1203 min-raised from the small blind and was called by Kusu_a in the big blind before the [Kd][4c][9s] flop. Alximik1203 bet 160,000 to watch Kusu_a move all-in for 1,066,512 total. Alximik1203 did not take long to call the all-in holding [Kh][8s] for top pair and was ahead of Kusu_a with [Jh][4d] for bottom pair. Nothing would change with the [Ts] turn or [6d] river and Kusu_a was the next knockout in 3rd place for $5,801.16.
Alximik1203 thwarts a comeback to win SCOOP Event #33-L 8-Game
Alximik1203 began heads up play with a huge chiplead and at one point stretched it out to a better than 20-to-1 advantage (13,271,220 versus 628,780) until Name1ess0ne staged a big comeback with a series of big hands. It took a few double ups but Name1ess0ne was almost even in the chip counts to begin discussion of a deal. After a long negotiation, and a little chat about the amout of vodka to be consumed later, a deal was made to give Name1ess0ne $8,600 and $9,399.81 to Alximik1203 with the final $600 left in play.
The two battled back and forth until Alximik1203 took over the heads up match when it reached Deuce-to-Seven Triple Draw. The big chiplead was restored after a winning eight straight hands, several in the 7-figure range, before the game was done. Name1ess0ne raised from the button and was called by Alximik1203 before they each drew one card. Both players then capped the betting before the 2nd draw when Alximik1203 stood pat and Name1ess0ne drew one more with just 197,560 behind. Alximik1203 put Name1ess0ne all-in before the 3rd draw which was called and they both stood pat.
Name1ess0ne: [9h][7h][3d][2c][2s]
Alximik1203: [9c][8h][5c][3c][2h]
Name1ess0ne took a shot by standing pat with a pair of ducks but was well behind Alximik1203's hand. Name1ess0ne made a valiant effort to comeback from a big deficit and did well to earn extra money with the deal, but finished just short as the runner-up for $8,600. Alximik1203 showed skill at all 8 of the games in the mix and is the well deserved SCOOP champion for just under $10,000.
PokerStars 2013 SCOOP Event #33-L ($27 8-Game) results:
Players: 2,780
Prizepool: $68,249
Place paid: 360
1. Alximik1203 (Russia) $9,999.81*
2. Name1ess0ne (Poland) $8,600.00*
3. Kusu_a (Finland) $5,801.16
4. kr1voship (Russia) $3,753.69
5. babefish (Sweden) $2,388.71
6. Shpikachka (Russia) $1,219.60
Reflects heads-up deal
Check out the SCOOP homepage for all of the upcoming tournaments and satellites, as well as the leaderboard and SCOOP statistics.