The antidote to any slow-paced poker tournament is a Turbo event. Such was the case in Event 27 which, in contrast to Event 24 earlier, was a dazzling display of the unpredictable.
While regular events demonstrate skill, patience and finesse like a well-made limousine, Turbos are hyperactive relatives, stock cars with chassis stripped of anything that might add weight and detract from the action. The winner is the one whose pants seat remains intact.
In Event 27 that was URIK-IRK. He overcame a chip deficit heads-up to take the title and a first prize of $6,304.26 and only now will be free from the dust thrown up.
The final of Event 27 gets started seven-handed
There were several things about this event that made it fun. Aside from the dollar buy-in with re-buys -- which is poker's equivalent of happy hour at your local bar -- there was the nature of the field at the start. With the blinds staggering each knew play would be limited and would instead depend on carefully timed grand gestures. The result was that each of the finalists had potential, and each had a crack at it.
Seat 1. }I{APKO (Russia) 33,492,419
Seat 2. MRR100 (Australia) 64,874,114
Seat 3. Empty
Seat 4. RedFlashhh (Russia) 75,252,896
Seat 5. URIK-IRK (Russia) 68,112,312
Seat 6. Antekhriste (Mexico) 25,505,456
Seat 7. Fleabags (Canada) 32,259,403
Seat 8. Evdos.d (Russia) 22,106,400
Seat 9. Empty
RedFlashhh led them towards the bargains. He was chip leader with seven left, freeJUSTman, pesho_lulin7 and GARYGOS departing in tenth, ninth and eighth place during hand-for-hand play. With the blinds enormous, the big one amounting to 2.1 million, the shorter stacks opted to jump in fast.
Starting with }I{APKO, who called all-in with ace-three of hearts when MRR100 made an initial shove. MRR100 held ace-queen which easily dismissed }I{APKO.
Two minutes later Antekhriste joined him, shoving with ace-jack of clubs with 22 million, getting a call from RedFlashhh who flipped up ace-seven off-suit. RedFlashhh may have been behind at that point but not after the flop, which brought matching aces and sevens for two pairs. Antekhriste out, RedFlashhh up to 96 million.
Big pots were frequent. Fleabags and MRR100 tangled in a pot when Fleabags shoved with king-queen. MRR100 called with ace-jack. Fleabags looked rail-bound until a king saved him on the river. Not so Evdos.d who busted in fifth place a minute later, shoving for a paltry 11 million with ace-jack off-suit against Fleabags who called with ace-jack of clubs. Evdos.d's hopes were cruelly short-lived as two clubs landed on the flop and a third on the turn.
MRR100 - 55 million
RedFlashhh - 110 million
URIK-IRK - 82.2 million
Fleabags - 78.5 million
Eight minutes of play had by now reduced the field to four, soon to be three.
Fleabags three-bet shoved with ace-king of hearts behind a raise from MRR100 who then called all-in with ace-five suited. MRR100 needed help but none was forthcoming. Instead the king secured his fate on the flop.
At which point the three remaining players paused to make a deal, two Russians and a Canadian at the negotiating table, the result of which left $800 in the middle for which to play.
RedFlashhh - 109.9 million
URIK-IRK - 82.1 million
Fleabags - 134.8 million
With the big blind now 3.2 million URIK-IRK secured what would prove a vital double-up through Fleabags when his pocket sevens held up against Fleabags's ace-king. It put URIK-IRK into the lead with 128 million, which he quickly turned into 160 million.
Fleabags would secure his own double up through RedFlashhh moments later, his king-queen of diamonds matching a queen on the flop ahead of RedFlashhh's ace-nine off. The effect of that was to leave RedFlashhh with just 15 million. He managed to double that to 30 million on the next hand, finding ace-king against Fleabags, but it was only a brief revival.
Fleabags now held the advantage; 187 million to URIK-IRK's 139 million. But, as so often happens in Turbo events and with the blinds so high, no lead is ever secure. URIK soon took over the lead, and then extended it, his stack moving up to 202 million. In keeping with the nature of the final it was all over very quickly.
Congratulations to URIK-IRK for holding onto his hat long enough to win this thrilling final table. More Turbos please, and more finals like this one.
MicroMillions 7: Event #27 $1 + R NL Hold'em. Turbo, Sunday Spark Special Edition
Entrants: 10,371 (46,530 re-buys, 5,206 add-ons)
Prize pool: $56,517.37
Places paid: 1,350
1. URIK-IRK (Russia) $6,304.26*
2. fleabaggs (Canada) $6,073.56*
3. RedFlashhh (Russia) $5,842.29*
4. MRR100 (Australia) $2,825.86
5. evdos.d (Russia) $2,260.69
6. antekhriste (Mexico) $1,695.52
7. }I{APKO (Russia) $1,130.34
8. GARYGOS (New Caledonia) $621.69
9. pesho_lulin7 (Bulgaria) $395.62
*denotes three-way deal.
Stephen Bartley is a PokerStars Blog reporter.