A new year always brings excitement, especially in the world of poker. New goals, combined with interesting promotions from PokerStars Women, give players the chance to start 2013 on a high note.
The newest addition to the PS Women offerings is the PokerStars Women's Club, a way for female players to compete on a basis that suits their schedules and be able to win weekly cash and prizes. Action kicks off on Monday, January 7, and players are invited to join our welcome activities and get involved. Keep your eyes open for an upcoming "welcome" freeroll as well!
The PokerStars Caribbean Adventure is also underway in the Bahamas, and excitement is building as the tournaments bring some of the biggest names in poker to the tables. The Ladies Event is on tap for next weekend as well, so stay tuned to the PCA section of the PokerStars Blog for all of the updates and stories.
The very first $55 Women's Sunday of 2013 had a great field and swept right past the $10K guarantee:
Total players: 232
Prize pool: $11,600.00
Paid finishers: 36
Team PokerStars Pro Ana Marquez was the only bounty involved in the action today, as most other players were on flights to the Bahamas or already involved in the live games. Marquez was eliminated early in the action, though, and her $50 bounty was awarded to the woman who ousted her.
The prize pool distributions began about 2 hours and 45 minutes into the tournament, when the bubble burst to allow Kapusja of Russia to take home $87.00 for 36th place. Payouts continued, and the final two tables were set about 15 minutes past the three-hour mark.
After the four-hour point, Angi77121 exited in 11th place, which set the remaining players up for hand-for-hand play. Moments later, Chuimz put her tournament life at risk with [Kc][8c], and acumen plus was there with [Ah][Qc]. The board came [3d][5d][6h][6c][Js], and the ace played as the kicker to the pair of sixes. Chuimz left in tenth place with $185.60.
Eilenna starts as chip leader
The final table began in Level 20 with $2,000/4,000 blinds and a $400 ante, along with these players and their starting stacks:
Seat 1: joy7108 (43,230 in chips)
Seat 2: moé_c_toé (88,021 in chips)
Seat 3: luckyno75 (86,444 in chips)
Seat 4: heather99969 (62,182 in chips)
Seat 5: acumen plus (117,814 in chips)
Seat 6: Chuperak BG (61,577 in chips)
Seat 7: isabe11e (56,696 in chips)
Seat 8: eilenna (144,448 in chips)
Seat 9: kassike (35,588 in chips)
On the third hand, isabe11e doubled through acumen plus to jump into first place on the leaderboard and relegate acumen plus to one of the shorter stacks. Then heather99969 doubled through moé_c_toé to climb into third place.
Heather99969 and moé_c_toé tangled again a few hands later, with the latter moving all-in UTG for less than 49K with [4c][4s] after having lost ground from the initial double-up. Heather99969 called with [Js][Jd], and the board blanked with [9c][Th][3d][2h][6s]. That left moé_c_toé out of the tournament in ninth place with $220.40.
Joy7108 was the next player to move all-in, and she did it with [Ad][Ah]. Luckyno75 reraised all-in with [Qc][Qs], and all other players folded. The flop of [2h][3d][Jd] looked as if the aces would hold, but the [Qd] hit on the turn to give luckyno75 the set of queens. The [9h] on the river eliminated joy7108 in eighth place with $290.00.
Three hands later, a hand started with heather99969's raise, and kassike called all-in from the big blind for her final 9,988 chips with [Qc][7c]. Heather99969 showed [Kc][Qd] and hit quads on the flop of [Kd][Kh][Ks]. The irrelevant [Ts] and [9s] finished the hand, and kassike had to leave in seventh place with $406.00.
Acumen plus doubled through heather99969, but short-stacked acumen plus moved again soon after for little less than 30K. Her UTG move was made with [Qs][Js], and luckyno75 went along with a dominating [Ac][Qc]. that hand only improved to a pair on the [Th][6s][Ah] flop, and the [8s] and [8c] completed the board for two pair. Acumen plus departed in sixth place with $522.00.
Luckyno75 doubled through heather99969, as shown here:
Soon after, a big hand developed as luckyno75 raised from UTG+1 and heather99969 called. Chuperak BG reraised all-in for nearly 142K, and isabe11e called all-in for 120,812 chips with [As][Ah]. Luckyno75 folded, but heather99969 called for 124,913 chips with [Js][Jc]. Chuperak BG had them both covered and showed [Ac][Tc] and received a straight draw on the [5h][3d][4c] flop. The [9c] also gave Chuperak BG the flush draw, and the [Kc] on the river made that flush. Isabe11e was out in fifth place with [672.80, and heather99969 followed in fourth place with $986.00.
Three remain
The final three started their play with these chip counts:
Seat 3: luckyno75 (208,820 in chips)
Seat 6: Chuperak BG (422,232 in chips)
Seat 8: eilenna (64,948 in chips)
Eilenna doubled through Chuperak BG a few rounds into the action, and luckyno75 stepped into action by taking two hands in a row, collectively worth more than 344K, to jump into the lead. Eilenna doubled through Chuperak BG again but still needed to gain more ground. Eilenna then doubled through luckyno75, but Chuperak BG took a 173,600-chip pot from Eilenna to regain the lead.
Eilenna doubled through Chuperak BG again, and luckyno75 doubled through Chuperak BG to take over. When eilenna tried yet another double, she pushed with [Ah][9s] against the [As][Js] of luckyno75, and the board came [2s][6s][Td][Qd][5c]. That ended the tournament for eilenna, who took home $1,310.80 for third place.
Heads-up changes everything
Heads-up play then began with these chip counts:
Seat 3: luckyno75 (507,938 in chips)
Seat 6: Chuperak BG (188,062 in chips)
Chuperak BG wasted no time and doubled once when A-9 made a full house to beat pocket tens. And on the very next hand, another double-up nearly ended the tournament:
Luckyno75 was left with little more than 10K chips and pushed all-in on the next hand with [5s][3h]. Chuperak BG called with [Js][5h] and made a full house on the [Jh][9c][3s][9s][Jd] board. Luckyno75 had to accept second place and $1,740.00.
ChuperakBG won the first Women's Sunday of 2013 and $2,372.20 in New Year's cash. Congrats!
Women's Sunday Results for 01/06/13:
1st place: Chuperak BG (Serbia) - $2,372.20
2nd place: luckyno75 (Romania) - $1,740.00
3rd place: eilenna (Sweden) - $1,310.80
4th place: heather99969 (Canada) - $986.00
5th place: isabe11e (Sweden) - $672.80
6th place: acumen plus (Canada) - $522.00
7th place: kassike (Estonia) - $406.00
8th place: joy7108 (Canada) - $290.00
9th place: moé_c_toé (Canada) - $220.40
There are many ways to get in on the Women's Sunday action. Take a look at the home page for information on daily satellites. And join us on Facebook for news and monthly freerolls, and Twitter for the latest information. See you next week!
Jennifer Newell is a PokerStars freelance contributor.