Hearts, Spades, Euchre, and the latest rage Open-Faced Chinese are perfect games when only four like-minded individuals can be found to sling cards. Most of the time only the fourth game of the list will have degenerates slowly turning over cards hoping they do not set a fouled hand and a few bonuses to have some money swung their way. Tonight's Turbo Championship of Online Poker (TCOOP) Event #35 $82 buy-in four-max Pot Limit Omaha tournament featuring a $164,025.00 prize pool, likely better than your average Euchre game at grandma and grandpa's. Romania's Ph4N needed no reminder that this was not your average Friday night, after taking down the tournament after a three-way chop to the tune of $21,158.62.
So far Tinas21 and three final tables in Event #17, #18, and last night's $11 PLO rebuy Event #30 taking fourth place for $14,951.88, leads the TCOOP Player of the Series. But, the Norwegian would fall well short of adding points tonight in 711th place.
A few players still searching for the Triple COOP, cal42688 and Darreta, and PokerStars Grand Slam seeker Andrey "Kroko-dill" Zaichenko would also perish in this tournament before adding a TCOOP championship to their tournament wins.
Still quiet on the Red Spades front for the 2013 TCOOP series as Jose "nachobarbero" Barbero, Toni Judet, Marcel Luske, Lex Veldhuis, Rohit "GodlikeRoy" Bhasin, Mickey "mement_mori" Petersen were all turned away from the cash. Only Team Pro Matthias de Meulder would sniff one of the 280 money spots, but fell just short in 289th place as the money bubble broke in under two hours.
A few minutes after de Meulder's exit, xpyxpy unfortunately would follow the Belgian out the door penniless from the tournament as the remaining 280 players were assured $162.38 for their efforts.
After three and a half hours our 2,187 player tournament shrunk to two tables with four players each. MVDC111, who managed to hit a Sunday Warm-Up final table last yearand chopped it for $57,123.41 would fall short tonight in 7th place after trading preflop bets with Ph4N until 2.3 million chips hit the middle. [Ad] [Jd] [9c] [Qs] for MVDC111 would get bumped by the five held by Ph4N [Ac] [Kc] [6h] [5h] as the flop displayed a pair [4s] [5c] [Td] [2d] [Ah] ending MVDC111's night in 7th place ($2,194.65).
Since the final table would expand to hold five players, hand-for-hand play would last just three hands before turning on the spotlights. With the blinds at 50K/100K samsonov888 would call-in for 775,088 chips after a three-bet by Ph4N forced the issue. Not that samsonov888 minded calling with aces [2d] [Ac] [Ad] [8d], but the player from Singapore may have minded the turned flush [4s] [Js] [6h] [Qs] [Qc] that Ph4N hit with [7s] [4c] [Kc] [As]. Even sansonov888 god-like preflop strength would not get to the final table tonight as the five remaining players were moved to a specially crafted five-seat table:
Seat 1: mvgto (2018397 in chips)
Seat 2: Slavik_Krs (3077777 in chips)
Seat 3: hornastreda (789600 in chips)
Seat 4: Ph4N (4133745 in chips)
Seat 5: Desmoplakin (915481 in chips)
One hand, one down
As seen throughout the past week, the final tables do not last long and tonight was no exception. With the blinds still at 50K/100K and first hand of the final table, after a min-raise by mvgto, call by hornastreda, and a flop of [8d] [6c] [2s] hornastreda took a stand and shoved with [6d] [3d] [Kc] [9s] good for middle pair. mvgto also held middle pair but a better kicker [Ac] [Jd] [Ts] [6s]. Despite the turn [7c] opening up straight possibilities, the [Jc] river closed down hornastreda's TCOOP final table in fifth place ($3,485.53).
Having lots of Ph4N
Just four hands later the chip leader Ph4N decided to strengthen that stack. Check out the hand below as the players attempted a four-way chop of the remaining prize money but let the cards fly instead:
Desmoplakin would take down two of the first four hands of the final table, but after pressing bets preflop with kings [Ks] [Kh] [5h] [Qd] against Ph4N's aces [3s] [Ah] [As] [8s], there would be no third. The [8d] [6s] [Jc] [6d] [4s] sealed Desmoplakin's fate in fourth place ($5,443.98) as Ph4N scooped up the 2.3 million chip pot with blinds at 60K/120K and now held 5.2 million chips.
And now we have a deal
Our remaining three decided to give the deal route one more chance as Team Online's George Lind fed our players numbers that they could get behind and agreed to chop while leaving $2,500.00 to tonight's champ.
Ph4N: $18,658.62
mvtgo: $14,724.19
Slavik_Krs: $13,847.89
mvgto makes a move
Six hands after Desmoplakin left, mvtgo decided to push Slavik_Krs all-in preflop while reveling sixes and aces [6d] [Ah] [Ad] [6c]. Slavik_Krs, who made a 2012 WCOOP final table in Omaha (Event #12 PLO Hi-Low finishing 5th) would need crack aces with [Kh] [9s] [Td] [9h] to stay alive. A turned nine [3c] [8d] [7h] [9d] with a re-draw to a straight was just what Slavik_Krs needed to stay alive. However, the river diamond [Qd] would match the two in mvtgo's hand and sent Slavik_Krs home in third place ($13,847.89).
A Ph4N victory
Just 11 hands to reach heads-up play, and 27 hands to award the golden card protector. With the blinds 70K/140K and Ph4N in command (yes, I have been saving that one) with 9.3 million to mvgto's 1.5 million both players would get it in preflop. Watch Ph4N's victory match below:
mvgto's stand with [6d] [6c] [Jd] [5c] did not last against Ph4N's kings [6s][5s][Ks][Kc] as the [3d] [9s] [7h] [As] [7c] finalized Ph4N's victory parade towards the extra $2,500.00 and the Event #35 TCOOP title!
2013 TCOOP Event #35 Pot Limit Omaha (4-Max) results(01-24-13):
(* denotes part of three-way deal)
Players entered: 2,187
Places paid: 280
Buy-in: $82
Prize Pool: $164,025.00
First Place: *$21,158.62
1. Ph4N (Romania) *$21,158.62
2. mvgto (Switzerland) *$14,724.19
3. Slavik_Krs (Poland) *$13,847.89
4. Desmoplakin (Czech Republic) $5,443.98
5. hornastreda (Slovakia) $3,485.53
David Aydt is a freelance contributor