World Championship of Online Poker 2004

Official Report
August 4, 2004

Pot-Limit Texas Hold'em
Buy-in: $500 (+$30)

Started - 8/3/2004 3:00:00 PM (EST)
Finished - 8/4/2004 1:47:44 AM

Fabsoul is fabulous! New Yorker Wins Event #7 at 2004 World Championship of Online Poker

No-limit Texas hold'em has rightfully been called the "Cadillac" of poker games because it's one of the most challenging variations of poker. The game is deceptively simple at first glance, taking no more than a few minutes to learn. But it sometimes takes years, if not decades to master. Pot-limit hold'em is similar to no-limit play, although the amount of betting is limited to what is in the pot at any given time. While no-limit and pot-limit may appear to be similar games, requiring nerves of steel and much intestinal fortitude, there are subtle nuances which distinguish these exciting forms of poker.

The "learning curve" for learning pot-limit and no-limit hold'em has been cut short in recent years, due largely to the explosion of online poker. The learning curve for tournament strategy, in particular, has been shortened even further, thanks to PokerStars and other sites which offer an ongoing tournaments and satellites. As proof, all one must do is notice the last two World Series of Poker Champions, both of which earned their way into the main event through PokerStars.com.

A whopping 728 players entered this year's "Pot-Limit Hold'em Online Poker World Championship," hosted by PokerStars.com. Many players put up $500 (plus a $30 entry fee) to earn the honorary title "the world's best pot-limit hold'em player." For others, the entry fee was significantly less. A sizable number of the players qualified through online satellites held at PokerStars.com. Many players gained their entry into the tournament from "Frequent Player Points" (FPP) alone - which meant the entry fee essentially cost nothing. Sixty-three places were paid from a prize pool of $364,000.

The winner was "Fabsoul (his screen name)," from New York. Fabsoul made a deal when play was four handed and collected $60,230, plus the coveted 14 karat gold bracelet awarded to each world champion. The gold bracelet is engraved with the name of the event, along with the PokerStar's 2004 WCOOP trade mark.

Players started the tournament with $2,500 in chips with betting limits set at $10-20. At least one recognizable player in this event was Greg Raymer, the current world poker champion. Raymer had a tough day, finishing a very unceremonious 722nd. Hence 721 players now have bragging rights that they topped a world champion. Also, "Gank" a PokerStars regular from Los Angeles who won a bracelet at this year's World Series, took 11th place, just shy of making the final table. It took winner Fabsoul a total of 726 hands to triumph in the tournament.

The final table was very much an "international affair." Five countries were represented, including Canada, England, Russia, Sweden, and the United States. Naslund (who finished second) was making his second final table at this year's WCOOP. The American players took all of the top five spots, finishing 1st through 5th, while the others took 6th through 9th. Seating and chip counts were as follows:

THE FINAL TABLE

Seat 1: Sooners (136,180 in chips)
Seat 2: leo217 (37,194 in chips)
Seat 3: fabsoul (449,874 in chips)
Seat 4: theory (351,198 in chips)
Seat 5: pluto9 (339,192 in chips)
Seat 6: mikelevytu (182,409 in chips)
Seat 7: Hamman (125,272 in chips)
Seat 8: Tipex (82,529 in chips)
Seat 9: Naslund (116,152 in chips)

Fabsoul came to the final table with an impressive chip lead - nearly $450K in chips to everyone else with $340K or less. It took Fabsoul about 90 minutes and 96 hands to conquer the final table. The last hand of the tournament was dealt, as hundreds of observers watched from their computers all over the world:

THE FINAL HAND

Hand #726
PokerStars Game #591001536: Tournament #1742801, Hold'em Pot Limit - Level XIX (15000/30000) - 2004/08/04 - 01:47:12 (ET)
Table '1742801 56' Seat #3 is the button
Seat 1: Sooners (586932 in chips)
Seat 3: fabsoul (1233068 in chips)
fabsoul: posts small blind 15000
Sooners: posts big blind 30000
fabsoul: raises 60000 to 90000
Sooners: raises 180000 to 270000
fabsoul: raises 390000 to 660000
Sooners: calls 316932 and is all-in
*** FLOP *** [4c Td 3s]
*** TURN *** [4c Td 3s] [6d]
*** RIVER *** [4c Td 3s 6d] [Ks]
*** SHOW DOWN ***
Sooners: shows [Ah 8s] (high card Ace)
fabsoul: shows [As Js] (high card Ace - Jack kicker)
Lee Jones [observer] said, "Good match both players!"
fabsoul collected 1173864 from pot
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot 1173864 | Rake 0
Board [4c Td 3s 6d Ks]
Seat 1: Sooners (big blind) showed [Ah 8s] and lost with high card Ace
Seat 3: fabsoul (button) (small blind) showed [As Js] and won (1173864) with high card Ace

Fabsoul didn't need a pair to win. The ace-high took the final pot of the tournament. The New Yorker became the seventh PokerStars.com 2004 WCOOP Champion - with five events still to go.

Report by Nolan Dalla
Director of Communications - PokerStars.com

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