World Championship of Online Poker 2004

Official Report
August 7, 2004

Pot-Limit Omaha (High)
Buy-in: $500 (+$30)

Started - 8/6/2004 3:00:00 PM (EST)
Finished - 8/6/2004 11:49:41 PM

"Joelmick" Starts Final Table With Chip Lead, Loses It, then Stages Dramatic Comeback to Win WCOOP Event #10

The shortest tournament to date at the World Championship of Online Poker took place on Friday evening, as 487 of the world's best online pot-limit Omaha players gathered to compete for nearly a quarter of a million dollars in prize money. Clocking in at just 8 hours and 49 minutes, this tournament stood in stark contrast to other WCOOP events, many with 1,000 or more players, which sometimes lasted as long at 16 hours. Perhaps it was the nature of pot-limit Omaha or just the fact that one player - "Joelmick" -- dominated the final hour of play that allowed this event to conclude rather quickly.

The number of entries in this event (487) was more than the number of players who entered the same event at this year's World Series of Poker. In fact, no major pot-limit Omaha event this year has attracted such a large and diverse field. Many of the participants put up $500 (plus a $30 entry fee). For others, the entry fee was significantly less. A sizable number of players qualified through online satellites held at PokerStars.com. Many players gained their entry into the tournament from "Frequent Player Points" alone - which meant the entry fee essentially cost nothing. A total of 45 places, just short of ten percent of the field, were paid winnings from a prize pool of $243,500.

The winner was "Joelmick," from Coronado, CA. The winner officially collected nearly 42 grand (a deal was made when play became four-handed) 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.

This final table was an international affair - with Canada, England, Sweden, and the United States represented. Seating and chip counts were as follows:

THE FINAL TABLE

Seat 1: NitsRus (103,804 in chips)
Seat 2: BiggSlick (165,244 in chips)
Seat 3: strela (67,728 in chips)
Seat 4: Rabscuttle (105,867 in chips)
Seat 5: joelmick (275,936 in chips)
Seat 6: LIAMV (217,315 in chips)
Seat 7: p10ker (51,538 in chips)
Seat 8: the witt (195,172 in chips)
Seat 9: scratch-22 (34,896 in chips)

Joelmick arrived at the final table with the chip lead, lost it for a short time as "P10ker," from England rocketed up into the chip lead, then came back and seized the lead again. Just when it looked like Joelmick might have an easy victory, NitsRuss from Las Vegas dominated play and gain complete control of the final table. Down to three handed, NitsRuss enjoyed a nearly 3 to 1 advantage over his two opponents at one point. But that would prove to be the high point for NitsRuss. One of the key hands of the tournament took place when Joelmick regained the chip lead from NitsRuss:

THE KEY HAND

Hand #519
PokerStars Game #597705153: Tournament #1742811, Omaha Pot Limit - Level XVI (4000/8000) - 2004/08/06 - 23:36:41 (ET)
Table '1742811 21' Seat #5 is the button
Seat 1: NitsRus (509361 in chips)
Seat 2: BiggSlick (298507 in chips)
Seat 5: joelmick (409632 in chips)
23:36:41 NitsRus: posts small blind 4000
23:36:41 BiggSlick: posts big blind 8000
23:36:45 joelmick: raises 16000 to 24000
23:36:47 NitsRus: calls 20000
23:36:50 BiggSlick: folds
23:36:50 Moving Bets to Pot
23:36:50 *** FLOP *** [Qd 9h 3d]
23:36:52 NitsRus: checks
23:37:00 joelmick: bets 32000
23:37:01 NitsRus: calls 32000
23:37:01 Moving Bets to Pot
23:37:01 *** TURN *** [Qd 9h 3d] [2d]
23:37:03 NitsRus: checks
23:37:07 joelmick: checks
23:37:07 *** RIVER *** [Qd 9h 3d 2d] [Qc]
23:37:11 NitsRus: bets 64000
23:37:14 joelmick: calls 64000
23:37:14 Moving Bets to Pot
23:37:15 *** SHOW DOWN ***
NitsRus: shows [Td Ks Kh 4s] (two pair, Kings and Queens)
23:37:15 joelmick: shows [Th Jc Qs 6s] (three of a kind, Queens)
23:37:17 joelmick collected 248000 from pot
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot 248000 | Rake 0
Board [Qd 9h 3d 2d Qc]
Seat 1: NitsRus (small blind) showed [Td Ks Kh 4s] and lost with two pair, Kings and Queens
Seat 5: joelmick (button) showed [Th Jc Qs 6s] and won (248000) with three of a kind, Queens

The final table last 105 hands. With hundreds of observers watching from their computers all over the world, the final hand came as follows:

THE FINAL HAND

Hand #545
PokerStars Game #597737990: Tournament #1742811, Omaha Pot Limit - Level XVI (4000/8000) - 2004/08/06 - 23:48:49 (ET)
Table '1742811 21' Seat #5 is the button
Seat 1: NitsRus (102722 in chips)
Seat 5: joelmick (1114778 in chips)
23:48:49 joelmick: posts small blind 4000
23:48:49 NitsRus: posts big blind 8000
23:48:53 joelmick: raises 16000 to 24000
23:48:55 NitsRus: raises 48000 to 72000
23:49:07 Player joelmick has requested TIME
23:49:21 joelmick: raises 144000 to 216000
23:49:22 NitsRus: calls 30722 and is all-in
23:49:22 Moving Bets to Pot
23:49:26 *** FLOP *** [Js 4c 3d]
23:49:32 *** TURN *** [Js 4c 3d] [9s]
23:49:35 *** RIVER *** [Js 4c 3d 9s] [As]
23:49:38 *** SHOW DOWN ***
NitsRus: shows [9h Ad Th 6d] (two pair, Aces and Nines)
23:49:38 joelmick: shows [Jh 6c Ts Ah] (two pair, Aces and Jacks)
23:49:41 joelmick collected 205444 from pot
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot 205444 | Rake 0
Board [Js 4c 3d 9s As]
Seat 1: NitsRus (big blind) showed [9h Ad Th 6d] and lost with two pair, Aces and Nines
Seat 5: joelmick (button) (small blind) showed [Jh 6c Ts Ah] and won (205444) with two pair, Aces and Jacks

Joelmick's two-pair was victorious. He becomes the tenth PokerStars.com 2004 WCOOP Champion - with the final two events to be played this weekend.

Report by Nolan Dalla
Director of Communications - PokerStars.com

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