By now you have heard the story of the mystery man who turned a handful of Frequent Player Points (FPPs) into a WCOOP Main Event victory. The $1,000,907.26 haul is perhaps the best ROI at $25,022.68 per FPPs that this site or any major trading floor has ever seen, or will ever see again. Marat “maratik” Sharafutdinov WAS a micro-stakes player who had turned free points for playing his favorite ring games, tournaments, and SnGs into a massive payday. Much like some of our micro-stakes players who earned a ticket for this month’s Battle of the Planets $50,000.00 triple shootout freeroll from the Mercury ($1-$2.99) or Mars ($3-$4.99) divisions. For buy-ins that usually carry the price tag of a soup and sandwich lunch special, they could turn their earned freeroll ticket into $12,000.00 by winning three SnGs in a row.

Decidedly not a micro-stakes player, Team Online’s Mickey “mement_mori” Petersen would press his way into the 75/150 blind level with two others at the six-handed table as the only member of Team PokerStars playing today. Holding 1,956 in chips he would find 10♣ A♠ to open shove hoping the big chip leader, PokerGarlic, would hand over the 150 chip big blind without a fight. A pair of nines 9♦ 9♥ made up PokerGarlic’s mind to call as the 2♥ J♠ 3♠ K♣ K♠ board failed to hit the Dane’s hand, ending his day in 117th place.

At the one hour 40 minute mark, the starting field of 546 was shrunk to nine tables of nine players each. $195.00 was quickly collected by Portal348 who tried to press pocket tens 10♥ 10♦ against Pokerger1337’s aces A♠ A♥ on the second round’s first hand, and finished the tournament in 81st place when the 7♣ Q♦ 4♥ 7♥ 3♣ board came up empty.

With all nine tables left, it looked like Ami “UhhMee” Barer was looking to wrap up a trip to this freeroll’s final table and add to a rather successful run during the 2012 WCOOP series by taking tenth place overall in the Player of the Series standings. He would be the first to reach heads up against 5pathic with a near two to one lead. But, 5pathic was not phased by Barer’s tourney exploits, turning the tables on the chip lead and eventually earning the third seat to the final table after both player caught trip fours on the flop, and 5pathic’s queen kicker held over Barer’s seven kicker for the win, knocking him out in 21st place.

Jackal69 was looking for a second Battle of the Planets trip shootout victory, after taking home a chopped $11,000.00 for the March 2012 win. But, there would be no second title in September as Jackal69 fell just short of the final table in 14th place ($195.00).

Down to the last heads up match between Negriin and jpinczinger and blinds at 150/300 ante 25 Negriin would call on the button as jpinczinger put in a raise to 825. Holding A♠ 8♣ Negriin sought to take it down with a shove for 5,664 total. However, jpinczinger’s A♦ J♦ was too big to fold as the Argentinean made the call. Two diamonds on the flop cut Negriin’s outs even further as the board 6♦ 2♦ 10♠ K♥ A♥ shipped the final second round pot to jpinczinger, starting up the final table below:

Seat 1: yzoserious (1500 in chips)
Seat 2: WWO16 (1500 in chips)
Seat 3: jpinczinger (1500 in chips)
Seat 4: jnfpoker (1500 in chips)
Seat 5: 5pathic (1500 in chips)
Seat 6: edgarbrit1 (1500 in chips)
Seat 7: Anyuta18 (1500 in chips)
Seat 8: HTID76 (1500 in chips)
Seat 9: YugiohPro (1500 in chips)

yzoserious hopped into the chat box during the five minute hourly break after just three hands into final table to try to coax the Ryder Cup watchers to split up the final table purse into nearly $4,000 for everyone. But, the players would shoot down the guaranteed money and continue the chase for the $12,000.00 first prize.

Both the opening 10/20 and 15/30 blind levels would contain sparks of chop talks but little else, as all nine players pushed forward to the 25/50 blind level.

No love for the negotiator

yzoserious would try to rally the other eight players into accepting a chop of some sort, which would not be an even amount as the blinds moved up to 25/50. Being the nice player did not relate to big profits tonight as yzoserious, down to 427 chips, would shove UTG as edgarbrit1 reshoved from the cutoff to clear the button and blinds. edgarbrit1 showed black jacks J♣ J♠ as yzoserious’ sevens 7♦ 7♥ would be the final hand for the Austrian as the board ran clean for the jacks 3♠ Q♥ 3♥ K♠ 8♠ and yzoserious collected $775.00 in ninth place.

Clearing out the table

After going through nearly three blind changes with zero eliminations, and ten minutes after yzoserious took a seat on the rail, we would knock out two players in three minutes. With the blinds at 25/50 WWO16 would min-raise from UTG+1 as edgarbrit1 looked to make another slaying and shoved for 1,359 chips. After a long time in the tank, WWO16 called all-in showing A♦ Q♥ . edgarbrit1 once again flipped up a dominating hand, showing big slick K♦ A♥ . Sevens would rain down on the 2♥ 7♦ 7♠ 9♠ 7♣ board as WWO16 left in eighth place ($1,200.00).

Four hands later as the blinds moved up to 50/100, jnfpoker tried to steal the blinds by open-shoving from the small blind for 1,270. 5pathic holding A♠ J♦ was not going to let that happen and made the call. Q♥ 10♦ for jnpoker would whiff on the 6♦ 3♣ 4♠ A♣ 8♥ board but managed to snag $1,700.00 out of the prize pool in seventh place.

Edgar Edgar Edgar

edgarbrit1 continued the final table slashing ways in this hand shown below:

And for the third straight time, edgarbrit1 would come out on top of an all-in hand. This time the Australian’s J♦ J♥ would win the coin flip against HTID76’s big slick K♦ A♠ for a 2,864 chip pot as HTID76 collected $2,200.00 in sixth place.

edgarbrit1 = final table terminator

Shortly after the blinds moved up to 75/150, edgarbrit1 would be in line to make yet another subtraction at the final table. jpinczinger holding just 874 chips would open shove from the button holding 3♣ J♠ . A person with impeccable timing, edgarbrit1 quickly called from the big blind with a pair of ladies Q♠ Q♦ . Done in by the turn K♥ 8♦ 7♥ A♦ K♣ jpinczinger was directed towards the cashier window for $2,735.00 in fifth place cash.

As the players caught their collective breaths during the hourly five minute break, the hardliners who denied the even chop, softened up and oftered to look at the numbers. However, the request did not get in quick enough as play started back up with 75/150 blinds.

Yugi OH NO!

With the blinds up to 100/200 Anyuta18 would tear off four pots in a row including one that would take care of YugiohPro. After calling a min-raise from Anyuta18, YugiohPro would look at a flop of 2♦ 6♥ 5♦ and shove for 2,007 chips after Anyuta18 continued with a 600 chip bet. Holding the meek looking 4♣ 5♠ Anyuta18 made the call as the flop handed the chip leader a pair plus a straight draw. YugiohPro was in the lead with pocket queens Q♣ Q♦ but that lead evaporated with the turned 4♠ and the former final tablist here (third place in August) and winner of the Sunday Warm-up in 2010 would take home fourth place cash ($3,350.00) after the A♠ fell on the river.

Edgar no more

As the blinds moved up to 100/200, edgarbrit1 fell from the chip lead to 2,161 chips and third place as the terminator of the final table needed two more eliminations to claim that $12,000.00 first prize. The cards would not cooperate as edgarbrit1 shoved over the top of 5pathic’s button min-raise from the small blind holding A♠ 8♠ . The raise was real as 5pathic called and showed pocket jacks J♥ J♠ . No scary spades would show on the K♣ 2♥ 9♥ 8♣ 5♦ board as edgarbrit1 locked up $4,500.00 in third place starting a very quick and wild heads-up match.

Restless and wild

Ten hands, five of them featuring all-ins, and one player standing with the $12,000.00 winner’s check. A great, action packed ending to the September triple shootout. 5pathic would strike first on the very first hand of heads-up play, shifting the 4,670 to 8,830 deficit into a 9,340 to 4,160 chip lead as 10♦ A♦ for 5pathic held against Anyuta18’s A♦ 5♠ on the K♦ 8♥ A♣ 9♦ J♥ board.

Anyuta18 would fight back and earn a double up two hands later. But, two hands after that 5pathic looked to lock up the title winning 11,960 chip pot J♣ A♠ vs. 10♠ A♦ that left Anyuta18 with just 1,540 chips. Anyuta18 had was not going away quietly and scored two double-ups leading to the final hand of the tournament below:

With the blinds holding at 100/200 and 5pathic holding a 7,940 to 5,560 chip lead, the players would end the night on a coin flip. All-in preflop, 5pathic showed a pair of nines 9♦ 9♣ as Anyuta18 needed some help from the board holding A♠ 10♠ . Despite flopping a royal flush draw, 5pathic’s nines held on the Q♠ 3♣ J♠ 7♦ 8♦ board to win $12,000.00 and the title of Battle of the Planets champion!

Battle of the Planets $50,000 triple shootout freeroll results (09-30-12)

Players entered: 546
Places paid: 81
Entry fee: Freeroll
First Place: $12,000.00

1. 5pathic (United Kingdom) $12,000.00
2. Anyuta18 (Ukraine) $7,500.00
3. edgarbrit1 (Australia) $4,500.00
4. YugiohPro (South Korea) $3,350.00
5. jpinczinger (Argentina) $2,735.00
6. HTID76 (United Kingdom) $2,200.00
7. jnfpoker (Canada) $1,700.00
8. WWO16 (Slovakia) $1,200.00
9. yzoserious (Austria) $775.00

Want to check out the live reports from LAPT Panama? Be sure to click on the Live Events tab on the PokerStarsBlog front page or if you are feeling lazy… follow this link

David Aydt is a freelance contributor from Minnesota

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