The wind was stiff and cold but for the first time in two weeks it was tame enough to enjoy a leisurely run outside for your frozen reporter. The last mile made the legs work twice as hard sprinting directly into the gust. But, like the players competing for the $500,000 guarantee Sunday Warm-Up title, the final push for the win was the toughest part. At least dntrvrmplz did not have to worry about hypothermia during the final table, after outlasting 2,895 other players for the $83,923.76 victory after a two-way deal with wywrotX.

Read below on how dntrvrmplz set the winning pace

With two tables left after nearly nine hours of play, one player was looking for yet another major title. Mayu “marroca5” Roca with wins in the Sunday 500, WCOOP, and SCOOP sat on one of those two table poised for another big win. However, Roca would try to push big slick past Penelas08’s pocket eights and failed to catch enough of the board to continue, earning $1,882.40 in 17th place.

robbancs214 was striving for a return to the Sunday Warm-Up final table after claiming fifth place for $30K back in December. But, dntrvrmplz was not in a giving mood knocking robbancs214 out in 13th place ($2,751.20).

Just a few minutes later dntrvrmplz would strike again during hand-for-hand play. This time the victim was RuthCole who’s K♥ 9♦ failed to catch up to dntrvrmplz’s 10♠ A♦ on the 7♣ 6♠ 8♥ Q♥ 7♥ board starting up the final table below:

Seat 1: travisohc (1031320 in chips)
Seat 2: dev209 (1115652 in chips)
Seat 3: mjw006 (1158754 in chips)
Seat 4: platoX314 (1971352 in chips)
Seat 5: wywrotX (7005525 in chips)
Seat 6: dntrvrmplz (8330758 in chips)
Seat 7: AndreBusato (2656356 in chips)
Seat 8: mischa84 (1421321 in chips)
Seat 9: Penelas08 (4268962 in chips)

mischa84 had a shot at a redemption after nearly claiming a MicroMillions title in July. Taking home the big prize would need to wait at least for another week after mischa84’s pocket fours 4♣ 4♠ failed to dodge Penelas08’s A♣ 9♣ flush draw 6♠ 7♣ K♣ 2♣ 8♥ winning $4,923.20 in ninth place.

Ten minutes later dev209 tried to use pocket fours 4♣ 4♦ as well to continue on in this tournament. With several big final tables such as WCOOP, TCOOP, and a MicroMillions win dev209 was hoping to close out another win. Instead pocket fours would go down in flames again as AndreBusato’s 8♦ 10♦ found a ten on the flop 5♣ 2♦ 10♣ 7♠ J♥ ending dev209’s night in eighth place ($7,830.78).

On the next hand shortstacked travisohc would take K♣ A♣ all-in preflop against Penelas08’s pocket tens 10♦ 10♠ . Hearts instead of clubs dotted the 6♠ 4♥ 9♥ 9♦ 3♥ board leaving travisohc out in seventh place ($13,611.20).

Just before the tenth hourly break, Super Tuesday champ Matt “mjw006” Wakeman tried to work his way out of last place in the chip counts. Holding 787,508 chips with blinds at 100K/200K ante 20K Wakeman would flip Q♦ J♦ against dntrvrmplz’s treys 3♥ 3♦ and come up a little short 4♥ 9♣ 5♣ A♦ 5♠ no additional major title as Wakeman took away $19,403.20 in sixth place.

Whispers of chop talks would start up after Wakeman’s departure. But, they would not materialize until one more player joined him on the rail. Unfortunately that would be platoX314 who tried to push J♥ A♦ at the wrong time as dntrvrmplz woke up with aces A♣ A♠ . After the 5♦ K♦ 6♠ 4♦ 8♠ board platoX314 went to contemplate the additional $25,195.20 received in fifth place.

This time the players would sit down and start to throw bricks of cash across the table. Some did not appreciate the number of bricks they were receiving, starting up four-handed play with the $91,224.67 still up top.

After the busted chop talks AndreBusato would try to improve on the chip count in case of another attempt to split up the remaining funds. Pocket sixes 6♦ 6♠ for AndreBusato would go up against wywrotX’s 10♦ A♥ . The over cards would find a straight on the J♠ Q♥ 9♣ 8♥ 7♠ river sending $33,304.00 to AndreBusato in fourth place.

The threesome would play for over 45 minutes without a deal and nearly $20K difference between second and third place money. wywrotX, who started with one of the lower stacks, would start kicking for the finish line by shoving 15.8 million from the button. wywrotX’s stack covered both dntrvrmplz and Penelas08’s but only Penelas08 was equipped with the proper cards J♠ J♣ to make the call. wywrotX would show 9♥ K♥ and the board popped up two more kings K♦ K♣ Q♣ 3♦ 2♣ to end Penelas08’s night in third place ($48,652.80).

Third time’s a charm as dntrvrmplz and wywrotX agreed quickly to Team PokerStars Online Ike Haxton’s split of the remaining funds leaving $10K for the winner:

wywrotX: $75,356.91
dntrvrmplz: $73,923.76

The end game certainly started like a 100 meter race but ended with a slow, marathon-like pace. Thirty minutes into the heads-up match dntrvrmplz carved out a 22.8 million to six million chip lead with the blinds at 300K/600K ante 60K. dntrvrmplz kept up the aggression with a shove from the button as wywrotX called holding K♠ 6♥ . dntrvrmplz’s 8♦ 9♥ would wait until the turn Q♠ 2♦ A♥ 9♠ 9♦ to take the lead, the extra $10K, and this week’s Sunday Warm-Up title!

PokerStars Sunday Warm-Up results (03-01-15)

Entrants: 2,896
Places paid: 414
Prize pool: $579,200.00

(* denotes part of two-way deal)

1. dntrvrmplz (Germany) *$83,923.76
2. wywrotX (Canada) *$75,356.91
3. Penelas08 (United Kingdom) $48,652.80
4. AndreBusato (Brazil) $33,304.00
5. platoX314 (Russia) $25,195.20
6. mjw006 (Australia) $19,403.20
7. travisohc (Germany) $13,611.20
8. dev209 (Germany) $7,830.78
9. mischa84 (Germany) $4,923.20

David Aydt is a freelance contributor

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