Konstantinos “arxigos” Nanos is no stranger to the winner’s circle. The former eye doctor turned pro shipped the Sunday Warm Up in 2014 and won a TCOOP back in 2012. He’s even a savvy live player with one final table appearance at the 2010 EPT Vienna.

Konstantinos “arxigos” Nanos added a second TCOOP title to his resume after taking down 2016 TCOOP Event #26 $700 NL 8-Max, Ultra-Deep. This special deep-stacked event (featuring a 50,000 starting stack) attracted 1,377 players. Those deep-stacked explorers created a total prize pool worth $915,705. Only the top 176 places paid out with $161,164.89 set aside for the champion.

Konstantinos “arxigos” Nanos playing at the 2010 EPT ViennaAs the money bubble approached, Team Online mement_mori was one of the short stacks. He doubled up to avoid an elimination with 199 to go. mement_mori secured himself a min-cash.

“We did it! Let’s chop it up now!” joked mement_mori.

Team Online’s mement_mori was crippled by pocket jacks and eventually busted in 133rd place, which paid out $1,555.69.

With 19 to go, Germany’s Kiiiiiiik was the big stack and closing in on 10M. When the final two tables were set, Kiiiiiiik chipped up closer to 13M while second place only held 8M. Enter the Swede… anteen rocketed into the top spot after winning a flip in a 13M pot with 9♠ 9♣ against Kiiiiiiik’s A♠ K♥ . With 10 to go, Domce seized the lead.

When action hit the final table bubble in this 8-max event, it went hand-for-hand. Israel’s orange6 bubbled off the final table in ninth place when K♦ 10♠ lost to GeoManousos’ Q♠ 2♠ after GeoManousos flopped a pair of Queens to win the pot.

TCOOP 2016 – Event #26 Final Table Chip Counts:
Seat 1: cwirek1982 (3,257,612)
Seat 2: RPILON (3,315,237)
Seat 3: Domce (12,578,479)
Seat 4: anteen (11,107,290)
Seat 5: BARBARVSSA2 (7,740,932)
Seat 6: GeoManousos (12,560,070)
Seat 7: Kiiiiiiik (7,862,100)
Seat 8: arxigos (10,428,280)

The final table kicked off at the start of Level 51 with blinds at 300K/600M and a 75K ante. When the final table was set, Domce and GeoManousos were neck-and-neck for the lead with 12.5M, meanwhile RPILON and cwirek1982 battled for the basement with 3.3M.

Event#26’s final table featured a trio of players with major wins… Georgios “GeoManousos” Sotiropoulos had previously won the Sunday Million (last February), a SCOOP bracelet, and he had just binked the LAPT9 Bahamas Main Event (at the PCA). This was his second final table at the 2016 TCOOP. Domce had also won a SCOOP, and Konstantinos “arxigos” Nanos won a TCOOP back in 2012.

SEE NO EVIL: cwirek1982 eliminated in 8th place

Fireworks on the first hand. One player went to the rail, the other jumped into the lead… arxigos min-raised to 1.2M, cwirek1982 moved all-in for 3,182,612, and arxigos called. cwirek1982 was in trouble with A♣ Q♠ versus arxigos’s K♥ K♣ . The board ran out 9♠ 8♥ 5♥ 9♣ K♠ . cwirek1982 never improved and arxigos won the pot with a full house. The U.K.’s cwirek1982 was knocked out in eighth place, which paid out $9,157.05.

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GUIDING LIGHT: RPILON eliminated in 7th place

RPILON bombed it all-in for 2,627,737 with K♥ 10♠ and GeoManousos accepted the challenge with 4♠ 4♥ . RPILON flopped a flush draw and a straight draw…but whiffed on both. The board ran out Q♥ 9♥ 7♥ 5♦ Q♣ . GeoManousos dodged a spray of bullets and won the pot. Canada’s RPILON busted in seventh place, which paid out $18,314.10.

With six to go, arxigos led with 17M and GeoManousos was in second with 15.2M.

VENUS: Kiiiiiiik eliminated in 6th place

Battle of the blinds. Action folded to Kiiiiiiik in the small blind, who shoved for 6,649,600 with A♥ 6♠ and arxigos called with 9♥ 9♣ . The board finished up 10♣ 5♠ 2♣ 4♥ 8♠ . Kiiiiiiik never improved and was dunzo in sixth place. Germany’s Kiiiiiiik went busto in sixth place, but earned a payday worth $27,471.15. 

TORN CURTAIN: Georgios “GeoManousos” Sotiropoulos eliminated in 5th place

BARBARVSSA2 open-shoved for 8,778,432 with A♠ 10♥ and GeoManousos called all-in for 4,905,517 and made a final stand with A♣ 9♠ . Both players flopped a pair of Aces, but BARBARVSSA2 won the pot with a stronger kicker when the board ran out A♥ K♦ 2♣ 5♦ 7♥ . Georgios “GeoManousos” Sotiropoulos was knocked out in fifth place, which paid out $45,785.25.

ELEVATION: Domce eliminated in 4th place

Two hands later…another bustout. Domce bombed it all-in for 6,090,979 with A♠ 2♥ and BARBARVSSA2 called with A♣ 10♦ . The board ran out 8♦ 4♥ 4♠ 5♠ 7♦ . Neither player improved but BARBARVSSA2 won yet another pot with a better kicker. Domce was busto in fourth place, which paid out $64,099.35.

DEAL? NO

Action was paused to discuss a three-handed deal. BARBARVSSA2 held the top spot with 30M, followed by arxigos (23M) and anteen (15M). Any deal had to leave $14,000 on the table for first place. The numbers were floated, but everything fell apart. BARBARVSSA2 liked the deal, but both anteen and arxigos wanted more money. Without a deal in place, action resumed.

FRICTION: anteen eliminated in 3rd place

On the first hand back after the deal negotiations fell apart, there was a quickie bustout… anteen moved all-in for 13,864,580 with J♣ 5♦ and BARBARVSSA2 called with 10♦ 9♦ . The board finished up J♦ 8♥ 3♥ 7♣ K♠ . Although anteen flopped a paid of Jacks, BARBARVSSA2 turned a straight to win the pot. Sweden’s anteen busted in third place, which paid out $86,991.97.

HEADS-UP: BARBARVSSA2 (Russia) vs. arxigos (Austria)
Seat 5: BARBARVSSA2 (44,689,508)
Seat 8: arxigos (24,160,492)

With two remaining, arxigos was down nearly 2-1. Heads-up would only last seven hands.

MARQUEE MOON: BARBARVSSA2 eliminated in second place; arxigos wins Event #26 for second-career TCOOP crown

Konstantinos “arxigos” Nanos won seven hands in a row, took the lead on the sixth hand when pocket fours held up against a pair of treys, and delivered a knockout blow on the seventh hand.

Going into the final hand, BARBARVSSA2 held 24.8M to arxigos’s 44M.

BARBARVSSA2 had J♣ J♥ snapped off by arxigos’s K♦ 2♥ . All the money went in on the turn. The broad finished up K♠ 9♥ 3♣ 6♥ 5♦ and arxigos won the pot with a pair of Kings.

For a runner-up finish, BARBARVSSA2 earned $114,463.12.

Congrats to Konstantinos “arxigos” Nanos for winning a second TCOOP title. First place paid out $161,164.89.

TCOOP-26 ($700 NL Hold’em, 8-Max, Turbo, Ultra-Deep) results
Entrants: 1,377
Total prize pool: $915,705
Places paid: 176

1. Konstantinos “arxigos” Nanos (Austria) $161,164.89
2. BARBARVSSA2 (Russia) $114,463.12
3. anteen (Sweden) $86,991.97
4. Domce (Lithuania) $64,099.35
5. Georgios “GeoManousos” Sotiropoulos (Austria) $45,785.25
6. Kiiiiiiik (Germany) $27,471.15.
7. RPILON (Canada) $18,314.10
8. cwirek1982 (United Kingdom) $9,157.05

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Pauly McGuire is a freelance contributor to PokerStars Blog.

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