Having to win four SNGs did not seem to phase hektisch who did just that to take down the latest MicroMillions event, a $8.80 8-max NLHE Shootout. It took just over 11 hours for him to do so, but he is probably not looking at the time spent when he takes a look at his cashier that shows just over $3,000 more than he had back when he sat down to play in his first SNG of the event.

*****

It’s nothing like the Wild West, as poker shootouts are rather fun and no one dies. In fact, tournaments like Event 23 are basically SNGs, and all it took in this one was to win one SNG to be in the money.

Event 23 required a $8.80 buy-in to participate in the 8-max NLHE Shootout, and there were 4,096 players interested by the start time of the tournament. Players were spread out amongst 512 tables, and by winning the first table, a player could move on past the money bubble. To win the second table was to make it to the Elite Eight and jump to a three-figure payout, and one more SNG win put them at the final table.

Let’s start with the final registration numbers:

Players: 4,096
Guarantee: $25,000.00
Prize pool: $32,768.00
Paid players: 512

Round 1

The first round was tough, but some tables finished rather quickly. Among the players who won their tables early was Team PokerStars Pro Jude “j.thaddeus” Ainsworth, who eliminated baki751 in the final heads-up match to make his way into the second round.

The only other Team Pro in the field was Marcin “Goral” Horecki, who found himself heads-up with godofcricket near the two-hour mark. Goral started with close to double the chips of his opponent, but godofcricket fought back. Goral lost the lead at one point and moved all-in with 8♠ 7♣ on a board of 7♠ 9♦ 6♠ 3♥ . Godofcricket called with K♠ J♠ but failed to make the flush, lost the hand, and was left with 260 chips. Those went all-in on the next hand with 7♥ 7♦ , and Goral called with Q♣ 6♣ . The board came Q♦ J♦ K♥ 8♥ 2♥ , and the queens were good to give Goral the table win and a seat in the next round.

Just past the three-hour mark, there were four tables still in action. Mugistr then defeated kamran222, Irishka love took out balantize, and Claude_WS eliminated useyouallday. That left focifater and RememBramce battling it out on the money bubble. The last hand of that match found RememBramce all-in with 9♠ 8♥ against the K♥ 7♥ of focifater. The board of Q♠ 2♠ Q♥ 10♥ A♦ allowed the king kicker to play, and RememBramce was out in 513th place, while focifater moved on to play again.

Round 2

The second matches began just past the 3.5-hour break.

One of the two remaining Team Pros did not have the same luck in the second round. J.thaddeus was down to only 270 in chips not long into the match and risked it with A♣ 6♠ . $HARK-13 made the easy call with A♠ A♦ , and though the 3♥ 4♥ 5♦ flop gave j.thaddeus some straight hopes, nothing about the 8♦ or 9♠ completed it. Jude Ainsworth left the tournament in 408th place with $24.57.

Goral was making his way through a table of his own, but one player turned out to be his nemesis. Goral was second in his chips of four players when cata616 doubled through him, and five hands later, cata616 put him to the test again with an over-the-top all-in move preflop. Goral called for his last 5,606 chips with J♦ J♥ , and cata616 showed A♠ Q♥ . But the board of 5♦ Q♠ 6♠ K♦ 9♠ gave cata616 the pair of queens and left Goral out in 207th place with $24.57.

In fact, everyone who exited during Round 2 took home $24.57, but those who moved on to Round 3 were guaranteed a minimum of $131.07.

Toward the end of Level 15, only five tables remained in action. The first to complete found dvoriak eliminating runfish, and Sahok 039 then eliminated svetka1984. Two other tables finished at about the exact same time, as korolvs defeated RafaPio and fairbro2038 defeated I_um@r.

The last match between WinnerVad and andrey Lo saw both players with nearly even stacks until andrey Lo lost ground and moved all-in with A♠ 4♦ . WinnerVad called with K♠ J♦ and hit the K♥ 7♣ 7♠ 6♠ J♠ board for two pair. WinnerVad was the last player to win the chance to move on.

Round 3

This was a key round, as all who exited during it would receive $131.07 (quite a return on investment), but those moving on had a shot at the first prize of $4,426.58 (a better return on investment, obv). Play was expectedly cautious as play got underway.

The first match to get a winner saw hektisch becoming the first player to punch his ticket to the final table when he defeated blahsparel. With hektisch holding just over a 2 to 1 chip lead and facing a raise to 500 from blahsparel he put the pressure back on by moving all-in. blahsparel called and the players cards were revealed with hektisch holding A♠ 2♦ and blahaparel holding 9♥ 9♣ . The hand was all but over when the 5♣ 4♥ 3♠ flop hit, the 3♣ on the turn meant that hektisch would win the hand and match.

The next table to get down to one came in a three-way all in situation. The hand began when WinnerVad raised to 500, blinds at 125/250/30. KillingSlice, the shortest stack on the table moved all-in from the small blind for 3,655. Toby Work called and then WinnerVad moved his stack in to make it 12,125. Toby Work called his all-in and showed A♥ A♣ . WinnerVad had 10♣ 10♠ and KillingSlice held Q♣ J♥ . The A♠ 5♠ 2♦ flop brought a set for Toby Work and the 9♣ turn closed the door on his opponents eliminating both and sending Toby Work into the final round.

psychodave29 defeated Wwwasian to become the third player move into the final round. He was shortly followed by malytomek85 who defeated K0LM_NELI. With half the tables completed three of the remaining four were down to heads-up play while the fourth table still had four players.

CarlosCRG punched his ticket next by defeating puccaboo666 and was followed by fairbro2038 who defeated YouKnwMyName. The seventh player in came from the table that just a short while ago still had four players on it. Hotgeri defeated ShaoK 039.

The final match came between PrettyVinnie and GinesGimenez. Eventually PrettyVinnie bested GinesGimenez to become the eight and final player in the final round.

Who will win?

Each player started with 5,000 and the blinds were reset to 10/20. Here are the seat assignments for the final round:

Seat 1: hektisch
Seat 2: fairbro2038
Seat 3: malytomek85
Seat 4: hotgeri
Seat 5: CarlosCRG
Seat 6: PrettyVinnie
Seat 7: psychodave29
Seat 8: Toby Work

The first elimination came in the sixth level, 40/80, when psychodave29 moved all in over the top of a 200 chip raise of CarlosCRG, hehtisch moved all-in for 3,679 and everyone else cleared out of the way. The 9♠ 9♦ of psychodave29 started out ahead of hectisch’s A♦ K♠ . That only lasts to the flop as the K♣ came along with the Q♥ and 4♦ . The 4♥ on the turn and J♣ river did nothing for psychodave29 eliminating him in eighth place where he collects $245.76 for his effort.

It took another two levels before the next player made their exit. After opening to 300, 60/120/15 blinds, fairbro2038 saw everyone but hektisch fold. The pair saw a J♦ 10♦ 7♣ flop. hektisch opened to 382 and fairbro2038 called. The Q♠ turn brought another open from hektisch, who made it 720, fairbro2038 raised it to 1,800 ahdn hektisch came along for the ride. The A♠ river brought a 2,760 chip bet from hektisch, which was enough to cover fairbro2038 who called. The players cards were revealed with hektisch showing K♠ 10♣ for the rivered straight and fairbro2038 showing Q♣ Q♥ for the not as good turned set of queens. Going out in seventh place meant fairbro2038 collects $491.52

RSS readers click through to see replay

Who wants to discuss a deal?

The final six players decided to take a look at the numbers but seemed to have trouble getting to the deal talking process, after initially getting the tourney paused it resumed quickly as one of the other players left the deal making process. That was quickly resolved and after one hand of play the tourney was once again paused and the players took a look at the numbers.

The first deal was shot down but after some minor tweaking the players all agreed to the following numbers, leaving $500.00 to the eventual winner.

• hektisch: $2,679.32
• malytomek85: $2,715.73
• CarlosCRG: $2,373.06
• Toby Work: $2,291.48
• PrettyVinnie: $1,859.67
• hotgeri: $1,264.18

Two down = half way there:

Even though the players struck a deal it took a while before the next elimination occurred. Eventually hotgeri made their move form the small blind after malytomek85 raised to 480. hotter moved all-in for 606 total and CarlosCRG then made it 1,400, malytomek85 folded and the two players cards were revealed with hotgeri holding 10♣ 8♣ and CarlosCRG holding 9♣ 9♦ . It didn’t take long for the door to get slammed shut on hotgeri as the 9♠ 6♠ 4♦ flop delivered a set to CarlosCRG. The 4♥ turn and 6♥ river did nothing for hotgeri but send them packing in sixth place where they will collect $1,264.18 thanks to the deal.

It didn’t take long before the next player took their seat on the rail, this time it was malytomek85 who ended up on the short end of the stick. After moving all-in for 3,723 from under the gun malytomek85 was called by hektisch from the big blind. The 2♣ 2♠ that belonged to malytomek85 while the K♣ Q♦ belonged to hektisch. Once again the flop delivered bad news to the player who start the hand with a pair. The K♠ 10♥ 6♠ flop delivered a pair of kings to hektisch pulling him ahead. The 8♦ and 5♣ sealed the deal sending malytomek85 out the door collecting $2,715.73.

Quickly getting to heads-up:

Unlike the first four eliminations the next two came quickly to get the event to heads-up play. The first to get eliminated was PrettyVinnie when his 10♥ 9♥ could not improve against CarlosCRG’s 3♣ 3♦ . The two got all their chip into the middle while in the blinds when action folded to CarlosCRG who made it 500. PrettyVinnie moved all-in for 5,298 total and CarlosCRG called. The board of K♠ J♦ 2♦ 2♣ 5♣ ran out with little fanfare eliminating PrettyVinnie in fourth place collecting $1,859.67.

The next hand saw Toby Work and hektisch get into a battle that resulted in Toby Work losing most of his stack when his A♠ K♠ could not improve against hektisch’s K♦ K♥ . CarlosCRG finished Toby Work off the following hand when Toby Work moved all-in for his remaining 3,172 and CarlosCRG called from the big blind. CarlosCRG’s 7♦ 7♣ needed no help from the J♦ 10♠ 9♦ Q♥ 9♣ board to defeat Toby Work’s A♦ 4♠ . Toby Work collects $2,291.48 for his third place effort.

Heads-up Play:

When heads-up play began both players had well over 45 big blinds each, but that didn’t keep them from tossing chips into the middle. Here’s a look at the stacks:

Seat 1: hektisch (25,519 in chips)
Seat 5: CarlosCRG (14,481 in chips)

With all those chips most of the pots were raised and re-raised pre-flop but barely saw a flop. Of the 23 hands the pair played only three hands did they see a flop, including the final hand.

With the blinds at 150/300/40 hektisch raised to 600, CarlosCRG re-raised to 1,650, and hektisch called. The pair saw a A♣ J♥ 9♥ flop. CarlosCRG opened to 2,028 and hektisch once again called. The turn brought the 7♥ and a check from CarlosCRG, hektisch bet to 3,718, CarlosCRG raised all-in to 10,649 total, hektisch called and the players cards were revealed. CarlosCRG held A♠ 5♠ for a pair of aces while hektisch held 10♣ 8♥ for the jack-high straight. The 9♠ river meant nothing but the end for CarlosCRG, who collects $2,373.06, and the win for hektisch who collects $3,179.32.

RSS readers click through to see replay

Congrats to hektisch on your win.

MicroMillions Event #23 ($8.80 NLHE Shootout) Results (reflects deal):

1st place: hektisch – $3,179.32*
2nd place: CarlosCRG – $2,373.06*
3rd place: Toby Work – $2,291.48*
4th place: PrettyVinnie – $1,859.67*
5th place: malytomek85 – $2,715.18*
6th place: hotgeri – $1,264.18*
7th place: fairbro2038 – $491.52
8th place: psychodave29 – $245.76

*Numbers based on a four-way chop with $500 added to winner’s money

The MicroMillions just began, but there are plenty more on the schedule with 100 tournaments in all. Check out the main page for all tournament and satellite information, as well as the Leaderboard and Statistics pages.

Back to Top