Vakio¤Ässä never lost the lead at the final table.
Our champion laid low for the first elimination, but then Vakio¤Ässä went on to eliminate everyone else.
In a testament to the Finnish player’s dominance, Vakio¤Ässä had 75 percent of the chips in play with five players left. Vakio¤Ässä comfortably doubled the other players up several times and then took down the tournament in a matter of minutes.
This was Vakio¤Ässä’s first SCOOP title and it came with a $50,729.11 payday. Vakio¤Ässä’s score was the largest slice of the $413,495.65 prize pool that took 16,843 players to create.
While it was a long road to the final table, Vakio¤Ässä scored a swift victory once play got down to the final eight.
The final table
Seat 1: orimen – 11,145,688
Seat 2: 2010flush08 – 23,969,984
Seat 3: Gagarinec1 – 15,576,762
Seat 4: fNx_R – 20,141,988
Seat 5: Kronien – 30,596,535
Seat 6: Vakio¤Ässä – 38,171,317
Seat 7: cuukiemonsta – 22,238,560
Seat 8: sudd3n_AA – 6,589,166
It was the short stack who dealt the first elimination.
Gagarinec1 — who fell to 4.68 million after doubling orimen up to 22.29 million– moved all-in for 5.19 million from under-the-gun and sudd3n_AA re-shoved for 6.14 million from the button.
The blinds folded and Gagarinec1 showed K♦ Q♣ to sudd3n_AA’s A♣ K♣ .
The board ran J♥ 2♦ J♠ 5♠ 8♦ and sudd3n_AA chipped up to 12.83 million while Gagarinec1 won $1,964.10 for finishing 8th.
Finnish domination
Vakio¤Ässä started with a slight lead but went on to amass a giant one after eliminating a few opponents.
With 400,000/800,000 blinds and a 100,000 ante, Vakio¤Ässä raised to 1.6 million from early position and orimen called from the button. fNx_R moved all-in for 17.07 million and only Vakio¤Ässä called.
Vakio¤Ässä: A♥ Q♥
fNx_R: A♦ K♥
fNx_R was in the lead and the K♣ Q♦ 4♦ flop kept him there. A 5♦ came on the turn but then a Q♣ fell on the river to give Vakio¤Ässä trip queens.
fNx_R won $2,894.46 for the 7th place finish while Vakio¤Ässä’s lead grew to 58.37 million.
Vakio¤Ässä then won a few more pots and eliminated another player to close in on the 100 million mark.
Kronien raised to 1.6 million from the button and Vakio¤Ässä moved all-in for 77.37 million from the small blind.
Kronien called all-in and showed Q♠ Q♦ to Vakio¤Ässä’s K♣ 10♦ .
This was Vakio¤Ässä’s tournament though and our champion flopped a straight. Kronien still had hopes of a full house with a set of queens, but the 3♣ and 6♠ completed the board to end the Brazilian player’s tournament.
Kronien finished 6th and won $4,134.95 while Vakio¤Ässä’s lead grew to 98.11 million.
Vakio¤Ässä then chipped up to 125 million before hitting a small speed bump.
Double bumps
With 125 million, Vakio¤Ässä had approximately 75 percent of the chips in play.
But before Vakio¤Ässä could claim the title, the Finnish player doubled up the short stacks several times.
There were five double ups –all courtesy of Vakio¤Ässä– before there was another elimination.
In the first one, 2010flush08’s A♥ 7♥ held up against Vakio¤Ässä’s Q♦ J♥ . 2010flush08 doubled to 11.89 million while Vakio¤Ässä dipped to 120.89 million.
Then orimen doubled up two times in a row.
First, orimen moved all-in for 7 million from the button with K♣ 3♣ and Vakio¤Ässä called with Q♦ 10♠ . The board ran 8♠ 7♣ A♥ 2♠ 3♦ and orimen doubled to 15.25 million.
The following hand, orimen moved all-in again and Vakio¤Ässä called from the small blind. This time, both players had considerably better hands.
Vakio¤Ässä showed 10♣ 10♥ while orimen tabled K♥ K♦ . orimen doubled to 31.90 million and then sudd3n_AA doubled up as well.
Blinds were 500K/1M with a 125K ante and Vakio¤Ässä raised to 2 million from under-the-gun.
sudd3n_AA moved all-in for 5.12 million and Vakio¤Ässä called.
Vakio¤Ässä showed 9♠ 3♥ while sudd3n_AA had K♠ J♣ .
The 10♥ A♥ A♣ J♥ Q♠ board gave sudd3n_AA a straight and a double to 12.36 million.
2010flush08 then got a final double to 17.4 million with A♠ 2♠ versus Vakio¤Ässä’s K♥ Q♦ .
The doubles ended there.
Finnish them
After all the double ups and a few small pots, Vakio¤Ässä brought the tournament down to two players in four hands.
Vakio¤Ässä raised to 2.4 million from the button and sudd3n_AA moved all-in for 7.51 million from the big blind. Vakio¤Ässä called with 10♦ 5♦ and sudd3n_AA was in the lead with A♥ J♣ .
The 9♣ 8♠ 5♣ Q♣ 9♠ board paired Vakio¤Ässä’s five and sudd3n_AA won $10,130.64 for finishing 5th.
Vakio¤Ässä took down the blinds the following hand and eliminated another player after that.
2010flush08 moved all-in for 13.90 million from the small blind and Vakio¤Ässä called from the big.
2010flush08: A♠ Q♣
Vakio¤Ässä: 9♦ 9♠
Vakio¤Ässä hit a set on the 9♣ 7♠ 10♥ 4♦ 4♣ board and the tournament shrunk again. 2010flush08’s 4th place finish was worth $18,400.55 and Vakio¤Ässä’s stack was at a record high.
It grew again the following hand.
Vakio¤Ässä raised to 2.4 million from the button and cuukiemonsta moved all-in for 17.12 million from the small blind. Vakio¤Ässä called and we had another showdown. cuukiemonsta showed K♠ J♣ and was up against Vakio¤Ässä’s A♦ 4♥ .
Vakio¤Ässä hit an ace on the river of a 10♦ 10♠ 9♥ 6♦ A♥ board and cuukiemonsta hit the rail.
cuukiemonsta won $26,670.46 for finishing 3rd while the tournament went heads up.
Heads up
Vakio¤Ässä – 147,514,432
orimen – 20,915,568
orimen moved all-in on the first hand and Vakio¤Ässä called. orimen showed J♠ 10♥ while Vakio¤Ässä had a dominating K♠ 10♦ .
There was still another small bump on the road to victory as orimen hit a jack on the flop and doubled up to 41.83 million.
Vakio¤Ässä won the blinds the next three hands and won the tournament on the fourth.
orimen moved all-in for 38.23 million and Vakio¤Ässä called.
orimen: 5♥ 5♠
Vakio¤Ässä: A♦ 8♦
The 10♦ 6♦ J♣ 10♣ 6♠ board counterfeited orimen’s fives and Vakio¤Ässä took down the pot.
orimen won $34,940.38 for the 2nd place finish while Vakio¤Ässä took the title and $50,729.11.
SCOOP 44-L: $27 NLHE 8-Max
Entrants: 16,843
Prize pool: $413,495.65
Places paid: 2,200
1. Vakio¤Ässä (Finland) $50,729.11
2. orimen (Latvia) $34,940.38
3. cuukiemonsta (Canada) $26,670.46
4. 2010flush08 (United Kingdom) $18,400.55
5. sudd3n_AA (Slovakia) $10,130.64
6. Kronien (Brazil) $4,134.95
7. fNx_R (Ukraine) $2,894.46
8. Gagarinec1 (Russia) $1,964.10
