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Home / Uncategorized / SCOOP 2016: NoraFlum beats Billy the Croc heads-up for third COOP win in Event #20-H ($2,100 FL Omaha8)

NoraFlum is no stranger to the bright lights of a final table. Otherwise known in the real world as Marco Johnson, the American living in Mexico won a WSOP bracelet and proved his online worth with not one, but two WCOOP bracelets. He never won a SCOOP…until today. NoraFlum now has 3 overall COOP titles and only needs a TCOOP victory to secure a Triple COOP.

NoraFlum defeated the legendary Billy the Croc for the win in SCOOP Event #20-H $2,100 Omaha 8. Australia’s Billy ‘crocky’ Argyros is one of the most colorful characters in all of poker. In 2013, Billy the Croc won the APPT Melbourne, but he narrowly missed his first SCOOP bracelet with a runner-up finish. Impressive finish for sure considering this stacked final table that also included two-time SCOOP champion raidalot, Sebastian ‘p0cket00’ Sikorski, high-stakes cash game regular Chun ‘SamRostan’ Lei Zhou, and Pat Pezzin.

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Runner-up finish in Event #20-H for Billy the Croc

The high version of Event #20-H $2,100 Limit Omaha Hi/Lo (8-Max) attracted 101 runners. The $202,000 prize pool doubled the $100K Guarantee. Only the top 12 places paid out with the bulk of the lion’s share going to the champion — $55,045.

Only 19 players made the cut at the end of Day 1. Team PokerStars Pro Jason Mercier was in the middle of a deep run before things went sideways and he busted late in Day 1 in 24th place. China’s zzwwzzwwzz bagged up the most chips at the end of Day 1 with 107.6K and BensBenz right behind in second with 104K. Team PokerStars Pro advanced to Day 2, but he was among the shorties and 18/19 overall with a gaunt 17.7K stack (with a 54K average stack). On Day 2, Danzer was the first player to bust after failing to secure a double up. Dancer missed the money by 7 slots.

The money bubble didn’t pop until Level 21. They played 13-handed for a couple of levels before Slavik_Krs bowed out in 13th place. As soon as the bubbe burst, a slew of bustouts ensued and crocky emerged as the leader with 9 to go.

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SCOOP-20-H – Final Table Chip Counts:
Seat 1: Pat Pezzin (49,665)
Seat 2: SamRostan (204,741)
Seat 3: NoraFlum (74,672)
Seat 4: Gigaloff (151,895)
Seat 5: crocky (293,979)
Seat 6: raidalot (86,068)
Seat 7: p0cket00 (108,620)
Seat 8: AceSpades11 (40,360)

The final table commenced during Level 21 with betting limits at 5K/10K. Billy the Croc was the chipleader. Two Canadians brought up the rear as shorties – AceSpades11 and Pat Pezzin.

The final table included several notable players, but Billy the Croc might be the wackiest. Billy ‘crocky’ Argyros is an old school legend from the Australia gambling scene and one of the most recognizable characters in Aussie poker. He was flying into Vegas and playing in WSOP events downtown at Binion’s before most of these online wunderkids were ever even born. The colorful crocky won an event at the APPT Melbourne and won side events at the Aussie Millions.

This final table included two players who shipped COOPs… raidalot and Marco ‘NoraFlum’ Johnson. raidalot is a 2-time SCOOP champ and won his last one in 2014. He final tabled Event #3-H over the weekend. Marco ‘NoraFlum’ Johnson won two WCOOPs in 2012 and 2014. He also won a WSOP bracelet and made several final tables.Sebastian ‘p0cket00’ Sikorski never won a SCOOP, but he’s the guy who shipped the Super Tuesday three times. He’s closing in on $10 million in lifetime earnings. Sikorski also final tabled SCOOP Event #7-H earlier this week.

Also at this final table… Pat Pezzin has nearly $1 million in online winnings. He final tabled 2 SCOOPs and 2 WCOOPs, but only came as close as a second place in a 2010 SCOOP. Pezzin has numerous WSOP final tables… Chun ‘SamRostan’ Lei Zhou is a regular in some of the biggest cash games in the world… AceSpades11 has won several million online. He was a runner-up at the 2014 WCOOP and the 2009 SCOOP (he actually chopped it) and has numerous final tables. He also took down the Super Tuesday… Russia’s Gigaloff came close to winning a WCOOP in 2012, but finished in second.


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THE CRUSHER: AceSpades11 eliminated in 8th place

Second hand. That’s when we saw fireworks for the first time. One of the shorties attempted to double up but whiffed after getting scooped. Gigaloff opened to 10,000, AceSpades11 three-bet to 15,000, and Gigaloff called. The flop was A♦ 10♦ 4♦ and betting got capped. The 4♥ fell on the turn and AceSpades11 bet all-in for 360. Gigaloff called. The river was the 5â™  and Gigaloff rivered the Wheel to scoop.

AceSpades11: A♠ J♥ 9♣ 2♦
Gigaloff: A♣ 10♣ 3♦ 2♣

AceSpades11 lost with two pair — Aces and fours — and no qualifying low. Gigaloff’s Wheel clinched the pot and sent AceSpades11 to the rail in eighth place. AceSpades11 became the first player to bust at the final table. Eighth place paid out $6,565.00.

VOODOO IDOL: raidalot eliminated in 7th place

Seven-handed went rather quickly. Betting got capped preflop by raidalot in a three-way pot among NoraFlum, Gigaloff, and raidalot. On a flop of Jâ™  8♥ 7♣ … raidalot bet all-in for 2,068, NoraFlum raised to 6,000 and Gigaloff called. The turn was the 3♦ . NoraFlum bets 12,000 and Gigaloff called. The 9♦ fell on the river. NoraFlum bet all-in for 172 and Gigaloff called.

raidalot: A♦ Q♦ 5♦ 4♠
NoraFlum: A♣ Q♥ 5♣ 2♦
Gigaloff: A♥ K♦ 10♣ 2♣

No one improved on the high end (surprisingly), so Gigaloff won the high with Ace-King kicker. Gigaloff and NoraFlum both made a low hand of 8-7-3-2-A. raidalot’s high end was just Ace high and the low was 8-7-4-3-A. Neither could compete and raidalot busted in seventh place, which paid out $8,585.00. He’ll have to wait another day to win SCOOP #3.

With six remaining, Gigaloff was the biggie with 303K and crocky in second with 228K. NoraFlum was the shorty with 29K.

DON’T EAT STUFF OFF THE SIDEWALK: Pat Pezzin eliminated in 6th place

Toronto native Pat Pezzin said goodbye in sixth place. He was short and made a final stand against NoraFlum on a flop of Q♣ 8♥ 6♦ . Pezin three-bet shoved for his final 16,562.

Pat Pezzin:A♠ J♦ 7♠ 5♣
NoraFlum: A♦ K♥ 6♥ 2♠

The board finished up Q♣ 8♥ 6♦ 3♦ 10â™  . Pat Pezzin’s whiffed on the high but could only make an 8-6-5-3-A low. NoraFlum scooped with a pair of sixes for the high, and won the low with a better 8-6-3-2-A. Canada’s Pat Pezzin was knocked out in sixth place, which paid out $10,605.00.

With five to go, crocky led with 282K, followed by Gigaloff’s 282K. Meanwhile, SamRostan was in the basement with a 52K short stack.

GREEN DOOR: SamRostan eliminated in 5th place

Another short-stacked busted. SamRostan was all-in preflop for 37,964 in a capped pot against NoraFlum.

SamRostan: A♣ K♥ 10♥ 3♥
NoraFlum: A♥ J♣ 7♠ 2♠

The board ran out Q♥ 10♣ 4♠ 8♦ K♠ . Without a qualifying low, NoraFlum won the pot after he rivered a Broadway straight. SamRostan flopped a Broadway gutshot, but only rivered two pair. For a fifth-place finish, SamRostan earned $14,140.00.

With four remaining in the hunt for a bracelet, NoraFlum was now the stack to beat with 442K. crocky was in second with 251K and p0cket00 was last with 144K.

CAN’T FIND MY MIND: p0cket00 eliminated in 4th place

Much like the rest of the final table, four-handed did not last long before we saw another liquidation. p0cket00 opened to 20,000, NoraFlum raised to 30,000, and p0cket00 called. The flop was K♦ 7♦ 6♠ . NoraFlum fired out 10,000, p0cket00 shoved for 18,240 and NoraFlum called.

NoraFlum: A♠ J♥ 9♠ 4♠
p0cket00: K♥ 9♥ 3♠ 2♠

The turn was Q♣ and the river was the 10♥ . Without a qualifying low, p0cket00 lost with a pair of Kings against NoraFlum’s Broadway straight. Yeah, another straight for NoraFlum. Sebastian ‘p0cket00’ Sikorski was dunzo in fourth place, which paid out $19,190.00. With three left… NoraFlum held more than half the chips in play with 542K, crocky slipped to second with 257K and Gigaloff was last with 212K.

UNDER THE WIRES: Gigloff eliminated in 3rd place

Betting was capped preflop between NoraFlum and Gigloff. The flop was A♣ K♠ 9♦ . NoraFlum fired out 12,000 an Gigaloff called off last 3,977.

NoraFlum: A♠ K♦ 10♦ 7♥
Gigaloff: A♥ Q♣ Q♦ 5♣

The turn was the 3♣ and the river was the 8♦ . Without a qualifying low, Gigaloff lost with a pair of Aces against NoraFlum’s Aces an Kings. For a third-place finish, Russia’s Gigaloff took home $28,280.00.

HEADS-UP: NoraFlum (Mexico) vs. crocky (Australia)
Seat 3: NoraFlum (857,681)
Seat 5: crocky (152,319)

CrazyMarco vs. Crocky. You couldn’t make this up. Too bad this bout did not last longer. It would have been a fun TV table. Alas, heads-up only lasted four hands.

JUNGLE HOP: Billy ‘crocky’ Argyros eliminated in 2nd place; NoraFlum wins first SCOOP and 3rd COOP

Heads-up was a messy blur like a prom-night quickie. crocky could not get anything going in the first couple of hands and NoraFlum did not waste a chance to deliver the fatal blow. NoraFlum held a ginormous lead 935K to 74K. NoraFlum raised preflop and crocky called. Betting got capped on the flop by crocky and by the turn, crocky was all-in. The board finished up 10♥ 8♠ 6♥ 3♣ 4♣ .

crocky: 10♦ 10♠ 9♠ 8♣
NoraFlum: A♠ 9♦ 7♦ 5♦

crocky flopped a set of tens and a gutshot draw, but NoraFlum flopped a ten-high straight. crocky never boated up so he lost with a set against a straight. crocky did not have a qualifying low, so he busted in second place. NoraFlum scooped with a straight and a 6-5-4-3-A low.

Billy ‘crocky’ Argyros earned $37,370.00 for a runner-up finish. Drinks on crocky!

NoraFlum won $55,045.00 for first place, including a commemorative champion’s watch courtesy of Movado. Congrats to Marco ‘NoraFlum’ Johnson for winning his first SCOOP and his third overall COOP. He also has a pair of WCOOP bracelets and just needs a TCOOP win to join the ultra-chic and ultra-exclusive Triple COOP club.

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SCOOP-20-H ($2,100 FL Omaha Hi/Lo [8-Max]) results
Entrants: 101
Total prize pool: $202,000
Places paid: 12

1. Marco ‘NoraFlum’ Johnson (Mexico) $55,045.00
2. Billy ‘crocky’ Argyros (Australia) $37,370.00
3. Gigaloff (Russia) $28,280.00
4. Sebastian ‘p0cket00’ Sikorski $19,190.00
5. SamRostan (China) $14,140.00
6. Pat Pezzin (Canada) $10,605.00
7. raidalot (UK) $8,585.00
8. AceSpades11 (Canada) $6,565.00

Visit the SCOOP homepage for a schedule of remaining events. While you are there, take a peak at the leader board and find out who is in contention for Player of the Series.


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Pauly McGuire is the author of “Lost Vegas” and a freelance contributor to PokerStars Blog.

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