One of the midweek tournaments on the 2017 SCOOP schedule was a little split pot, pot limit, four-card fun. Event #16 was a $1,050 Pot-Limit Omaha/8 tournament played on short-handed tables that better than doubled its $150,000 guaranteed prize pool. The tournament was a long process of chopping up pots and in the end, Charlie “Epiphany77” Carrel picked up his second COOP title and moved closer to becoming a Triple COOPer after conquering a talented final table.
The tournament drew 321 entries with three re-entry options available should they go busto and they pushed the prize pool up to $321,000 with the last 42 taking home some money. Only 30 players were still around when Day 1 came to an end with WCOOP 2014 champ Ola “Odd_Oddsen” AmundsgÃ¥rd leading the way for the Day 2 return.
As the tournament played down, the concentration of players showed a group where most already held major online titles. Triple COOPer Mike “GoLeafsGoEh” Leah was the stone cold bubble boy and fellow Triple COOPer James “Andy McLEOD” Obst dropped out late on Day 2.
Nick “chilenocl” Yunis and ekziter could not improve their situation in the Triple COOP race even though both have two of the three titles needed. Yunis owns a TCOOP 2015 H.O.R.S.E. title and added a SCOOP title last year in the Six-Max Shootout, ekziter picked up a WCOOP 2015 Badugi win plus a SCOOP 2016 8-Max win. They’re both waiting for one more non-SCOOP title to earn Triple COOP honors.
Andrey “Kroko-dill” Zaichenko is closer to an even bigger feat that also would not change here. Zaichenko has Two WCOOP titles, one SCOOP and one Sunday Million win to leave him a TCOOP title away from the PokerStars Grand Slam.
We did have four players who could put themselves one step closer to the rare Triple COOP. Charlie “Epiphany77” Carrel owned a WCOOP 2016 title, 2016 EPT Barcelona champ Connor “blanconegro” Drinan earned his WCOOP title in a No Limit Omaha/8 event, WSOP bracelet winner Eugene “MyRabbiFoo” Katchalov won a WCOOP title nearly a decade ago, and Niklas “Lena900” Ã…stedt started his run with a TCOOP title earlier this year.
All four of those players had a chance to add another COOP title before the night was through.
Ã…stedt fell a little shy of the final table, exiting in tenth place, but the other three advanced to the final table along with Zaichenko, römpsä, and Andrew “UlDuffer” Sweeney trying to pick up his first COOP title after a big SCOOP close call in 2015.
Seat 1: Andrew “UlDuffer” Sweeney (1,102,943 in chips)
Seat 2: römpsä (107,053 in chips)
Seat 3: Andrey “Kroko-dill” Zaichenko (390,589 in chips)
Seat 4: Connor “blanconegro” Drinan (479,382 in chips)
Seat 5: Charlie “Epiphany77” Carrel (784,545 in chips)
Seat 6: Eugene “MyRabbiFoo” Katchalov (345,488 in chips)
Blinds: 5,000/10,000
römpsä and Katchalov fall short; Carrel takes the the lead
römpsä was one of two players at the final table without a major title but could not improve his short stack future to make it higher than sixth place. His final hand saw him get his chips in the middle with A♥ J♣ 8♥ 4♣ against Carrel’s A♦ 5♣ 4â™ 2♥ . Carrel caught a seven-high straight on the 10♥ 7♦ 7♣ 3â™ 6â™ board with a better low to scoop the pot and push him into the lead.
Katchalov could not add to his 2009 WCOOP title and increased Carrel’s chip lead on the way out the door soon after. He moved all in with A♣ A♦ A♥ 6♥ against Aâ™ K♦ 10♦ 5♥ but his aces lost out to turned two pair on the K♣ J♣ 4♣ 10♥ 3♥ board.
Seat 1: Andrew “UlDuffer” Sweeney (772,882 in chips)
Seat 3: Andrey “Kroko-dill” Zaichenko (309,129 in chips)
Seat 4: Connor “blanconegro” Drinan (635,230 in chips)
Seat 5: Charlie “Epiphany77” Carrel (1,492,759 in chips)
Blinds: 6,000/12,000
Zaichenko and Drinan out in back-to-back hands
The four remaining players had a drawn out battle with Carrel extending his lead. The logjam was broken in two quick hands to get the tournament heads-up for the title.
It took three bets to get to all of Zaichenko’s stack involved and his 10♥ 10♣ 5♦ 4♣ flopped a set on the J♦ 10â™ 4♦ board but Carrel flipped the script on the flush-giving K♦ turn. Zaichenko couldn’t find a river full house to exit in fourth place.
On the very next hand, Drinan had himself all in with A♥ Jâ™ 10â™ 5♣ against Carrel’s A♦ Qâ™ 5♦ 3♦ and paired his jack on the J♥ 9â™ 2â™ but the Q♦ turn changed things up again. Drinan had a flush draw but blanked the 4♣ river to set up the heads-up battle.
Seat 1: Andrew “UlDuffer” Sweeney (821,510 in chips)
Seat 5: Charlie “Epiphany77” Carrel (2,388,490 in chips)
Blinds: 8,000/16,000
Sweeney battles hard but Carrel wins the title
Carrel began heads-up play with a significant lead but Sweeney played tough to push Carrel to play his best. The two players paused the clock to discuss a possible deal but the numbers were not good enough for Sweeney.
He managed a needed double up but Carrel finally locked up the win when the two went to a Q♥ 7♠3♠flop and Sweeney called all in at risk. Sweeney tabled A♥ 4♠4♦ 3♦ with a paired three, his pocket fours playing, and the second nut low draw. Carrel held A♣ 7♦ 6♥ 5♠for second pair and a worse low draw.
Neither improved on the K♣ turn or 9♦ river and Sweeney couldn’t find a saving chop to exit in second place. On the other side of the table, Carrel picked up the win for $67,410 and is one step closer to capturing a Triple COOP. He owns a SCOOP title to go along with his WCOOP win, now he needs to pick up a TCOOP title next year to lock up his honors.
SCOOP-16-H ($1,050 PLO8 6-Max) results
Entrants: 321
Total prize pool: $321,000
Places paid: 42
1. Charlie “Epiphany77” Carrel (United Kingdom) $67,410
2. Andrew “UlDuffer” Sweeney (Ireland) $49,113
3. Connor “blanconegro” Drinan (Mexico) $36,915
4. Andrey “Kroko-dill” Zaichenko (Russia) $25,680
5. Eugene “MyRabbiFoo” Katchalov (Ukraine) $19,260
6. römpsä (Finland) $12,840
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