The FTOPS are among us and tournament players are lining up by the thousands to take part in the events. FTOPS XIV Event 8 was no exception. The 6-handed NLHE Knockout event saw 4,639 players put up $240+$16 to register and play for their share of a $927,800 prize pool. Shaun Deeb, Peter Traply, Steve Merrifield, and 489 others won a piece of the huge prize pool.
The final table set-up as follows:
Seat 1 – lolli82 (3,887,530)
Seat 2 – elheroe (4,800,786)
Seat 3 – nirvanakc (5,391,457)
Seat 4 – yeza (2,985,522)
Seat 5 – Egitai (2,661,945)
Seat 6 – LilPokerGirlie (3,467,760)
Nirvanakc continued to stack chips and separate himself from the rest of the field. He built his stack to 8,000,000 and went on to bust LilPokerGirlie with his pocket aces (LilPokerGirlie held pocket eights). LilPokerGirlie hit the rail $27,834 richer with her sixth place finish.
Nirvanakc didn’t stop knocking his opponents out yet. He got his pocket jacks all-in against yeza’s Ac9c. The board ran out Js8h7d4s7c giving nirvanakc a full house and knocking Yeza out in fifth place. His tournament was finished and he took home $40,823.20.
Another knockout attempt was made by nirvanakc when he got his AcTc all-in against elheroe’s pocket fours. This time, however, nirvanakc was unable to best his opponent and score the knockout. Elheroe doubled up to over three million chips.
Shortly after that hand, elheroe would double up again after lolli82 raised from the button and elheroe shoved his chips into the pot from the small blind. The two players were racing with lolli82’s pocket jacks against elheroe’s AhKs. Elheroe flopped his king on the Kd8d6c flop and lolli82 was unable to improve on the turn or river. Lolli82 was knocked out in fourth place and elheroe took in another huge pot. Lolli82 won $55,668 for his efforts.
Elheroe would continue to knock his opponents out when he raised with AhQd from the button and was called by Egitai’s As7h. The AcTd5h flop gave both players a pair of aces, but Elheroe had the better hand with his queen kicker. Egitai checked and elheroe moved all-in. Egitai called and put his four million chips and tournament life at risk. However, neither the 9c turn nor the 5c river improved Egitai’s hand and elheroe won another big pot. Egitai left in third place and raked in $75,337.
Prior to beginning heads-up play, nirvanakc and elherhoe struck up a deal. With less than a million chip differential in their stacks, the remaining pool was chip chopped with only $8,000 set aside to go to the eventual winner. In the pivotal hand of heads-up play, elherhoe raised from the button with KhTc and nirvanakc called from the big blind with Kd5c. The flop came, KcTd6c, hitting both players. Both players hit their king with elheroe also hitting his Tc for two-pair. The flop action ended with elheroe all-in and nirvanakc seeing his fate. The 8d and Th on the turn and river missed nirvanakc and elheroe took the 23 million chip pot.
Nirvanakc was left with less than one big blind. He was knocked out when he went all-in with Qs4h against elheroe’s Js5s. The 9d8h3s flop missed both players but running jacks gave elheroe trips, the FTOPXIV Event 8 Championship, and $143,827,82. Nirvanakc placed second with $141,953.14 to prove it.
Elheroe is a great tournament player on Full Tilt who won his second golden jersey with a win at FTOPS XIV Event 8. As a matter of fact, his last FTOPS win was at the same event during FTOPS VIII. Congratulations to Elheroe!