Countless quality players fall at the final hurdle in big tournaments, failing to adjust their game for heads up and missing out on the top spot. Those players would not have made it past the first round in FTOPS X Event #21, the $500 + $35 No Limit Hold ’em Heads Up tournament. Eight hundred ninety-seven players engaged in tense one-on-one battles for over 13 hours, until a champion was eventually crowned.
Coming in at $500k, this was one of the larger guaranteed prize pools, meaning that, unfortunately for the players, buy-ins failed to top the guarantee. It was just a round $500k on offer to those who managed to cash. However, this still ensured a hefty top-prize of $87,000.
The event was hosted by veteran grinder Huck Seed, best known for winning the 1996 WSOP main event, as well as his reserved table image. At 6 feet 7 inches tall, his sheer presence at the table is contrasted by his laconic attitude and considered play. His most ignominious moment came at the hands of poker-brat Phil Hellmuth, who once won a $50,000 bet against Huck. Hellmuth bet that Huck wouldn’t be able to stand in ocean water, up to his shoulders, for 18 hours. Although, with 4 bracelets and two main event final tables to his name, Huck is assured he will be remembered for his poker prowess rather than his prop-bet leaks.
Twenty of the Full Tilts finest poker pros were on hand to test their heads up skills, but in the end only one of their numbers would make it into the money. Aaron Bartley, recording his fifth cash of the series, is easily leading the pros on the FTOPS X leaderboard. His 29th place finish in event #21 will be added to the four cashes he recorded in the first five events. Known as “GambleAB” online, he is one of the most feared online players in the world, and his top drawer performance in this year’s FTOPS will come as no surprise to those who have played against him.
One hundred twenty-seven other players cashed, with the final heads up battle taking place between DuckU and mendieta19. When all was said and done it was DuckU who proved himself to be one of the finest shorthanded players around. He collected the $87,000 first prize for his troubles.
Here is the full list of cashes:
1 DuckU $87,000.00
2 mendieta19 $52,000.00
3 PLAYM0NEYPR0 $26,500.00
4 JBlaze20 $26,500.00
5 DayDough $14,000.00
6 masjo93 $14,000.00
7 blackjack9 $14,000.00
8 molgul $14,000.00
9 SPIRITSLAYER $7,500.00
10 KudelyKQ $7,500.00
11 JROBB $7,500.00
12 IfloatU $7,500.00
13 SirWatts $7,500.00
14 p2ryan2003 $7,500.00
15 edub707 $7,500.00
16 Lance84 $7,500.00
17 CrazyZachary $4,000.00
18 Mariklus $4,000.00
19 Pokerccini $4,000.00
20 trader0811 $4,000.00
21 Rocker1978 $4,000.00
22 myrabbifoo $4,000.00
23 archie slade $4,000.00
24 fluddy85 $4,000.00
25 Dyzalot $4,000.00
26 SowersUNCC $4,000.00
27 dclappe1 $4,000.00
28 Beaver Fever $4,000.00
29 Aaron Bartley $4,000.00
30 paigowpro $4,000.00
31 fan4mizzou $4,000.00
32 xGameSetMatchx $4,000.00
33 dgrimreaper $2,000.00
34 ATM4Life $2,000.00
35 Big Tuna JKo $2,000.00
36 Annette_15 $2,000.00
37 BadcardsAA $2,000.00
38 mazelucky13 $2,000.00
39 traheho $2,000.00
40 ChuckSty $2,000.00
41 mrw8419 $2,000.00
42 uNDeFeaTaBLE1 $2,000.00
43 citation3 $2,000.00
44 Boosted J $2,000.00
45 Codecci $2,000.00
46 GhettoFabolous $2,000.00
47 shep2k $2,000.00
48 BigBadDevil $2,000.00
49 0vash0rk $2,000.00
50 Cieva $2,000.00
51 just2easy $2,000.00
52 YachtDropR $2,000.00
53 ImTheFranchise $2,000.00
54 AllAboutHonour $2,000.00
55 TheMasterJ33 $2,000.00
56 BubonicPlague $2,000.00
57 luckydubs27 $2,000.00
58 bd3109 $2,000.00
59 dapalma150 $2,000.00
60 PostflopAction $2,000.00
61 Lateski $2,000.00
62 gboro780 $2,000.00
63 fkscreennames $2,000.00
64 steaming $2,000.00
65 Kondrat $1,000.00
66 Hallam Foe $1,000.00
67 mikeyG16 $1,000.00
68 gb72 $1,000.00
69 RelaxNTakeChips $1,000.00
70 stpauli111 $1,000.00
71 RascalKing $1,000.00
72 coolhanddany $1,000.00
73 demetrius $1,000.00
74 pez102 $1,000.00
75 SxMxF $1,000.00
76 dipthrong $1,000.00
77 DressedInBlack $1,000.00
78 mordan $1,000.00
79 s4tolly $1,000.00
80 agriffrod $1,000.00
81 Joe Henning $1,000.00
82 tightywhitey9 $1,000.00
83 Fluffdog $1,000.00
84 StackedCrooked $1,000.00
85 zollotiller $1,000.00
86 strizis $1,000.00
87 utreg $1,000.00
88 Tomba30 $1,000.00
89 elheroe $1,000.00
90 bolivian666 $1,000.00
91 NHggWPstfuGFY $1,000.00
92 JustLuck1337 $1,000.00
93 TheStein $1,000.00
94 Adreno $1,000.00
95 yokhan $1,000.00
96 jcada99 $1,000.00
97 sam_sry $1,000.00
98 Zilioner $1,000.00
99 jobless23 $1,000.00
100 BaDMnKeY $1,000.00
101 Quirmbach $1,000.00
102 kwob20 $1,000.00
103 SmashingPumpkin $1,000.00
104 pimpin_pens $1,000.00
105 Pot Odds 3 $1,000.00
106 mamachka11 $1,000.00
107 CSCAGLIONE $1,000.00
108 Anonpg1 $1,000.00
109 I LIKE CATZ $1,000.00
110 Commish1966 $1,000.00
111 world1969 $1,000.00
112 JRShaffy $1,000.00
113 busto_soon $1,000.00
114 Stonefeather LA $1,000.00
115 Sykedupp $1,000.00
116 supermanthat $1,000.00
117 tedsfishfry $1,000.00
118 Gorre187 $1,000.00
119 Davidp18 $1,000.00
120 Kublai Chiyo $1,000.00
121 I_Husoool $1,000.00
122 NickMan7799 $1,000.00
123 Shipitoverhere $1,000.00
124 Kenny Rap $1,000.00
125 Earl_Shriner $1,000.00
126 Andrew Song $1,000.00
127 jsg52 $1,000.00
128 peewee37111 $1,000.00