FTOPS XI continued today with Event #7, the $100+9 rebuy tournament. With 2,235 entrants, over 3,000 rebuys, and nearly 1,500 addons, the tournament far surpassed its $500k guarantee and ended just short of $700k. Thirty-five Full Tilt sponsored players showed up for the beginning of the tournament, and after the rebuy hour was complete, two of them had risen to the top. Isaac Baron had accrued 14k in chips and sat in 49th place, leading all of the Full Tilt pros, while the power of positive thinking had Mike Matusow sitting in 66th place with a 13k chip stack.
After the break however, even positive thinking couldn’t stop Matusow from sliding backwards and busting out in 628th place. Baron would continue his drive though and make it all the way to 69th place before being knocked out, scoring just over $1,000 for his efforts. Besting all of the other Full Tilt pros however was Vitaly Lunkin, who busted in 25th place and won slightly over $2,000.
Going into the final table, one of the favorites to take it down would have to be high stakes tournament regular apestyles, who was sitting with an average sized stack. Avril Sharapova, another top class online player, was sitting with a decent sized stack as well and would have to be considered a threat to everybody. The stacks entering the final table looked like this:
Seat 1: apestyles (1,051,541)
Seat 2: Rovermeover (710,928)
Seat 3: bustin busters (1,353,886)
Seat 4: jornx (1,070,049)
Seat 5: Shpadoones (673,316)
Seat 6: The Universe112 (2,996,693)
Seat 7: Avril Sharapova (781,650)
Seat 8: Spiderweb80 (1,837,353)
Seat 9: GiveMeUrCookies (528,084)
It would only take 2 hands for the first knockout to take place, as Shpadoones got his KQ in against bustin busters’ AK. Two aces came on the flop and Shpadoones wouldn’t be able to catch up, being knocked out in 9th and collecting around $8,000.
Almost immediately after this, Avril Sharapova would become much more dangerous by doubling up through Spiderweb80 with pocket aces. Shortly after that hand, the two would get it all in preflop again. This time they would be racing, as Avril Sharapova was holding JJ and Spiderweb80 had AKs. Spiderweb80 spiked an ace on the flop and Avril Sharapova would be two cards away from making an early exit. The river however was another J, giving Avril Sharapova a set and yet another double up. Spiderweb80 was crippled at this point, but would get his money in three-way and suck out to triple up.
Next, Rovermeover put it all on the line, getting 55 in against bustin busters’ AT. The first 4 cards left things the same and Rovermeover was just one card away from a double up, but bustin busters would spike a ten on the river and knock Rovermeover out in 8th place, which would pay right around $11,000.
Soon after, apestyles opened the pot with a $100k raise, only to be pushed on by bustin busters. apestyles called though and would put his tourney life on the line with A8, which would need to hold against bustin’s K6s. A king on the flop however made it unlikely and in the end apestyles would bust in 7th, collecting nearly $16k.
The next hand was an oddity, as Avril Sharapova and bustin busters (who both had large stacks) both got it all in preflop with AA. Three spades on the flop made things interesting though, as Avril picked up a flush draw and was freerolling the hand. Another spade on the turn made the flush and doubled up Avril, while bustin busters was crippled and heartbroken. bustin would double back shortly afterward however and still be in it as his AQ held against The Universe112’s A3. bustin would have yet another chance to move up as he got it in with AT against jornx’s A8s. jornx would spike an 8 and double up through bustin busters, who was now closer to being out than before. And sure enough, The Universe112 would knock him out soon after when bustin busters’ KJ couldn’t catch up to the AQ of The Universe112. The sixth place finish paid bustin busters a respectable $23k for the day.
Next to go would be GiveMeUrCookies, who ran AQ into the AA of The Universe112. Busting out in 5th today would pay slightly more than $35k. Players continued to fall quickly, as jornx’s 66 couldn’t outrun Spiderweb80’s AT. jornx went out in 4th place and collected $51k for his efforts.
With three remaining, Avril Sharapova was the smallest stack at the table with just under 2 million in chips. The Universe112 was still holding onto first place with over 5.5 million, while Spiderweb80 was sitting right around 3.5 million. However, Avril put it all on the line to try and double up with TT against Spiderwebs80’s KJ. The race went well for Avril as the tens held up and Spiderweb80 was knocked down to third. Shortly afterward, the two would get all in on an 854 flop. Spiderweb80 would show 82 for top pair, but was nearly drawing dead already against Avril’s 85. The turn and river wouldn’t change anything and Spiderweb80 finished in third, collecting around $67.5k.
The heads up match wasn’t too exciting, as the first really big pot ended the tournament. Both players would get it all in preflop, however The Universe112 would be in the best shape with a higher pocket pair (77 vs. 44). The cards couldn’t save Avril Sharapova, who was knocked out in second place and picked up $90,842. The Universe112 took the title, along with the $140,358 in prize money after just over nine and a half hours of play.
Congratulations to all of the winners in Event #7, and for those who didn’t make it, there are still plenty more events to score big in.
Full Tilt Poker FTOPS XI Event #7 $500k Guaranteed
2235 Entrants, $688,200 prize pool
1. The Universe112 $140,358.39
2. Avril Sharapova $90,842.40
3. Spiderweb80 $67,443.60
4. jornx $50,926.80
5. GiveMeUrCookies $35,786.40
6. bustin busters $23,398.80
7. apestyles $15,828.60
8. Rovermeover $11,011.20
9. Shpadoones $8,258.40