Pokerstars.com $500,000 Guaranteed - April 24th, 2005

Jon Eaton

April 24th, 2005

1,391 people shelled out $530 for the monthly $500k tournament on Pokerstars this Sunday, making the official prize pool a massive $695,500. First prize was just under $160k, with a total of 135 players getting paid. The final table lined up like this (chip counts in parenthesis):

Seat 1: FM_103 (152,276)
Seat 2: northerngent (104,832)
Seat 3: wedlowjones (273,340)
Seat 4: brainwash (477,345)
Seat 5: Mr Swatch (357,571)
Seat 6: soups view (125,367)
Seat 7: muchakja (1,251,751)
Seat 8: Richfngr (42,462)
Seat 9: -acrusher- (692,556)

The blinds started at 15k-30k with a 1,500 chip ante. As usual, the blinds then escalated to the non-changing 20k-40k with a 2k ante. brainwash had made the $215 final table last Sunday, taking fourth and cashing for $28,200. He would be aiming higher today, especially having held a chip lead most of the tournament.

The first real action had FM_103 opening the pot for 90k from early position, and was called by muchakja in the big blind. The flop was Jc-9d-Ad, and muchakja bet enough to put FM_103 all-in, who called instantly with the Ac-Kc. muchakja was drawing to three outs to win with the As-5d. No help came and FM_103 raked in a 330k pot.

A few pots later, muchakja put the short stack of Richfngr all-in for the last 39k he had. muchakja showed Jd-Td, slightly behind the As-4d of Richfngr. A jack on the turn and no ace on board sent Richfngr home in ninth place with an extra $10,432.50 in his pocket.

muchakja opened another pot for 120k, and was called by –acrusher- on the button. northerngent called his last 52k off at this point from the small blind. muchakja bet 150k on a Js-6d-8c flop and folded to the all-in by –acrusher-. northerngent tabled Jc-Tc, but was clearly behind the Ac-Jh of –acrusher-. No fear, as the turn and river brought two more clubs, giving northerngent the winning flush and the 243k main pot.

wedlowjones was the next to push all-in, this time for 269,840 chips total. Holding pocket sixes, -acrusher- made the call from the big blind, but was a four-to-one dog against the pocket tens of wedlowjones. A ten on the turn sealed the deal, giving wedlowjones the 575k pot.

soups view attempted the all-in himself to the tune of 133k a little later. His Ad-8d was clearly behind the pocket eights of brainwash, who called from the big blind. No ace came, and soups view took home $15,996.50 for eight place.

Mr Swatch would continue the speed of this final table, as he pushed all-in for 354k. muchakja made the call with pocket nines, beating Mr Swatch’s fives. No help came for Mr Swatch, who took seventh place and $22,951.50.

wedlowjones, the one move man, pushed all-in yet again for 271k. brainwash made the call with Kd-Th on a monster stack, but was behind wedlowjones’ Ah-5d. The 8-3-3-J-7 rainbow board helped neither and the ace played, giving wedlowjones the 553k pot.

In a battle of the blinds, FM_103 opened for 80k. northerngent went all-in for an additional 20k, which was quickly called by FM_103 who held the Qh-6c. northerngent, in a weird move, turned over the Jd-6d. The flop was T-T-6, meaning any king or queen would chop the pot, and a jack would win it for northerngent. The turn and river were bricks, and northerngent was sent home in sixth place, cashing for $29,906.50.

The blinds battled again, as brainwash opened for 200k. muchakja re-raised for 604k total from the big blind, and was called by brainwash, who held the Ac-Th. muchakja would need some help with the Kc-Js. The flop brought an ace, and that was enough to send muchakja to the rail in fifth place, earning himself $36,861.50.

After brainwash opened up for 200k, wedlowjones went all-in yet again for an additional 277k with pocket tens. brainwash made the call, holding the Ks-9d. No help came, and wedlowjones doubled up to 982k in chips.

brainwash opened for 120k yet again, and this time –acrusher- pushed all-in for 292k total. brainwash called with the Kc-Qh, and –acrusher- showed the As-Jc. The ace high held up until the queen of diamonds ended –acrusher-‘s push for the win, earning $45,207.50 for fourth place efforts.

brainwash and his Kc-Qd yet again would knock a player out. This time it was FM_103 who held pocket sevens, but a queen on the flop and no seven ended their night in third, pocketing $61,204. Heads-up poker began with brainwash holding over 2.4 million chips to wedlowjones’ 958k. No deal was struck, and the two battled it out for the $159,965 first prize.

After some back and forth pots, wedlowjones was short-stacked and sitting on just 547k. He pushed all-in from the button with the Kc-7c, and was called by brainwash’s Ad-9c. The flop was 8s-9h-Ks, and the turn and river helped either. wedlowjones raked in the million chip plus pot.

In a bizarre final hand, brainwash limped on the button, and called a raise of 120k more chips by wedlowjones. The flop was 6h-2d-As, and brainwash called the 180k bet. The turn was the Kh, and wedlowjones slowed down and checked this time. However, when brainwash bet 400k, wedlowjones check-raised all-in for another 564k. With the Ah-4h, brainwash called and had wedlowjones’ Ks-Qs drawing to just four outs to win. The 5c won the hand for brainwash, and the $159,965, making his two week total in the weekly main events a nice $188,165. wedlowjones battled his way through the final table with a series of all-ins to take second place and the $93,892.50 prize.

Final Results:

1st – brainwash (San Clemente, CA) – $159,965
2nd – wedlowjones (Hermosa Beach, CA) – $93,892.50
3rd – FM_103 (Morrison, CO) – $61,204
4th – -acrusher- (Pender, NE) – $45,207.50
5th – muchakja (Coral Springs, FL) – $36,861.50
6th – northerngent () – $29,906.50
7th – Mr Swatch (Charlotte, NC) – $22,951.50
8th – soups view (Oldham, England) – $15,996.50
9th – Richfngr (Lakewood) – $10,432.50