PokerStars.com World Championship of Online Poker Event #3 - $200 Heads-Up No-Limit Hold ‘Em Match Play $200k Guaranteed
Jon Eaton
September 6th, 2005
The field of 1,024 players had been sold out for days. People had been posting on message boards for a week or so buying and selling seats that people had already bought. Finally the field was set and 512 heads-up matches began. The prize pool was a cool $204,800, paying 128 places. The elite eight were set around eight pacific.
Match 1 - HooBanging vs. lmoneybling
At this stage of the tournament, players start their matches with 192k in chips, and 1,280-2,560 blinds. Yes, odd numbers. Players accumulate chips from their previous matches and move on with those chips.
Mostly small pots were traded until HooBanging doubled through for 268k when his A J beat lmoneybling’s Q J on a J 9 9 flop. He bet the whole way and lmoneybling paid him off after he moved in on the river.
HooBanging then won a memorable pot when he moved all-in on a T 6 6 flop and was called. HooBanging had T 9 and lmoneybling held T 7. Another ten came, making a chop pot… until HooBanging scooped the pot when a nine appeared, giving him tens full of nines to trump tens full of sixes.
Finally, HooBanging got whittled down and moved all-in after a raise and a re-raise pre-flop on a flop of Jc 2h 3s. HooBanging held 6c 9h for a complete bluff, and lmoneybling snapped his steal attempt with Ad Js. HooBanging took sixth place and won $6,348.80.
Match 2 - KidDoc vs. melonhead
This match featured a back and forth see-saw battle for the chip lead. When they got down near the end, melonhead was finally grinding away at KidDoc’s stack. The final hand that set the nail in the coffin had KidDoc all-in pre-flop for 48k (6,400-12,800 blinds). melonhead made the call with Js Jd and KidDoc was in bad shape with 8h 7c. He caught an eight on the flop, but the turn and river missed him and he took $6,348.80 for his fifth place performance.
Match 3 - snake8484 vs. Tharsymachus
These two battled back and forth for a while, with no one winning any humongous pots. Tharsymachus had taken the chip lead when he moved a lot of chips around in one pot and finally moved all-in with three to a flush and 2 3 4 5 x on board. He didn’t get a call despite how large the pot had grown and now held 227k to snake8484’s 156k.
After trading chips back and forth some more, snake8484 held onto a huge 289k to 94k lead. snake8484 opened for 12,800 on the button (3,200-6,400 blinds) and called Tharsymachus’ all-in with pocket eights. Tharsymachus turned over As 9c and missed the board, eliminated in seventh place, pocketing $6,348.80.
Match 4 - cf tourney vs. thegrumpyone
thegrumpyone played small-ball the whole way to take down this match. The pot never grew above 70k (excluding the first pot, where he won about 70k off of cf tourney with queens up). Finally, after grinding cf tourney down to his final 68k, they both saw a flop for the minimum
The flop was 4s 3d 5d, and thegrumpyone check-raised cf tourney’s 7k bet to 15k. cf tourney jammed the pot for his last 50k and thegrumpyone called, showing 6d 2d for a flopped straight with a straight-flush draw as well. cf tourney had Qh 5s for just top pair and was drawing slim. No help came and he took eighth, collecting $6,348.80.
With the final four now set, here are how the final three matches came down to decide the winner of the gold WCOOP bracelet.
Match 1 - lmoneybling vs. melonhead
They started this match out with 384k in chips and 2,560-5,120 blinds.
lmoneybling swung out to an early lead but gave that up midway through. Both saw the Ks Js 6s flop for the minimum. lmoneybling check-raised the 10k bet to 30k. He was called and the turn was the Qc. lmoneybling bet 51k and was called. The river was the 5h, and lmoneybling fired out yet again, this time for 100k. He was called, and showed 3c 9h for no pair. melonhead had passively played a seven high flush and picked off the bluff.
He re-captured the lead when he slow-played a set of fours and melonhead paid him off. He also won a nearly 200k pot without showdown. They chopped away at each other for a bit, and then the final pot came up with 60k in the middle before the flop. lmoneybling moved all-in and melonhead called off his chips on a Js 9s 2s flop. lmoneybling had a huge lead with pocket queens, and melonhead was drawing slim with Q 9. No spades for either player meant only a board flush would change things, unless a nine came off. melonhead watched the turn and river fall and miss him, sending him home in fourth place. He earned $12,288 for his efforts.
Match 2 - snake8484 vs. thegrumpyone
These two traded bluffs and pots for a while. In consecutive pots, they traded over 200k in chips. thegrumpyone doubled up with A K against A 4 on an A 9 8 flop. He slowly clawed his way back up to a decent stack, but then proceeded to lose a 414k pot when he turned a set and snake8484 made a flush on the river.
Finally, snake8484 put the nail in the coffin, as he got thegrumpyone to commit all of his chips a few pots later. snake8484 made the call and showed Jd Js, and thegrumpyone was a huge dog with 9d 9s. No help would come and we were down to two. thegrumpyone took third and won $12,288.
Title Match - snake8484 vs. lmoneybling
Starting with 768k in chips and 5,120-10,240 blinds, they quickly decided on an even chop. They each would receive $25,720, and would play for the last $10,000 as well as the WCOOP bracelet.
lmoneybling would take the lead with aggressive play early. snake8484 captured the chip lead after a long series of play, and finally got lmoneybling all-in. snake8484 had Jc Jh and lmoneybling held Ad Ks. The nail was being driven into the coffin, when the board made a straight and they chopped.
lmoneybling then bluffed off about 260k with a busted straight draw, and snake8484 made the call with Q 5 on an 2 A Q J 3 board. lmoneybling would continue his aggressive play and finally retook the chip lead after making a huge bet on a 6 2 8 5 board. snake8484 mucked and lmoneybling took down a 512k pot without showdown.
With the blinds at almost 12.5k-25k, both saw the flop for the minimum. The flop was Jd Qh 9d and both checked. The Kh on the turn put four to a straight and two flush draws on the board, and lmoneybling fired out 51k. snake8484 called and then called the 128k bet on the river. lmoneybling was caught bluffing yet again with 7d 4d, and snake8484’s K 6 was good enough to win the pot.
lmoneybling would take the next large pot, checking 9 8 on an 8 5 2 flop. He bet 76k on the 7 on the turn, and then 204k on the 3 on the river. His 9 8 trumped snake8484’s T 7.
A few pots later, both saw the 8c 4s 4h flop for the minimum. lmoneybling check-called. The 3s on the turn produced two more checks. The river was the 9h, and lmoneybling bet 100k, and was called. He showed 5 4 off-suit and took down the pot.
Down to his last 171k, snake8484 called all-in a few pots later. He showed Kd 3d, and lmoneybling held Ad 4s. The flop was 2s 7h 5c, turn 5s, and river 3c. snake8484 made a pair on the river, but lmoneybling won the tournament with a wheel.
For second place, snake8484 won $25,720 based on the deal, and lmoneybling collected the extra money and won $35,720, as well as the WCOOP bracelet.
Final Results:
1st - lmoneybling $35,720 (based on final match chop)
2nd - snake8484 25,720 (based on final match chop)
3rd - thegrumpyone 12,288
4th - melonhead 12,288
5th - Kiddoc 6,348.80
6th - HooBanging 6,348.80
7th - Thrasymachus 6,348.80
8th - cf tourney 6,348.80
