The final tables of these TCOOP events fly by so quickly — thanks to the “turbo” format and its rapidly increasing levels — there often isn’t a lot of time for players to discuss deals as are otherwise common at the conclusions of many ‘COOP events. Sometimes they do manage to get those discussions going, though, and in the case of Event #14, an $82 buy-in, six-handed no-limit Omaha hi/lo tournament (with rebuys), the deal talk was as intriguing — and lasted about as long — as the play itself.
In the end, however, no deal was made at this final table, and when the last hand was dealt almost four hours after the tourney began it was Canada’s Michael “SilentPurple” MacHugh winning all the chips and taking the full first-place prize of $28,728 for his triumph.
The event drew 624 players who together took 1,043 rebuys and 349 add-ons, making for a total prize pool of $151,200 — way over the $100K guarantee. It took almost exactly two-and-a-half hours to race down to the money, and with 78 players left on 13 tables it was trelskig of Canada leading the way after having just seized the lead away from the Russian Sergey “gipsy74” Rybachenko — winner of a WCOOP event last fall — during hand-for-hand play.
Also left among the cashers was Team PokerStars Pro Jonathan Duhamel, and soon after the bubble burst Rybachenko would be back in the top spot in the counts while Duhamel pushed his way upwards near the top 10.
The tourney worked its way down to the final four tables, with Rybachenko suddenly sliding down in the counts to be bounced in 24th. Not long after that Duhamel found himself all in and at risk in a three-way hand ultimately won by robc1978 to end the 2010 WSOP Main Event champion’s run in 20th place, and like Rybachenko he earned $1,058.40 for his effort.
Before long Duhamel’s vanquisher robc1978 went out in 13th ($1,406.16), and with 12 left Michael “SilentPurple” MacHugh had become the new leader as the only player with a stack of more than 1 million chips.
MacHugh then went on something of a rampage, knocking out Raistj (12th), chico134 (11th), and WTFOMFGOAO (10th) — each of whom earned $2,041.20 — then also taking care of both eglobaltd (ninth) and EdgeAhead (eighth) to carve the field to seven. Then kotik363 took out another SCOOP champ Dominik “bastet2004” Stopka in seventh on the other table — who like the last two eliminated earned $3,160.08 — and the final table began with SilentPurple leading by a wide margin.
Seat 1: Patrick “pads1161” Leonard (Hungary) — 532,030
Seat 2: kotik363 (Russia) — 1,086,472
Seat 3: Michael “SilentPurple” MacHugh (Canada) — 3,964,728
Seat 4: Yuri “theNERDguy” Martins (Brazil) — 434,309
Seat 5: trelskig (Canada) — 260,242
Seat 6: dolmren (Germany) — 468,219
Not long after the final table began, Michael “SilentPurple” MacHugh open-raised all in from middle position and got two callers in dolmren (small blind) and Patrick “pads1161” Leonard (big blind), the latter two each committing short stacks of about 6-7 big blinds. Here’s what the three players had:
dolmren: A♠J♦ 10♥ 4♦
pads1161: A♥ 6♠5♥ 2♣
SilentPurple: J♥ Jâ™ 4♣ 2â™
The board then came 3â™ Q♥ K♥ 6♦ 10♦ , ruling out any low hands and giving dolmren the best high hand with a Broadway straight. dolmren thereby survived, while Patrick “pads1161” Leonard was out with a sixth-place finish.
The remaining five played on for a while, then a short-stacked trelskig pushed in just over 300,000 (about six BBs) from the small blind with Q♣ 7♥ 5♣ 4♠and was called by dolmren in the big blind with the similar hand of Q♦ 8♥ 5♦ 2♥ . The board came 7♦ A♣ A♠8♠9♦ , meaning dolmren barely won the high (aces and eights vs. aces and sevens) and also barely won the low (8-7-5-2-A vs. 8-7-5-4-A), knocking out trelskig in fifth.
With four left there came the first instance of the tournament being stopped to discuss a possible deal. Michael “SilentPurple” MacHugh still led with about 3.59 million, dolmren was next with about 1.58 million, kotik363 was third with around 987,000, and Yuri “theNERDguy” fourth with just under 585,000.
“ICM”-based figures were suggested by the host, leaving $2,000 for which to play. Here are those numbers and the subsequent discussion, with Team PokerStars Pro Online member Grzegorz ‘DaWarsaw’ Mikielewicz helping faciliate:
HostGuillerM (Administrator): SilentPurple:$23,048.48
HostGuillerM (Administrator): dolmren:$19,283.49
HostGuillerM (Administrator): kotik363:$16,993.55
HostGuillerM (Administrator): theNERDguy:$14,652.48
HostGuillerM (Administrator): Left To Play for place 1: $2,000.00
kotik363: nice
kotik363: i agree
SilentPurple: nope
SilentPurple: I want 25k
dolmren: i want 19.2 min
theNERDguy: ICM or lets play
SilentPurple: please continue it
SilentPurple: lets go
theNERDguy: Ok
theNERDguy: Go variance
DaWarsaw (TeamOnline): seems like no deal for now
DaWarsaw (TeamOnline): game will resume shortly
theNERDguy: I must see the 1st place will win 2k more
theNERDguy: If you take 25k you will win the 1st prize
theNERDguy: wtf
theNERDguy: you must see*
SilentPurple: no i lose 1700 w. deal
theNERDguy: ok
theNERDguy: gl
SilentPurple: i got half the chips
Play resumed, and soon kotik363 doubled through Michael “SilentPurple” MacHugh to push up into second position. Then it was Yuri “theNERDguy” Martins also doubling through MacHugh and suddenly all four had relatively even stacks.
“Standard when I don’t take a deal :D” typed MacHugh. dolmren then proposed they talk again, but MacHugh still said no and play continued.
Soon MacHugh was opening with a 2x raise to 120,000 from under the gun, then dolmren pushed for about 1.55 million from the small blind and MacHugh called. MacHugh had A♥ A♦ 8♣ 2♦ versus dolmren’s Aâ™ J♣ 8â™ 4♣ , and this time MacHugh had a winner as the 5♦ 10♦ 6♥ 5â™ Q♦ board gave him a flush to scoop and eliminate dolmren in fourth.
A second lengthy stoppage of play followed, and once more MacHugh was wanting more than the “ICM”-based figures were suggesting. “ICM or nothing” again insisted Martins, but MacHugh couldn’t agree and play marched on once again with all three remaining players wishing each other “gl” in the chatbox.
Martins then doubled through kotik363 to make the latter the short stack. Not long after MacHugh raised to 120,000 from the button and kotik363 called from the big blind, leaving less than 400,000 behind. The flop came 2♦ A♥ 9♦ , kotik363 pushed, and MacHugh called.
SilentPurple showed A♦ J♥ 4♥ 3♠for a pair of aces and the best low draw possible, while kotik363 had K♦ Q♠J♦ 7♦ for a flush draw and no low-hand hopes. The turn was the 7♠and river the 8♠, giving MacHugh that low and also keeping his pair of aces the best high hand, and kotik363 cashed out in third.
Michael “SilentPurple” MacHugh had the lead to start heads-up play with about 4.07 million versus Yuri “theNERDguy” Martins’s stack of about 2.67 million. Martins chipped back, though, eventually taking the lead away and building up over 5.5 million at one point as McHugh fell under 1.25 million.
Then came a big double-up for MacHugh after being dealt A♥ K♥ 8♦ 4♦ and calling a preflop button-shove by Martins who had 10♣ 10♦ 6♣ 5♠. The 8♠J♣ 2♦ K♦ Q♠board gave MacHugh two pair (with no possible low), saving his tourney life although he still remained well behind Martins.
A little later came another double-up for MacHugh, this time coming after the pair got all of his chips in on the turn with the board showing 2♣ 3♥ 6♥ K♣ . Martins held A♣ Q♠8♦ 7♣ for a seven-low and the nut-flush draw while MacHugh had A♠Q♦ 5♣ 4♣ for a made straight and a better six-low. The river was the 8♥ , and suddenly MacHugh was back in front.
SilentPurple remained on top for the next several hands and was sitting with just under 5 million to the 1.8 million or so of theNERDguy when the final hand took place. That one saw MacHugh open with a 2x raise to 280,000 from the button, Martins push with the 1,784,088 he had left after posting the big blind, and MacHugh calling.
theNERDguy: Q♣ J♦ J♥ 10♥
SilentPurple: A♦ A♠9♥ 3♣
Martins was looking for high cards and a way to improve against MacHugh’s aces and low draw. But the board ran out 2♦ 6â™ 7♣ 2♣ 4♦ to give MacHugh both a six-low and a better two pair for the high, thus ending Martins’s run one spot shy of the title.
Congratulations to Michael “SilentPurple” MacHugh who wins a TCOOP title along with the entire $28,728 first prize due the winner.
TCOOP-14 ($82+R NL Omaha Hi/Lo, 6-Max, Turbo) results
Entrants: 624
Rebuys: 1,043
Add-ons: 349
Total prize pool: $151,200.00
Places paid: 78
1. Michael “SilentPurple” MacHugh (Canada) — $28,728.00
2. Yuri “theNERDguy” Martins (Brazil) — $21,168.00
3. kotik262 (Russia) — $15,498.00
4. dolmren (Germany) — $10,584.00
5. trelskig (Canada) — $7,560.00
6. Patrick “pads1161” Leonard (Hungary) — $4,702.32
We’re only about a third of the way through the 50-event 2015 Turbo Championship of Online Poker. Visit the the TCOOP page to see the remaining schedule of events.
Martin Harris is Freelance Contributor to the PokerStars Blog.
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