TCOOP 2015: One for Bosnia & Herzegovina as lilachaa wins Event #45 ($109 NLHE)

It’s the final day of the 2015 Turbo Championship of Online Poker, with the day’s first scheduled event, Event #45 ($109 NLHE), having just completed. Heading into today Germany and Russia were tied for the most TCOOP titles this year with five apiece, and while Germany would send two players to this final table it would be lilachaa earning a first win for Bosnia and Herzegovina, topping a field of 2,509 to accomplish the feat.

Following a four-way final table deal, lilachaa took away a cool $29,645.35 for the win while the U.K.’s Clarkson7 actually earned a little more — $30,000 even — thanks to having had a big chip lead at the time the deal was made. Here’s the story of lilachaa’s triumph which not only represented Bosnia and Herzegovina’s first win of this year’s TCOOP, but first final table, too.

It took a little over two hours and 20 minutes for them to play down to 324 players and the cash, at which point datrue enjoyed the chip lead as they began dividing up the $250,900 prize pool (more than the event’s $225K guarantee).

Less than 15 minutes later they were down under 200 players, and soon after that Team PokerStars Pro Online member Felix “xflixx” Schneiders lost the last of his short stack to knowitbetter to fall in 196th ($263.44). Over the next hour they played down to the final 18, with datrue (47th, $526.89) and knowitbetter (27th, $802.88) hitting the rail along the way and Clarkson7 having moved up into first position.

TheShark1988 (18th), namazu66 (17th), and former Sunday Million winner adkaf (16th) next went out, picking up $953.42 each. KAZAN2301 (15th), rvb80 (14th), one-time SCOOP champ MauriceSch (13th) followed, earning $1,329.77 apiece. Then BUCK 7 DEUCE (12th), garacha (11th), and Niklas “Lena900” Astedt (10th) successively hit the rail, each taking away $1,706.12 from the prize pool.

Meanwhile Clarkson7 added considerably during that stretch to carry a commanding chip lead to the final table.

Seat 1: réééééz (Hungary) — 3,818,428
Seat 2: Clarkson7 (United Kingdom) — 11,278,715
Seat 3: Guillaume “guimoura” Moorish (Brazil) — 2,095,288
Seat 4: lilachaa (Bosnia and Herzegovina) — 1,212,711
Seat 5: mart0989 (Germany) — 1,206,908
Seat 6: Dannyz0r (Romania) — 1,012,540
Seat 7: chrissyh59 (United Kingdom) — 2,199,278
Seat 8: Sparw. (Germany) — 673,156
Seat 9: CunningPlan (United Kingdom) — 1,592,976

On the final table’s very first hand, leader Clarkson7 opened with a big (12x) raise to 2.4 million from middle position, and Dannyz0r called all in for just under 890,000 after posting the small blind. Clarkson7 had A♦ K♠ and had Dannyz0r’s A♥ 9♣ dominated, and after the board brought the latter no help Dannyz0r was done in ninth.

Of the nine final tablists, CunningPlan had achieved TCOOP glory before, having won a title last year in a $215 NLHE 6-Max event. But the quest for a second win would be cut short as just three hands later CunningPlan open-shoved from the button for a little under 240,000 (barely a big blind) and réééééz reshoved from the small blind to isolate. CunningPlan had two live cards with 9♣ 8♣ versus réééééz’s K♠ Q♠ , but the flop brought both a king and queen for réééééz and CunningPlan couldn’t catch up, thus falling in eighth.

They nearly made it through another orbit before a super-short Sparw. was all in before the deal from the small blind, and the table folded around to create a heads-up situation between Sparw. and réééééz in the big blind. Sparw. had 8♣ 6♠ and a better starter than réééééz who held 8♠ 2♦ , but a deuce on the board gave réééééz the pot and sent Sparw. railward in seventh.

The knockout of Sparw. had come on the last hand prior to the four-hour break, at which point Clarkson7 still led the final six players comfortably with more than 11.1 million chips.

Just a couple of minutes after play resumed, chrissyh59 open-pushed from under the gun for about 2.2 million (not quite nine big blinds), lilachaa reraised all in for a little more from the small blind, and mart0989 folded the big blind. chrissyh59 appeared in decent shape to double with A♠ K♠ versus lilichaa’s A♣ J♣ , but a J♥ 4♥ Q♣ 6♦ J♠ runout gave lilichaa trips and ended chrissyh59’s run in sixth.

mart0989 would be next out in fifth after open-pushing a little more than 850,000 (just under three BBs) with 4♣ 4♦ , getting called by Guillaume “guimoura” Moorish who had Q♦ J♠ , and watching both a queen and a jack come among the community cards.

The remaining four players continued for a short while longer, then stopped the tournament to discuss a possible deal. Clarkson7 remained the pace-setter with almost 9.7 million, réééééz was next with a little under 5.8 million, lilachaa was third with a little over 5.6 million, and Guillaume “guimoura” Moorish fourth with almost 4 million.

Both “ICM”-based and “chip chop” figures were presented to the players — leaving $4,500 aside for which to play in each case — and while ICM was the preferred method of the group Clarkson7 wanted a little more ($30K even) than the suggested amount ($28,813.72).

“I’ve got 2x everyone in chips,” Clarkson7 noted, while lilachaa objected saying “it’s a turbo, the only reason why im making a deal in the 1st place.” Moorish then offered to make up the difference to get Clarkson7 to $30K, and after all four agreed play resumed.

On the first hand after the deal, réééééz min-raised to 800,000 from the cutoff/UTG, Clarkson7 shoved all in from the button, then Guillaume “guimoura” Moorish called all in for about 3.75 million from the small blind, prompting lilachaa and réééééz both to fold. Moorish had picked up K♠ K♥ , but it was A♠ A♣ for Clarkson7. The flop came A♦ 6♠ 6♣ to give Clarkson a full house, and by the turn Moorish was drawing dead to finish in fourth.

Two hands later lilachaa won a big preflop all-in versus Clarkson7 with A♠ J♦ versus the latter’s A♥ 8♥ . An eight flopped in that one, but a jack came on fifth street to pull lilachaa even with Clarkson7.

A couple of hands after that lilachaa raised 2x to 800,000 from the button, réééééz shoved for about 4.1 million from the small blind, Clarkson7 reshoved from the big blind, and lilachaa stepped aside. Clarkson7 had 10♥ 10♠ while réééééz showed A♦ 6♣ , and the community cards didn’t help réééééz who was eliminated in third.

Heads-up play began with Clarkson7 in front with about 15.8 million to lilachaa’s stack of just over 9.2 million. A few minutes into their duel lilachaa had chipped up to grab the advantage, then Clarkson7 seized it back before a huge hand developed that saw lilachaa all in following a 6♥ Q♥ 7♥ flop.

Clarkson7 turned over Q♣ J♥ for top pair and a flush draw while lilachaa had K♥ 9♠ for a higher flush draw. The 10♦ turn card kept Clarkson7 in front, but the river was the 3♥ and suddenly lilachaa had over 20 million while Clarkson7 had slipped down to just over 5 million.

Two hands later lilachaa raised from the button, Clarkson7 shoved, and lilachaa called, turning over 8♦ 7♠ to Clarkson7’s 2♥ 2♣ . The board came 5♠ 7♥ Q♣ A♦ 7♣ , and lilachaa’s trips beat Clarkson7’s two pair to end the tournament.

Congratulations to lilachaa for topping more than 2,500 opponents to win Event #45 — one of only three players from Bosnia and Herzegovina to participate. And kudos as well to the other three players who made it to the four-way deal to ensure themselves nice paydays in this one, too.

TCOOP-45 ($109 NL Hold’em, Turbo) results
Entrants: 2,509
Total prize pool: $250,900
Places paid: 324

1. lilachaa (Bosnia and Herzegovina) — $29,645.35*
2. Clarkson7 (United Kingdom) — $30,000*
3. réééééz (Hungary) — $25,308.35*
4. Guillaume “guimoura” Moorish (Brazil) — $21,616.84*
5. mart0989 (Germany) — $11,290.50
6. chrissyh59 (United Kingdom) — $8,656.05
7. Sparw. (Germany) — $6,147.05
8. CunningPlan (United Kingdom) — $3,638.05
9. Dannyz0r (Romania) — $2,258.10

*= reflects the results of a four-way deal that left $4,500 in play for the winner

As noted, it’s the last day but there are still a few more events left in the 2015 Turbo Championship of Online Poker, including the $700 NLHE Main Event later this afternoon featuring a $2 million guarantee and at least $300,000 for the winner. Check the TCOOP page for the remaining schedule of events.

Martin Harris is Freelance Contributor to the PokerStars Blog.