Sunday Million: geramas.G grinds out a $210k score

^

A robust crowd of 7,919 players bought in to this week's Sunday Million, the prize pool topping out at $1,583,800.00. 1,170 places were paid with first place set to earn $237,574.32. Among the 19 Red Spades in the field were Jake Cody, Marcel Luske, Christian De Leon, Vicky Coren, Joe Cada, Nacho Barbero, Andre Akkari, Fatima Moreira De Melo and George Lind III. However Team Online's Tyler "frosty012" Frost (1,050th) was the only one to cash.

Blinds were up to 150,000/300,000 with ten players remaining. Short stack Skeiedk open-shoved 1.46 million from the cutoff and aces_up4108 called with [Ad][7c] on the button. Skeiedk's [Qd][3d] did not improve on the [Kh][6h][5c][2c][6c] board, ending his run on the final table bubble.

Final table chip counts

Seat 1: DafDaf1986 (14,561,139 in chips)
Seat 2: SvenskTruita (3,519,640 in chips)
Seat 3: blackaces93 (12,234,597 in chips)
Seat 4: sandal1968 (6,652,127 in chips)
Seat 5: d-mon-d (4,654,826 in chips)
Seat 6: M_ad_04M_ax_ (16,643,381 in chips)
Seat 7: alextoon1 (6,053,783 in chips)
Seat 8: aces_up4108 (7,581,019 in chips)
Seat 9: geramas.G (7,289,488 in chips)

d-mon-d, sandal1968 exit early

D-mon-d, a Norwegian with a runner-up finish in the Sunday 500 and a WCOOP final table under his belt, came into today's final table as the second-shortest stack, but was the first player eliminated. With the blinds up to 200,000/400,000, blackaces93 shoved for 6.9 million on the button and d-mon-d looked him up with [Ad][Jd] in the big blind. Although blackaces93's [Ah][5s] was dominated, he caught a five on the flop and two pair on the turn. Unlucky d-mon-d found himself on the rail in ninth place when the board ran out [7h][5h][2d][2h][9c].

Three hands later, sandal1968 looked down at [Ad][Kh] and open-shoved for 3.93 million from the hijack. Alextoon1 reshoved for 5.73 million on the button with [Ts][Th] and both blinds folded. Alextoon1 won the coinflip, the board finishing [9h][8d][2h][3h][3d] to send sandal1968 home in eighth place.

SvenskTruita stays alive, geramas.G doubles

Short stack SvenskTruita stayed alive by doubling twice, first through aces_up4108 when [Ks][Qd] dominated [Kh][Tc], and later via DafDaf1986 with [Qs][Qh] holding against [Ah][8d].

Geramas.G surged ahead thanks to a lucky flop. Holding [Jc][Jd] vs. M_ad_04M_ax's [As][Ad], geramas.G hit top set when the flop landed [Jh][3d][2s], snapping off pocket aces. Geramas.G slyly checked the flop and M_ad_04M_ax checked back. Geramas.G bet 1.6 million on the [8d] turn and fired another 2.8 million when the [5c] rivered. M_ad_04M_ax raised to 6.4 million and geramas.G called all-in for 2.57 million only to show his opponent the bad news. Geramas.G moved up to second in chips with 17.6 million, just behind DafDaf1986's 18.9 million.

blackaces93 finishes off aces_up4108 in seventh

Left with less than 5 million after doubling up SvenskTruita, aces_up4108 struggled to gain traction. With 4.68 million left at the 250,000/500,000 level, aces_up4108 found pocket eights and open-shoved, only to run into blackaces93's pocket jacks in the big blind. Aces_up4108 did not improve and hit the rail in seventh place, good for $31,676.00.

DafDaf1986 goes from first to sixth

Geramas.G kept the pressure on and ground his way into the chip lead with 19.5 million, surpassing DafDaf1986, who was still close behind with 18.1 million. However, geramas.G took down a 12.3 million pot when he turned kings up against DafDaf1986, leaving him on 12.1 million in chips. Geramas.G moved up to 27.8 million and seized the chip lead.

The blinds rose to 300,000/600,000 and DafDaf1986 slid to 8.3 million before he opened for a min-raise with [As][7d]. Blackaces93 shoved for 8.9 million from the big blind and DafDaf1986 called, only to watch him reveal [Ts][Th]. DafDaf1986 did not improve on the [Ks][6d][6h][Qd][9s] board and was eliminated in sixth place, earning $47,514.00.

geramas.G vanquishes M_ad_04M_ax, blackaces93 busts alextoon1

Down to only six big blinds, SvenskTruita called all-in with [As][2c] in the big blind when geramas.G made a small blind shove with [Jd][4d]. SvenskTruita's ace-high was good on the [Qh][8s][5c][6c][Th] board and he doubled to 9.67 million.

Only moments later, geramas.G rebounded and then some. With the blidns up to 400,000/800,000, M_ad_04M_ax opened for a min-raise to 1.6 million and geramas.G looked down at [Ac][Ad]. Geramas.G three-bet to 4 million, M_ad_04M_ax shoved for 9.16 million and geramas.G snap-called. M_ad_04M_ax's [Qh][Jh] did not improve and he went out in fifth place, collecting $63,352.00.

Meanwhile, alextoon1 had fallen to only 7.8 million in chips and called all-in from the big blind with [Jh][Td] when blackaces93 made a small blind shove. Blackaces93 was behind with the lowly [Th][6c], but caught a pair of sixes on the turn to end alextoon1's run in fourth place ($79,823.52).

Chop it three ways

As play turned three-handed, blackaces93 led with 39.7 million, geramas.G was a strong second with 30.3 million and SvenskTruita, the shortest stack to start the final table, was still hanging on with 9.2 million.

Blackaces93 took a massive 36.5 million pot off geramas.G when his [Kd][6d] rivered a king-high straight, but geramas.G got it back three hands later when they got their money in on a [Kh][3d][4c] flop. Geramas.G's top pair with [Kd][Qs] hung on vs. blackaces93's OESD with [2c][5s] and he doubled back up to 37.2 million.

Shortly thereafer, SvenskTruita open-shoved for 6.95 million from the small blind and blackaces93 called with [3c][3d] in the big. However, SvenskTruita's [Qd][6d] turned a pair of sixes, good for a double-up to 14.1 million.

At that point, blackaces93 suggested they discuss a potential deal. Both SvenskTruita and geramas.G agreed and the action was paused. Here's a look at how they stacked up:

geramas.G 37,223,820
blackaces93 27,904,564
SvenskTruita 14,061,616

After final table hose Tyler "frosty012" Frost presented both chip counts and ICM numbers, the final three agreed to a modified ICM chop that awarded an extra $5,000 to chip leader geramas.G. With $20,000 still to play for, cards went back in the air.

geramas.G eliminates blackaces93 in third

Only three hands after the action resumed, blackaces93 four-bet shoved for 26.7 million with [As][Tc] and geramas.G called with [Qs][Qd]. Geramas.G's pocket queens held up on the [Kh][8h][5c][5s][9c] board, busting blackaces93 in third place. Thanks to the deal, blackaces93 departed with $170,164.00, just short of second-place money.

Heads-up chip counts

Seat 2: SvenskTruita (12,621,616 in chips)
Seat 9: geramas.G (66,568,384 in chips)

Geramas.G. brought a better-than 5 to 1 chip lead into heads-up play and didn't take long to finish off SvenskTruita. The money went in as soon as both players picked up ace high, geramas.G's [Ac][Th] winning the kicker war against SvenskTruita's [Ah][7c].

Congratulations to Greece's geramas.G on his Sunday Million win! He banked $210,000.00 thanks to the three-way deal. Kudos are also due to SvenskTruita, who came into the final table with 11 big blinds and spun it up into a runner-up finish good for $150,413.32.

PokerStars Sunday Million results for 1-19-2014

Players: 7,919
Prizepool: $1,583,800.00
Places paid: 1,170

1. geramas.G (Greece) $210,000.00*
2. SvenskTruita (Sweden) $150,413.32*
3. blackaces93 (Poland) $170.164.00*
4. alextoon1 (Malta) $79,823.52
5. M_ad_04M_ax (Canada) $63.352.00
6. DafDaf1986 (Denmark) $47.514.00
7. aces_up4108 (Japan) $31,676.00
8. sandal1968 (Russia) $18,213.70
9. d-mon-d (Norway) $12,274.45

*= reflects the results of a three-way deal that left $20,000 in play for the winner

Kristin Bihr is a freelance contributor to the PokerStars Blog.

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PCA 2015: Six players with a Chance; the Main Event concludes today

From 816 players just six still have a chance at realizing one of poker's most coveted achievements by winning the Main Event at the PokerStars Caribbean Adventure here in the Bahamas. Like the field as a whole, the final half-dozen are well represented by accomplished players with tournament résumés filled with impressive live and online scores. Surviving five days has been challenging enough, but the sixth should prove even more so.

But all six have a chance. And five of them will be starting the day chasing Chance.

That's because returning to a chip lead he maintained for much of the day yesterday will be Chance Kornuth (1st, 7,860,000) of Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. The 28-year-old professional brings a wealth of tourney experience with him, having amassed over $1.7 million in live tourney cashes. He's shown an ability to close strong in major events as well, having earned a WSOP bracelet in a $5K pot-limit Omaha event in 2010 and the $10K Bellagio Cup X title last summer, victories worth more than half a million each.

Chance Kornuth

Kornuth spoke with us yesterday about his desires not only to win today, but "to lead a more normal life, have better bankroll management, and consider more of the future." Having most of himself in this event means a nice payday awaits him on this his third and by far most successful trip to the PCA.

Last May Kornuth and his girlfriend, Emily, visited the Great Wall of China, and it was there he asked her to marry him and she said yes. Yesterday Emily surprised him by showing up to root him on and provide support in his effort to climb over one last set of competitors to earn the title. "I'm having a blast," he reports, clearly relishing the moment. "There's a lot of nice guys still left. Hopefully I can beat them all."

Of those nice guys still left, the nearest challenger to Kornuth to begin play today is Kevin Schulz, an American pro currently living in Playa del Carmen, Mexico so as to carry on being able to play online. The 28-year-old Schulz has been playing in EPT events since Season 6, having thus far collected cashes in side events at the 2011 PCA and EPT Barcelona. A final table showing at a $5K WSOP event in 2012 netted him his biggest career score of $267,792, the bulk of his career live tourney earnings that total close to half a million.

Kevin Schulz

After battling with below-average chips toward the end of play yesterday, Schulz catapulted himself into second position on the last two hands of the night after knocking out eighth-place finisher (and fellow Playa del Carmen resident) Dylan Linde with pocket tens versus the latter's ace-king, then ending the run of Praytush Buddiga in seventh after his pocket aces outlasted Buddiga's ace-jack.

As Schulz's friend Faraz Jaka -- still alive as the short stack with 11 left in the $25K High Roller -- explained to EPT Live yesterday, he and Schulz met as students at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. The occasion of their meeting was a speech given at the school by a famous alum, Team PokerStars Pro Barry Greenstein, which drew a big audience of poker players. Many connections were made that day including the one between Jaka and Schulz who are roommates on this trip, and some eight years later the two find themselves both in contention for seven-figure scores.

Behind Kornuth and Schulz in the counts lurks the Peruvian Diego Ventura (3rd, 3,980,000) of the northwestern coastal city of Trujillo. As an online superstar who plays as "Die Ventura" on PokerStars, the 25-year-old won his $16K PCA package at the last moment via a $700 qualifier three days after Christmas. Among his large collection of big online scores is a third-place in the Sunday Million in 2013, a fifth in the Sunday Warm-Up last summer, and another seventh in the Sunday Million just a couple of months ago.

Diego Ventura

Ventura got his start in poker playing home games with friends, and after getting hooked he left University and started working as a waiter while grinding online at night. Finally three years ago he became a full-time pro, and hasn't looked back since. Along with those big scores in Sunday majors, Ventura has collected still more wins in the Sunday Second Chance, the Sunday Kickoff, and The Big $162 on his way to accumulating more than $1.2 million in online earnings. Those results have also made him one of the highest-ranked online players in the world, with Peru's poker media voting him Online Poker Player of the Year in 2014. While making his deep Main Event run, Ventura also coached the Peru team in the Americas Cup of Poker to a fourth-place finish.

As we witnessed early yesterday, Ventura got off to a fast start on Day 5 by doubling his stack within the first three hands of play, putting him near the leaders for the first part of the day until Kornuth extended his lead. Wherever he finishes, Ventura will be adding a career-best live score to his long list of online achievements today.

Another online phenom sitting just behind Ventura in the counts is Niklas Hambitzer (4th, 3,100,000), a 26-year-old professional from Bonn, Germany currently living in London. The Supernova Elite primarily makes his living at the 6-max hyperturbo tables where he plays for stakes up to $1,000, and Hambitzer has added scores with a win in The Bigger $55 (for $50K) and a third-place showing in The Bigger $162 (for $30K).

Niklas Hambitzer

Also like Ventura, Hambitzer earned his way here by winning a $16K package in a $700 satellite (in early November). The German began playing home games around eight years ago, not long after the Moneymaker "boom" had found its way to Europe to ignite interest in the game there. Today Hambitzer stands as Europe's final representative at a table otherwise comprised of North and South Americans.

The second of the two remaining South American players is the amiable Juan Martin Pastor (5th, 2,655,000) of Buenos Aires, Argentina, the youngest of those left at age 22. Well known in the Latin American poker community, Pastor has already become a familar face at LAPT stops where he's picked up several cashes and final tabled the LAPT Colombia Main Event in Season 6 where he finished eighth.

Juan Martin Pastor

It's online, however, where Pastor spends most of his poker-playing time, having worked all of the way up from $0.01/$0.02 no-limit hold'em games to becoming a $500 Zoom specialist. As we shared here a few days ago, with a couple of days to go in 2014 Pastor was just four VPPs away from achieving Supernova Elite status, and to mark the occasion of his grabbing those last points invited friends over for a big party and raucous celebration.

Part of Pastor's early study of the game was via PokerStars' Intellipoker online poker school, and in fact now Pastor works as a coach for the Spanish branch. This marks Pastor's third PCA but first cash, and with a sizable rail cheering him on we may be witnessing another big party here today should his run extend even further.

Finally, returning to the shortest stack of the final six will be Rami Boukai (6th, 780,000) of Laguna Hills, California, another American who has made Mexico his home in order to continue grinding online. The 32-year-old has enjoyed significant success both in the live and online realms, with a 2009 WSOP bracelet win in the $2,500 pot-limit Omaha/pot-limit hold'em event his most significant live score. Boukai earned $244,862 for that win, but has already locked up an even bigger payday here by making the final six.

Rami Boukai

Boukai has collected nearly $650,000 all told in live tournaments, most coming at WSOP events with a few EPT scores where his best previous finish was 25th in the Season 4 Grand Final in Monte Carlo for €42,100. He's thrived online as well, however, with final tables in WCOOP and SCOOP events and the Sunday 500. He, too, earned a $16K PCA package via a $700 qualifier on PokerStars.

A former MMA fighter, Boukai will have five tough opponents to grapple with today. We're confident Boukai will stick to check-raising and barreling rather than resort to any rear naked choke holds such as we learned about earlier this week with Tito Ortiz.

Full details of how they line up today:

Seat 1: Kevin Schulz, United States -- 6,155,000 (77 big blinds)
Seat 2: Chance Kornuth, United States -- 7,860,000 (98 big blinds)
Seat 3: Niklas Hambitzer, Germany -- 3,100,000 (38 big blinds)
Seat 4: Diego Ventura, Peru -- 3,980,000 (50 big blinds)
Seat 5: Rami Boukai, United States -- 780,000 (10 big blinds)
Seat 6: Juan Martin Pastor, Argentina -- 2,655,000 (33 big blinds)

There are about 20 minutes left in Level 29, where the blinds are 40,000/80,000 with a 10,000 ante. And here's are how the final six places are scheduled to pay out:

1st: $1,491,580
2nd: $907,080
3rd: $641,140
4th: $482,820
5th: $380,720
6th: $285,740

The action starts at 13:00 ET today, and you can follow it all on EPT Live with delayed, cards-up coverage starting at 14:00 ET and via the Main Event page.

Martin Harris is Freelance Contributor to the PokerStars Blog.

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Online Casino Bill Shows NFL Making US Government Policy

The NFL flexed its political muscle today, getting an attachment to Barney Frank's online casino bill assuring that sports betting will remain illegal on the Internet.

While gaming foe Spencer Bachus railed about the undue influence of online casino lobbyists, a far more powerful and insidious lobby affected the markup of Barney Frank's proposal to license Internet gaming sites. Representative Peter King cited the concern of the NFL in offering an amendment to H.R. 2267 which emphasizes sports betting will remain illegal on the Internet and elsewhere.

Bachus suggested that both votes of committee members and testimony of experts were swayed by lobbying paid for with online gambling dollars. He replied to a submission by John Campbell of California, in which Campbell listed four community spokesmen from Internet groups, financial institutions, and civil libertarians who supported the bill, as containing statements from two receiving funding from Internet casinos.

When pressed by Chairman Frank to name his two contaminated suspects, Bachus declined. But no questions were asked as to lobbying and campaign funding by the National Football League, a business association whose interests were clearly represented regardless of the best concerns of US residents.

Frank noted that many of the proposed amendments were not about the morality of gambling or protecting children, but protectionist attempts to control competition. He stated sarcastically that he could understand the NFL's worry over the bill,as "people might start betting on sports" if the amendment weren't added.

Illegal sports betting is considered a hundred-billion dollar  industry in the US.

King directly stated that his amendment was necessary, despite language in the bill already excluding sports betting from the provisions of the bill, because "the NFL has concerns about gambling." Even King, who has been a staunch supporter of Frank's online casino bills, wanted to appease the imposing might of the NFL.

Other committee members also expressed doubt as to the need to create a special clause for sports betting, but conceded that argument will have to advance to the future, One observer noted that the failure to stand up to the special interests will mean revisiting the issue soon.

Published on July 28, 2010 by EdBradley

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WSOP 2015: Why we should thank Phil Hellmuth and John Gale

The first person I ever saw win a big money live poker tournament?

John Gale.

In was January 2005 at the PokerStars Caribbean Adventure. Gale took unscheduled solo breaks in the middle of play--on the final table bubble no less--to go out and calm his nerves. He alternated between Marlboro Reds and the orange/green mix of Tic Tacs. When he finally won, he hugged his opponents. He hugged the crew. He hugged me. John Gale was a hugger, and I was certain the poker world was an amazing place filled with genuine people, all of them complete gentlemen like Mr. Gale.

The first time I saw Phil Hellmuth win a WSOP gold bracelet?

2006.

It was his tenth bracelet, a moment so historic that its mere possibility put a delay on nearly everything in the Rio that night. That summer was poised to be among the biggest ever at the WSOP, and no one was going to miss Hellmuth winning his tenth. I was at dinner with a group of friends when we heard it may happen, and we raced down the long convention center hallway so we could see Hellmuth make history. When the Poker Brat won, he was barely the bad boy we'd come to know on television or during pre-scheduled WSOP floor rants. He was gracious and proud.

Gale had won his first bracelet just a few days earlier, and it all sort of validated whatever I had come to believe about the game as it reached its pinnacle of popularity. These men--these personalities--belonged on the winner's stage, and because that was true, there was a firm belief that those of us on the sidelines--the media, the fans, the wanna-be champions--all belonged as well.

If we had only known what the next few months would bring.

So many things changed after that summer. Heretofore unseen hold'em geniuses developed out of the ether. Technology started to outrun the game. The idea of being a poker personality became antithetical to a new breed of poker robots. And then there was the matter of the UIGEA. It was a slow Armageddon, one that dismantled the building blocks from the early-aughts and rebuilt them in the image of something I had a hard time recognizing. It was still poker, and it was still the WSOP, but in 2007, I felt a bit like I eventually did when I heard Hollywood was re-making Point Break. You can tell me that's Johnny Utah winning a bracelet all you want, but I know better.

Or something like that.

Above all, though, I found myself in sort of a simmering lament. I was still a young(er) man, but--and maybe it was just nostalgia--but by the time Jerry Yang won the 2007 Main Event, I'd already started to long for the old days (conveniently forgetting that what I'd considered the old days were actually the Armageddon for the generation of players who couldn't believe the WSOP wasn't still being held at Binion's). The poker community wasn't full of gentlemen. It was awash with angle-shooters and cranks, complainers and whiners. And those who didn't fall into that category were so smart that you couldn't see through them--their intelligence was so thick, it hid most of their personality.

Sure, it wasn't all like that, but, and you will have to just trust me here, there were times it felt like it. It was something akin to the end of a relationship when the only thing you can see is the food stuck between your lover's teeth.

Moreover, I'd all but buried Gentleman John Gale and Phil Hellmuth as relics of a bygone era. Sure, we could hang their pictures on a wall and speak about them in reverent tones. We could try to slip their names into conversations with the young men and women who were using their supersized brains to take over the game and pocket all the money. We could talk about them like we might talk about our granddad. "Oh, he was a hard-working old fella. They won't make another one like him!"

What I failed to realize at the time was that poker had it good. Yes, it was going through a period of ridiculously fast change (one that that has only picked up speed in the intervening years), but that was what any big-money pursuit was all about. Evolve or die. Get up and get going or get the hell out.

Yes, the heroes would have to come and go. In what game did they not? It wasn't as if I could still turn on the ball game and watch Ozzie Smith flip across the field into his spot at shortstop. Why should I expect Doyle Brunson to keep grinding every day when people like Ike Haxton and Vanessa Selbst were performing acrobatics none of us had ever seen?

But here's the thing: I was sort of wrong again, and I'm happy to admit it.

Last night, within a few hours of each other, Phil Hellmuth and John Gale both won WSOP bracelets. For Hellmuth, it was number 14, one that keeps him well ahead of the record-chasing pack. I feel confident, no matter what Hellmuth's final number is, he will still have more bracelets than anybody when I die.

(Photo courtesy WSOP)

For Gale--who suffered many health problems over the past ten years--it was his first WSOP win since that summer of 2006.

It's tempting to make last night's victories into some grand statement about how the old guys are back or how the young guns still haven't figured out to use their big mental abacuses to sort the puzzles inside the heads of their elders. But it's not that. In fact, Hellmuth and Gale's wins are the types of victories that weaken the impulse to make any big sweeping statements at all. They leave me nodding my head and saying, "Well, damn. Good for them."

(Photo courtesy WSOP)

And it is good for them. I guarantee you there weren't two happier people in Las Vegas last night. Of all the poker players I've met in my life, Hellmuth and Gale are the two most grateful to have the opportunity to win. They love poker. They love its conventions. They ooze personality, and--outside of some camera-induced brattiness--they are both gentlemen. They love the feeling of winning, and they are happy to smile for their winner's photos. They remind us that a few crow's feet around your eyes won't keep you from making the right reads.

In short, they are proud to win and they are thankful for the game.

That's not just good for them. That's good for all of us.

---

Brad Willis is the PokerStars Head of Blogging

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UKIPT5 Marbella: Cabello shines brightest on Day 1A

The British and Irish have had a love affair with Spain since the 1950s when the very first package holidays starting appearing on the market. More than half a century later and that bond remains strong with the counties more connected than ever. The last decade has seen a poker boom emerge in Europe and gave the counties, and more specifically the premier poker tours (ESPT and UKIPT) an excuse for a summer get together.

Let's be honest, the conversation about where to host this collaboration was a pretty short one. Spain? Yes. On the coast? Yes. Marbella okay? Sure! And the PokerStars Marbella Festival was born two years ago and is in its third edition. This year could well be the most successful yet as 349 players took their seats today, up from 293 last season. A total number north of 800 is hoped for.

Chip leader Julian Cabello

Day 1A played out today over ten 45-minute levels and the field was reduced to 136. PokerStars qualifier Julian Cabello made the most of them as he bagged up a mountainous 201,600. Other players through with big stacks include: Pablo Galache (188,100), Johnny Soerensen (151,900), Constantin Daniel Georgescu (137,200) Josep María Galindo (128,400) Mark James (120,600) and Jonathan Matthews (122,900).

Leo Margets couldn't win a vital flip

The red spade was represented on two fronts today as friends and fellow Team Pros, Leo Margets and Fatima Moreira de Melo took to the felt with mixed results. Margets built from her starting stack but couldn't maintain the trend. She ultimately busted two-thirds of the way through day when her ace-king couldn't connect to overhaul David Tovar and his pocket jacks. Moreira de Melo also got off to a positive start before she too had to battle late on and was as low as 10,000 at one stage. The day ended on a positive trend for her though as she doubled up with tens versus ace-nine and bagged up 68,300.

Moreira de Melo & De Korver had each other for company late on

Other notables advancing to Day 2 are: Pieter De Korver (73,600), Richard Pearson (44,800), Katja Spillum Svendsen (25,900) and Alexander Stevic (71,500). Full end of Day 1A counts can be seen here.

Those who came, saw but failed to conquer in the sun included: UKIPT London champ Rapinder Cheema; David Lappin, David Clarkson, Morten Mortensen, Chris Wood, Thomas Dunwoodie, Georges Yazbeck, Martin Vallo, Neil Strike and Neil Raine.

Georges Yazbeck amongst the many fallers

A bumper field is expected tomorrow where the Day 1B players will play out another ten levels before all survivors will join together for the first time on Friday. Midday CET is the start time once more so join us back here then. For now, read back over many of today's talking points by clicking here and check out the video below.

PokerStars Blog Reporting Team at UKIPT5 Marbella: Marc Convey and Nick Wright. In a past life, Mickey May once fled to Spain and is very well connected around these parts, so steal her photos at your peril!

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APPT9 Macau Day 3: Footage from the felt

Feature articles and live reporting not satisfying your need for poker content?

PokerStars.tv has you covered.

This week Frank Op de Woerd has been in Macau bringing you all the best videos from this APPT.

Frank Op de Woerd interviews Team PokerStars Pro Aditya Agarwal

We've collected some of the highlights below, take a look!

Celina Lin takes the Poker Pop Quiz

Team PokerStars Pro Celina Lin is in town this week and after being put to the test on the felt, she was given the same treatment away from the felt.

Kosei Ichinose Made Two SCOOP Final Tables

Fresh off the Spring Championship of Online Poker (SCOOP)last week, Team PokerStars Pro Kosei Ichinose is looking to continue the run good in Macau. He discusses his recent SCOOP results below.

Randy 'nanonoko' Lew Parties Because of Twitch Success

Twitch regular and PokerStars Team Online Randy Lew discusses live streaming with teammate Celina Lin at the APPT9 Macau Player's Party.

Sheng Sun Wins the APPT9 Macau 50K Champion (HK$997,100)

And while the Main Event was kicking off in the poker room, players were also battling it out in the HK50k. The champion Sheng Sun talked to PokerStars TV right after his victory to discuss the win and his most memorable hand of the week.

For more videos from this week you can check out the APPT page on PokerStars.tv.

Now it's back to the Main Event action for us. You can follow along from the live reporting section, and be sure to keep your browser locked here at the PokerStarsBlog for the feature stories summary of Day 3 coming later tonight.

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VIP Store: Wimbledon, U2, and some sweet gear

For those of us who live above the equator, it's summertime. The sky is blue, the sun is hot, and our fancies have turned to thoughts of leisure. If you're feeling like getting out and have some Frequent Player Points to burn, the VIP Store has some exclusive items that might pique your interest.

Feel like sipping some Pimms while watching the world's best tennis players play live at Wimbledon? The VIP Store has tickets to Court 1 on June 29 & 30, as well as July 1. For just 32,500 FPPs, you can have full-day access to Court 1 as well as the historic Wimbledon grounds. The VIP Store has a limited quantity, so visit the VIP Club live section of the the VIP Store in your PokerStars cashier now to pick up your tickets.

Or maybe you would rather go rock out with U2? Later this month, the VIP Store will have tickets to an insane U2 experience in Stockholm or Berlin including VIP entrance to the show, a private pre-show reception, and an exclusive U2 Travel Package gift not available to the general public. What's more, you're guaranteed to sit in one of the first 15 rows. You'll also have an overnight stay at a five-star hotel near the concert with VIP hotel check in. Need more than that? Alright then. You'll have a chance to win a backstage tour. Sound good?

If, perhaps, you don't have a pile of FPPs but are still looking for some good leisure value, the VIP Store has just stocked a bunch of sweet gear, including Pro V1 and NXT Tour golf balls from the premier Titleist brand. Not only are they great golf balls, but the red spade on the side will make sure you never confuse your ball for someone else's.

Finally, this summer the VIP Store has launched a new line of Linea clothing, including an electric blue tee, hoodie and modern snap back cap, all of which are guaranteed to introduce some color into your poker wardrobe.

You can find all of those items at the online version of the VIP Store here.

---

Brad Willis is the PokerStars Head of Blogging

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Sunday Warm-Up: needdollarz gets $98K in three-way chop victory

With the Sunday Million on hiatus due to 8,669 players who are trying to gain a last minute ticket into this year's World Series of Poker Main Event, the big tourney of the evening started a few hours earlier. The $750,000 guarantee Sunday Warm-up had a strong showing tonight despite all the players looking for a last minute Father's Day gift, much like a certain writer who picked up a Home Depot gift card on the way to see his dad. 4,129 showed up for with the $215 buy-in and unlike last week, crushed the guarantee creating an $825,800.00 prize pool leaving aside $129,553.34 of that for tonight's winner. Perhaps the victor tonight will show up at his or her father's place with little more than I did after taking home the six-figure win.

Down to the final table bubble and a difference of around $1,600 on the line, not to mention the six figures awaiting for our winner, short-stacked Mochuelo1 with just over one million chips and 80K/160K ante 16K blind tried to improve with a shove from the cutoff holding K♠Q♥. JoeJ1337 in the big blind looking down at pocket tens T♣T♠ refused to relinquish the blinds and made the call. In an odd reverse fade, JoeJ1337 started spamming "Q" in the chat box, and sure enough nary a "Q" found the 7♠ 5♥ 8♠ 7♥ T♥ board and Mochuelo1 was sent home in tenth place ($4,954.80).

Click image for larger picture

Seat 1: needdollarz (7782684 in chips)
Seat 2: Nitrite (3644958 in chips)
Seat 3: degiomusic (6655267 in chips)
Seat 4: SiiliSuhonen (2076100 in chips)
Seat 5: JoeJ1337 (4826878 in chips)
Seat 6: raare01 (3537032 in chips)
Seat 7: QazMiNowPlz (5872951 in chips)
Seat 8: lankeshwar (2080064 in chips)
Seat 9: da produca (4814066 in chips)

Blinds would move up to 100K/200K ante 20K within a few minutes of the final nine being seated as needdollarz came in with the most tournament dollars followed closely by degiomusic and QazNiNowPlz who was flying the colors of Denmark.

Hearts Ahoy

After losing a huge eight million chip pot to SilliSuhonen, lankeshwar was left with just a half million in chips. Three hands later with the blinds at 125K/250K ante 25K, lankeshwar found A♦Q♠ in early position and open shove for 476,916 chips. Folded around to degiomusic in the big blind who only had to call another 226,916 while holding 3.4 million behind, made the math call with 4♥9♥. 1.3 million chips in the middle with lankeshwar having to fade a flush draw T♥ 3♥ 3♦ after two hearts hit the flop. J♠ on the turn was fine, the red lady on the river Q♥ completed the flush for degiomusic sending lankeshwar off in ninth place ($6,606.40).

Moving with the chip rhythm

Five hands later da produca would open shove from UTG holding pocket nines 9♠9♦ for 3.3 million. Two spots over degiomusic held pocket kings K♦K♥ and called all-in for just 82,947 chips less as the rest of the table went back to watching World Cup highlights. Two pair came out on the Q♥ 5♠ T♦ T♠ Q♠ board as degiomusic's kings over queens reigned supreme, taking in the 7.1 million chip pot. The very next hand da produca's 82,947 chips went into the middle in the big blind as QazMiNowPlz and degiomusic made the call. After the K♦7♦6♣ flop, degiomusic led out for the minimum as QazMiNowPlz left the hand and turned up K♣J♠ for top pair. da produca still had some life with the ragged 5♥9♥ and an inside straight draw. But, the saving eight would stay away from the 6♥ turn and 3♣ river sending the da produca back to da studio in eighth place ($10,322.50).

Nitrite blows up

In one of the biggest pots of the tournament to this point, chip leader SilliSuhonen would put needdollarz to the test preflop after needdollarz found his preflop raised by both Nitrite and SilliSuhonen. needdollarz would abandon the 532,123 chips as Nitrite was all-in against SilliSuhonen for the 7.9 million chip pot. Watch the results below:

RSS readers click through to see replay

Pocket queens for SilliSuhonen Q♦Q♣ would trample Nitrite's J♦A♣ on the 3♦ 3♥ K♦ 8♦ T♥ board and scoop the 7.9 million chips as Nitrite took in $18,580.50 in seventh place.

1337dOOd done

The blinds moved up to 150K/300K ante 30K as JoeJ1337 and QazMiNowPlz tried to combine their similar five million chips and change stacks into one massive stack preflop. JoeJ1337 would cover by 57,705 chips and turned over pocket eights 8♠8♦ to QazMiNowPlz's big slick K♣A♦. Much like the final table bubble hand, JoeJ1337 immediately went for the reverse sweat and started spamming "aaaaaaaaaa". Obviously, that worked as no ace hit the board but a king did on the river 3♠ 7♥ 4♣ 4♥ K♠ sending the 11 million chip pot to QazMiNowPlz. The next hand SilliSuhonen would scoop up JoeJ1337's scraps and send the elite one out in sixth place ($26,838.50).

Time to face the music

Just two hands later degiomusic, who helped carve a few players from the final table would find his own head on the chopping block facing chip leader SilliSuhonen. After raare01 and degiomusic made the call of SilliSuhonen preflop raise to 700K all three would see the Q♠K♠5♦ flop. From the big blind degiomusic tried to scare off the remaining players with a shove for 2.7 million. Instead the response was an equally quick call from SilliSuhonen holding big slick K♠A♠ and quick fold by raare01. degiomusic also held top pair but a lesser kicker 9♥K♦, and failed to catch up on the 8♥ turn and 7♠ river leaving the tournament in fifth place ($35,096.50).

3-2-1 Contact!

Three eliminations in four hands tends to make writer's hands cramp up. With the blinds holding steady at 150K/300K ante 30K raare01 tried to hop into the action by shoving for 2.3 million over the top of a preflop raise by needdollarz. Holding 6.1 million in chips and only having to call 1.7 million more, needdollarz would make the call holding 7♠A♣. raare01's A♥8♣ looked a lot brighter after the 6♦9♠J♣ flop. But, the 7♥ would dim the lights on raare01's tournament as the 3♠ turned those five million chips in needdollarz's direction. raare01 would finish just outside of the proposed deal in fourth place ($46,657.70).

Did I mention a deal?

Immediately the final three had our PokerStars host pause the time clock for one of the quicker deals I have had the pleasure of covering. Details below leaving $10,000.00 for the winner:

needdollarz: $88,320.19
QazMiNowPlz: $87,678.76
SilliSuhonen: $107,888.59

Eight is not enough

Watch this massive 17 milllion chip pot between needdollarz and QazMiNowPlz play out below:

RSS readers click through to see replay

After the 4♥6♥8♠ flop QazMiNowPlz would check as needdollarz would lead out for one million. QazMiNowPlz check-raised all-in and covered as needdollarz could not hit the call button quickly enough with the flopped straight 5♦7♠. QazMiNowPlz's top pair K♥8♦ would be drawing dead by the 3♠ turn as 17 million chips went to needdollarz. QazMiNowPlz's remaining 666,873 chips would be placed in the middle for a snack on the next hand as SilliSuhonen would hit a broadway straight to send off QazMiNowPlz in third place ($87,678.76).

Quick end to a long tourney

Ten hours after 4,129 players started, heads-up play would begin with needdollarz in a 15.8 million to 25.4 million chip deficit to SilliSuhonen. Three hands in needdollarz would score a needed double-up with another eight high straight, scoring 31.2 million chips. After the reversal in chip counts, needdollarz would apply the pressure in winning six of the final eight hands including the final hand where SilliSuhonen decided to test his luck preflop and shoved for 7.5 million chips holding two face cards Q♥J♣. With decent suited ace T♦A♦ needdollarz made the call. A jack on the flop K♠ 8♠ J♥ had SilliSuhonen looking good to get back into the tournament. 9♦ helped no one on the turn but the rivered Q♠ improved both hands as needdollarz racked up yet another straight and the final 15 million tournament chips to become this week's Sunday Warm-up champion and collected the additional $10,000 bringing the total winnings to $98,320.19!

$750,000 guarantee Sunday Warm-Up Results (06-20-10)
(*denotes part of three-way deal)

1. needdollarz (St.Petersbourg) *$98,320.19
2. SiiliSuhonen (roma) *$107,888.59
3. QazMiNowPlz (Jyllinge) $87,678.76
4. raare01 (no chat) $46,657.70
5. degiomusic (cournonterral) $35,096.50
6. JoeJ1337 (Livonia) $26,838.50
7. Nitrite (Stockholm) $18,580.50
8. da produca (Zurich) $10,322.50
9. lankeshwar (Northborough) $6,606.40

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EPT11 Grand Final: Charlie Carrel wins €25,000 High Roller and €1,114,000

Charlie Carrel - poker's newest millionaire

It seems like only six weeks ago that we first met Charlie Carrel and that's because it was. We labelled the 21 year old the 'best British player you'd never heard of' back then, and he went on to finish fifth in the €10,000 EPT11 Malta High Roller for a career high €183,800. His days of flying under the radar or being even the slightest bit 'unknown' have come shuddering to a halt here tonight as he beat out a world class field to capture a first prize of €1,114,000 and an exclusive watch from luxury Swiss brand SLYDE, the Official Watch Sponsor for EPT11 Main Events and High Roller events.

The Brit has a wise head on young shoulders - he once moved away from London to live with his Grandma in Jersey so he could focus on poker - and that shone through when speaking about his win. "This is the first event that I've properly sold action in and I am extremely excited to give a chunk of this away to my friends and that's what makes me feel happiest from this," he explained, "I get to prove to them that I was a good investment and give them back what they invested in me and more," he added.

In case you thinking that there's no way this is coming from someone as young as Carrel let's redress the balance a little. "I mean I am going to have a bit of a splashy party," he said laughing but then he goes and spoils it by adding. " But I'm actually going to be sensible about it as me and my friends are going to buy a property. It's old of me."

Plans to buy a flat in Brighton are in the works, which will make a change from living out of a suitcase for Carrel, which is what he's been doing for the past five months. His toughest decision when he gets back to the UK is going to be which city to pick for that celebratory party, but he had plenty of tough decisions at today's final table. This is how the final eight lined up earlier today:

Seat 1: Steve O'Dwyer, 575,000
Seat 2: Dan Smith, 751,000
Seat 3: Imad Derwiche, 465,000
Seat 4: Jeremy Ausmus, 1,390,000
Seat 5: Charlie Carrel, 1,750,000
Seat 6: Dario Sammartino, 1,485,000
Seat 7: Max Altergott, 1,178,000
Seat 8: Andrey Andreev, 3,158,000

The final eight

Second in chips at the start of a final table full of sharks, but the player that made the final table most interesting was the chip leader Andrey Andreev. "Generally when you come into a final table your thinking 'oh my god what if I won,' but generally you're going to come about fifth on average even if you come in second in chips," said Carrel. "I wasn't really watching the pay jumps or anything but I was paying attention to ICM. It was kind of different because of the Russian player. I'm not singling him out because he's the best person I've ever met, but he just didn't care. He owns half or Russia or something and it changed the entire dynamic of the final table."

Andrey Andreev - the final table catalyst

And adjusting to that dynamic successfully is perhaps why Carrel has a trophy to pack into that suitcase of his tonight. "I think I stayed quite passive and tight because I think some of the professionals were adjusting badly to him which means there was a lot of volatility in his play and their play and there was a good chance of them busting out, which did happen."

First to go was Smith, then Ausmus. The two Americans were followed out the door by two of Europe's top guns as Sammartino (6th) and Altergott (5th) couldn't get it done at their second High Roller final table of the week. That left two pros and two amateurs in the final four, and Carrel had over half the chips in play. When Andreev fell in fourth and O'Dwyer succumbed in third, Carrel was heads-up for a seven-figure pay day with a three to one chip lead.

Although Imad Derwiche closed the gap at the start of heads-up play, on the thirtieth hands of heads-up play it was all over. Derwiche moved all-in for around ten big blinds with 6♥2♥ and Carrel called with K♦6♣. A T♠Q♦T♣J♥Q♣ board later and Carrel was the champion.

Derwiche - another second for Senegal

It's been a meteoric rise for the young Brit who said of today: "It was so fun, I just love playing so much. Poker's the one sport where you can quite quickly play against the best in the world. I just love that."

Tonight he's beat some of the best in Europe and next stop (after that party of course) is Las Vegas for the WSOP. "I've already planned which events I'm going to play and I'm definitely playing the $100K One Drop."

America, he's coming for you, best not pack that suitcase away any time soon then Charlie.

EPT11 Grand Final - High Roller
Buy-in: €25,000
Entries: 215
Prize pool: €5,267,500

1 - Charlie Carrel (United Kingdom) €1,114,000
2 - Imad Derwiche (Senegal) €750,000
3 - Steve O'Dwyer (Ireland) €528,700
4 - Andrey Andreev (Russia) €428,700
5 - Max Altergott (Germany) €339,100
6 - Dario Sammartino (Italy) €257,400
7 - Jeremy Ausmus (United States) €188,000
8 - Dan Smith (United States) €137,400

Charlie Carrel - High Roller champion

Read a full re-cap of the Main Event and relive all the action from it on the Main Event page.

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