It was two weeks coming, but we finally have a result from the “high” version of Event #1 of the Spring Championship of Online Poker to report. And what a finish! Well worth the wait.
Imagine going deep in a poker tournament with a seven-figure first prize up top. Hard enough, right? Now imagine going deep in two tournaments, both of which have more than $1 million scheduled to go to the winner. Hard even to envision, right?
That was precisely the experience of German player girafganger7 today. While making it to the final two tables of the SCOOP “High” Main Event that completes tomorrow, girafganger7 got all of the way to second in Event #1-H, a $1,050 no-limit hold’em event featuring a number of play-in “Phase 1” tournaments helping build a huge field and prize pool.
Thanks to a five-player deal, girafganger7 earned the biggest cash prize from the event, too — a huge $745,000 payday. Meanwhile the victor and ultimate headline-grabber was none other than Gordon “holla@yoboy” Vayo, runner-up finisher in last year’s World Series of Poker Main Event. Vayo took away a handsome prize of $692,460.93 for his win.
Featuring numerous “Phase 1” opportunities spread over the entire SCOOP, there were a total of 5,821 entries in the $1,050 buy-in event, creating an enormous $5,821,000 prize pool. That beat the $5M guarantee while also pushed the planned-for first prize just over the $1M guarantee (prior to the final table deal).
From that group 566 players survived their Phase 1s to make the cash, and those players combined yesterday for Day 1 of Phase 2 from which just 36 of them survived. Fred “fred_volpe” Volpe led the overnight counts with just over 4.15 million and Daniel “mrGR33N13” Colman in 36th with not quite 210,000.
Volpe had a nice Sunday, by the way, and in fact returned to the chip lead in the “low” version of the SCOOP Main Event today as well with 214 returning (Event #55-L). In fact, the Brazilian has had a nice series overall, with numerous cashes highlighted by a victory in Event #25-M ($215 8-Game).
Alas for Colman, he was knocked out during the first moments of play on Monday, finishing in 35th ($14,266.10).
A little over three hours after that they were down to 18, with James “Andy McLEOD” Obst (30th, $14,266.10), Nick “FU_15” Maimone (29th, $14,266.10), and Martin “‘0PIGGBANK'” Finger (19th, $20,329.26) among those hitting the rail in the interim. Meanwhile bishbcray had risen to the top of the counts with nearly 7.4 million while Volpe had become one of the short stacks.
chengge next fell in 18th, earning $28,968.20, then HuntItShipIt (17th), LLinusLLove (16th), Marco “Salsicha” Alves (15th), and after sliding in the counts Fred “fred_volpe” Volpe (14th) were eliminated, with those four each earning $28,968.20. (Volpe, by the way, would end up going out in 64th over in the SCOOP “Low” Main Event.)
Mads “madsamot” Amot (13th), hotmark777 (12th), caaaamel (11th), and eijseijs (10th) were the next to go, picking up $41,279.62 apiece. girafganger7 — still making that SCOOP “High” Main Event run — had the big chip lead to start the final table.
Seat 1: bishbcray (Canada) — 3,846,808
Seat 2: Gordon “holla@yoboy” Vayo (Canada) — 2,683,197
Seat 3: Vico$carpini (Brazil) — 6,629,833
Seat 4: girafganger7 (Belgium) — 13,898,068
Seat 5: omgsammjesus (India) — 6,363,964
Seat 6: KissMyAcePlz (Finland) — 7,853,001
Seat 7: Jeff “kidwhowon” Gross (Canada) — 3,514,332
Seat 8: Yakiddinme (Australia) — 9,661,251
Seat 9: Rebel FishAK (Romania) — 3,759,546
Less than an orbit into the final table, it folded around to Yakiddinme who opened from the button for just over 2x, then Rebel FishAK jammed from the small blind for nearly 3.5 million (around 22 big blinds).
bishbcray then reraise-shoved for a bit more than that, forcing a fold from Yakiddinme, then bishbcray showed K♦ K♥ while Rebel FishAK had A♦ Q♦ . The board brought a queen — coming 4â™ 8♥ 2♥ Q♣ 10♣ — but that wasn’t enough for Rebel Fish AK who went out in ninth.
It was nearly an hour before the next elimination. Jeff “kidwhowon” Gross was entertaining followers of his Twitch stream as he made the final table with a short stack and then battled gamely.
Finally, though, with the blinds up to 100,000/200,000 Gross open-pushed his almost 18.8 million from the hijack with A♦ 9♣ , then Gordon “holla@yoboy” Vayo reraised to isolate from the small blind with A♣ J♣ .
The flop came 5♠7♣ 3♦ and turn the 8♥ , giving Gross a gutshot, but the river was the 10♠and the kidwhowon show came to an end with an eighth-place finish.
Just three hands later Vico$sarpini min-raised to 400,000, then next-to-act girafganger7 shoved a big chip-leading stack from the button. omgsammjesus called all in from the small blind for not quite 2.1 million, and everyone else folded.
girafganger7 had K♦ 10♦ and was behind omgsammjesus’s A♥ Q♦ , but the board came 8♥ 10♥ 10â™ 4♦ 10♣ to give girafganger7 quads and stop omgsammjesus in seventh.
You could say the day was going well for girafganger7.
KissMyAcePlz was the next to go in sixth after reraise-shoving over a Vico$sarpini open and getting called by the latter. Vico$sarpini’s A♥ Q♥ needed improvement to beat the 9♣ 9♦ of KissMyAcePlz, and the 7♣ Q♦ 10♥ K♦ 3â™ board provided it, sending KissMyAcePlz railward in sixth.
The final five approached the next scheduled break with girafganger7 having built a formidable chip lead — all while also sitting in the top five of the SCOOP “High” Main Event with less than three tables of players left.
When the break arrived the group decided to talk about a possible chop, with girafganger7 in first with almost 26.7 million, Gordon “holla@yoboy” Vayo next with a little less than 13.2 million, Yakiddinme third with almost 7.5 million, Vico$carpini fourth with not quite 6.1 million, and bishbcray fifth with just over 4.8 million.
ICM figures were produced, leaving a whopping $100,000 on the side for which to play. girafganger7 asked for more (bumping up from $727K and change to $745K), and after some discussion the others were able to come to an agreement to make that happen.
The new numbers were provided, and all were asked to type the needed word (“agree”) for the deal to be confirmed:
akiddinme: agree
holla@yoboy: agree
bishbcray: agree
Vico$carpini: I agree
Yakiddinme: and boys speak of me kindly when I pass!!!
girafganger7:
Yakiddinme: Giraf
Yakiddinme: GL in the 10k man
HostRichardH [Commentator]: Gentleman….. We have a deal
girafganger7: thnx m8
Yakiddinme: ur bossing it up everywhere
holla@yoboy: gl in main giraf
girafganger7: i wont 2million
Yakiddinme: hahaha
With just over $1.35 million up top in the “High” Main Event, girafganger7’s goal of earning two million was still in play.
Not too long after play resumed, the blinds were 140,000/280,000 when Vico$carpini open-raised all in for just over 4.23 million from the small blind and leader girafganger7 called from the BB.
Vico$carpini had J♥ 9â™ but had run into girafganger7’s A♣ K♣ . The 6â™ K♦ K♥ flop made things even worse for Vico$carpini, and after the 3â™ turn it was already decided with Vico$carpini taking fifth.
Soon Gordon “holla@yoboy” Vayo was min-raising to 560,000 from the button, then Yakiddinme shoved from the big blind for just over 3.6 million and Vayo called. It was 6♣ 6♥ for Yakiddinme while Vayo had two overs and suited cards with Q♦ J♦ . The board ran out 5♦ 9♥ 8♦ K♥ … 3♦ (!) — that river diamond making a flush for Vayo and eliminating Yakiddinme in fourth.
Just four hands later bishbcray open-shoved for 5.77 million from the small blind (just over 20 BBs’ worth) with K♦ 9♦ and was in trouble after Vayo called from the BB with K♥ 10♥ . The 5♦ 8♥ 7♥ 2♦ A♣ runout missed bishbcray who went out in fourth, and they were down to two.
Those two knockouts had actually pulled Vayo into the chip lead to start heads-up play with 29.8 million to girafganger7’s almost 28.4 million. Meanwhile girafganger7 was still in the top third of the counts with 19 left in the Main Event “High” Main!
They battled for a short while with Vayo widening his lead a little, and when the next break arrived girafganger7 understandably typed “i need a sec” as he wanted to take the full five minutes to step away from his two-table, two-million-dollar quest.
Play continued, with Vayo building a 3.5-to-1 chip lead after calling a big fifth-street bluff by girafganger7 in a hand in which Vayo had rivered a flush. girafganger7 continued to battle, though, and climbed back closer after calling all-in with a pair of queens after Vayo river bluff to earn a big double.
girafganger7 drew back nearly even, but Vayo kept the lead and edged a little ahead once more. They were still close — Vayo with about 30.5 million and girafganger7 not far behind with 27.6 million — when after almost an hour of heads-up play the final hand took place.
The blinds were 180,000/360,000, and Vayo began things with a button raise to 900,000. girafganger7 three-bet it to 2.88 million, Vayo called, and the flop fell 6♣ 4♦ 6♦ .
girafganger7 continued for 1,866,240 and Vayo called, then the turn brought the Q♣ and another bet from girafganger7, this time for 5,860,464. Vayo called once more, bringing the pot up over 21.2 million
The 9♥ river completed the board, and girafganger7 pushed all in for 17,018,316. Vayo called the push.
girafganger7 had A♦ Q♠for aces and sixes, but Vayo had that beat with 6♥ 5♥ for trips, and the big final pot and SCOOP title went to Vayo.
Congratulations to Gordon “holla@yoboy” Vayo who made it all the way to runner-up in another marathon tournament last year in the WSOP Main Event, but got one spot further today in this one to claim the title.
And obvious kudos as well to girafganger7 for winning the biggest slice of the Event #1-H prize pool thanks to the deal, and who at the time of publication sits in 10th position out of 13 players left in the SCOOP “High” Main Event! (In other words, that goal to win two million remains a possibility!)
SCOOP-01-H ($1,050 NLHE) results#
Total entries: 5,821
Prize pool: $5,821,000
Places paid: 566
1. Gordon “holla@yoboy” Vayo (Canada) $692,460.92*
2. girafganger7 (Germany) $745,000.00*
3. bishbcray (Canada) $413,909.56*
4. Yakiddinme (Australia) $480,000.00*
5. Vico$carpini (Brazil) $451,015.38*
6. KissMyAcePlz (Finland) $170,202.54
7. omgsammjesus (India) $119,442.26
8. Jeff “kidwhowon” Gross (Canada) $83,820.65
9. Rebel FishAK (Romania) $58,822.36
* = denotes a five-way deal leaving $100,000 for the winner
# A standard review of the final table has resulted in one player’s funds being frozen. This may result in a change in tournament payouts when the issue has been fully resolved.
Martin Harris is Freelance Contributor to the PokerStars Blog.
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