Another day, another big advance for the Brazilians. Although Brazil did not win a bracelet, they sure as heck came close in Super-KO Event #16-L. Three Russians and two Brazilians were among the final nine in Event #16-L. Brazilians have been absolutely obliterating the 2016 SCOOP this spring, so it's no surprise to see Brazil represented at this final table. The narrative in #16-L followed the re-hot Brazilians: would the "Brazilian Storm" continue to wreck havoc, or would it be up to the Russians to stop another Brazilian march toward the winner's circle? In the end, the Brazilians were defeated and the demoralizing Russian winter of discontent thawed out to create a spring season of jubilant rejuvenation.
If it weren't for MrMishkaHU, I might be writing a story about Brazil's tenth bracelet winner. However, the Russian entered the final table as the big stack and pretty much set the tone right away after busting someone with pocket Aces. Call it foreshadowing, but that first major hand at the final table indicated that it was going to be Russia vying for the title instead of Brazil. The Brazilian storm passed... momentarily. MrMishkaHU knocked out both fellow Russians at the final table en route to the SCOOP win. As expected, MrMishkaHU also claimed the most knockout bounties in the tournament with an additional $2,203.20 in prize money earned in this special Progressive Super-KO format.
The low version of SCOOP Event #16-L $11 NL Progressive Super-KO attracted 18,887 runners. The total prize pool was $188,870 and half of it -- $94,435.00 -- was devoted to KO bounties. The top 2,475 places got a cut of the regular portion of prize pool. First place paid out $10,198.80.
Event #16-L was scheduled as a two-day event. Only 141 players made the cut and advanced to Day 2. Croatia's DEJO1986CR bagged up the most chips at the end of Day 1 with 5.5M. Team PokerStars Pro Chris Moneymaker went deep in this Super-KO event, but the champ busted late in the day. Moneymaker finished in 195th place.
With 18 players remaining on the final two tables, Russia's MrMishkaHU took command of the chip lead with 30M, or twice as much as the trio in the chase pack with 14-15M stacks. The players on the two tables were not shy about wanting to throw down and rumble, so the field quickly evaporated from 18 to 10 in a flash. Before anyone knew it, each table was five-handed and action was hand-for-hand. The U.K.'s Grimeyyyy took a shot and missed an attempt to double up with [As][3d] against PhilLaak3991's [Ad][Kh]. Both players flopped an Ace, but PhilLaak3991 won with a better kicker. PhilLaak3991 earned the bounty for busting Grimeyyyy, who bubbled off the final table in tenth place.
SCOOP-16-L - Final Table Chip Counts:
Seat 1: MrMishkaHU (38,044,907)
Seat 2: edyvpakistan (12,944,011)
Seat 3: baronov710 (5,439,948)
Seat 4: sportdrug (31,281,066)
Seat 5: PhilLaak3991 (27,054,603)
Seat 6: xavante89 (14,871,222)
Seat 7: PsyTas (22,665,050)
Seat 8: Giant_Santos (16,410,613)
Seat 9: GiMMeyALL (20,158,580)
The final table commenced during Level 56 with blinds at 250K/500K and a 62.5K ante. Russia's MrMishkaHU was the big dog with the deepest stack at 38M and the richest bounty (and only bounty in excess of four figures). Fellow Russian baronov710 clung onto the short stack with 5.4M. This final table included three Russians and two Brazilians. Would the Russians fend off the Brazilians? Or would someone else sneak in the backdoor and snatch the bracelet?
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PINK NOISE: GiMMeyALL eliminated in 9th place
Do you believe in fate? Or symbols? Or hokey superstitions? It's Friday the 13th, but the first bustout at the final table could not have been scripted better. It could also be a harbinger of doom, or possibly foreshadowing the future.
One of the feeble stacks earnestly tried to double up, but unfortunately got stomped by a monstrous hand from Godzilla-stacked MrMishkaHU. Shorty GiMMeyALL open-shoved for 4,527,069 with [Ac][Th] and it seemed unfair, but the well-endowed Russian ambushed the Finnish player with [Ad][Ah]. The board finished up [Qh][8s][3c][As][6s]. Pocket Aces held up for MrMishkaHU, who won the pot with a set of Aces against GiMMeyALL's pair of Aces. Finland's GiMMeyALL became the first player to exit the final table. Ninth place paid out $566.61 and GiMMeyALL also earned an additional $370.41 in bounties.
And the rich get richer... MrMishkaHU notched $187.73 for the bustout and his own bounty increased to $1,225.51.
THUNDER PEEL: baronov710 eliminated in 8th place
The button didn't even rotate around the table for a half-orbit before we saw a second bustout. One of the three Russians bid adieu. baronov710 came into the final table as the short stack seeking for an opportunity to keep the dream alive. baronov710 dodged the first round of executions, but could not avoid his inevitable fate when it was time for his number to get rung up. Tough break too, because baronov710 got it all-in preflop with the best of it... [Ac][Td] vs. [Qd][5s]. Like that scene from The Big Lebowski, "Sometimes you eat the bar, sometimes the bar eats you." baronov710 got eaten by a Queen on the flop and that's all she wrote.
In the battle of the blinds, edyvpakistan shoved for 29,488,022 with [Qd][5s], but shorty baronov710 woke up with [Ac][Td]. It was almost too good to be true...until the dreaded flop. The board finished up [Qs][8c][2c][3d][6c] and edyvpakistan dragged the pot with a pair of Queens. baronov710 was dunzo in eighth place. The Russian earned $849.91. Russia's edyvpakistan banked $169.73 for picking off fellow Russian baronov710, and edyvpakistan's own bounty jumped to $309.99.
With seven remaining, MrMishkaHU still led with 45.6M and Brazil's Giant_Santos was the shorty with 16.8M.
DEAD WILD CAT: xavante89 eliminated in 7th place
Seven-handed played out the longest than any other segment at the final table. For some peculiar reason, no one could get knocked out until Level 60. Three hands into the new level, we saw the first of two bustouts... including one of the Brazilians. xavante89 open-shoved for 8,043,399 with [Ad][9s] and edyvpakistan re-shoved with [Ac][Qd]. Everyone else bailed. xavante89 was in trouble with a dominated Ace. The board ran out [Qs][8d][2c][Td][6d]. edyvpakistan flopped a pair of Queens to win the pot. Brazil's xavante89 was knocked out in seventh place, which paid out $1,416.52. Now, only one Brazilian remained. Another bounty for edyvpakistan, who collected $185.21, and their own bounty jumped to $495.19.
ONE FOOT IN THE GRAVE: PsyTas eliminated in 6th place
Six-handed only lasted five hands before we had another bustout. PsyTas bombed it all-in for 6,433,723 with [Js][Th] and MrMishkaHU called with [Kc][Tc]. The board did not help PsyTas, which ran out [6h][4s][4c][2h][Td]. The Czech Republic's PsyTas was knocked out in sixth place, which paid out $2,360.87. MrMishkaHU shipped another bounty and banked $201.41, whereas his own bounty increased to $1,426.92
With five to go, PhilLaak3991 led with 54.5M followed by edyvpakistan (48.7M) and sportdrug (31M). The two shorties were roughly even: Giant_Santos (27.4M) and MrMishkaHU (27.2M).
SATAN GAVE ME A TACO: Giant_Santos eliminated in 5th place
The last Brazilian standing busted when Giant_Santos made a final stand with [Ah][2h] but got beat down by PhilLaak3991's [As][Kc]. PhilLaak3991 opened to 2,750,000, Giant_Santos dive-bombed it all-in for 23,868,254 and PhilLaak3991 insta-called. The board finished up [Qc][Js][3s][Jd][6c]. Neither player improved, but PhilLaak3991 won the pot with a pair of Jacks and a Ace-King-Kicker. Giant_Santos was dunzo in fifth place, which paid out $3,305.22. Although Brazil did not win another tournament, they finished fifth and seventh in this event for an impressive feat.
PhilLaak3991 banked $331.80 for sending Giant_Santos home, whereas PhilLaak3991's own bounty increased to $796.48.
JAGERMEISTER PIE: sportdrug eliminated in 4th place
Four-handed went quick. Nine hands later we had yet another bustout during a cooler. Aces versus Big Slick. And yes, Aces held strong and sportdrug got smoked. MrMishkaHU kicked off a raising war with a raise to 2.5M, edyvpakistan re-raised to 6,875,000, sportdrug shoved for 17,678,776, and MrMishkaHU bailed, and edyvpakistan snap-called. sportdrug trailed with [Ah][Kd] against edyvpakistan's [As][Ad]. No superlative miracles for sportdrug, just misery and despair when the board ran out [5d][3s][2h][7d][Kh]. Germany's sportdrug earned a $4,249.57 payday for a fourth-place finish. edyvpakistan picked up a bounty worth $260.91 and edyvpakistan's own bounty increased to $756.09.
With three to go, PhilLaak3991 led with 74.3M, followed by edyvpakistan's 60.5M and MrMishkaHU's 54M.
ROLLINS POWER SAUCE: edyvpakistan eliminated in 3rd place
With two Russians among the final three, you almost expected an all-Russian head-ups match. Alas, the Russia vs. Russia bout occurred during three-handed action. And it wasn't pretty. Big-stacked MrMishkaHU snapped off PhilLaak3991's Jacks after hitting the flop so hard, he nearly fell through his computer screen.
edyvpakistan initiated the assassination attempt with a min-bet, PhilLaak3991 raised to 7,500,000, MrMishkaHU flat-called, edyvpakistan four-bet shoved for 46,823,618, PhilLaak3991 bailed, and MrMishkaHU called. Heads-up between the two Russians.
MrMishkaHU: [As][Qd]
edyvpakistan: [Js][Jh]
Jacks were ahead, but you knew it was coming. The flop was a brutal [Ks][Qs][Qh] and MrMishkaHU seized the lead with trip Queens. The turn was the [9s] and edyvpakistan caught a glimmer of hope with a gutshot draw. Alas, the [5h] spiked on the river and MrMishkaHU won the pot with trips. edyvpakistan busted in third place, which paid out $6,138.27. The Russian also earned an additional $756.48 in bounties.
A remorseful MrMishkaHU typed "Sorry" in the chat box. MrMishkaHU added another bounty to his growing collection. edyvpakistan's head was worth $378.05 and MrMishkaHU's own bounty was raised to $1,804.96
HEADS-UP: MrMishkaHU (Russia) vs. PhilLaak3991 (Hungary)
Seat 1: MrMishkaHU (142,244,951)
Seat 5: PhilLaak3991 (46,625,049)
MrMishkaHU held the obvious advantage. This battle went quick. Lasted a mere five hands or less than three minutes of real time. PhilLaak3991 won only one a single hand during that stretch. MrMishkaHU was simply... unstoppable.
TOTAL SOUL FUTURE: PhilLaak3991 eliminated in 2nd place; MrMishkaHU wins SCOOP bracelet
PhilLaak3991 saw an Ace and let it ride. He bombed it all-in for 32,253,574 with [Ah][5s] and MrMishkaHU could not have called faster with [Js][Jc]. The board ran out [Qs][9h][7c][3h][Jh]. MrMishkaHU rivered a set of Jacks to win the pot. PhilLaak3991 never improved and busted in second place. For a sensational runner-up finish, Hungary's PhilLaak3991 earned $8,026.97 plus nearly $800 in bounties.
Congrats to Russia's MrMishkaHU for winning Event #16-L. First place paid out $10,198.80 plus a premium champion's watch courtesy of Movado. Excellent overall day for MrMishkaHU, who also earned an additional $2,203.20 in bounties on a mere $11 investment.
SCOOP-16-L ($11 NL Hold'em, Progressive Super-Knockout) results
Entrants: 1,360
Total prize pool: $188,700 (Regular pool: $94,435; Bounty pool: $94,435)
Places paid: 2,475
1. MrMishkaHU (Russia) $10,198.80 + $2,203.20 bounties
2. PhilLaak3991 (Hungary) $8,026.97 + $796.48 bounties
3. edyvpakistan (Russia) $6,138.27 + $756.48 bounties
4. sportdrug (Germany) $4,249.57 + $521.81 bounties
5. Giant_Santos (Brazil) $3,305.22 + $663.60 bounties
6. PsyTas (Czech Republic) $2,360.87 + $402.82 bounties
7. xavante89 (Brazil) $1,416.52 + $370.41 bounties
8. baronov710 (Russia) $849.91 + $339.45 bounties
9. GiMMeyALL (Finland) $566.61 + $375.45 bounties
Visit the SCOOP homepage for a complete schedule of remaining events. Plus see who is on top of the Leader Board and in contention for Player of the Series.
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Pauly McGuire is the author of "Lost Vegas" and a freelance contributor to PokerStars Blog.
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