Heads-up poker is a nuance of its own. Some players do their best damage in a multi-opponent combative situation, whereas others seem to truly thrive when it's just one-on-one. In a heads-up tournament you never know what type of player you'll be up against from round to round. Some players will want to throw down in an all-out war of nuclear annihilation from the get go, and others will opt for a more conservative route and venture toward a protracted, drawn-out match. So you have to be able to be flexible and win an impromptu street brawl, or bog down in an elongated match, much like an invading army laying siege to a medieval castle.
Greece's 5dioresta went on one heck of a heater to win 11 straight matches (spread out over two days of action) and fade a field of 1,710 heads-up enthusiasts. It wasn't an easy path but somehow 5dioresta was the last one standing and successfully parlayed $109 into a payday worth $21,578.
The middle version of SCOOP Event #8-M $109 NL Heads-Up attracted 1,710 runners. They created a prize pol worth $171,000. The top 256 places paid out with exactly $21,578.49 set aside for the champ.
A total of 64 players survived five matches on Day 1 and all of them locked up a cash. They returned on Day 2 to play down to the championship and figure out which one of them was going to win six heads-up matches in a row.
ELITE 8
5dioresta vs. VAH777
giorgosfer vs. forcadellmg
androo11 vs. Lepych
mr.salgado30 vs. PhilRoyal888
The ninth round started with 2.56M stacks.
BORN UNDER PUNCHES: VAH777 eliminated in 8th place
If you blinked, you might have missed this quickie of a heads-up bout. It wasn't as fast as Mike Tyson-Leon Spinks, or nearly as fast as Connor McGregor's haymaker on Jose Aldo...but it was a fast one. 5dioresta was the first player to advanced to the final four and win the 9th round match. 5dioresta decimated VAH777 early on. VAH777 made a final stand for 617,571 with [Ks][Js], but 5dioresta was ahead with [Ac][4h]. The results were not pretty. 5dioresta flopped trips then rivered a full house when the board ran out [As][Ad][Jh][9c][4d]. VAH777 was dunzo in eighth place, which paid out $3,823.56.
THE GREAT CURVE: giorgosfer eliminated in 7th place
In another quickie of a bout... forcadellmg moved all-in for 4,810,034 and giorgosfer called all-in for 279,246. giorgosfer was not in the best of shape with [Ks][2s] against forcadellmg's [5d][5h]. The board ran out [Qh][Th][8c][6c][3d] and forcadellmg's pocket fives held up. Greece's giorgosfer was knocked out in seventh place, which paid out $3,823.56.
HOUSES IN MOTION: Lepych eliminated in 6th place
Another sad tale of pocket eights getting snapped off by 9-6 offsuit. It's one of those morose bad beat stories that we only tell late at nights in the corner of darken pubs after a head full of liquid courage.The action-inducing flop [5s][4d][3h] was like catnip for these bored house cats. androo11 checked, Lepych fired out 61,440, androo11 brazenly check-raised to 153,600, Lepych thumbed his nose back and shoved for 618,216, and androo11 called. Lepych was ahead with [8s][8d], but androo11 flopped an open-ended straight draw with [9c][6d]. The turn was the [8c], which improved Lepych to a set of eights. The river was the [2s]. One card, the mere [2s], sent a player into the semi-finals and yet the same [2s] sealed a tomb for the other. Lepych was unable to fade a straight and a set of eights were demolished by androo11's six-high straight. Sweden's androo11 moved onto the Final Four, while Russia's Lepych was dunzo in sixth place, which paid out $3,823.56.
SEEN AND NOT SEEN: mr.salgado30 eliminated in 5th place
In the longest of the Elite 8 matches, PhilRoyal888 took out mr.salgado30 after flopping two pair and turning a boat with [Js][8d] against mr.salgado30's [Qc][5c] when the board finished up [Jd][8h][5h][Jc][9h]. mr.salgado30's bustout in fifth place was worth a $3,823.56 payday.
FINAL FOUR
PhilRoyal888 (U.K.) vs. 5dioresta (Greece)
androo11 (Sweden) vs. forcadellmg (Mexico)
The tenth round featured starting stacks at 5.12M.
THE OVERLOAD: forcadellmg eliminated in 4th place
All the money went all-in on the flop of [9d][7s][6h]. forcadellmg flopped top pair and a gutshot with [Ts][9h], but androo11 led with [Qs][Qh]. The turn was the [5c] and the river was the [Jh]. Neither card helped forcadellmg and androo11's pocket Queens held up. Mexico's forcadellmg busted in fifth place, which paid out $6,867.36. Sweden's androo11 became the first player to advance to the finals.
CROSSEYED AND PAINLESS: PhilRoyal888 eliminated in 3rd place
Tough beat. Big Slick got whacked by the "Tourist." 5dioresta open-shoved for 8,655,437 with [Ad][7d] and PhilRoyal888 called all-in for 1,328,563 with [Ah][Kd]. You figure Big Slick would be good, right? Not until a seven hit the flop. The board finished up [Jc][7h][6s][5s][3s] and 5dioresta won the pot with a pair of sevens and advanced to the finals. PhilRoyal888 had over $1.5M in career winnings. The Brit even shipped the Sunday Warm Up in 2014 and made a SCOOP final table 2013, but it was not going to be his special day. Alas, he was busto in third place and bubbled off the final table. For a third place finish, PhilRoyal888 won $6,867.36.
HEADS-UP CHAMPIONSHIP: androo11 (Sweden) vs. 5dioresta (Greece)
Seat 1: 5dioresta (10,240,000)
Seat 2: androo11 (10,240,000)
The 11th and final round featured stacks starting at 10.24M. Blinds started at 51,200/102,400.
The final round lasted 50 minutes. androo11 took an early lead in the second level of play. He got as high as 14M before 5dioresta fought back. By the start of the third level, 5dioresta was the one with nearly a 5M lead with 12.5M to 78M. By the fourth level, the pendulum swung back toward androo11's way and the chips went back to the Swedish side of the table. androo11 opened a 3-1 edge, but was unable to knockout 5dioresta when the opportunity presented itself. Both players held flushes on a board of [Ac][7h][7s][2s][Js], but 5dioresta held [As][5s] versus androo11's [Ks][8s]. 5dioresta doubled up and avoided and elimination to win a 10.3M pot. That would be the last time that androo11 had the lead or a chance to win. Four hands later, it would be all over with a Greek chorus singing 5dioresta's praises.
ONCE IN A LIFETIME: androo11 eliminated in 2nd place; 5dioresta wins SCOOP bracelet!
It was almost even in chips with 5dioresta ahead slightly. 5dioresta opened to 409,600 and androo11 called. On a flop of [6s][4s][3h], androo11 check-called a 409,600 bet from 5dioresta. The [6h] fell on the turn and fireworks ensued. androo11 fired out 819,200, 5dioresta raised to 2,457,600, androo11 shoved for 8,955,458, and 5dioresta called.
androo11: [Kc][Tc]
5dioresta: [6d][3c]
Man, talk about a horrible time to bluff into the nuts! If Walt "Clyde" Frazier was calling the action, he'd say, "androo11 had absolute air when he ran right into the dragon's lair." 5dioresta flopped two pair and turned a full house. The [7s] was the river card and it was official: 5dioresta won the pot and the tournament. Sweden's androo11 headed to the virtual rail in second place. For a runner-up finish, androo11 earned $13,729.59.
Congrats to Greece's 5dioresta for winning a bracelet and a first-place payday worth $21,578.49. Oh, let's not forget the sleek champion's watch courtesy of Movado.
SCOOP-08-M ($109 NL Hold'em, Heads-Up) results
Entrants: 1,710
Total prize pool: $171,000.00
Places paid: 256
1. 5dioresta (Greece) $21,578.49
2. androo11 (Sweden) $13,729.59
3. PhilRoyal888 (U.K.) $6,867.36
4. forcadellmg (Mexico) $6,867.36
5. mr.salgado30 (Brazil) $3,823.56
6. Lepych (Russia) $3,823.56
7. giorgosfer (Greece) $3,823.56
8. VAH777 (Armenia) $3,823.56
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Pauly McGuire is the author of "Lost Vegas" and a freelance contributor to PokerStars Blog.
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