Online Poker Roundup: Isaac Baron Takes Stars Super Tuesday

Mickey Doft Live Reporter

Dec 31, 2008 6 min read

Online Poker Roundup: Isaac Baron Takes Stars Super Tuesday 0001

The last major online events of 2008 took place at Full Tilt and PokerStars on Monday and Tuesday, respectively. As usual, both events drew solid turnouts, and in a fitting wrap to the year, both events offered several big names at their final tables. Isaac "westmenloAA" Baron captured the Stars Super Tuesday, while the Full Tilt $1K Monday went to Hafiz "hafizzle" Khan. Here's how the final tables unfolded:

PokerStars Super Tuesday

The PokerStars Super Tuesday drew 358 entrants for a prize pool of $358,000. Notable finishers falling short of the final included Peter "twirlpro" Turmezey in 11th place ($5,012), Jacobo "Ktheking" Fernandez in 14th ($4,296), Ryan "ryanbluf" Karp in 18th ($3,580), Taylor "ELMastermind" McFarland in 25th ($2,506), Dustin "neverwin" Woolf in 26th ($2,506), and James "Andy McLEOD" Obst in 37th ($2,148). The final table began with the following chip counts:

PieniFisu - 261,878

TorontoToro - 185,883

bosgerben - 154,184

Phidias "ael1979" Georgiou - 129,269

Isaac "westmenloAA" Baron - 114,342

PreshaDrop - 74,508

Eric "sheets" Haber - 73,932

wsopdude26 - 46,838

ycall - 33,166

With 19 players remaining, Eric "sheets" Haber was down to one big blind but made an impressive comeback to begin the final table seventh in chips. The first to depart was wsopdude26 at the 2,000/4,000/400 level. On the button, ycall raised to 16,000 and wsopdude26 shipped it in from the big blind for 52,688. Ycall called with A♥2♥ and trailed wsopdude26's A♠K♦, but the board ran out 3♦J♦5♣6♦4♥ as ycall hit the straight on the river. Wsopdude26 took $6,265 for ninth place. Phidias "ael1979" Georgiou busted next. Georgiou shoved for 64,903 from middle position with 9♦9♦, but ran into TorontoToro's Q♠Q♥. The board came K♠6♥4♣6♣4♥ and Georgiou was out in eighth place for $8,950.

Eric "sheets" Haber fell in seventh place at 3,000/6,000/600. He lost a large portion of his stack when he called a river bet on a board of 7♥7♠K♠K♦K♣ and his opponent held K♥J♣. His last 30,998 was on the line with J♥8♥ against ycall's A♣J♣. The board rolled out K♦10♣K♣4♥Q♥ and sheets was out in seventh place for $12,530. At 4,000/8,000/800 ycall was sent to the rail after losing several bit pots and becoming the short stack. From the small blind, ycall shoved for 87,934 and PieniFisu called from the big blind with K♥9♥, leading ycall's K♣5♣. The board ran out 4♥9♦4♣4♠10♥ and ycall exited in sixth place for $16,110. PreshaDrop was felted a few hands later after a shove for 109,716 with K♠J♥ from the button, but he ran into TorontoToro's K♥K♦ in the big blind. The board brought no help to PreshaDrop, who was out in fifth place for $20,585. Leaving the final table next was bosgerben after running 5♥5♣ into Isaac "westmenloAA" Baron's 10♣10♦. No five appeared and bosgerben collected $30,072.

PieniFisu finished in third place at 5,000/10,000/1,000. Down to 65,960, PieniFisu moved all in from the small blind with A♦9♦ and was called by TorontoToro in the big blind with J♠9♠. The board came 7♥3♠8♥10♥A♠ as TorontoToro made a straight to bust PieniFisu in third place for $39,380. Heads-up play began with the following chip counts:

TorontoToro - 590,864

Isaac "westmenloAA" Baron - 483,136

Isaac Baron quickly moved into the lead and went on to win the tournament. On the final hand, Baron raised min-raised to 20,000 and TorontoToro called, leading to a 6♦5♣Q♣ flop. TorontoToro checked to Isaac Baron, who bet 25,000, but then TorontoToro raised to 70,000. Baron called and the J♣ hit the turn. TorontoToro shoved all in for 347,864 and Baron took a few moments before calling with A♣Q♦ for top pair and nut flush draw, which trailed TorontoToro's Q♥6♥ for two pair. However, the J♠ fell on the river and Baron made queens and jacks with an ace kicker to clinch the hand. TorontoToro finished as the runner-up and made $52,805, with Isaac "westmenloAA" Baron taking down the Super Tuesday for $69,810.

Final Results:

1. Isaac "westmenloAA" Baron - $69,810

2. TorontoToro - $52,805

3. PieniFisu - $39,380

4. bosgerben - $30,072

5. PreshaDrop - $20,585

6. ycall - $16,110

7. Eric "sheets" Haber - $12,530

8. Phidias "ael1979" Georgiou - $8,950

9. wsopdude26 - $6,265

Online Poker Roundup: Isaac Baron Takes Stars Super Tuesday 101

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Full Tilt $1K Monday

The Full Tilt $1K Monday drew a field of 348 with first place paying $87,000. Among the best finishers to fall shy of the final table were bizzleraises in 11th place ($4,350), jochee in 12th ($4,350), Tyler "TheBrain" Cornell in 14th ($3,480), Grayson "The_Dean221" Nichols in 15th ($3,480), Scott "SCTrojans08" Freeman in 17th ($2,610), Matthew "mr2369" Ross in 18th ($2,610), Stephen "stevie444" Chidwick in 21st ($1,914), Shawn "phat_cat1" Luman in 22nd ($1,914), and David "GhettoFabolous" Randall in 30th ($1,566). The chip counts to start the final table were as follows:

Timothy "highlandfox" Finne - 436,010

Hafiz "hafizzle" Khan - 304,769

Ben "Bttech86" Tollerene - 219,936

Steve "thorladen" Weinstein - 215,578

HipHopNDontStop - 196,111

DIRK_Yes - 102,868

binrich - 98,517

Kenny "Hixx" Hicks - 97,417

Jas11 - 68,794

The first to exit the final table was DIRK_Yes at the 4,000/8,000/1,000 level. Hafiz "hafizzle" Khan raised to 22,000 from early position and DIRK_Yes shoved from the small blind for 74,368. Khan called and tabled A♥Q♥ to DIRK_Yes' A♦J♦. The board ran out 3♣3♥9♠5♠4♦ and DIRK_Yes was out in ninth place for $6,960. Steve "thorladen" Weinstein was the next to go. After losing much of his stack when his pocket aces were defeated by Kenny "Hixx" Hicks' K♦Q♦, Weinstein ran A♥8♥ into HipHopNDontStop's A♠10♠. The board rolled out 10♣4♣3♣5♠J♠ and Steve "thorladen" Weinstein was sent home in eighth place for $8,700.

Hafiz "hafizzle" Khan went on a heater late in the level to vault into the chip lead. With A♠K♥ he raised to 23,000 on the button and Ben "Bttech86" Tollerene re-raised all in from the big blind for 197,436 with 4♦4♥. Khan called and won the race as the board came K♦A♥10♥K♣9♦. Tollerene collected $11,310 for seventh place. In the following hand, Jas11 opened to 20,500 from middle position and Khan made it 56,823 to play. Jas11 then shoved for 180,088 total with J♦J♣ and Khan called with A♠Q♥. The A♣A♦2♣ flop put Khan well out in front, but the J♠ turn card gave Jas11 a full house to take the lead. Khan still had outs to win the hand and connected when the 2♥ fell on the river to make Khan a better full house and eliminate Jas11 in sixth place for $17,400.

Timothy "highlandfox" Finne busted in fifth place at 5,000/10,000/1,000. After losing with K♣K♦ to binrich's A♠7♠ and 8♦8♣ to Kenny "Hixx" Hicks' K♥J♦, Finne shoved for his last 38,240 with 8♦6♦ in the cutoff and was called by binrich from the big blind with J♣9♠. A jack on the flop settled the issue and Finne was out in fifth place for $24,360. At 8,000/16,000/2,000, HipHopNDontStop opened to 38,615 from the cutoff and Hafiz "hafizzle" Khan raised to 112,000 from the small blind. HipHopNDontStop then went all in for 277,715 total and Khan called with 8♠8♣, but trailed HipHopNDontStop's A♣A♠. However, the board ran out 9♣10♦J♥7♦A♥ as Khan spiked a straight on the turn to win the hand. Fourth place paid HipHopNDontStop $32,190. Several hands later, Kenny "Hixx" Hicks opened to 39,000 on the button and binrich shoved from the button for 231,959. Hicks called with A♣3♦, which led binrich's K♥Q♠. The lead went back and forth as the board ran out A♦9♦K♠Q♦A♥ as Hicks won the hand and eliminated binrich in third place for $41,760.

Hafiz "hafizzle" Khan began heads-up play with the chip lead, but Kenny "Hixx" Hicks grabbed hold of it, winning a race with 5♥5♦ against Khan's A♦K♠. Five hands later, though, Khan's 8♥8♦ held against Hicks' A♥J♣ to take a big lead en route to the victory. On the final hand, Hicks shoved with Q♠6♠ and Khan called with A♠9♥. The board came 8♥5♠K♥K♣J♦ as Kenny "Hixx" Hicks finished in second place for $55,680. The winner of the Full Tilt $1K Monday was Hafiz "hafizzle" Khan, who collected $87,000 for the triumph.