Online Poker Recap: 'ib4eman', 'VARICO' Notch Big Wins

Mickey Doft Live Reporter

Dec 10, 2008 6 min read

Online Poker Recap: 'ib4eman', 'VARICO' Notch Big Wins 0001

The early-week majors at Full Tilt and PokerStars pulled in similar-sized fields on Monday and Tuesday evenings, respectively, with only a two-entrant difference between the tourneys. "VARICO" captured top honors in the PokerStars Super Tuesday, while "ib4eman" celebrated a big win in the Full Tilt $1,000 Monday. Here's how the action unfolded:

Full Tilt $1,000 Monday

The Full Tilt $1,000 Monday drew 363 entrants, with first place awarding $90,750. Among the best finishers falling shy of the final table were Dennis "dendog2" LaFountain in 10th ($4,538), David "The Yid" Chicotsky in 14th ($3,630), Ryan "ryanbluf" Karp in 18th ($2,723), Greg "DuckU" Hobson in 20th ($1,997), ChipSteela in 25th ($1,996.50), Annette "Annette_15" Obrestad in 29th ($1,633.50), and Luke "MagikStick8" Vrabel in 34th ($1,633.50). The chip counts to start the table were as follows:

Wolfman7979 - 175,395

Brock "bobcards2" Parker - 167,802

ib4eman - 159,762

torkolort - 136,365

paperdotcom - 111,669

bizzleraises - 103,671

Jeremiah "Believer8219" Vinsant - 99,057

Eugene "myrabbifoo" Katchalov - 68,564

PeachyMer - 66,715

Eliminated first at 1,700/3,400/400 was Eugene "myrabbifoo" Katchalov. Under the gun, he raised to 8,100 and ib4eman called out of the big blind. The flop came 3♣J♠7♠ and ib4eman checked it over to Katchalov, who bet 12,000, which led to ib4eman raising all in. Katchalov called all in for 42,864 with 8♥8♠ and was against ib4eman's overcards and draws with 10♠9♠. The 4♠ came on the turn and the hand was clinched for ib4eman with a flush. Eugene "myrabbifoo" Katchalov earned $7,260 for the ninth-place finish. Jeremiah "Believer8219" Vinsant was the next to depart, at 2,000/4,000/500. Under the gun, Vinsant shoved for 67,457 with 10♦10♥, but ran into Brock "bobcards2" Parker's K♦K♣. No ten would find the board and Vinsant was out in eighth for $9,075.

During the 2,500/5,000/600 level, PeachyMer's tournament came to an end. She ran A♦Q♥ into bizzleraises' A♥K♠ and couldn't find any help as the board came 3♣7♠6♠9♠4♠, finishing seventh for $11,797.50. Wolfman7979 exited next, at 3,000/6,000/750. Brock "bobcards2" Parker raised to 15,000 from middle position and Wolfman7979 went all in for 31,245 from the small blind. Parker called with Q♠J♠ and had the edge on Wolfman7979's Q♦10♥. The board rolled out Q♥4♠5♥8♦K♣ and Wolfman7979 departed in sixth for $18,150.

A few hands later ib4eman opened with a min-raise to 12,000 under the gun and bizzleraises made it 48,000 to play on the button. Ib4eman reraised to 156,750 and bizzleraises put in a leftover 25,000 to be all in. The cards were revealed – K♠K♦ for bizzleraises and A♠K♦ for ib4eman. The board came J♣6♥10♣7♣Q♣ as ib4eman made Broadway on the river to send bizzleraises to the rail in fifth place for $25,410. Late in the level, torkolort raised all in from the big blind with Q♣7♣ in a limped pot, but ib4eman called with A♣7♥. The cards came out 8♣2♥10♣5♠10♥ as the flopped flush draw never materialized. Torkolort took fourth place for $33,577.50.

The remaining players' chip counts were then as follows:

paperdotcom - 175,524

ib4eman - 595,772

Brock "bobcards2"Parker - 317,704

Three-handed play lasted nearly three levels before Brock Parker succumbed in third, at 6,000/12,000/1,500. After losing a coin flip, Parker set his remaining 93,460 all in with A♠4♦ and was called by paperdotcom, who held 4♣4♥. The board came 10♦8♦8♣K♥Q♣ and Parker was gone in third for $43,560. Starting heads-up play, ib4eman held 711,492 in chips to paperdotcom's 377,508. At 8,000/16,000/2,000, it came to a close when ib4eman min raised to 32,000 and paperdotcom shoved for 254,008 with K♦Q♥. Ib4eman called with 8♣8♦ and when the board rolled out 2♠2♦5♠9♣7♥, paperdotcom was out as runner-up for $58,000. The winner of the Full Tilt $1,000 Monday was ib4eman, who collected $90,750.

Final Results:

1. ib4eman - $90,750

2. paperdotcom - $58,080

3. Brock "bobcards2" Parker - $43,560

4. torkolort - $33,577.50

5. bizzleraises - $25,410

6. Wolfman7979 - $18,150

7. PeachyMer - $11,797.50

8. Jeremiah "Believer8219" Vinsant - $9,075

9. Eugene "myrabbifoo" Katchalov - $7,260

Online Poker Recap: 'ib4eman', 'VARICO' Notch Big Wins 101

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PokerStars Super Tuesday

The PokerStars Super Tuesday drew a field of 365, with a winner's prize of $78,000 up for grabs. Among the best finishers falling short of the final table were Stephen "stevie444" Chidwick in 11th place ($5,600), Mike "MPetes" Peters in 13th ($4,800), Paul "uclabruinz" Smith in 14th ($4,800), Josh Prager in 26th ($2,800), and Stuart "thedonator" Paterson in 28th ($2,600). The chip counts starting the final table were as follows:

Alvaro "VARICO" Ballesteros - 313,753

Matias "Festivuss" Gabrenja - 162,496

Thomas "BMH v.2.37" Rau - 144,042

Mike "chapmoney" Chappus - 140,764

ale3560 - 110,467

caio_pimenta - 75,201

caprioli - 54,978

Dani "supernova9" Stern - 46,927

Wesley "tEh_R3aLde4L" Whybrew - 46,372

The first elimination was of the double variety at 1,500/3,000/300. From the cutoff, caio_pimenta moved all in for 30,929, and on the button, Thomas "BMH v.2.37" Rau reshoved for 143,742. This was as good as it could get for Mike "chapmoney" Chappus, who held A♣A♦ in the small blind. He went all in for a little bit more than Rau's shove and got the big blind to fold. Caio_pimenta tabled K♦9♦, Rau showed A♥K♠, and Chappus was a big favorite to grab hold of the chip lead. The board came 6♣10♥10♥2♥3♣ and two players hit the rail. Caio_pimenta took ninth place for $7,000 while Thomas "BMH v.2.37" Rau earned $10,000 for eighth place.

At 2,000/4,000/400, the tournament would come to an end for Wesley "tEh_R3aLde4L" Whybrew. Mike "chapmoney" Chappus shoved on the button with the big stack holding 2♠2♦ and Whybrew called all in for 40,017 with A♦10♥ in the small blind. A deuce came on the flop and Whybrew did not recover, finishing seventh for $14,000. Later in the level caprioli packed his bags too. Alvaro "VARICO" Ballesteros raised to 9,999 from the cutoff and caprioli shipped it in from the big blind for 68,356 with 4♥4♣. Ballesteros called with 10♦10♣. The board came 3♦Q♥6♥J♠2♣ and caprioli was out in sixth for $18,000. Just before the break, Dani "supernova9" Stern headed for the exit. Mike Chappus made it 12,000 to go from the button and Stern shoved for 149,163 with A♠J♥. Chappus called with 8♣8♥ and fell behind when the flop came 7♥J♣A♦. The turn was an irrelevant Q♣, but the 8♦ fell on the river and the chips went in Chappus' direction. Dani "supernova9" Stern finished fifth for $23,000.

At the beginning of the 3,000/6,000/600 level, Matias "Festivuss" Gabrenja busted when his reraise all in with A♦2♠ ran into ale3560's K♦K♠. The 10♠Q♦J♦ flop provided only thin hope, and the turn and river were blanks as Gabrenja finished fourth for $33,600. Three-handed play did not last past the level as Mike "chapmoney" Chappus exited next. After losing more than half his stack, chapmoney was eliminated when Alvaro "VARICO" Ballesteros opened to 17,777 on the button and Chappus went all in for 142,343 with A♥8♦. VARICO called with 6♦6♣ and won the hand hand when the board ran out 2♣9♥Q♦J♥6♥. Mike "chapmoney" Chappus earned $44,000 for the third-place showing. The chip counts to start heads-up play were the following:

Alvaro "VARICO" Ballesteros - 833,696

ale3560 - 261,304

It took just five hands for Ballesteros to notch the victory. Ale3560 opened to 18,000 on the button and Ballesteros set his opponent all in. ale3560 called quickly and revealed A♣3♦ to VARICO's 4♠4♥. The board rolled out 5♠6♣Q♦8♦3♥ and ale3560 finished as the runner-up for $59,000, while Alvaro "VARICO" Ballesteros' pocket fours held up for the Super Tuesday win, worth $78,000.