The Online Railbird Report: Ivey Returns To FTP Tables; Blom Banks $1.35 Million In Two Days
For the second week in a row, Full Tilt Poker, not PokerStars, has been the place to go for high-stakes online cash-game action. Last week we reported on the high-stakes games that sprung up alongside the Full Tilt Online Poker Series XXI (FTOPS XXI), and those games have continued throughout the week.
While the Full Tilt has been making headlines of its own, the high-stakes games have been producing some interesting story lines. For instance, former FTP pro Phil Ivey returned to the tables for the first time since the site relaunched, and current FTP Professional Viktor “Isildur1” Blom finished as the week’s biggest winner with $1.1 million in profit, which came over the course of 48 hours.
For a look at the FTOPS XXI results thus far, click here.
Other big winners on FTP included “davin77” (+$710,434 in 106 sessions/13,049 hands) and Eugene “fishosaurusREX” Yanayt (+$521,706 in 92 sessions/14,424 hands), while “Gozoboro” (+$425,523 in 39 sessions/3,171 hands) and “GSinishtaj” (+$296,044 in 21 sessions/3,303 hands) both won big over on PokerStars.
All of the week’s biggest losers came from FTP. They included Alex “Alexonmoon” Luneau (-$491,777 in 57 sessions/6,968 hands), “Poker_KaMI” (-$456,446 in 35 sessions/4,919 hands), Ilkka “LokoIsBack” Koskinen (-$427,797 in 19 sessions/3,027 hands), “patpatpanda” (-$310,504 in 104 sessions/17,206 hands) and Gus Hansen (-$270,750 in 97 sessions/12,858 hands).
Full Tilt Poker’s $200/$400 PLO Games Going Strong
On Thursday, Dec. 6, the $200/$400 capped pot-limit Omaha games were going strong over on Full Tilt. Numerous pros tried their luck throughout the day, but no one fared better than “Schoitl”, who played nearly 2,000 hands over 10.5 hours and won $305,600. Likewise, “SetoKaiba1” (+$195,000), “davin77” (+$142,600) and Rob “Vaga_Lion” Akery (+$136,900) all left the game winners.
In his biggest pot, action was six-handed when “Schoitl” ($16,697) opened for $900 from the cutoff and Jens “Ingenious89” Kyllönen ($18,171) called from the button. After the small blind folded, Ilkka “LokoIsBack” Koskinen ($40,007.50) opted for a three-bet to $3,800 from the big, both the other players called, and it was three-way action to the Q♠7♣6♥ flop. Koskinen quickly led out for $11,600, “Schoitl” moved all in for $12,000, and Kyllönen called. After Koskinen put out the additional $400, the cards were turned up:
Showdown
Kyllönen: 9♦8♠6♠2♦
“Schoitl”: J♣4♣8♥7♥
Koskinen: A♥A♠2♣3♦
The 8♣ turn and 2♥ river completed the board, and “Schoitl” came from behind to make two pair and swipe the $48,197 pot.
In the day’s biggest pot (which happened at a CAP table remember), action was five-handed when “Schoitl” ($17,604) opened for $1,000 under the gun and “davin77” ($23,894) three-bet to $3,600 from the cutoff. Ben “Bttech86” Tollerene ($9,890) called from the button, “patpatpanda” ($80,338) called from small blind, and then “Schoitl” four-bet to $17,000. “davin77” called, Tollerene called off, and “patpatpanda” came along, capping the pot at $58,288.
Showdown
Tollerene: K♥K♦3♥8♣
“Schoitl”: A♠A♥5♠4♣
“patpatpanda”: 9♦7♦8♠5♥
“davin77”: A♣A♦Q♠J♠
There were some big hands tabled, but it was “davin77” who was pushed the pot after the board ran out 2♣Q♣Q♥7♠2♦ to give him trip queens.
Blom Banks Half A Million On Friday; Adds Another $670,900 on Monday
Viktor “Isildur1” Blom is a member of Full Tilt Poker’s The Professionals, and last Friday he showed just why he’s earned that distinguished title as he banked $553,000. The Swede began the day with a $150,000 win at the $25/$50 PLO tables, with his biggest hand coming in a five-handed game.
It happened when Blom ($14,590) opened for $150 from the cutoff only to have “2Ari Gold” ($10,184) three-bet to $575 from the button. Both blinds folded, Blom made the call, and the flop fell J♠7♣2♦, which both players checked. When the 5♠ turned, Blom led out for $1,050, “2Ari Gold” called, and the 2♣ completed the board on the river. This time Blom slowed down with a check, and “2Ari Gold” fired out $2,075. Blom then woke up with a check-raise to $9,600 and “2Ari Gold” called off his remaining $6,474, creating a pot of $20,470. Blom tabled 2♠7♦3♠6♦ for a full house, and it was good as “2Ari Gold” simply mucked.
Blom soon switched from PLO to the more lucrative $1,000/$2,000 and $1,500/$3,000 2-7 Triple Draw tables. It was there that he destroyed the competition over the course of ten hours to earn the rest of his profit. Who was the competition? One was Alexander “PostFlopAction” Kostritsyn, who dropped $159,000, and the other was Scott “mastrblastr” Seiver, who lost $191,000.
Meanwhile, Koskinen dropped $210,000 at the $200/$400 CAP PLO tables, making it two days in a row that he dropped more than $200,000. Other winners on the day included “patpatpanda” (+$191,500), Ben “Bttech86” Tollerene (+$179,700) and “Davin77” (+$114,000).
As if winning half a million wasn’t enough, Blom was back in action on Monday. He played a variety of games over 11 hours, at the end of which he profited +$670,900. That brought his winnings since Friday up to an astounding +$1.35 million, which also made him a +$1.05 winner on FTP since the site’s relaunch.
Blom took $275,300 of his winnings from the fixed-limit Omaha Hi/Lo (FLO8) tables, $236,700 of it came from playing pot-limit Omaha, and $158,900 from 2-7 Triple Draw. As far as FLO8 was concerned, Blom destroyed Gus Hansen to the tune of $275,000, though the "Great Dane" mitigated his day’s losses, which were $154,500, by winning $218,000 at the 2-7 Triple Draw tables.
Speaking of 2-7, it was there that Blom relieved Yanayt of $159,000 in 673 hands. Despite losing to the Swede, Yanayt finished as the day’s second-biggest winner with $237,400 in profit.
The action may have been spread out all over the place on Monday, but it wasn’t too surprising to see the day’s biggest hand take place over at the PLO tables. Here’s a look at that $65,600 pot:
Phil Ivey Returns To Full Tilt Poker
On Tuesday, Phil Ivey returned to the Full Tilt Poker tables under the new screen name “Polarizing”. If you recall, FTP sent an email to its former “Red Pros” in late November informing them of the following:
“For players who changed their screen name once they became sponsored by FTP, we would like to give you a one-off opportunity to change your Screen Name back to the name you used right before you became a sponsored player. We will not allow you to change it to any new screen name, or any screen name used other than the last one used right before you began representing FTP.”
Ivey has amassed more the $19 million in lifetime earnings off FTP, and his return to the virtual felt got off to a good start when he won $145,600 playing $1,000/$2,000 2-7 Triple Draw, which was enough to make him the day’s second biggest winner. By week's end, Ivey had played 1,318 hands over 13 sessions for +$189,808.
The “Polarizing” handle first became linked to Ivey in the poker.org forums by high-stakes player “ioi”, who received and posted the following email from FTP:
Hello ioi, we are contacting you regarding one of your Full Tilt Poker opponents. The player in question plays under the username Phil Ivey.
As you are no doubt aware, we do not allow players to change their screen names. However, in exceptionally rare cases we do allow it. In this instance, we have made the decision, based on a number of circumstances, that this screen name will be changed.
From now on, this player will be using the screen name Polarizing.
Our decision to inform you of this change is also exceptional and is not our standard procedure. However, in light of recent events, we feel it is important to make this player’s opponents aware of the change to avoid any unfair advantage being gained.
Regards,
Full Tilt Poker
Ivey isn’t the first former FTP pro to change his screen name. Alex Luneau has already reverted back to “Alexonmoon”, which was his original name on the site.
It was also on Tuesday that Blom gave a little of his +$1.35 million back. The Swede lost $147,000 to “patpatpanda” at the $200/$400 PLO tables, which is also where the day’s biggest pot took place.
It happened when Blom ($84,998.50) raised to $1,200 on the button and “patpatpanda” ($107,016.50) called from the big blind, bringing about a flop of 9♣2♣6♥. “Patpatpanda” proceeded to check-raise Blom’s bet of $2,000 up to $6,800, the Swede three-bet $17,600, and “patpatpanda” called. When the Q♦ turned, “patpatpanda” returned to checking and Blom fired out $37,600. Again “patpatpanda” woke up with a check-raise, this time to $88,216.50, and Blom called off his remaining $28,598.50.
Showdown
“patpatpanda”: 2♥6♠3♦6♦
Blom: Q♣9♥5♥4♥
Blom had turned top two pair, but it was no good as “patpatpanda” had flopped a set of sixes. The A♠ river was of no consequence and “patpatpanda” was pushed the $169,997 pot.
Biggest Winners/Losers
Week’s biggest winners (12/5-12/12): Viktor “Isildur1” Blom* (+$1,100,200), “davin77”* (+$710,434), Eugene “fishosaurusREX” Yanayt* (+$521,706), “Gozoboro” (+$425,523), “GSinishtaj” (+$296,044), Sebastien “Seb86” Sabic* (+$243,456)
Week’s biggest losers: Alex “Alexonmoon” Luneau* (-$491,777), “Poker_KaMI”* (-$456,446), Ilkka “LokoIsBack” Koskinen* (-$427,797), “patpatpanda”* (-$310,504), Gus Hansen* (-$270,750)
Biggest Year-to-date winners: Ben “Sauce123” Sulsky (+$3,630,292), Jens “Jeans89” Kyllönen (+$2,524,981), “EireAbu” (+$2,176,527), Ben “Ben86” Tollerene (+$2,081,303), Alex “Kanu7” Millar (+$1,635,244), “bernard-bb” (+$1,488,484), Niklas “ragen70” Heinecker (+$1,473,444), Phil “MrSweets28” Galfond (+$1,417,998), “longerpig” (+$1,392,569)
*Indicates Full Tilt Poker
Data, hands and re-player obtained from HighStakesDB.com
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