WCOOP Highlights: Vote for the Best Hand and Win a $55 Ticket
The World Championship of Online Poker on PokerStars has wrapped up, awarding millions of dollars across the weeks it ran through early- to mid-September.
As with any big poker tournament series, the WCOOP produced its share of highlight hands. PokerStars elected to look back at the best of the ones played by some of its Team Pros, and there were certainly a few doozies that merit watching.
Furthermore, PokerStars is giving away some goodies and making a contest of it. Fans can vote for the hand they think is best by going to this Twitter poll. Then, reply to the poll with their PokerStars ID and the chosen hand's hashtag.
If the hand you vote for wins, you'll be entered into a drawing for five $55 tournament tickets to be given away.
Even if you can't participate because you live in a region where PokerStars doesn't operate, though, these hands are still worth seeing.
PokerStars Team Pros WCOOP Hand Highlights
#GrossRiver
Flopping the nuts is fun in poker. Few would dispute that. Less fun is flopping the nuts and having the board run out where it's relatively easy for the flopped nuts to lose.
That's exactly what happened to Jeff Gross. He took his J♣10♣ and flopped jacks full of tens, only to see four to a straight flush run out. All of a sudden, a few hands could beat Gross. Any single hand with the 8♥ in it made a straight flush, and when Gross' opponent checked to him on the river, he had a decision to make.
Most would say it's an automatic value-bet. Gross took some time to think, and watch the video to see how the river wound up playing out.
#Bustonoko
Randy "nanonoko" Lew was dealt a big hand in a perfect spot when he picked up pocket queens in the big blind on a stack of just 14 big blinds in a $530 event.
When action folded to the button, Lew found himself begging for an open and praying he'd get action on his monster. He got that and more as the player there raised, with the small blind coming in for a three-bet to 15,000. Lew's stack of about 42,000 meant he was almost assuredly getting action, so he crammed it in knowing he had a good chance of a double.
Check out the hand to see how it all went down and why the hashtag #Bustonoko represents this one.
#HeroJason
No player's Twitch feed has gotten more love over the years than that of Jason Somerville, so it's no surprise he was grinding out a WCOOP schedule. He's well-known for his mixed game prowess and he was playing the $215 8-Game for his fans.
However, it was the no-limit section of that event on Day 2 where Somerville played a huge pot. He faced a pot-sized shove on the river holding second pair and a nut blocker and had a big decision to make for his stack against a player who covered him.
Watch Somerville decide if he should play hero.
#RaSZiRead
Lex Veldhuis made his name as a bluffer extraordinaire back in the day but he showed he's still got the bluffing chops in a big hand in the $215 Four-Max event.
Veldhuis fired a semi-bluff on the turn and bricked the river, being left with just jack-high. His only chance of winning was seemingly another bluff, so that's exactly what he did with a small bet of 3,000 into a pot of 7,800. His opponent responded with a raise, but Veldhuis' instincts kicked in.
He wasn't a believer and responded in kind, as you can see in the video.
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