Inaugural MICOOP Awards $2.2 Million, “smftt” Takes Down Main Event for $56,398
Table Of Contents
The first-ever Michigan Championship of Online Poker (MICOOP), which was open to PokerStars players in the Wolverine State, began on February 20 and wrapped on Monday night. The 60-event series proved to be a huge success by catering to 28,830 combined entrants and awarded $2,208,002 in prize money, well ahead of the $1.4 million in guaranteed prize pools.
The series began when “PowerRanges” topped an 883-entry field to win Event #1: $100 NLHE Kick Off, Nightly Star SE for $13,652 and ended on Monday night when “smftt” bested a 1,284-entry field to win Event #55: $300 NLHE Main Event for $56,398.35.
In between, there were several intriguing storylines, including a pair of two-time winners. First, “sexycaitlyn” won Event #6: $200 NLHE Sunday Special SE for $9,567.68 and then the following day took down Event #11: $100 NLHE 4-Max for an additional $5,355.72.
A week later, “Coolriver84” was victorious in Event #34: $100 NLHE 6-Max for $5,495.38 and then won the penultimate tournament of the series in Event #59: $100 NLHE Nightly Stars, good for $6,629.72.
Also claiming a title was Andrew "autokorekt" Korby, who bested a 322-entry field to win Event #43: $100 NLHE 6-Max Turbo for $5,547.22.
For more high-profile wins, check out the recaps from the eight events PokerNews live reported throughout the series.
"smftt" Wins MICOOP Main Event
It was a speedy affair to crown a champion on the final day of MICOOP $300 NLHE $200K GTD Main Event as barely four hours passed to whittle down the 43 Day 2 players to a winner.
After the dust settled, it was Day 1 chip leader "smftt" who came out on top to win the inaugural PokerStars Michigan Championship of Online Poker (MICOOP) Main Event for $56,398.93 after outlasting a field of 1,284 entries over two days of poker. The tournament put the cherry on top of the 60-event series, which catered to 28,830 combined entrants and awarded $2,208,002 in prize money, well ahead of the $1.4 million in guaranteed prize pools.
Forty-three hopefuls entered play on Monday night and picked up where they left off on Sunday's Day 1. "smftt" started the day as the chip leader and stayed atop the leaderboard after nearly half the field was sent out with 26 remaining just three levels into the final day.
An hour later, the field had nearly halved again as 13 remained. By that time, "Ryan Haury" held the chip lead with "smftt" sitting in the middle of the pack. The rapid-fire pace of eliminations continued with "smftt" eliminating "PintiMellon" in 10th place setting the stage for the final table.
MICOOP Main Event Final Table Results
| Position | Player | Prize |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | "smftt" | $56,398.93 |
| 2 | "zscoro" | $40,202.13 |
| 3 | "cbauer6789" | $28,657.44 |
| 4 | "LayThePipeDream" | $20,427.99 |
| 5 | "nldoublej" | $14,561.81 |
| 6 | "GigglyGrizzlies" | $10,380.16 |
| 7 | "PuntnStacks" | $7,399.31 |
| 8 | "Ryan Haury" | $5,274.48 |
| 9 | "sexycaitlyn" | $3,759.82 |
Final Table Action
The final table lineup saw runner-up "zscoro" sit atop the chip counts with eventual champ "smftt" sitting second in chips. "sexycaitlyn", who had won two MICOOP titles earlier in the series, sat at the bottom of the counts so it was no surprise to see them bounce in ninth place after they were set up by "cbauer6789".
"Ryan Haury" sat in the middle of the pack but after a whiffed tussle against "smftt's" pocket aces, they were tossed out in eighth place. The very next level saw two more virtual bodies drop after "PuntnStacks" failed to complete their open-ended straight against "nldoublej" and "GigglyGrizzlies" lost a flip against the eventual champ.
Five-handed play quickly dwindled down to heads-up action after "zscoro" picked-up made hands against "nldoublej", "LayThePipeDream", and "cbauer6789", taking the chip lead into the final battle. The 56,398.93 top prize was on the line and "smftt" walked to the finish line with ease, winning pot-after-pot until they delivered the final blow to "zscoro" and claimed the 2021 inaugural MICOOP Main Event Champion title.
A Good Series for Andrew "autokorekt" Korby
Last month, Andrew "autokorekt" Korby has been on a nice little run on PokerStars Michigan thanks to winning three tournaments in two days. While none of them were official MICOOP events, it was still a nice little heater for the 32-year-old who has been playing the game since the age of 14.
Korby, a full-time pro from Farmington, first took down the $100 NLHE Nightly Stars by besting a 134-entry field for $2,731.11. He followed that up by besting a 45-entry field to win the $200 Bounty Builder PKO for nearly $3,000 more. Finally, he would claim a $20 nightly title for another $1,340.
"Nothing crazy but still not bad," he told PokerNews. Korby usually plays $1-$2 and $2-$5 pot-limit Omaha but has been grinding tournaments now that PokerStars has come to Michigan (he's happy to no longer be traveling over the border to Windsor, Canada to have to play).
"It's nice to have some early success on the new Michigan PokerStars as it's been a long time coming since we've been able to play on here," said Korby, a self-taught player who as put in "lots of hours" and experienced "crazy swings" playing PLO.
According to The Hendon Mob, Korby has $51,701 in live lifetime earnings dating back to 2011. That includes a career-high $9,661 for finishing second in a 2015 Wynn Summer Classic $300 NLH event.
Korby’s PokerStars heater continued as he wound up taking down Event #43: $100 NLHE 6-Max Turbo for $5,547.22 and a coveted MICOOP title.
2021 MICOOP Tournament Winners
| *Date | Tournament | GTD | Entries | Prize Pool | Winner | Prize* | ||
| Saturday, February 20 | Event #1: $100 NLHE Kick Off, Nightly Star SE | $30,000 | 883 | $81,059 | PowerRanges | $13,652 | ||
| Saturday, February 20 | Event #2: $20 NLHE Rebuy | $10,000 | 747 | $34,580 | dgallo8719 | $5,889.48 | ||
| Saturday, February 20 | Event #3: $50 NLHE 8-Max | $20,000 | 777 | $35,353.50 | jmack2828 | $5,999.08 | ||
| Sunday, February 21 | Event #4: $100 NLHE 8-Max Deepstack | $25,000 | 656 | $60,220.80 | WOW $dogecoin | $10,386.42 | ||
| Sunday, February 21 | Event #5: $50 NLHE PKO Sunday Warm-Up SE | $10,000 | 636 | $28,938 | BeetlejuiceHere | $3,791.17 | ||
| Sunday, February 21 | Event #6: $200 NLHE Sunday Special SE | $40,000 | 430 | $79,980 | sexycaitlyn | $9,567.68 | ||
| Sunday, February 21 | Event #7: $25 NLHE Mini Sunday Special | $12,500 | 1,229 | $27,959.75 | Flintston Pip1 | $1,782.01 | ||
| Sunday, February 21 | Event #8: $100 PLO 8-Max | $10,000 | 218 | $20,012.40 | VolcanoBurst | $2,655.83 | ||
| Sunday, February 21 | Event #9: $75 NLHE Second Chance | $7,500 | 299 | $20,406.75 | bushr0d906 | $3,847.01 | ||
| Sunday, February 21 | Event #10: $50 NLHE 8-Max Hyper Turbo Sunday Supersonic | $5,000 | 250 | $11,750 | Redpower42069 | $2,266.42 | ||
| Monday, February 22 | Event #11: $100 NLHE 4-Max | $15,000 | 312 | $28,641.60 | sexycaitlyn | $5,355.72 | ||
| Monday, February 22 | Event #12: $50 NLHE 6-Max PKO Battle Royale | $20,000 | 646 | $29,393 | StatPadford | $5,125.54 | ||
| Monday, February 22 | Event #13: $50 PLO8 8-Max | $7,500 | 280 | $12,740 | imakewinhappen | $2,431.28 | ||
| Tuesday, February 23 | Event #14: $200 NLHE Super Tuesday | $30,000 | 298 | $55,428 | Bout2CrushU | $10,448.68 | ||
| Tuesday, February 23 | Event #15: $30 NLHE Mini Super Tuesday | $15,000 | 950 | $25,935 | strep75 | $3,163.06 | ||
| Tuesday, February 23 | Event #16: $50 PL 5-Card Draw Turbo | $3,000 | 95 | $4,322.50 | Dom007alv | $1,009.48 | ||
| Wednesday, February 24 | Event #17: $100 PLO 6-Max | $7,500 | 158 | $14,504.40 | teddylansky | $2,788 | ||
| Wednesday, February 24 | Event #18: $500 NLH 6-Max High Roller | $35,000 | 131 | $61,570 | Surge_Ibaka | $12,988.35 | ||
| Wednesday, February 24 | Event #19: $50 NLH 6-Max | $20,000 | 562 | $25,571 | ShortGME | $3,381.71 | ||
| Thursday, February 25 | Event #20: $200 NLH PKO Thursday Thrill | $30,000 | 256 | $47,616 | Owens18853 | $9,778.32 | ||
| Thursday, February 25 | Event #21: $30 NLH PKO Mini Thursday Thrill | $22,713.60 | 832 | $22,713.60 | DrnknMunky81 | $3,180.88 | ||
| Thursday, February 25 | Event #22: $30 5-Card PLO 6-Max Turbo | $30,000 | 198 | $5,405.40 | NooWayyy | $1,062.98 | ||
| Friday, February 26 | Event #23: $100 FLHE 6-Max | $5,000 | 87 | $7,986.60 | smyoung17 | $1,948.04 | ||
| Friday, February 26 | Event #24: $100 NLHE Big Antes | $7,500 | 342 | $31,395.60 | Pepbuzz | $5,858.88 | ||
| Friday, February 26 | Event #25: $150 NLHE 6-Max Turbo | $10,000 | 136 | $18,727.20 | chunkypineapple | $3,950.61 | ||
| Saturday, February 27 | Event #26: $50 HORSE Turbo | $6,000 | 278 | $12,649 | new_doc793 | $2,413.88 | ||
| Saturday, February 27 | Event #27: $50 NLHE Rebuy | $20,000 | 394 | $37,901.50 | BigBensPigPen | $3,425.60 | ||
| Saturday, February 27 | Event #28: $100 NLHE Turbo Saturday Speedway | $20,000 | 287 | $26,346.60 | equitorialhaze | $5,027.51 | ||
| Sunday, February 28 | Event #29: $100 NLHE 8-Max Marathon | $50,000 | 575 | $52,785 | "SayWhen13" | $7,132.41 | ||
| Sunday, February 28 | Event #30: $50 NLHE Sunday Warm Up | $25,000 | 602 | $27,391 | ChippewaBadger7 | $4,243.99 | ||
| Sunday, February 28 | Event #31: $250 NLHE Sunday Special | $100,000 | 461 | $107,413 | GrndChalengChmp | $19,161.33 | ||
| Sunday, February 28 | Event #32: $30 NLHE Sunday Special Mini | $30,000 | 1,137 | $31,040.10 | BlackNBlueReign | $4,978.57 | ||
| Sunday, February 28 | Event #33: $50 PLO 8-Max Turbo | $10,000 | 191 | $10,000 | new man i244 | $1,986.63 | ||
| Sunday, February 28 | Event #34: $100 NLHE 6-Max | $20,000 | 319 | $29,284.20 | Coolriver84 | $5,495.38 | ||
| Sunday, February 28 | Event #35: $75 NLHE Hyper-Turbo Sunday Supersonic | $20,000 | 209 | $20,000 | Jbird401 | $3,900.47 | ||
| Monday, March 1 | Event #36: $50 NLHE 4-Max | $15,000 | 452 | $20,566 | IsleOfSkyGuy | $3,663.89 | ||
| Monday, March 1 | Event #37: $100 NLHE 6-Max PKO Battle Royale | $25,000 | 414 | $38,005.20 | bigbuck2150 | $6,370.66 | ||
| Tuesday, March 2 | Event #38: $250 NLHE Super Tuesday | $50,000 | 257 | $59,881 | 9NINENINE | $11,525.02 | ||
| Tuesday, March 2 | Event #39: $50 NLHE Super Tuesday Mini | $25,000 | 644 | $29,302 | JBzDAD | $5,135.90 | ||
| Tuesday, March 2 | Event #40: $50 Stud Hi Lo | $5,000 | 134 | $6,097 | UraPokerPro23 | $1,340.76 | ||
| Wednesday, March 3 | Event #41: $250 PLO 6-Max High Roller | $20,000 | 108 | $25,164 | grandma1967 | $5,876.69 | ||
| Wednesday, March 3 | Event #42: $30 PLO 6-Max | $5,000 | 385 | $10,510.50 | toneloco6464 | $1,231.56 | ||
| Wednesday, March 3 | Event #43: $100 NLHE 6-Max Turbo | $20,000 | 322 | $29,559.60 | Andrew "autokorekt" Korby | $5,547.22 | ||
| Thursday, March 4 | Event #44: $250 NLHE PKO Thursday Thrill | $50,000 | 276 | $64,308 | DegenCNol | $12,749.11 | ||
| Thursday, March 4 | Event #45: $50 NLHE PLO Thursday Thrill Mini | $25,000 | 634 | $28,847 | Theseus Q | $4,491.34 | ||
| Thursday, March 4 | Event #46: $20 NLHE Turbo | $15,000 | 773 | $15,000 | Shep Dah | $1,791.54 | ||
| Friday, March 5 | Event #47: $10 NLHE 6-Max Rebuy | $15,000 | 760 | $21,157.50 | FarmingYou | $3,594.18 | ||
| Friday, March 5 | Event #48: $75 NLHE | $15,000 | 558 | $38,083.50 | smileybpoker | $6,726.72 | ||
| Friday, March 5 | Event #49: $20 NLHE 6-Max Turbo | $5,000 | 598 | $10,883.60 | seif71 | $1,903.65 | ||
| Saturday, March 6 | Event #50: $50 8-Game | $10,000 | 276 | $12,558 | LucifersPop | $2,389.91 | ||
| Saturday, March 6 | Event #51: $50 NLHE 6-Max Turbo Zoom | $15,000 | 520 | $23,660 | ivegotstylekid | $4,186.37 | ||
| Saturday, March 6 | Event #52: $50 NLHE Turbo Saturday Speedway | $10,000 | 374 | $17,017 | may0master | $3,119.14 | ||
| Sunday, March 7 | Event #53: $50 NLHE 8-Max Marathon | $35,000 | 771 | $35,080.50 | Turb0Rapt0r | $5,952.99 | ||
| Sunday, March 7 | Event #54: $100 NLHE PKO | $40,000 | 460 | $42,228 | PureMiLizKing | $6,818.32 | ||
| Sunday, March 7 | Event #55: $300 NLHE Main Event | $200,000 | 1,284 | $359,520 | smftt | $56,398.35 | ||
| Sunday, March 7 | Event #56: $50 NLHE Mini Main Event | $50,000 | 1,201 | $54,645.50 | BiggYBlains22 | $8,573.25 | ||
| Sunday, March 7 | Event #57: $200 NLHE 6-Max Turbo | $30,000 | 109 | $30,000 | J_Voorhees187 | $7,006.04 | ||
| Sunday, March 7 | Event #58: $100 NLHE Hyper-Turbo Sunday Supersonic | $15,000 | 247 | $23,465 | LDKZOO17 | $2,826.95 | ||
| Monday, March 8 | Event #59: $100 NLHE Nightly Stars | $30,000 | 540 | $49,572 | Coolriver84 | $6,629.72 | ||
| Monday, March 8 | Event #60: $20 NLHE Heads-Up Turbo PKO Zoom | $10,000 | 872 | $15,870.40 | Snapitoffinyou | $2,498.06 |
