PokerStars WCOOP Hands of the Week: Spragg and Grafton Tangle, Ventura Finds Final Table Straight Flush
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Over the years, we’ve captured memorable hands, many of which have become a part of poker history. In this new column, we will bring you some of the biggest hands of the week as reported in the PokerNews Live Updates. This week, we're featuring five of the biggest and most interesting hands as reported during the PokerStars World Championship of Online Poker 2021 series.
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Rollercoaster Ride Ends With Rudolph Busting Greenwood
Sam Greenwood seemed to be heading in the right direction at the WCOOP-04-H: $5,200 NLHE 8-Max High Roller final table. The Canadian tournament crusher has just doubled up at the hands of Christian Rudolph, replenishing Greenwood’s stack to just under 30 big blinds.
Level 25 (75,000/150,000) proved to be the last level of the day for Greenwood, however. Greenwood and Rudolph tangled again shortly after Greenwood’s double, in a pocket aces versus pocket kings setup.
Rudolph three-bet versus an early-position open with A♦A♠, and Greenwood four-bet jammed his 4,161,204 stack from the small blind with K♥K♣. Greenwood called, and the fun was just beginning.
The flop came Q♦9♣8♠, but a K♠ turn put Greenwood ahead with a set of kings. That triumph was short-lived, however, as a river A♥ clinched the hand for Rudolph.
Greenwood finished ninth for $26,402, while Rudolph went on to finish third for a $118,600 payday.
Ventura Flops It Four-Handed
Later on at the WCOOP-04-H: $5,200 NLHE 8-Max High Roller final table, Diego “Die Ventura” Ventura found a dream flop at an optimal juncture. With four players remaining in the $1 million guaranteed tournament, a blind versus blind matchup unfolded on Level 28 (150,000/300,000).
Action folded to Ventura in the small blind, and Ventura shoved for 17,715,135 with 5♥3♥. It was Michel “FreeLancerZZ” Dattani calling for 4,163,273 with A♠2♠.
The postflop drama didn’t last long, as Ventura flopped a straight flush with 4♥2♥6♥ hitting the board. Drawing dead at that point, Dattani exited with a fourth-place finish ($92,330) after the turn 8♥ and river J♣ fell.
Ventura went on to a second-place finish, cashing for $152,344.
Spragg Wins the Battle of PokerStars Ambassadors
Two members of Team PokerStars got into it in the early stages of WCOOP-22: $5,200 NLHE 8-Max Progressive KO High Roller.
With the blinds at 2,000/4,000, Sam Grafton opened to 10,000 on the button with 9♥5♥, Ben “Spraggy” Spragg three-bet to 40,000 from the big blind with J♦J♠, and Grafton made the call.
Spragg continuation bet for 38,000 on the 8♣7♥5♣ flop, and Grafton raised all-in for his remaining 129,593. Spragg snap-called.
No help came for Grafton on the 3♠ turn or A♠ river, with Spragg ending Grafton’s second-bullet run. Spragg went on to cash for $5,436 in a 16th-place finish in the tournament.
Barer Storms Into the Chip Lead
Just a bit earlier in WCOOP-22: $5,200 NLHE 8-Max Progressive KO High Roller, Ami Barer took down a huge pot and rose to the top of the chip counts in the early stages of the event,
The hand unfolded with the blinds at 1,400/2,800. Barer three-bet to 21,750 from the big blind, and then call a 60,000 four-bet from “Kraskata85.”
The flop came 10♥6♦4♣, Barer check-shoved for 188,850 and got a call.
Ami Barer: A♦10♦
“Kraskata85”:K♠K♣
The turn 7♦ and river 4♦ completed a backdoor flush for Barer. The big pot pushed Barer’s stack north of 700,000 chips, putting him in the lead in the tournament at the time.
Royal Flush Sends Pye to the Rail
Team PokerStars Online prop Mason “Pye_Face21” Pye took about as crazy of a beat as imaginable in WCOOP-34-H: $25,000 NLHE 8-Max Super High Roller.
Pye’s elimination hand from the high-stakes event began with the blinds at 15,000/30,000. Pye shoved for 251,309 from middle position, and “EzzaEvz1991” reshoved for 724,326.
Mason “Pye_Face21” Pye: A♦Q♦
“EzzaEvz1991”: K♠K♣
The flop A♣J♣Q♣ and turn A♠ put Pye well in the lead with aces full of queens. “EzzaEvz1991” needed a one-outer on the river to win the hand, and found just that when the 10♣ hit the board to complete a royal flush.
First place and the $657,557 champion’s share eventually went to “kZhh” in the $3 million guaranteed event.
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