2007 WCOOP: Event #16 Final Table Report

Omaha, by nature, is a gambler's game. Make it pot-limit and it becomes like walking on a tightrope. Make it hi-lo and you might as well have greased your feet and told the ring master to do away with the net.

And that's what makes it so much fun.

More than 1,500 people put up $320 a piece to play in Event #16, Pot-Limit Omaha/8. It was an event sure to be a wild ride. Picking who would end at the final table was impossible. We simply had to wait about 12 hours and see who survived the tightrope walk.



Seat 1: VicVega9 (425024 in chips)
Seat 2: tiger76 (1108988 in chips)
Seat 3: GotGame76 (457804 in chips)
Seat 4: phyllis (660454 in chips)
Seat 5: mikiantimd (192693 in chips)
Seat 6: PokerSavage1 (632000 in chips)
Seat 7: mrmanorman (204044 in chips)
Seat 8: INKO05 (640274 in chips)
Seat 9: Jackarama (286719 in chips)

Phyllis, a longtime and familiar PokerStars player, came into the final table with one of the top three chip stacks and seemed to be on a mission to play as many pots as possible. Involved in a couple of early hands, phyllis only came away with a chop. Staying on the offensive, phyllis came in for raise to 42,000. INKO05 popped phyllis back and made it 132,000 to play. Phyllis called the additional 90,000 and they saw a flop of 5cTd7d. INKO05 bet 270,000 and phyllis got the rest of the chips in the middle. Phyllis held 3cTc7sAh for two pair and the second nut low draw. INKO95 held As4dTsAd-- one pair, a flush draw, and the third nut low. The turn, a three of diamonds, was a killer for phyllis. The low draw evaporated and INKO05 picked up the nut flush. Phyllis needed to pair a card for a boat, but the queen on the river didn't cooperate and Phyllis was out in ninth place for $4,417.20.

Mikiantimd was getting a little short and sat on 150,000 chips. He got a free flop in the big blind and saw 6h7c8h. Both he and HotGame76 checked. The turn was the Qc. GotGame76 bet out and mikiantimd raised to 90,000. GotGame76 called. The river was the eight of diamonds. GotGame76 bet enough to put mikiantimd all-in, and so it was. 'Twas a hard turn and river for mikiantimd. He held Kd9d6c6d for the flopped set of sixes and the rivered full house. Unfortunately for him, GotGame76 held 9sQsAc8c for the runner-runner boat. Mikiantimd went out in eighth, cashing for $7,050.24.

VicVega9 was the next to go. He got it all-in pre-flop against INKO05. VicVega9 held 5cQcAs3s to INKO05's monster AcJdAd2s. By the river, VicVega9 only held a pair of threes and a worthless low to INKO05's aces and nut low. VicVega9 picked up $11,427 for seventh place.

Jackarama is one of those people you never miss when he enters a room. His exit was no less eye-catching. Afer calling a INKO05 raise, jackarama saw a 8d6s8s flop. A back and for betting battle ensued and ended with all the chips in. Jackarama held 4cKs5dKc for kings and rthe gutshot draw. However, INKO05 had him in trouble. Jackarama was up against trip eights and by the river was crushed by INKO05's boat. Jackarama went out in sixth and cashed for $16,128.

Mrmanorman followed closely behind. He got all his chips in on a flop holding the nut low draw and a gutshot straight raw. Both draws missed and tiger76's flopped set boated up on the turn. Mrmanorman finished in fifth place for $21,196.

With the stacks now a lot deeper, the four-handed battle lost some of its devil-may-care attitude. The remaining players played tough poker, as careful as they could under the game's in-your-face scariness. The players played for half an hour before another player went down.

PokerSavage1 lost his internet connection for a moment and, when he came back, immeditely got his stack in the middle pre-flop against GotGame76, PokerSavage1 held Ah2d4cKd to GotGame76's 5s4h6hAd. An ace and six fell on the flop and another ace fell on the turn, giving GotGame76 a full house. PokerSavage1 still had outs for a bigger boat and a low, but the river was a nine and PokerSavage1 was out in fourth place, earning $27,095.

Three-handed, the players cut a quick deal, leaving $14,000 on the table for first place.

tiger76 - $47,419
GotGame - $68,974
INKO05 - $46,784

With prize money locked up, the stacks started to move. On the first hand out of the break, tiger76 and INKO05 got it all-in on a flop of 2hAh6s. INK005 held 8cAcJsQc to tiger76's 5sKh7hAs. A deuce on the turn and nine on the river pushed the pot tiger76 and put INKO05 on life support. He was out a few hands later in third place.

Within a few hands of heads-up play, GotGame76 hand jumped out to a 2-1 chip lead, but tiger76 was not going to be tamed that easy. It took just a few more hands for tiger76 to take over. He flopped the nut flush draw to GotGame76's two pair. They got it all-in on the flop and tiger76 hit his flush on the turn. With a lead in hand, tiger76 lunged for the bracelet. He called GotGame76's raise and they saw the flop: 8s3c5h. GotGame76 bet out 100,000, tiger76 raise to 450,000 and GotGame76 called. When the seven of diamonds fell on the turn, they got it all in. Tiger76 held 4sKcTh2s to GotGame76's 2hAsTdQh. GotGame76 was ahead until an ace hit the river and gave tiger76 the wheel and the WCOOP gold bracelet.

2007 WCOOP Event #16 Final Table Report
Based on finishing order and a three-way deal that left $14,000 for first place

1. tiger76 (United States) $61,419.00
2. GotGame76 (United States) $68,974.00
3. INKO05 (Switzerland) $46,784.00
4. PokerSavage1 (United States) $27,095.04
5. mrmanorman (United States) $21,196.80
6. Jackarama (United Kingdom) $16,128.00
7. VicVega9 (United States) $11,427.84
8. mikiantimd (Spain) $7,050.24
9. phyllis (United States) $4,147.20