Team PokerStars failed to qualify this month or were busying gearing up for the last day of the 2012 Turbo Championship of Online Poker with the $2,100 buy-in high roller (that awarded four players a six-figure score in just over four hours) and the $700 Main Event.

After an hour and 45 minutes Planokyrkin would score the final seat to the second round after taking out Bouling. With the blinds at 150/300 ante 25, Bouling holding 2,820 chips and pocket sixes [6s][6h] decided to shove over the min-raise of Planokyrkin. The Russian paused for a moment and called with [Kd][Th] and was rewarded with two pair on the flop [Qh] [Kh] [Td] [4h] [Jd] which held to lock up at least $195.00 for the remaining 81 players.

Planokyrkin almost skipped to the final table as well despite being the last to sit down for the round of 81, coming up just short in 18th place. Havoc14, KyleC182, Sbyla, beyessa, brpoker_pr0, cynicalfish, and entim waited for a threesome of players on tables four and eight to finish up before the final table.

In short order sippin_criss would take care of SteelNervee and fish&chips on table eight as Paffchen and T.Chanin would settle the last final table seat on table four. With the blinds at 125/250 ante 25 both players would find satisfactory cards to shove all-in prelfop. Holding a 7,375 to 6,125 edge, T.Chanin flipped up the dominated [Tc][As] as Päffchen found big slick [Kh][Ad] at the right time. At least until the ten hit the turn [4s] [4c] [2c] [Td] [8d] shipping the last pot before the final table to T.Chanin and starting up the final table below:

Seat 1: beyessa (1500 in chips)
Seat 2: Sbyla (1500 in chips)
Seat 3: KyleC182 (1500 in chips)
Seat 4: T.Chanin (1500 in chips)
Seat 5: Havoc14 (1500 in chips)
Seat 6: brpoker_pr0 (1500 in chips)
Seat 7: entim (1500 in chips)
Seat 8: sippin_criss (1500 in chips)
Seat 9: cynicalfish (1500 in chips)

T.Chanin would immediately start lobbying for a nine-split of the cash but a few players at the table expressed they were down a bit on the day and wanted a shot at the full $12,000 first prize.

The only excitement from the 10/20 and 15/30 blinds levels would come from the watching the survival of cynicalfish who was knocked down to under 100 chips for the majority of the early levels yet clung on to those chips and rolled them up to 845 by the middle of the 25/50 level.

Hanging on means more cash

Every extra dollar earned by cynicalfish from here until busto is a lesson about staying positive despite holding a microstack. With the blinds at 25/50 and fresh off doubling up beyessa, KyleC182 would shove 280 chips over a min-raise by entim who made the call. Pocket tens [Th][Ts] for KyleC182 never stood a chance against the [Kh] [Jh] held by entim hitting a flopped flush [7h] [6h] [3h] [Kc] [4d]. As KyleC182 exited in ninth place ($775.00), cynicalfish picked up an extra $425.00.

beyessa says yes to the queens

Still in the 25/50 blind level, beyessa laid out a 150 chip raise as brpoker_pr0 sitting on 1,080 chips shoved holding pocket nines [9h][9c] from the small blind. entim folded the big blind and beyessa snap called with queens [Qd][Qc]. Four diamonds appeared on the board [7d] [4d] [2d] [5s] [6d] to match the queen of diamonds in beyessa's hand to win the 2,210 chip pot as brpoker_pr0 earned $1,200.00 in eighth place and cynicalfish took in another $500.00

sippin on gin and seventh place cash

The blind moving up to 50/100 and sippin_criss with just 235 put in 210 of that preflop as beyessa and Sbyla called out of the blinds. [Jh] [9c] [Ks] flop got sippin_criss to shove that 25 chip into the pot as both the blinds called again. [2c] got Sbyla to bet 200 and beyessa to fold as Sbyla showed a pair of nines [5h][9d] beating out sippin_criss' pocket treys [3c][3s]. [5d] on the river and sippin_criss got to lay back with $1,700.00 earned in seventh place as cynicalfish was assured another $500.00

Finally hooked

cynicalfish would finally be caught in sixth place, watch entim reel in the elusive shortstack below:

[Jc][Ks] for cynicalfish failed to overcome the ace [Tc][Ah] held by entim but he would be taking home an extra $1,425.00 for toughing out a shortstack in sixth place ($2,200.00).

Right on time again

entim would make short work of cutting out 1/3rd of the remaining players. Just three hands after filleting cynicalfish, entim would call the short all-in by Havoc14 who held 770 chips. Showing pocket nines [9h][9c] to Havoc14's pocket fours [4c][4s] the board would comply for entim once again [Ts] [Qc] [2c] [7h] [Qd] as Havoc14 was sent off with $2,735.00 in fifth place.

yes yes yessa!

After doubling up off entim as the blinds remained at 50/100, beyessa would call a 250 chip raise from T.Chanin out of the small blind. A coordinated [9d] [Jc] [Ad] flop got beyessa to lead out for 300 as T.Chanin shoved for 1,960. Thanks to the double up from entim, beyessa easily covered and called with straight and flush draws [Td][Qd]. T.Chanin needed dodge a metric ton of outs with big slick [Ac][Kh]. [Jh] was clean on the turn but the [8d] hit a straight and/or a flush, it does not matter, as both beat the two pair of T.Chanin who earned $3,350.00 in fourth place.

Trapped by a trap

Watch below as entim tries to lure Sbyla in only to realize he was the one getting trapped.

After a min-raise from entim and call by Sbyla as the blinds held at 50/100 Sbyla would check the [Qh] [Ks] [Ad] flop. entim would bet 255 with top pair [As][8c] as Sbyla check-raised immediately to 2,215 chips. Holding 1,240 chips left entim made the call and was drawing to chop against Sbyla's aces [Ac][Ah]. [7h] on the turn meant no broadway and third place ($4,500.00) cash for entim.

Almost as fast as a TCOOP heads-up match

After reporting on the TCOOP for the past week heads-up matches have lasted under a minute up to five minutes at the most. With the blinds only at 50/100 both players had room to maneuver despite beyessa bringing in a 9,340 to 4,160 chip lead. Seven minutes into the heads-up match and Sbyla watching the tournament slide away after losing four straight hands would not be able to mount a comeback. Blinds moving up to 75/150, Sbyla would shove from the button holding 1,978 chips and [Th][Js]. But, beyessa was sitting pretty with a suited big slick [Ks][As] to quickly make the call. No card over an eight would show on the [6d] [5d] [8d] [2c] [2h] board as beyessa claimed the official January Battle of the Planets $50,000 triple shootout win earning $12,000.00!

$50,000 Battle of the Planets triple shootout results (01-29-12):
1. beyessa (Argentina) $12,000.00
2. Sbyla (Denmark) $7,500.00
3. entim (United Kingdom) $4,500.00
4. T.Chanin (Thailand) $3,350.00
5. Havoc14 (Monaco) $2,735.00
6. cynicalfish (Croatia) $2,200.00
7. sippin_criss (Canada) $1,700.00
8. brpoker_pr0 (Brazil) $1,200.00
9. KyleC182 (United Kingdom) $775.00

Team PokerStars took the afternoon off as none registered or perhaps they wanted to watch Team Online's Randy "nanonoko" Lew out at the PCA attempt to break the Guinness World Record for most poker hands played in an eight hour period and get a headache from trying to keep up with the 40 tables he has up.

As for these players who may or may not be multi-tabling with some big cash on the line, the first round got down to 1nnetka and IVAN987654 heads up on Table 56 with 1nnetka holding a 7,957 to 2,543 chip lead and 150/300 ante 25 blinds. 1nnetka led out for a min raise as IVAN987654 shoved holding a medium ace [As][8h]. 1nnetka looked down at [Kc][8s] and felt it was good enough to make the call. The suckout king would wait until the river to appear [9h] [8c] [Qd] [9s] [Kd], shutting IVAN987654 from the money today in 82nd place as our remaining 81 players were now assured $195.00
derdex ran through his table like someone with plans for the evening finishing off the table quickly. SixthSenSe19 got a ticket to the final table and was holding the chip lead in the Sunday Warm-Up with under 50 players remaining, nothing like a shot at two five-figure paydays.

Down to two tables remaining taxistu would fall to chaser395 and on Table 4 jusTTsmile held a big 10,125 chips to 3,375 chips lead over Dr_ALBATR0S and with the blinds at 150/300 both would throw it in preflop. [7d][Ad] for jusTTsmile and Dr_ALBATR0S showed [Jc][Ks]. Unfortunately for the doctor the wing span was not long enough to catch jusTTsmile's trip sevens on the [Qh] [2s] [7s] [7c] [6h] starting up the final table below:

The only news from the first 10/20 blind level was SixthSenSe19 getting knocked down to just 445 chips from the starting 1,500 chip stack after losing a 690 chip pot to derdex and a 974 chip pot to Noisy_pl who found a club flush on the river.

Flying away

Not sure if Greek mythology included a Flying Zebra, but there was a live one trying to eek out a decent payday from this freeroll. FlyingZebraa, sitting in the small blind, would shove 1,235 chips over the top of a small raise by chaser395 on the button. This was not a standard button opening raise as chaser395 snap called with pocket queens [Qc][Qs]. [9c][Ad] for FlyingZebraa needed the power of Tyche to stay alive, but the goddess did not hear the call as the board [Kc] [8h] [8d] [2d] [Th] ended FlyingZebraa's tournament in ninth place ($775.00).

Sensing the end

SixthSenSe19 could be excused for being a bit distracted with a possible $113,637.77 first prize and top five stack with 34 players left in the Sunday Warm-Up. After grinding back up to a 1,055 chip stack and blinds at 50/100, SixthSenSe19 would open shove with big slick [Ah][Ks] getting called by the pocket eights [8d][8s] of jusTTsmile in the big blind. After the eight hit the river [7c] [2c] [Qd] [9d] [8c] SixthSenSe19 could devote all the attention to the Sunday Warm-Up finishing in eighth place ($1,200.00).

Haste makes waste

High blinds however can force the hand a bit as derdex sitting on just 1,199 chips and blinds of 50/100 open shoved from the button holding [9h][Js] as Noisy_pl had enough chips to cover in the big blind making the call with [Ts][Ah]. An all-low [5s] [7d] [8d] [4s] [2h] board handed the 2,448 chip pot to Nosiy_pl as the first player seated at the final table, derdex, took home $1,700.00 in seventh place.

No straight flush today

Seven hands later strflushtome would shove over the top of a small raise to 277 chips by chaser395 as the blinds held at 50/100. Holding pocket tens [Th][Td] chaser395 made the call and would be racing against the [Ad][Qs] of strflushtome. Just a queen or an ace or even some broadway cards would help, but the [6d] [Ks] [8h] [6h] [5s] board failed to connect for strflushtome ending the tournament in sixth place ($2,200.00).

In like a lion, out like a lamb

No, it's not March yet but noisy_pl on the downslide to just 659 chips after losing a big hand against jusTTsmile would be all-in again as the blinds moved up to 75/150. Holding [6d][Qc] noisy_pl needed some boom against the small ace [Ac][4s] of tiburonbig. A rumble came out on the [8c] [6h] [3d] but it was quickly silenced by the [As] on the turn. After the [9s] river fell softly noisy_pl collected $2,735.00 in fifth place.

Smile getting wider

And it should after jusTTsmile collected this 2,580 chip pot. Watch below:

jusTTsmile would take out mularczykPVC who tried suggesting a deal just before the hand was dealt would be on the wrong side of a river card as jusTTsmile found an eight [5s] [9h] [4s] [3s] [8h] to match his [8d][Tc] and overcome mularczykPVC's [6h][As] ending Polish player's night in fourth place ($3,350.00).

Grinning from ear to ear

jusTTsmile can't stop just winning. As the blinds moved up to 100/200 jusTTsmile would min raise from the button holding a sizable chip lead over tiburonbig and chaser395. tiburonbig would fold the small blind but chaser395 shoved for 2,087 chips. Holding a pocket pair of eights [8c][8h] jusTTsmile made the call. chaser395 produced a couple of hearts [Kh][5h] but the board only flipped up one [9s] [4d] [7c] [6c] [9h] ending chaser395's night in third place ($4,500.00).

Winning smile

We do not know if jusTTsmile uses Crest or Colgate for that winning smile, but we do know the Russian just took down $12,000.00 and the belated December Battle of the Planets triple shootout freeroll. Watch the final hand play out below:

Very little drama on this flip between jusTTsmile's pocket sixes [6c][6h] against tiburonbig's [As][Qc] after a six in the turn [3s] [8d] [5d] [6d] [4d] handing jusTTsmile the Battle of the Planets title!

$50,000 Battle of the Planets freeroll results (01-08-12)
1. jusTTsmile (Russia) $12,000.00
2. tiburonbig (Peru) $7,500.00
3. chaser395 (Russia) $4,500.00
4. mularczykPVC (Poland) $3,350.00
5. Noisy_pl (Poland) $2,735.00
6. strflushtome (Netherlands) $2,200.00
7. derdex (Finland) $1,700.00
8. SixthSenSe19 (Uruguay) $1,200.00
9. FlyingZebraa (Canada) $775.00

No Red Spades in this tournament. Maybe it was the party winding down in Macau, or tough competition for those tickets this month, but Team PokerStars pros and Team Online were not able to join the 534 player freeroll today.

While every other table had one player moving on to the second round, Table 15 sported three-way action going into the 125/250 ante 25 blind level. LD182 tried shoving any two live cards twice, and was denied both times. The second attempt came with holding 855 chips in the big blind and defending all-in against Jayzens' [Qh][As]. LD182's [4d][7h] did not connect enough with the [Ah] [8c] [9d] [4c] [9h] board finishing in 83rd place.

Supernova Jayzens and Pokerger1337 would battle up till the 150/300 ante 25 level when a huge cooler struck. Down 7,190 to 3,310 Jayzens eyes went wide holding pocket aces [As][Ad] and seeing Pokerger1337's shove from the button. But, the [Kh] [Qc] [9s] fit Pokerger1337's [Th][Jc] perfectly as the cracked aces could not recover on the [2c] turn and [Ts] river sending Jayzens out on the bubble in 82nd place earning our final 81 players at least $195.00

daymom put Table 2 down everyone for naps early, acquiring the first final table seat while there was still seven players over on Table 3. daymom was joined closely by RomeoRoche3 and fellow Russian WallterBish.

Down to two tables left, markentosh had everything go right in two hands near each other. All-in after a [2h] [9s] [Jd] flop holding [Th][Qh] against Runninggreat's pocket aces [As][Ac], an [8c] on the turn had a 10,708 chip pot shipped to markentosh. Three hands later Runninggreat shoved for 2,492 chips preflop as markentosh made the call holding a small ace [3h][Ad]. Runninggreat's [5h][9h] looked good with a turned two pair [2h] [9c] [Td] [5s] but could not fade the four-outer as the [4h] river gave Runninggreat a reason to rethink that name.

AB_Poker_12 and Mister Nanso would face-off until the 150/300 ante 25 level when a river card would send one player to the final table. Check out the video below:

With the rivered higher two pair AB_Poker_12's [Jd][Ac] outkicked Mister Nanso's [2s][As] on the [Ad] [3c] [6s] [2d] [Jc] board shipping Mister Nanso $195.00 in 10th place and starting the final table below:

Seat 1: bigstealer (1500 in chips)
Seat 2: daymom (1500 in chips)
Seat 3: markentosh (1500 in chips)
Seat 4: RomeoRoche43 (1500 in chips)
Seat 5: vlad11122007 (1500 in chips)
Seat 6: WallterBish (1500 in chips)
Seat 7: AB_Poker_12 (1500 in chips)
Seat 8: pasha31085 (1500 in chips)
Seat 9: TH32NDCOMING (1500 in chips)

bigstealer mentioned being a ginger as the excuse for not going along with the nine-way chop as the players enjoyed a five minute break before the final table. But, then after a few hands bigstealer extended an olive branch with a proposed chop that would send $3,000.00 to all nine players leaving the remainder for the top three finishers.

TH32NDCOMING and bigstealer however pulled out the "I'm better than you" card demanding a higher chunk between the two, the table decllined and the deal talks came to a screeching halt as play resumed.

RomeoRoche43 would fall in ninth place ($775.00) to daymom but spent most of the first two levels trying to challenge TH32NDCOMING to a heads-up match for $500. TH32NDCOMING politely declined but RomeoRoche43 at least earned one buy-in for that level.

Graceful in exit

"gg" appeared in the chat box after bigstealer tried to shove over the top of a raise by pasha31085, re-raise by TH32NDCOMING while on the button. But, it would be daymom in the small blind cushioned by a double stack already making the second shove which pasha31085 tossed their dead money quickly into the pot. Pocket aces for daymom [Ad][As] as bigstealer needed the board to help his [Tc][Th]. No tens on the [Jc] [6s] [5d] [8s] [8d] board and a polite "gg" exit for bigstealer in eighth place ($1,200.00).

No coaching needed here

TH32NDCOMING's avatar states "ask about 18 man training" and just as the blinds moved up to 25/50 the coach would send another player to the bench. pasha31085 staying aggressive despite holding under a starting stack would min-raise from middle position as TH32NDCOMING three bet on the immediate left to 250. Folded back to pash31085 making the call to see the [9d] [Js] [4s] flop pasha31085 checked as TH32NDCOMING led out for 150. Sensing two overcards, pasha31085 would check-raise shove for 963 getting an insta-call from TH32NDCOMING holding top set [Jd][Jh]. After the turned [6c] pasha31085's pocket threes [3d][3h] took the free lesson home in seventh place ($1,700.00).

vlad impaled

vlad11122007 found a spot to open shove a very short stack of 859 chips from the small blind with the blinds at 50/100. But, instead of the easy blinds, vlad11122007 got a quick call from the big slick [Kh][Ac] of WallterBish in the big blind. At least the [Qd][4s] was live but nothing appeared on the five board cards to change the preflop favorite [2h] [Js] [3h] [3c] [Ah] as vlad11122007 flew off with $2,200.00 in sixth place.

Taking out the pros

daymom caught bigstealer, then the blinds up to 50/100 the poker coach would follow in a similar manner. Holding 1,148 chips on the button, TH32NDCOMING shoved holding [7d][Jh] as daymom found [Jc][As] quickly making the call. Both players would pair their non-similar cards on the flop [Ac] [7s] [4s] but a second seven failed to hit the [9h] turn and [Ah] river as TH32NDCOMING had to settle for only a little less than the proposed chop in fifth place ($2,735.00).

Missing the mark

With the blinds still at 50/100 and the five minute hourly break about to begin, daymom with a sizable lead on the field tried to get some easy blinds with a raise to 250. markentosh with 1,775 chips and a big ace [Ad][Tc] shoved hoping to get some free money. Instead WallterBish made the call in the big blind with pocket nines [9s][9d] for a race as daymom quickly folded. WallterBish found an extra step quickly in this flip as the nine on the door [9h] [6d] [5c] [Qs] [6s] was more than enough to take out markentosh in fourth place ($3,350.00).

Breaking up the field

Immediate after the break there was a potential final hand as WallterBish made a raise to 250 and AB_Poker_12 shoved for 1,470. daymom made the call but WallterBish wanted no part of a three-way and re-shoved. You will need to watch the video for the results:

daymom folded and AB_Poker_12's pocket nines [9h][9h] faced off against WallterBish's big slick [Ah][Kc]. Another river delivered the killing blow as the ace of clubs spiked on the [8h] [Tc] [2h] [Td] [Ac] river to end AB_Poker_12's tournament in third place ($4,500.00).

Russia, Russia, Russia!

Three of the top four places tonight claimed by Russia and after Canada's AB_Poker_12 was eliminated, the winner was assured to be flying the white, blue, and red flag.

Four out of five daymoms prefer deuces

After a long heads-up battle between Wallter Bish and daymom it would come down to a leap of faith with a pair of twos [2s][2d] as daymom called the push by Wallter Bish. Holding just 2,986 to daymom's 10,514, Wallter Bish's got a big relief to see a flip with [8d][Qd]. The chance to get back into the tournament never happen as the only thing to match Wallter Bish's hand was a lone diamond on the [5h] [4d] [9c] [Jc] [4h] board and daymom claimed the Battle of the Planets triple shootout $12,000.00 first prize!

Battle of the Planets $50,000 triple shootout freeroll result (11-27-11):
1. daymom (Russia) $12,000.00
2. WallterBish (Russia) $7,500.00
3. AB_Poker_12 (Canada) $4,500.00
4. markentosh (Russia) $3,350.00
5. TH32NDCOMING (Canada) $2,735.00
6. vlad11122007 (Russia) $2,200.00
7. pasha31085 (Germany) $1,700.00
8. bigstealer (United Kingdom) $1,200.00
9. RomeoRoche43 (Greece) $775.00

Only one Red Spade was found on the Battle of the Planets tables today, belonging to Spanish Team Online member Javier El_Cañonero Dominguez. Despite being here nearly every month from crushing the SnGs at his level, Javier would go home early tonight. With the blinds at 25/50 tried to apply some pressure to a min raise from HellRazor_KK by shoving for 1,130 chips. While HellRazor_KK would fold the initial raise, Yilmaz11 had no intentions of laying down big slick [Ah][Kh] and made the call to face off against the Spaniard's pocket sixes [6d][6c]. Javier's fate would come early as an ace was laid down on the flop and held through the [Qh] [Ts] [Ac] [9d] [Tc] board to send Dominguez home in 355th place.

Hailikisat and psychodave29 went all sorts of crazy over their tables finishing with a final table seat in hand before the three hour mark of the tournament assuring them of $775.00 regardless of finish. The final seven seats would be filled in short order as it only took 20 more minutes for our the table to be set. All eyes settled over to Table eight where santi820 was about to put away Piwonka and after the river card left Piwonka's pair of tens looking up at santi820's pair of aces our final table was set below:

Seat 1: xibatao (1500 in chips)
Seat 2: kuzich (1500 in chips)
Seat 3: Sea_Eagle83 (1500 in chips)
Seat 4: psychodave29 (1500 in chips)
Seat 5: nanyacoB (1500 in chips)
Seat 6: mm@ximumm (1500 in chips)
Seat 7: Hailikisat (1500 in chips)
Seat 8: santi820 (1500 in chips)
Seat 9: GoldPavlin (1500 in chips)

Maybe they needed money for candy

Three hours and thirty-five minutes later everyone was $3,955.96 richer as the table played out a few hands but after some minor pots were pushed around they decided on taking home between third and fourth place money a piece for their hard work throughout the month while qualifying for this tournament. That amount should be enough to grab a few cases of Mini-Snickers and Reese's peanut butter cups without having to endure a bad costume selection.

After the pushfest erupted, it would still take seven hands before Sea_Eagle83 soared above the final table for a victory lap and take the official title of October Battle of the Planets $50,000 triple shootout champion! Watch the winning hand against kuzich below:

Thus ends this month's Battle of the Planets final table in a shocking 15 minutes with deal time included. Be sure to check out all the goodies PokerStars has lined up for the Halloween weekend including the 70 Billionth hand promotion that is dropping $750,000 into the pillow cases of PokerStars players throughout the week.

$50,000 guarantee October Battle of the Planets $50,000 triple shootout freeroll results (10-30-11):
(* all players chopped the final table money evenly)
1. Sea_Eagle83 (Australia) *$3,995,56
2. kuzich (Russia) *$3,995,56
3. Hailikisat (Estonia) *$3,995,56
4. mm@ximumm (Russia) *$3,995,56
5. santi820 (Argentina) *$3,995,56
6. psychodave29 (Netherlands) *$3,995,56
7. GoldPavlin (Latvia) *$3,995,56
8. nanyacoB (Ukraine) *$3,995,56
9. xibatao (Portugal) *$3,995,52

This is not for everyone.

Some players need the compact sized tournaments to fit their schedules, and that's where we find the field of 474 players playing in today's Battle of the Planets $50,000.00 triple shootout freeroll. SnG's are made for those who excel in the tournament setting but don't have from sunrise to sunset to play. These players wedged in enough SnGs wins to qualify for today's tournament and stand to win $12,500.00 if they can survive three tables.

At the end of the first round and two tables remaining a familiar face was battling for a second round seat and locking up $195.00 in profit. Alex "allingomes" Gomes who narrowly missed a final table in WCOOP 2011 Event #54 (finishing 8th for $18,392.00) would wrap up the second-to-last second round seat after taking down LmLn123 (xixikoko knocked off matbestar for the final seat). But, the victory dance did not last long as Gomes would bust quickly in the second round finishing in 78th place ($195.00).
nineallday00, premo321, and FISHCAKECITY would wrap up their seats early on and joined by jorjorreal and Germany's Fohle140586 as tables two and three still had four players apiece looking to lock up at least $775.00 for a final table seat.

At the three hour point only btoast21 and I..nobody..l stood to grab the last seat to the final table as the WCOOP Main Event prize pool pushed past eight million dollars. They would cut a small deal to ship a little bit to the loser of their heads-up match, and for some reason, wanted to play all night despite the riches waiting on the next table. Their heads-up battle would last over 30 minutes as I..nobody..l stood with the chip advantage for the majority of the time. Then with the blinds at 200/400 ante 50 btoast21 with just 995 chips behind after paying the big blind would call the raise from I..nobody..l holding [2h][Jc]. Pocket nines [9c][9h] would pave the road to the final table for I..nobody..l as the board failed to improve either hand starting up the final table below:

Seat 1: 1heanswerrr (1500 in chips)
Seat 2: cmonk33 (1500 in chips)
Seat 3: I..nobody..l (1500 in chips)
Seat 4: FISHCAKECITY (1500 in chips)
Seat 5: nineallday00 (1500 in chips)
Seat 6: Cha444 (1500 in chips)
Seat 7: jorjorreal (1500 in chips)
Seat 8: Fohle140586 (1500 in chips)
Seat 9: premo321 (1500 in chips)

Immediately as the final table began half the table went into deal-making mode, looking to chop up a little under $4K per player locking up nearly third place money without having to turn over a card. However, the deal was veto'd by a few of the higher stakes grinders and play would continue.

Fohle falls

Normally a quiet level on the Battle of the Planets final leg of the shootout, the starting 10/20 blinds usually nets a few small pots being pushed but nothing more. Unfortunately for Fohle140586 the demise would come with big preflop advantage after shoving for 1,030 chips over the top of 1heanswerrr's raise to 60 and ending with big postflop disadvantage. Having the bet covered, 1heanswerrr would make the call holding [Ad][Qd] up against the big slick [Ks][As] of Fohle140586. Two diamonds on the flop and one on the river equaled a 2,070 chip pot for 1heanswerrr and $775.00 for Fohle140586 in ninth place.

Silent killer

The 15/30 level would pass with no more causalities as would the 25/50 blind level. But, at the start of level four's 50/100 premo321 would open shove for 1,195 chips as cmonk33 in the cutoff also pushed all-in for a little more. The button and blinds folded as cmonk33 flipped up [Ah][Qd] and premo321 a suited big slick [Ks][As]. And just like Fohle's elimination, the lady would the night as a queen would spike on the river sending our second straight player home with a nasty bad beat as premo321 finished in eighth place ($1,200.00). Which is exactly where premo321 finished in June's edition of the Triple Shootout, but free money is free money.

Cha Cha Cha!

Bad beats are the theme tonight, and this one tops the first two. Watch the video below as FISHCAKECITY and Cha444 getting it in preflop with another fortunate river card:

And with a second nine on the river [7c] [9s] [Qs] [5d] [9c], Cha444's [9h][Ah] side-stepped FISHCAKECITY's [Qh][As] off the main stage in seventh place ($1,700.00).

Bad time to make your hand

The 50/100 level continued to be a wrecking ball to our player's list as jorjorreal would limp in from UTG as it folded around to Cha444 who checked in the big blind. The rainbow [6h] [3s] [7d] low flop got Cha444 to check-raise the min bet by jorjorreal as the Spaniard made the call for 190 chips more. Cha444 would lead out 298 chips on the [Kd] turn as jorjorreal made the call again. [Jd] river gave Cha444 two pair [Kh][Js] and he would push all-in for 1,287 chips. jorjorreal covered and could not call quickly enough with the nut flush [Ad][6d] as another river card sunk a player, this time Cha444 in sixth place ($2,200.00).

Nobody knows the trouble I have seen

Two face cards, only 632 chips. I..nobody..l needed a start somewhere as the blinds moved up to 75/150 I..nobody..l would shove that shortstack with [Qh][Ks] over the 450 chip raise of jorjorreal. Easy call for the chip leader holding [9s][Ad], and the board would favor the rich with a turned ace and a missed gutshot straight on the river [7h] [8c] [Jd] [As] [5h] marking the first time the river did not decide our player's fate as I..nobody..l will have $2,735.00 to ease those troubles.

Play turns into hard cash

Our final four would play tough as the blinds became increasingly tough on people not named jorjorreal who enjoyed a fat stack of 6,553 chips while the remaining three was led by cmonk33's 2,777. With the blinds still at 75/150 nineallday00 would min raise from the button as jorjorreal put in enough from the small blind to force nineallday00 all-in. Holding big slick [As][Kh] nineallday00 made the call. nineallday00 did not get the memo about holding a dominate hand to jorjorreal's [Ah][9h] as a nine was promptly spread on the door [9d] [2s] [3d] [8s] [6s] bringing nineallday00's tournament to a close in fourth place ($3,350.00) as jorjorreal raked in the 3,910 chip pot.

Yes, the better hand DOES win once in a while

And yes we have video proof of this phenomenon, check it out below:

jorjorreal showed he could win while ahead as well, as 1heanswerrr shoved over the chip leader's button raise holding [Jc][Kh]. jorjorreal snap called with [Js][As] and for once this final table the dominate hand held as [7c] [Qs] [5s] [6c] [4h] spread neatly on the table for jorjorreal as 1heanswerrr collected $4,500.00 in third place.

Wrap up the dollars and no cents

Shortly after 1heanswerrr left the table cmonk33 broached the idea of a slight chop going into heads-up play down 2,672 to jorjorreal's 10,828 chips. After exactly no rebuttals and a change in payouts by the PokerStars staff, we had the following deal:

jorjorreal: $11,000.00
cmonk33: $8,500.00

And with the deal, all the monies were passed out so the final hand with no cahs behind it was won by jorjorreal's flopped straight as jorjorreal officially became the September Battle of the Planets triple shootout freeroll champion!

$50,000 Battle of the Planets triple shootout freeroll results (09-25-11)
(* denotes part of two-way deal)
1. jorjorreal (Spain) *$11,000.00
2. cmonk33 (Canada) *$8,500.00
3. 1heanswerrr (Russia) $4,500.00
4. nineallday00 (Canada) $3,350.00
5. I..nobody..l (Germany) $2,735.00
6. Cha444 (Indonesia) $2,200.00
7. FISHCAKECITY (United Kingdom) $1,700.00
8. premo321 (Croatia) $1,200.00
9. Fohle140586 (Germany) $775.00

Defending champ Spackn would qualify again this month, but would not add a third Battle of the Planets title this month finishing in 394th place.

A couple of Team PokerStars players meandered into today's triple shootout perhaps a tune-up for Event #30 of the 2011 WCOOP on September 14th. But, those are 10-max tables and today the two PokerStars representatives started off with a six-player table. Diego "vgreen22" Brunelli cashed in his usual freeroll ticket as he earned yet another one this month. But, the ticket would only last into the 25/50 blind level after getting chopped down to just 930 chips from a starting stack of 1500, Brunelli got a little aggressive in the small blind by open shoving [7h][Qh]. cempb0ss sat patiently in the big blind calling with [Qs][As] and enough chips to cover the Brazilian's bet. An ace on the flop and no flush sweat on the turn [Js] [2h] [Ad] [2c] [8h] sunk Diego's day in 333rd place.

Team Online's Javier "El_Cañonero" Dominguez had a little more success, getting to heads up play against TigerFM and a minimum $195.00 for the winner. Dominguez would come from behind to overtake the German TigerFM and advance to a fresh nine-player table and one step closer to that $12,000.00 first place prize.

Lucky Indeed

Fairly early into the second round Dominguez would get his money in good, but lucky_ace82 found something better. The blinds at just 15/30 but both players would find all their chips in the middle for a 2,925 chip pot and lucky_ace82 covering the Spanish pro's bet by just 65 chips. Pair of ladies [Qh][Qd] for Javier and big slick [Kh][Ad] for lucky_ace82. No lucky ace needed as two kings hit the flop [Ks] [Kc] [8h] [4s] [5s] and Dominguez was collecting $195.00 in 78th place.

While Javier's departure as quick, the rest of the field rolled on determine who would walk away with $195.00 and who would be playing for several thousand dollars waiting at the final table.

Down to three tables left edison35 found the right wattage to extinguish theharrisonl, kamanchero01 shot down abaron68 in 11th place leaving bigshow17 and Alex Borb on table eight to square away the final seat. Alex Borb would battle from a 10 to 1 deficit heads-up stretching the last table to the third hourly break while behind 4,240 to 9,260. Just a few minutes after the cards were back in the air however, Alex Borb would be all-in for 3,640 chips preflop holding pocket sevens [7c][7d] against the suited connectors [8h][9h] of bigshow17. The flop [3d] [Kc] [Qh] was clean for the sevens, but the turn [8s] was not giving bigshow17 the lead. After the two-outer did not hit the river [4s], all players reconvened on table one for the final table.

Seat 1: AK-deluxe (1500 in chips)
Seat 2: chris777444 (1500 in chips)
Seat 3: mularczykPVC (1500 in chips)
Seat 4: edison35 (1500 in chips)
Seat 5: kamanchero01 (1500 in chips)
Seat 6: toycomite (1500 in chips)
Seat 7: d5quared2 (1500 in chips)
Seat 8: bigshow17 (1500 in chips)
Seat 9: K.T.A.-1985 (1500 in chips)

The players immediately went to deal making mode as starting 10/20 blind level rolled on through as the players looked to the PokerStars Host for a nine-split and a little money on the side for the top three spots. However edison35 took the right to remain silent seriously and quashed the initial round of talks without a stoppage in play. Part of the silence may have been due to edison35 taking the early chip lead as the first player to over 2,000 chips.

Talks of a deal became no more of a whisper after all nine survived the 15/30 and 25/50 blind levels and even after losing the chip lead, edison35 stayed quiet on the chatting front.

Deluxe reduction

In what might have been the longest final table until the first elimination, AK-deluxe holding just 1,040 chips and the blinds at 50/100 tried to nab the free money with a shove from the button holding [6s][Ac]. chris777444 however was sitting in the right spot at the right time, making the call from the small blind with [Qc][Ad]. No sixes on the [Jc] [9s] [7h] [Kh] [2d] board had AK-deluxe looking for new game in ninth place ($775.00).

K. T. A. goes M. I. A.

Fast pace play got even faster with mostly short stacks around the table. With the blinds at 75/150 K.T.A.-1985 with just 529 chips would shove over a small raise from d5quared2. edison35 called both bets as d5quared2 called the extra 214. After a [Th] [Qc] [Tc] flop, edison35 immediate shoved all-in and got d5quared2 out of the way. Pocket kings for edison35 [Kh][Kd] put a damper on K.T.A.-1985's top pair-top kicker [Qh][As]. No ace or a second queen found the rest of the [9h] [9d] board and K.T.A.-1985 took home $1,200.00 in eighth place.

Sea of eliminations

As mentioned the 75/150 level brought the short stacks an urgent message to double up quickly or hit the road. Just three hands later we would have back-to-back eliminations. 710 chips went in the middle preflop for kamanchero01, trying the snag the blinds from the button holding just [2d][8h]. It would have worked too if d5quared2 did not have an ace to make the call [Ad][3s]. Ace on the flop ended kamanchero01's night in seventh place ($1,700.00). On the next chris777444 would snag one of the biggest pots of the tourney, check it out below:

It not something you ever want to be on the wrong end of, but amazing when it happens as a railbird. Despite flopping top two with [Ad][Td] on the [As][6c][Ts] board and all-in after the flop, toycomite would watch a miracle drop for chris777444's [Ah][8s] as two eights hit the turn [8d] and river [8c] handing over sixth place cash ($2,200.00) to toycomite instead of the 3,895 chip pot.

Cracked pipe

PVC piping may be pretty solid and so is a pocket pair of nines [9c][9s]when you only have 1,035 chips and blinds at 100/200. But, your opponent flips up pocket kings [Kd][Kc] you sigh and hope for the best. chris777444 did not need to come from behind this time as the kings ruled on the [6s] [Js] [3h] [Ah] [Th] board giving mularczykPVC $2,735.00 in fifth place money.

Rolling a critical hit

Hoping the name d5quared2 is a slight homage to gamer dice, he would roll a critical hit just three hands after PVC took a seat on the rail. With the blinds still at 100/200, d5quared2 would open shove from UTG holding pocket tens [Td][Ts] as bigshow17 on the immediate left did the same for a little less holding just 925 chips and pocket queens [Qs][Qc]. Keeping the theme of suckouts going, a ten would hit the flop [Js] [Tc] [9s] but so would an open-ended straight draw for bigshow17. Neither the queen nor the eight straight outs hit the [7h] turn and [5c] river as bigshow17 caught a big payday $3,350.00 for fourth place.

Light turned off

While we thank Edison for inventing the light bulb which is allowing this author to find the keys after every miskey, edison35 was hoping to invent a new chipstack holding just 1,613 chips and blinds at 100/200. Unfortunately, the attempt to take a few chips off the chip leader chris777444 proved to be futile. edison35's [Ks][9d] looked good against a ragged [3h][Qs] shown by chris777444 until a tiny three found its way wedged into the [Js] [3c] [4c] [6c] [8c] board to end the chop abstainer's night in third place ($4,500.00).

Fighting to no avail

d5quared2 had an uphill battle with a big 3,861 to 9,639 chip deficit going into heads-up play against chris777444 and he would scrap for several dozen hands before the hand below came about:

It least it's a flip. All in preflop with pocket fives [5c][5h], chris777444 would call from the big blind holding just [7d][Kd] despite creating a sizable 6,572 chip pot. chris777444 would catch a seven on the [6s] [8c] [7c] flop but would have to fade ten outs twice. Luckily, pocket aces [Ah] [Ad] would show up to fill in the rest of the board as chris777444 successfully faded the big draw to collect the entire $12,000.00 as this month's Battle of the Planets Triple Shootout champion!

$50,000 Battle of the Planets Triple Shootout freeroll results (08-28-11)
1. chris777444 (Canada) $12,000.00
2. d5quared2 (Russia) $7,500.00
3. edison35 (Germany) $4,500.00
4. bigshow17 (Canada) $3,350.00
5. mularczykPVC (Poland) $2,735.00
6. toycomite (Spain) $2,200.00
7. kamanchero01 (Russia) $1,700.00
8. K.T.A.-1985 (Spain) $1,200.00
9. AK-deluxe (Austria) $775.00

Two Team Online players, who also took part in today's huge $1,000,000 guaranteed Red Spade open (which had over 30,000 runners and over $200,000.00 paid out to first place), would unfortunately meet their end during the first round. Playing five-handed with the blinds at 25/50 Javier "El_Cañonero" Dominguez tried to steal some easy blinds but woke up a shortstacked Protohype sitting on just 901 chips making the call in the big blind with [Ac][5c]. Dominguez turned over pocket fours [4h][4d] for the flip and the board was not a kind one for the Spanish pro as an ace [8d] [As] [2c] [9d] [7d] would knock his stack down to just 200 chips. The scraps went in a couple of hands later as Dominguez finished in 381st place.

Diego "vgreen22" Brunelli found himself heads-up versus yy806 and only slightly behind in chips 4,652 to 4,348 going into the 75/150 blind level. After yy806 called from the button, Brunelli checked the option as a couple of clubs hit the flop [Js] [4c] [6c]. Diego checked as yy806 bet 300, not giving up the small pot Brunelli check-raised to 900 and yy806 called. [5h] on the turn and the Team Online player led out for 1,350, and this time it was yy806 turn to use some aggression as he shoved for 3,602. Diego made the call for less showing top pair [Jc][Kc] and a flush draw, while yy806 clung to the flopped two pair. [8h] on the river and Brunelli's ticket was punched in 122nd place.

After TONY G500 last chips were shipped to czarmuchh, our remaining 81 players all locked up at least $195.00 in profits with just one table between them and a potential five-figure freeroll payday.

South Korean johnsteed65 would grab the first seat to the final table after demolishing the table in just five 12-minute blind levels. chipp3ru was also in a hurry to make some big cash tonight, winning table five while the other seven tables still had four or five players left.

Down to the last final table seat to be awarded, neither Sani_11 or Jackal69 wanted to give up a shot at $12,000.00 without a fight playing well into the 150/300 ante 25 blind level. Three and a half hours after the first leg of the shootout started we would name our ninth final table player. With both players nearly even in chips they would square things preflop as Sani_11 started things off with a raise to 670 and Jackal69 holding [As][8d] decided it was go-time and shoved. Pocket tens [Tc][Th] for Sani_11 was plenty, making the call with just 140 chips behind. Jackal69 would pair the wrong card on the [4d] [6h] [Qd] [8s] [Kd] board taking home $195.00 in tenth place.

Seat 1: Spackn (1500 in chips)
Seat 2: taifun7 (1500 in chips)
Seat 3: eugen1209 (1500 in chips)
Seat 4: zzcantwinzz (1500 in chips)
Seat 5: chipp3ru (1500 in chips)
Seat 6: Sani_11 (1500 in chips)
Seat 7: johnsteed65 (1500 in chips)
Seat 8: gottheboat99 (1500 in chips)
Seat 9: strori (1500 in chips)

No boat needed

After two uneventful blind levels and all nine surviving, gottheboat99 got things rocking during the 25/50 level. After raising to 125 from middle position, gottheboat99 sat with a decision after eugen1209 shoved for 1,040 total from the big blind. Holding [Ac][Qd] gottheboat99 made the call, sitting far behind eugen1209's big slick [Kd][Ah]. No sweat for gottheboat99 as a lady would fall on the turn [4s] [Ts] [7s] [Qh] [3d] shipping the 2,105 chip pot and knocking out eugen1209 in ninth place ($775.00).

I think we saw this hand already

Up to the 50/100 blind level chipp3ru was sitting with just 533 chips facing a raise to 250 from gottheboat99. With [Qd][Ad] the decision was easy, as chipp3ru shoved and was facing gottheboat99's big slick [Ah][Kd]. Just like eugen1209's elimination, a queen would hit the board but this time there were enough broadway cards on the [Th] [6h] [Tc] [Jh] [Qs] board to make a straight for gottheboat99 as eugen1209 left in eighth place ($1,200.00).

Sani Sunk

Sani_11 would miss a few flops and found himself down to just 672 chips and blinds up to 75/150. [Ks][Qc] was enough to go with and Sani_11 was able to open shove as the table folded to Spackn in the small blind. Big slick again? Yep. [Kh][As] for Spackn making the call and big slick improved its record on the night to 2-1 as the board [2h] [4s] [3d] [9c] [Jh] ran dry for both players. $1,700.00 in free money was shipped to Sani_11 in seventh place.

Finally a hand that does not contain big slick

Check out the video below as gottheboat99 and strori get their similar stacks in the middle after a [6d] [Jd] [6c] flop:

Holding top pair top kicker [Jc] [As] gottheboat99 would shove after the flop and a 370 chip bet by strori. Pocket kings [Kh][Kd] not big slick this time for strori and after making the call those cowboys held on the [6d] [Jd] [6c] [3s] [8d] board to sink gottheboat99 in sixth place ($2,200.00).

Steed indeed

With blinds at 100/200 zzcantwinzz held just 1,367 chips finding a pair of ducks [2d][2h] on the button good enough to push all-in. However johnsteed65's [6d][Ah] was not going to give up and made the call. A six on the flop [Qd] [6h] [3d] [Td] [9h] ended this race quickly and also ended zzcantwinzz's night in fifth place ($2,735.00) a much better results then the last trip near the final table for zzcantwinzz, as he bubbled the final table in 2009.

Running with the horses

johnsteed65 was not done after taking down zzcantwanzz, as the very next hand he would call a 1,170 chip shove from taifun7. [Qh][Kc] for taifun7 and [Ac][5d] for johnsteed65 and both of them would pair their top cards. In most card games an ace beats a king, and that applies to texas hold em' as well as the [6s] [Ad] [Kh] [7d] [4h] board was anything but fun for taifun7, finishing the night in 4th place ($3,350.00).

Stopped in the tracks

After knocking out taifun7, johnsteed65 seemed to be destined for victory tonight but things went downhill quickly. After doubling up Spackn, three hands later johnsteed65 would be facing a bullying raise from Spackn. From the small blind Spackn shoved to cover johnsteed65's now depleted 1,229 chip stack. Holding [8c][Jh] johnsteed65 would make the call and had two live cards against the [Ac][Ts] of Spackn. Neither player touched the [Qh] [2c] [6h] [7s] [4d] board and johnsteed65's run for the roses was done in third place ($4,500.00).

Spackled up the win

After three eliminations in under three minutes, heads up play between Spackn and strori would take a little longer, considering the sizable $7,500.00 and $12,000.00 prizes still on the board and Spackn looking to become a two-champ of this event this year as he wrapped up the February event for $12,000. 9,809 chips for Spackn left strori with a big deficit holding 3,691 chips. Little longer meaning four minutes as strori would tread water with the blinds still at 100/200 but fall in the hand below:

A flush draw that missed would end strori's attempt at a comeback. Holding [Td][8d] he would call the Spackn's shove at the [7c][Kd][3d] flop. [7h][6c] for Spackn was just enough to get by the [4s] turn and [2s] river to claim the entire $12,000.00 first prize in what was the quietest chat box that this writer can remember as not even a "gg" was uttered through the whole final table.

Battle of the Planets $50,000 guarantee triple shootout results (07/31/11):
1. Spackn (Germany) $12,000.00
2. strori (Russia) $7,500.00
3. johnsteed65 (South Korea) $4,500.00
4. taifun7 (Poland) $3,350.00
5. zzcantwinzz (Australia) $2,735.00
6. gottheboat99 (Canada) $2,200.00
7. Sani_11 (Hungary) $1,700.00
8. chipp3ru (Romania) $1,200.00
9. eugen1209 (Germany) $775.00

Two Team Online players cashed their tickets for today's triple shootout. Grayson "Spacegravy" Physioc and Javier "El_Cañonero" Dominguez found their first tables looking to break Team Online into that free final table cash. Physioc would run into trouble early losing half his 1,592 chip stack to maranteiro27's Ace-Jack vs. his Ace-six. Then with the blinds moved up to 25/50 our first Team Online player would hit the rail. Holding just 572 chips left tried to push a limping maranterio27 off his cards with a shove from the big blind holding [Qs][Kd]. maranterio27 had plenty of chips and a medium ace [As][8c] to make the call. Neither player found the five cards on the board [Ts] [3c] [6d] [2h] [5c] to their liking, eliminating Grayson in 285th place.

Dominguez however would enjoy success until the final three of his table. With the blinds at 50/100 linnlinn1981 in the small blind would complete as Javier raised to 252 total. linnlinn1981 made the call to see a [6h] [5h] [3c] flop. After linnlinn1981 led out for 400, the Spaniard kept up the aggression with a raise to 1,065 chips, but linnlinn1981 was not backing down and three-bet shoved for 4,076 chips covering the Team Online player. Holding top pair top kicker [6c][Ah] Dominguez made the call and immediately found himself well behind the sly play of linnlinn1981's rockets [Ad][Ac]. A second six missed on the [3d] turn and [Js] river sending the last Red Spade holder to the rail in 151st place.

Miggomo and premo321 let the field know they wanted that $12K sitting at the final table by winning their second table while table number one and nine still had five players left! Down to two tables left, socir89 would hand seversk1984 his walking papers making ace-ten good against seversk1984's king-nine for a 7,030 chip all-in preflop pot and all eyes wandered over to Sh0ckdaWorld and razvaan1979 battling it out on table four for the last final table seat. And wait people did, as neither player wanted to walk away with $195.00 while looking so closely at a potential five-figure score. Nearly 20 minutes after socir89's table put away the chairs and the German walked over to the final table, we would have our ninth player. With the blinds at 150/300 ante 25 razvaan1979 sitting down with 4,362 chips to Sh0ckdaWorld's 9,113 would shove all-in from the big blind after Sh0ckdaWorld min-raised from the button. Holding [As][7s] Sh0ckdaWorld made the call hoping that ace would hold versus razvaan1979's [Qs][9c]. Hold it did as an unnecessary pair of sevens would hit the river [Kh] [6c] [4c] [3d] [7s] sending razvaan1979 off with $195.00 in tenth place and immediately starting up some heated chop discussions that would continue the entire tournament.

Seat 1: JJJ1923 (1500 in chips)
Seat 2: puFkotukaS (1500 in chips)
Seat 3: premo321 (1500 in chips)
Seat 4: Sh0ckdaWorld (1500 in chips)
Seat 5: RodrigoBabu (1500 in chips)
Seat 6: Loirinh@cwb (1500 in chips)
Seat 7: dejmi (1500 in chips)
Seat 8: Miggomo (1500 in chips)
Seat 9: socir89 (1500 in chips)

Immediately after taking their seats the final nine got down to negotiations on the entire final table prize pool and chopping it up. Skill, luck, ICM, favorite flavor of soda, everyone had differences and after the five minute hourly break the players seemed to cool off the idea of everyone taking away nearly $4,000.00 a piece (more than fourth place, less than third). socir89 was the most vocal and demanding a little higher piece of the pie based on skill and bankroll. Perhaps a scare tactic, but it got some of the table willing to offer up a few bucks as the chat was very lively about who is better, who is being greedy, and even after losing a third of the starting 1,500 chip stack in the first two blind levels socir89 from the continued higher demands (with good reason as you will read later).

After nearly 45 minutes of chop talks, a PokerStars Host pops in to see about the ruckus as most of the table seems ready to talk, Sh0ckdaWorld who scored a ticket in the Jupiter division as well as winning both the low and high leaderboards last week in the Uranus division finally typed two letters that put a screeching halt to all talks.

"no"

And with that our final nine went out of deal mode and starting playing a little poker, as socir89 found pocket tens helpful for a double up against dejmi's king-queen to get back to a starting stack and got even stronger in the hand below.

No deal, looking for a bigger meal

The higher stakes playing socir89 wanted $5,000.00 to chop while the straight nine chop dollar value was at $4,000.00 but no more after microstacked Loirinh@cwb found [Th][As] in middle position and shoved for 429 and socir89 re-shoved for 1,330 in the small blind. Pocket fives [5c][5s] for socir89 which fit nicely with the five on the flop [Kc] [4h] [5d] [Jc] [6s] and the set would hold as Loirinh@cwb unfortunately would leave with much less than the $4K, taking home $775.00 in ninth place.

Micro on micro violence

Two short stacks enter, one leaves with the chips. Watch dejmi and premo321 flip for the win:

Classic race for the win, dejmi holding pocket deuces [2d][2c] and premo321 with big slick [Kc][Ac]. Deuce on the flop [Ts] [Jh] [2h] left premo looking for a queen, and the pair of fives on the end were not the answer [5d] [5h] and premo321 was out in eighth ($1,200.00).

Gathering up speed

After no eliminations for the first three levels, it would only take seven more hands to hand over seventh place cash and again socir89 found himself in the middle of it. Blinds held at 50/100 dejmi found an ace in the cutoff [2s][Ad] and shipped the 755 chip stack into the middle and again socir89 in the small blind woke up with a hand. This time with more chips, socir89 re-raised to make sure JJJ1923 did not want to dance and turned up [Ac][Js]. Despite the two pair board of all broadway cards [Td] [Kc] [Ks] [As] [Ts] the jack kicker played and dejmi would also hit the rail with less than $4,000.00 earning $1,700.00 in seventh place.

The word "deal" is being overused a bit

Another pause in the game and more shots about who deserves what despite chip stacks. After the brief five minute discussion puFkotukaS tried taking some of socir89's chips with a 1,131 chip shove over his min-raise with blinds sitting at 100/200. Folded back to socir89 who called the extra 731 chips, turning up [4d][Qd] as puFkotukaS led slightly with [Ah][5h]. Unfortunately for puFkotukaS the board wouldn't stop rolling towards socir89's cards. [5c] [6c] [2d] gave socir89 a gutshot, [7c] made it an open-ended straight draw and [3h] on the river shipped the 2,562 chip pot to the confident one, ending puFkotukaS's night in sixth place ($2,200.00).

That $5K is starting to look like a deal

socir89 is backing up his claims thus far with five remaining everyone could have been done with nearly $4K in their pockets but the $12,000.00 first prize is still up in the window for one player. And that player would not be RodrigoBabu as the blinds moved up to 100/200 and fresh off doubling up Sh0ckdaWorld, RodrigoBabu found pocket sevens [7c][7s] UTG and shoved for 1,142 chips as JJJ1923 [Ks][Kc] insta-called with pocket kings in the small blind. No sevens on the [5h] [9h][Js] [As] [5s] board and socir89 was one more from calling his shot that he finish at least in the top three after RodrigoBabu picked up fifth place cash ($2,735.00).

Not all talk

Watch below as socir89 makes good on his prediction:

Miggomo picked the wrong time to open shove from the small blind, as just six hands after RodrigoBabu was eliminated, Miggomo would be facing a steep mountain that went by the name of socir89's pocket queens [Qc][Qd]. Holding just [8d][Ts] Miggomo would need every tool in the hiker's backpack to scale over those queens, and did catch a small sweat with one to come [4d] [Ad] [9h] [7s]. Sadly the [As] fell on the river for Miggomo and the Finn would leave with $3,350.00 in fourth place.

We're playing it out tonight

Another short deal discussion may it very clear the socir89 and Sh0ckdaWorld were not going to come to terms. As the blinds moved up to 125/250 ante 25 the two high stakes players would put their stacks in the middle gambling on a $7,500.00 difference between 3rd and 1st. socir89 sitting on the button would shove for 3,404 chips as JJJ1923 got out of the way and Sh0ckdaWorld holding pocket sevens [7h][7s] in the big blind made the call. [Jc][Kc] for socir89 and tournament life on the line as the board shutdown this race by the turn as Sh0ckdaWorld found a seven on the end of the flop [5c] [8s] [7d]. After the turned non-club [Qs] the river [Th] was of no consequence as socir89 did not get his $5K but will bring away a respectable $4,500.00 in third place.

Maple Leaf vs. Union Jack

Sh0ckdaWorld (Canada) and JJJ1923 (United Kingdom) would square off for an immense battle that would last... 45 seconds. Just two hands of heads-up play and the winner of the hand below would take the entire $12,000.00:

Another hand, another flip as JJJ1923 would call the bully's shove from the button holding a medium ace [7d][Ah] and Sh0ckdaWorld turned up a couple of face cards [Jd][Kh]. A king on the flop overcame the ace-high [3s] [5s] [Kc] [2c] [3c] as the Uranus weekly champSh0ckdaWorld took down the $50,000 Battle of the Planets triple shootout freeroll!

$50,000 Battle of the Planets triple shootout freeroll results (06-25-11):
1. Sh0ckdaWorld (Canada) $12,000.00
2. JJJ1923 (United Kingdom) $7,500.00
3. socir89 (Germany) $4,500.00
4. Miggomo (Finland) $3,350.00
5. RodrigoBabu (Brazil) $2,735.00
6. puFkotukaS (Lithuania) $2,200.00
7. dejmi (Czech Republic) $1,700.00
8. premo321 (Croatia) $1,200.00
9. Loirinh@cwb (Brazil) $775.00

The fight for top position on that board is a contentious one due to the prizes at stake, as the Battle of the Planets is a $50,000 triple shootout freeroll. Qualifying players compete to turn that opportunity into a $12,000 first place prize, though the top 81 players walk away with a minimum of $195 for simply making it to the second round of the shootout.

Round 1

This week, there were 456 players with those freeroll seats, and it took quite a long time to whittle that field down to 81. In the midst of that first round of action, a number of players departed with only poker memories, and among them was Team Online's Andre "acoimbra" Brito Coimbra of Portugal, who exited in 357th place.

With an hour and a half passed, the only two players left at a table were 7even 11even and Radoom with fairly even chip stacks. Finally, though, Radoom was ready to battle with [Ac][5h] against the [5c][5d] of 7even 11even, who was all-in. The board of [2s][8h][3h][Jh][2h] brought a flush for Radoom and eliminated 7even 11even on the money bubble.

Round 2

Players could breathe a little easier knowing they were guaranteed a minimum $195 payout for today's efforts, but quite a bit more money awaited those who won their second tables and made the last round. The nine tables of 81 players played out with that in mind.

The last Team Online member in the field for this round was Anders "Donald" Berg, and though he led his table for much of the way through the action, he ultimately lost ground and pushed all-in with a short stack and [Qs][2s]. Weerab76 woke up with [Qd][Qh], and that pair took it down after the [5s][2h][Ts][Jc][3d] board was revealed. Berg (pictured here) departed in 49th place.

(Insert Donald pic)

In Level 6, the first three seats were locked at the final table as luckynikNN, Marrakesz, and CJSaunders won their tables, and Garotta followed soon after. Coka1985 won another table, leaving four more to be decided. Cristoff1 took the next seat, followed by seytomessi.

With one table left in action, jaghuar and 12ziz12 battled it out in Level 7 for the last seat at the final table. Finally, short-stacked jaghuar pushed with [Qc][7c], and 12ziz12 called with [Ah][4h]. The board brought [9d][9h][6d][2d][9c], and the ace kicker played with the three nines. 12ziz12 secured a seat and jaghuar was gone in tenth place with $195.00.

Round 3 - Final Table

The final table was set as follows, each player with 1,500 chips in Level 1, with blinds at 15/20.

Play started predictably slow but picked up in Level 2. It was then that 12ziz12 got into a battle with seytomessi through the [8s][Js][Kd] flop and [6d] turn. Seytomessi bet all-in, and 12ziz12 called all-in with [Ad][Td] for the draw, but seytomessi had [Ks][Qs] for top pair. The [7c] on the river ended it for 12ziz12, who left in ninth place with $775.00.

Just into the third level and after a call from seytomessi and raise from Cristoff1, Garotta and seytomessi also went to see the [Ks][Tc][9c] flop. A bet from Cristoff1 prompted an all-in raise from Garotta, and seytomessi got out of the way. Cristoff1 called all-in with [As][Ac], but that wasn't good enough for the flopped set of Garotta holding [9s][9d]. The [Kc] turn and [2s] river finished the hand and left Cristoff1 out in eighth place with $1,200.00.

It didn't take long for CJSaunders to risk it all as well. It happened when tangling with seytomessi to see a [5h][4h][3s] flop. A bet from CJSaunders prompted a check-raise all-in from seytomessi. CJSaunders called all-in for 680 more chips with [Jd][Js], which bested the [7c][7d] of seytomessi. But the [7s] on the turn gave seytomessi the set of sevens, and the [2h] on the river sent CJSaunders packing in seventh place with $1,700.00.

Let the double-ups begin!

A big double-up for luckynikNN through coka1985 left the latter in a dire short position, but a triple-up through luckynikNN and Garotta was a life-saver. And the following hand showed what a real comeback looks like:

Marrakesz then doubled through seytomessi, and luckynikNN did the same.

Seytomessi couldn't recover and pushed 108 chips all-in. Coka1985, Garotta, and Marrakesz called, checking down the [3h][Qd][Js] flop and [6h] turn. After the [9h] on the river, they checked again, and Garotta showed [9d][2d] for the pair of nines, which won the pot. Seytomessi simply mucked and left in sixth place with $2,200.00.

Shortly thereafter, edvin08 pushed all-in preflop with [Ah][3h], and luckynikNN called from the big blind with [2h][2c]. the board of [4d][9c][Td][Tc][Jh] gave luckynikNN two pair and the pot, and edvin08 departed in fifth place with $2,735.00.

Despite coka1985's comeback of earlier and more recent double through luckynikNN, the stack was again short, and coka1985 moved all-in preflop with [Ac][7d]. Marrakesz called from the small blind with [Jd][Jc], which held up (and improved to two pair) on the [8c][5c][3d][6s][6c] presented by the virtual dealer. Coka1985 left in fourth place with $3,350.00.

LuckynikNN doubled through Marrakesz and continued to climb, soon taking over the chip lead by a slim margin. But Marrakesz wasn't having it, and the following double-up put luckynikNN back in trouble again:

LuckynikNN was able to double up to stay alive, and Garotta did the same through Marrakesz. But then Garotta doubled through luckynikNN to leave the latter with a very short stack. A double through Marrakesz was of some help, but with blinds at 125/250, players were in all-in mode.

Garotta then moved all-in with [Kc][Jc], and luckynikNN called with [Ks][4h] from the big blind. LuckynikNN was at risk and couldn't improve enough on the [5c][Js][Qc][4d][6h] board. That left luckynikNN out in third place with $4,500.00.

Nothing is certain

The final two players headed into their match as follows:

Seat 2: Marrakesz (8,034 in chips)
Seat 3: Garotta (5,466 in chips)

But Garotta put the pressure on Marrakesz and took a number of significant pots in order to climb right into the lead. and Garotta had no intention of backing down.

Marrakesz finally pushed all-in for 3,514 chips holding [Td][8d] after Garotta limped in the small blind, but Garotta called with [9d][9s]. The board came [7c][Ks][7d][4d][6h], and Marrakesz had to accept $7,500.00 for second place.

Garotta won the May Battle of the Planets, and the freeroll brought a $12,000 first place prize. Congrats!

May Battle of the Planets Results for 05/29/11:

1st place: Garotta ($12,000.00)
2nd place: Marrakesz ($7,500.00)
3rd place: luckynikNN ($4,500.00)
4th place: coka1985 ($3,350.00)
5th place: edvin08 ($2,735.00)
6th place: seytomessi ($2,200.00)
7th place: CJSaunders ($1,700.00)
8th place: Cristoff1 ($1,200.00)
9th place: 12ziz12 ($775.00)

Shortly after the hourly break about an hour and half into the first round, just exe.ton.nous and Ivanesz remained both fighting for the last seat into round two and assurances of $195.00 for winning the table. With the blinds holding at 100/200 and exe.ton.nous holding a 3,965 to 2,035 chip lead both would get their chips in the middle preflop. Ivansez with a couple of suited paint cards [Qc][Jc] as exe.ton.nous held a medium ace [As][7h]. Flopped pair of jacks for Ivansez [6s] [7c] [Jd] put him the lead for the 4,070 chip pot. [Kc] on the turn eliminated a few outs for exe.ton.nous, but the [Ah] was not a club and gave exe.ton.nous the winning two pair and started up nine fresh tables and the round of 81.

Someone who seems to enjoy Omaha Eight or Better, AsAh2d3c, managed to find enough scoops on the hold em' tables as the player from Russia took home the first seat at the final table.

Down to two tables PlatinumStar Casper132999 would sneak [5d][9d] past the [Jc][Ad] of Mar4eto555 and claim the second to last seat as Maucgg and tomitza sat on Table Seven looking to lock up a minimum of $775.00 and a potential $12,000.00 going to today's winner. tomitza777 had a huge uphill battle with only 2,302 chips to Maucgg 's 11,198 and the blinds at 150/300 ante 25but managed to get pocket sixes to hold preflop and quick double-up. A few hands later tomiza777 looked ripe to turn this game in his direction getting it all-in preflop with pocket threes [3d][3s] as Maucgg called with a small ace [As][2c]. Not a perfect flop for tomiza777 as [Qd] [9d] [Qc] gave Maucgg outs to a counterfeit. A nine was not needed as an ace [Ah] dropped down from the dealer giving Maucgg the lead for the 9,758 chip pot and it would dodge the two remaining treys and start up the final table below:

Seat 1: deTorkwemada (1500 in chips)
Seat 2: abrahamoum (1500 in chips)
Seat 3: AsAh2d3c (1500 in chips)
Seat 4: Casper132999 (1500 in chips)
Seat 5: whuuui (1500 in chips)
Seat 6: redhot0007 (1500 in chips)
Seat 7: Maucgg (1500 in chips)
Seat 8: Phily88 (1500 in chips)
Seat 9: swatt1e (1500 in chips)

Immediately after the final table started the entire table spoke of a chop agreement as abrahamoum had a bit of a language barrier with the other players only speaking English. Enter Host Kevin who busted out some impressive Spanish to ease abrahamoum into the conversation. Five minutes later nine players found $3,995.55 in their bankroll and different from other nine-way deals, the players appeared to be ready to play it out for Tournament Leaderboard points. (ed. note TLB points are not awarded for the Battle of the Planets shootout, read rules here)

Mostly play chips

With all of the money off the table two players decided the leaderboard points did not matter and decided to shove with less than premium cards preflop. Phily68 would shove for 1,570 chips with the blinds at 15/30 holding [Qc][7d] as swatt1e who claimed to be on a card heater while the chop discussions were taking place, called with [Kc][4s]. The king would play on the [9s] [3c] [Jc] [8d] [As] board and Phily68 finished in ninth place.

That's more like it

The video below shows a three-way hand most people would expect to see when there's no money on the line:

After losing the previous hand to abrahamoum, swatt1e would be left with 705 chips and taking a seat on the rail in eighth place as his [9s][Ad], fell to deTorkwemada's big slick [Ah][Kd], and abrahamoum had to muck [Kh][Qh] thus failing to complete a double knockout.

Another chip leader bites the dust

Blinds moved up to 25/50 as abrahamoum, who held the chip lead after taking it from swatt1e, would find his short stack in the middle. Down to just 250 chips after losing a 2,375 chip pot to redhot0007, the rest of them would ship over to the nemesis on the very next hand. abrahamoum would open shove [6s][2s] and failed to overcome the pocket fours [4h][4c] of abrahamoum as a four dropped on the turn [9h] [9d] [Ah] [4d] [Ac] just to rub it in ending abrahamoum's night in seventh place.

Maucgg is happy to be here. After stating "last week I didn't even know what Battle of the Planets was" in the chat box. And now there are $3,995.55 reasons in that bankroll to try for another ticket next month.

Pride hurts

Maucgg got the call he was looking for after crafting a four-bet preflop against deTorkwemada. Pocket kings [Kc][Ks] looking good to knock out deToorkwemada's tiny ace [5h][Ad] but that tiny ace grew to be a giant on the [Ah] [6s] [6c] [Jd] [As] and the 5,300 chip pot slid to deTorkwemada as Maucgg typed "gg" in the chat on the out to collecting $3,995.55 from the chop agreement in sixth place.

whuuui goes whee whee whee all the way home

After losing everything but 466 chips, then doubling up, whuuui's roller coaster ride would end in fifth place. With the blinds at 75/150 whuuui shoved all in with [Qs][Ts] as deTorkwemada looked it up with pocket jacks [Js][Jc]. The hooks would survive a river flush draw [8d] [9c] [3s] [5s] [5c] sending whuuui out in fifth place.

No high, no low, no chips

Since the author enjoys a game of O8 the majority of the time, looking down at AsAh2d3c is normally a reason for excitement. Unfortunately for AsAh2d3c the excitement would end with two less cards tonight as redhot0007 would take the rest of the Omaha player's chips as redhot0007's [4d][Ad] managed to steer clear of AsAh2d3c's [9c][Kc] on the all low [2s] [8s] [7c] [2d] [3h] board to scoop the high and the low and end AsAh2d3c's night in fourth place.

Speeding things up

Now after an hour of play in the basically free chip SnG, we would reach heads up play. Just three hands after AsAh2d3c left, Casper132999 tried to scare redhot0007 off the big blind with a shove for 2,161 chips. Determined to win, redhot0007 would make the call holding [8d][Kh] as Casper132999 was not bullying around with pocket sixes [6h][6d]. An eight on the flop [2c] [Th] [8s] [7s] [Qc] was all redhot0007 would need to eliminate the friendliest ghost you know, Casper132999, in third place.

Russia versus Estonia for glory

Dominated and needing some help, redhot0007's [Th][Kc] was looking down the barrel of deTorkwemada's big slick [Kd][Ah]. Ace on the flop [2s] [4d] [As] [7s] [9c] would put things away for deTorkwemada who fought the table for the win when the money did not matter, and won the pride of being this month's Battle of the Planets champion!

April Battle of the Planets $50,000 Triple Shootout freeroll results (04-24-11)

(*part of nine-way equal deal)

1. deTorkwemada (Russia) *$3,995.55
2. redhot0007 (Estonia) *$3,995.55
3. Casper132999 (Belarus) *$3,995.55
4. AsAh2d3c (Russia) *$3,995.55
5. whuuui (Germany) *$3,995.55
6. Maucgg (United Kingdom) *$3,995.55
7. abrahamoum (Spain) *$3,995.55
8. swatt1e (Australia) *$3,995.55
9. Phily88 (Germany) *$3,995.55

Three Team PokerStars players managed to find their way into today's festivities. Javier 'El_Cañonero' Dominguez, Andre Coimbra, and Marcello Del Grosso all found freeroll tickets in their accounts after their play on the SnG tables. And all three found themselves out of the tournament rather quickly at the first round of tables. Andre would find himself behind a nasty cooler while at the same table as Javier. With the blinds at 15/30 and down to 1,295 chips, all of them went preflop with [Ks][Ac] which looked limp when compared to the pocket aces [Ad][Ah] of moexx161. A quick walk through the [2c] [Qc] [8c] [8d] [4d] board and the Portuguese pro was done in 438th place.

Shortly after Andre's exit, Marcello would follow out the exit in 334th place after his Ace-Queen failed to overcome the pocket nines of T 54 T 97s on the [3s] [2d] [3d] [Th] [3h] which left the Canadian out of the running. The dominos fell quickly for Team PokerStars as Javier found himself all-in just one blind level after his teammates succumbed at the tables. With the blinds at 25/50 Dominguez was left with just 342 chips after failed to slime past uberslug for a 4,100 chip coin flip. [2d][Ah] was the Spaniard's choice of weapon, up against the pocket sevens [7d][7c] of Andre's nemesis moexx161. A deuce would hit the flop, but no other ducks followed to the river [2s] [3s] [3h] [Js] [6s] and the last remaining Team PokerStars player was out in 306th place. And after darinvg was unable to continue, the remaining 81 players were in guaranteed $195.00 for efforts in moving on to round two.

ThreeBet quickly took the 13,500 chips off his table to claim the first seat at the final table, soon followed by the nefarious sounding archenemy85, and barrybab333. Soon just two tables remained as armaniss battled Russian56bos on Table 8 as VN_Milingo had an upward chip hill to climb against Utlendingur on Table 1. Russian56bos would find trip jacks on the river and took armaniss to valuetown after shoving and getting armaniss to make the call with top pair of kings, advancing the GoldStar VIP to the final table.

VN_Milingo would overturn the deficit and with blinds at 150/300 ante 25 turned up the aggression as well. After winning four hands in a row and taking a 9,273 to 4,227 chip lead, the VN_Milingo would get Utlendingur in a very uncomfortable spot preflop after both player shoved all-in. [Th][Ah] for VN_Milingo and the dominated smaller ace [Ac][8h] for Utlendingur. The outs for Utlendingur kept dwindling till none were left [5s] [Js] [Qh] [4h] [9d] as Utlendingur became the bubble boy in 10th place ($195.00), assuring the fine nine below at least $775.00 today for making the final table.

Seat 1: VN_Milingo (1500 in chips)
Seat 2: goodturn2 (1500 in chips)
Seat 3: archenemy85 (1500 in chips)
Seat 4: Stu-Walker (1500 in chips)
Seat 5: ThreeBet (1500 in chips)
Seat 6: TeodorKAMATA (1500 in chips)
Seat 7: Dana Gordon (1500 in chips)
Seat 8: Russian56bos (1500 in chips)
Seat 9: barrybab333 (1500 in chips)

The name is ThreeBet for a reason

Usually during this tourney's final table the eliminations wait until the third or fourth level unless there's a big nine-way deal of course. But, since the players were not chatty today it would only take two level to say goodbye to our first final tablist. ThreeBet would lead off with a raise to 90 with the blinds at 15/30 as Dana Gordon a few chairs over re-raised to 777 leaving just 113 chips behind. Not going anywhere, ThreeBet re-raised all-in as Dana Gordon made the call holding pocket sevens [7h][7s]. Big slick [As][Kc] for ThreeBet would wait until the river to reveal the winner [5h] [Tc] [Js] [4s] [Ah] as Dana Gordon had seven other tournaments up to play in and finished in ninth here ($775.00). We're sure Dana's high stakes play will the ease the blow of the early departure especially after taking home $70,000 in the Super Tuesday last April.

Foiled again!

archenemy85 had a master plan to snag the $12,000 first place prize today. It involved suckouts and check-raises with devious four bets. But, watch below as TeodorKAMATA reverses those blueprints:

Big slick [Ah][Ks] was looking good for archenemy85 against TeodorKAMATA's [Ac][Qh] until the turn showed another queen [5s] [4d] [9h] [Qc] [2h] and ended the villain's night in eighth place ($1,200.00).

Good turn? How about great flop?

Two hands later with the blinds still at 25/50, a three-way all-in prelop got ThreeBet, goodturn2, and Russian56bos with their stacks all in the middle for a 3,485 chip pot. ThreeBet with a little under a double stack covered both players with chips and cards holding pocket queens [Qh][Qs], as goodturn2 flipped up jacks [Jd][Jh], and Russian56bos with a small ace [5s][Ad] and the smallest stack. Jack on the flop [3d] [Js] [8h] [3c] [Td] had goodturn2 cleaning up all the chips as Russian56bos would settle for seventh place ($1,700.00).

Only one bet needed

ThreeBet was crippled by goodturn2's good fortune but lasted into the 50/100 blind level. After a quick sentence about chopping, nothing more came about as ThreeBet decided to defend his big blind with only 574 chips left from the shove of Stu-Walker. Live cards for Stu-Walker [8d][9c] and overcards [Kd][Tc] for ThreeBet both danced down the [Jd] [Js] [Ah] [8s] [8h] board and Stu-Walker's live cards became a boat as ThreeBet's comeback would fail to materialize in sixth place ($2,200.00).

Disco Stu

Flopped trips. Usually a hand to get excited about. Lets ask TeodorKAMATA whether he likes them after this hand went down:

[Ac] [Ad] [3d] [7h] on the board as the blinds were battling it out. Stu-Walker would shove on the turn for 1,844 chips as TeodorKAMATA made the call for a little less holding [As][9d]. Stu-Walker's [3s][Ah] already found his kicker as the [Tc] on the river completed the cooler sending TeodorKAMATA off in fifth place ($2,735.00) and passing 4,590 chips to Stu.

No turn, no river, no chips

goodturn2 already found good fortune tonight but couldn't muster it up a second time. With the blinds up to 75/150 goodturn2 would open shove a very small stack of 850 from the button as barrybab333 sitting a decent ace [Ac][9s] made the call. goodturn2 needed a little love from the board holding two face cards [Jd][Qs]. goodturn2 got a cold shoulder instead as barrybab333 took it down with two pair [3d] [9d] [5c] [7h] [Ad] leaving goodturn2 one off the impeding chop deal in fourth place ($3,350.000).

We have a deal! No? We have another deal! No? I mean yes!

barrybab333 couldn't seem to make up his mind but we ended up with the deal below after 10 minutes and a plate of macaroni and cheese leaving $1,000.00 to our winner tonight.

VN_Milingo: $8,288.73
Stu-Walker: $7,447.81
barrybab333: $7,263.44

No indecisiveness here

barrybab333 had no problem making a decision here as the blinds were up to 100/200 and after raising to 600, barrybab333 was facing a shove from VN_Milingo which put him all-in. Holding pocket sixes [6s][6h], barrybab333 made the call and was while it wasn't the right decision (as he was behind VN_Milingo's pocket tens [Tc][Ts]) he did make it much quicker than his chop answer. [Qc] [Qh] [4d] [Jh] [Kd] on the board and we are down to two as barrybab333 picked up $7,263.44 in third place.

Thousand dollar heads-up match

While Stu-Walker started the heads-up match losing 3,364 to 10,136 with blinds at 100/200, he would make a pretty good match for VN_Milingo. Although it only took seven minute Stu-Walker fought hard until the below hand took the rest of his chips:

Down to 2,192 chips, Stu-Walker made a move from the small blind by shoving while holding [6d][Qs]. Two paint cards in hand [Jh][Kh] and plenty of chips, VN_Milingo made the call. The [8d] [9h] [7h] flop was nasty for Stu-Walker eliminating several outs. [Kd] left only three fives, and the [8h] on the river handed the remaining $1,000.00 to our March Battle of the Planets $50,000 triple shootout champion, VN_Milingo!

March Battle of the Planets $50,000 Triple Shootout Freeroll Results (03-27-11)
(* denotes part of three-way deal)
1. VN_Milingo (Spain) *$9,288.73
2. Stu-Walker (Spain) *$7,447.81
3. barrybab333 (Hungary) *$7,263.44
4. goodturn2 (United States) $4,500.00
5. TeodorKAMATA (Bulgaria) $3,350.00
6. ThreeBet (United States) $2,735.00
7. Russian56bos (Russia) $2,200.00
8. archenemy85 (Austria) $1,700.00
9. Dana Gordon (United States) $775.00

Team PokerStars members managed to snag five of those freeroll tickets while playing their favorite SnGs. Unfortunately those with red spades aside from their names were not able to advance into the money today. Alexandre "allingomes" Gomes, Javier "El_Cañonero" Dominquez, Andre Coimbra, Grayson "spacegravy" Physioc, and Henrique Pinho all failed to climb out of the 81 starting tables.

Down to two tables left before the remaining 81 players would be assured $195.00 for their efforts, Grzybouch's [Kc][5c] failed to catch up to ops7490's [As][4c] on the [7d][2s][7c][Jh][8h] board and finished in 83rd place. All eyes moved over quickly to Table 37 where Gobbblin enjoyed a big lead over shenk.by. With blinds at 150/300 ante 25, shenk.by would toss his remaining 909 chips in the middle preflop from the button holding [Qs][4d] as Gobbblin with 9,266 behind made the easy call with pocket tens [Th][Tc]. A flopped opened ended straight draw for shenk.by [6c][5d][3c] provided a little excitement, but the board would kill hopes of a comeback lay out [Ad] and [4c] on the river to ship the remaining 1,818 chips to Gobbblin and start up the race to the final table where a $12,000.00 first place prize is waiting.

Cappla011 and Spackn both punched their tickets in under 45 minutes as they awaited the final table while the other seven tables still had five or six players left. Soon wayne91321, scoobs213, Waaaghbozz, PAW717, Alfa79, and AAPocketaces would trickle in as Table 8 would announce our ninth final table player. Man raining and EunyTheSwa would battle each other until the 125/250 ante 25 level after the third total hour of play. With Man raining in the lead 10,235 to 3,265 EunyTheSwa made a move from the button and shoved all-in holding [8c][Ac], a very decent heads-up hand. Man raining however had a premium hand as well turning over big slick [Kh][Ah]. The door card was a club for EunyTheSwa but it was also a king giving Man raining a big lead that would hold on the [Kc] [Qs] [3s] [Qh] [7h] board for the win and the last seat to tonight's third table of the triple shootout.

Seat 1: scoobs213 (1500 in chips)
Seat 2: PAW717 (1500 in chips)
Seat 3: Alfa79 (1500 in chips)
Seat 4: AAPocketaces (1500 in chips)
Seat 5: waynep1321 (1500 in chips)
Seat 6: Waaaghbozz (1500 in chips)
Seat 7: cappla011 (1500 in chips)
Seat 8: Man raining (1500 in chips)
Seat 9: Spackn (1500 in chips)

PAW717 is no stranger to big-time tournament tables having made it to the final 8 in the 2008 WCOOP $25,000 Heads-Up tournament, banking $100,000 in the process. Waaaghbozz, cappla011, scoobs213 certainly have some SnG experience while attaining the Supernova VIP level chopping up the pot was never mentioned.

After a non-confrontational starting blind level of 10/20 with 1,500 starting chips, Waaaghbozz and waynep1321 were looking up at the field. In waynep1321's case, pocket aces failed to hold after Spackn found a set of nines on a [8s][9c][2s] flop and the two traded bets until Spackn was all-in and the set held for a 2,721 chip pot leaving the waynep1321 with 822 chips with the blinds 15/30.

Man down!

Generally the eliminations wait a few more blinds, but cappla011 and Man raining managed to get their stacks in the middle preflop early in the 25/50 blind level. Watch the results below:

It would take two big hands like pocket jacks and pocket aces to shove preflop this early and cappla011 was looking desperate holding the jacks [Jd][Jc] to Man raining's aces [Ah][Ad]. Only covering by 450 chips, cappla011's stack was going to take a big hit until a jack appeared on the door and flopped a boat [Jh] [8c] [8s]. No re-suck on the [Ks] turn and [Qc] river and Man raining trickled from the final table in ninth place ($775.00).

cappla011 finds another fortuitous flop

As the blinds moved up to 50/100 and the short stacks start to make their moves preflop, we found two limpers in Spackn and scoobs213, as Waaaghbozz completed the small blind and cappla011 checked the option in the big. A coordinated [6s] [Js] [8d] flop came out as the blinds checked and scoobs213 tried to pick up the pot with a 300 chip bet. cappla011 liked his hand again and shoved for 1,880 chips. scoobs213 only had 761 left but was sitting with top pair, top kicker [Jc][As] and made the call. Once again cappla011 found some love on the flop holding bottom two pair [6c][8h]. No Scooby Snacks on the turn [2s] or river [Kh] and cappla011 took down the 2,522 chip pot while scoobs213 peeled away in the Mystery Machine in eighth place ($1,200.00).

Aces not needed, nor wanted

The short stack of waynep1321 lasted this long but was being pressured by AApocketaces. In a blind versus blind confrontation just five hands after scoobs213 was eliminated, AApocketaces bet enough to put waynep1321 all-in. Holding [Qh][Ah] and 715 chips behind, waynep1321 was happy to make the call and was up against the pocket fives [5c][5h] of AApocketaces. Good thing clubs made their way on the board for AApocketaces as a queen would hit the river but it was also the fourth club [Jd] [6c] [8c] [2c] [Qc] matching the suit in AApocketaces' hand for the winning flush. waynep1321 outlasted two other players with the shortest stack and managed a seventh place finish ($1,700.00).

Not pocket aces but close enough

As the blinds moved up to 75/150 Alfa79 was reduced to just 866 chips and in need of a chip infusion. Shoving from early position holding [Ts][Jc] Alfa79 found a caller with a slightly better hand as AApocketaces found a suited big slick [Kc][Ac]. A king on the flop gave AApocketaces a big advantage reducing Alfa79's outs to four as the short stack picked up an inside straight draw [4d] [9s] [Kh]. The queens had better things to do and failed to show up on the [9d] turn and [5s] river sending Alfa79 home in sixth place ($2,200.00).

The tides turn

cappla011's wild ride would end in the 75/150 blind level. After losing the chip lead, cappla011 would double up off Waaaghbozz with pocket fours, then hand those chips back to Waaaghbozz when pocket fours failed to hold against Waaaghbozz's [Ad][9d]. Three hands later cappla011 would get it in preflop one more time holding 1,148 chips and [4d][Ah] as AApocketaces looked to make his third straight elimination flipping up the dominate [7s][As]. Despite a possibility of a split the board not only gave AApocketaces a pair of sevens, he would turn the nut flush [7c] [6s] [4s] [Ks] [5c] collecting 2,371 chips and showing cappla011 the door in fifth place ($2,735.00).

Spackled

Just before the foursome of our remaining players was going to the fourth hourly break, Waaaghbozz was trying to climb out of the chip cellar holding just 1,623 chips as the blinds moved up to 100/200. Watch the unsuccessful attempt to steal the blinds below:

Shoving [7s][8c] got the desired race with Spackn's [2h][As] for a 3,246 chip pot. But, neither player's hand touched the [Tc] [Qd] [3h] [4c] [9h] board and Spackn's ace high took down the pot and the number of entries left in the tournament was three. Waaaghbozz would pick up $3,350.00 in fourth place.

The word "chop" did not find its way into the screen even after Spackn dished out double ups with AApocketaces and PAW717 as three-handed play continued and the $12,000.00 first place prize still remained on the table.

Spackn Steamroller

In a span of four hands, Spackn would go from third place looking at $4,500.00 to this month's champion. First, Spackn needed the chip lead which was acquired by doubling up off PAW717 when both players got it in preflop with Spackn holding [As][8d] to PAW717's [Kh][Qd]. Queen on the flop [Qh] [4c] [8s] knocked Spackn off the lead, but the [Ad] on the turn righted the ship and sealed the 6,701 chips pot after the [Td] fell on the river. Very next hand Spackn would try to bully by opening for 5,500 from the button with blinds at 125/250 ante 25. PAW717 folded quickly but AApocketaces found a suited ace [8s][As] and made the call for 3,717 chips. Spackn also held an ace with a couple extra pips for a kicker [Tc][Ah]. The pips played on the [Jc] [6s] [5d] [3c] [5c] board and AApocketaces received $4,500.00 in third place.

PAW717 vs. Spackn

Two hands and done, no masterful four bets with air, no check-raises on the turn, just shove it and forget it. After taking down the blinds on the first hand, Spackn would limp in on the second hand as PAW717 wasted no time shoving for 2,357 chips. Holding 11,118 chips before the blinds and antes, Spackn had the bet well covered and the suited ace [9d][Ad] made the call even easier. PAW717's [5d][7s] was live however until a nine hit the flop [2c] [Td] [9c]. [8d] on the turn gave PAW717 a ray of hope with a straight draw, the curtains were drawn on PAW717's tournament life as the [8h] hit the river shipping the $12,000.00 first prize to the February Battle of the Planets champion Spackn!

February $50,000 Battle of the Planets Triple Shootout freeroll results (02-27-11)
1. Spackn (Germany) $12,000.00
2. PAW717 (United States) $7,500.00
3. AAPocketaces (United States) $4,500.00
4. Waaaghbozz (Germany) $3,350.00
5. cappla011 (United States) $2,735.00
6. Alfa79 (Sweden) $2,200.00
7. waynep1321 (United States) $1,700.00
8. scoobs213 (South Korea) $1,200.00
9. Man raining (Ukraine) $775.00

Plenty of Team PokerStars players were cashing in their freeroll tickets today: Alexandre "allingomes" Gomes, Andre Coimbra, Marcello Del Grosso, Diego Brunelli, and Kevin "WizardOfAhhs" Thurman. Thurman unfortunately did not punch the alarm clock quickly enough and blinded out. Gomes found the short end of two good hands when his opponent called a bet on the turn when Gomes found two pair but the river brought a third heart matching the two in zarzius69's hand taking down the rest of the Brazilian pro's chips in 459th place. Brunelli would get short in the 50/100 blind level, deciding to open shove from the small blind for 890 chips with [5d][9d] as the big blind jaybuckpoker called holding [As][Qh]. The two live cards never hit the [2h] [2d] [8h] [Qs] [6h] and Brunelli took leave in 390th place.

That left Andre and Marcello to take control for Team PokerStars and both would get to heads-up play. Del Grosso would take on g3r4rd0x behind nearly 2:1 in chips and battle until both players found an ace preflop and shoved. Marcello was behind holding [Ac][3h] to g3r4rd0x's [Jh][Ad], the Team PokerStars' pro was unable to pull off the upset as the board laid out [6c] [Qh] [Td] [2h] [5s] to send Del Grosso out in 232nd place. Around the same time Andre took down his first table defeating mpolishuk heads-up to join the round of 81 and earn at least $195.00.

tetemoto and marchand were the last two standing on the money bubble with teremoto holding a slight lead as the two would get their chips in the middle after a flop of [6h] [Jh] [Jd]. teremoto turned over [Js][Ah] for the trip jacks as marchand was looking for another heart [Kh][7h]. [Ks] on the turn opened up a couple of outs, but the [6d] on the river was the wrong red card as marchand was the official bubble boy today and the round of 81started up.

Andre would make it down to three-handed and unfortunately fell short of another Battle of the Planets final table as nlCe^R calmly stacked away the remainder of the Supernova Elite's 1,189 chips after Coimbra's [Kh][Tc] failed to overcome nlCe^R's [Ad][Qd] on the final [8h] [Ac] [9d] [3h] [9s] board to finish in 29th place ($195.00).

The final table would be set once the heads-up battle on table seven between crazyfrog007 and f1v3h34d cleared. The players would dance until the 200/400 ante 50 blind levels when f1v3h34d got crazyfrog007 to shove all-in from the button and sitting back in the big blind with pocket kings [Kh][Kd]. crazyfrog007 was looking for some help holding [Jd][9d] and certainly did not find it on the [4c] [Kc] [Jh] [Ks] [Qh] which spelled out quads for f1v3h34d and started up the final table below:

Seat 1: PinkoPanther (1500 in chips)
Seat 2: g3r4rd0x (1500 in chips)
Seat 3: Fuumin (1500 in chips)
Seat 4: Yarchel22 (1500 in chips)
Seat 5: bdubs3737 (1500 in chips)
Seat 6: paulifax (1500 in chips)
Seat 7: f1v3h34d (1500 in chips)
Seat 8: Walter tgp (1500 in chips)
Seat 9: Robinson47 (1500 in chips)

Despite the banter about who had the biggest balls at the final table and deserved a bigger slice of the pie, the chat to chop nine ways at the beginning of the final table failed to find any legs. Play would move through the first set of 10/20 blinds without incident.

Usually play takes a passive ride thru the 10/20 and 15/30 blind levels but Walter tgp was found to be all-in holding [Ah][Qc] against Fuumin's pocket fours [4c][4d] but found plenty of broadway cards on the [5s] [As] [Jh] [Kc] [Qh] to take the 1,801 chip pot and stay alive. As would all nine of our players survive through the 25/50 blind level as well.

Danger on the turn Will Robinson!

Moving well into the 50/100 blind level g3r4rd0x and Robinson47 would both get similar small stacks into the middle preflop. g3r4rd0x holding pocket jacks [Jc][Jh] and covering by 70 chips as Robinson47 was sitting with big slick for the coin flip. The jacks looked good to knock out Robinson47 on the flop [Tc] [3c] [4c] as g3r4rd0x picked up a flush draw as well. The turn was the ace of spades [As] hitting one of g3r4rd0x's outs as he could not find the fourth club on the river [8s] finishing the day in ninth place ($775.00).

Running on less than fumes

Just before the blinds moved up to 75/150 and Fuumin would find his chip stack in the pot after calling the shove by PinkoPanther while sitting in the big blind. PinkoPanther covered the bet and flipped up big slick [Ac][Ks] while Fuumin could only produce [Ah][Qh]. Zero hearts and two kings on the board [Kd] [7c] [4c] [Kc] [7d] and Fuumin was out of gas in eighth place ($1,200.00).

Fax it in for the win

Sometimes you just need to get a little lucky...

paulifax finds a flush with [As][Qd] and overcomes f1v3h34d's pocket kings [Kh][Kc] on the [7d] [8d] [Ad] [6d] [Qh] board to take down the 2,375 chip pot and send f1v3h34d home in seventh place ($1,700.00).

Red scare no more

Moving up to the 100/200 blind level and PinkoPanther was all-in for scraps after doubling up Robinson47 on the previous hand when [Ad][Td] held over his [5h][Qs]. bdubs3737 would make a raise from UTG to 450 as paulifax came along for the ride. [2h] [Kc] [2c] on the flop and paulifax called bdubs3737's 450 chip continuation bet. 1,200 on the turned [Ts] was too rich for paulifax as he folded and bdubs3737 turned up big slick [Kd][Ac]. PinkoPanther was drawing dead holding [6s][Qc] not having to sweat the [Td] river, as the 2,017 chips slid to bdubs3737 ending his night in sixth place ($2,200.00).

Robinson hits another one out of the park

While still in the 100/200 blind level Robinson47 would call the short three-bet all-in of Yarchel22 who turned up a suited king [7c][Kc]. Suited ace [Jh][Ah] for Robinson47 made the bigger stack happy, even more so when nary a club, seven, or king hit the [9d] [6h] [3d] [Ts] [2h] board and Yarchel22 found the rail holding ($2,735.00) for fifth place.

Swiss Family Robinson finds rough waters ahead

Robinson47 would double up Walter tgp and two hands later was found all-in against paulifax. Watch the action play out below:

[Ks][5c] was alive as Robinson47 was looking to overcome the [Js][Ad] of paulifax. Neither player would match up with the [Qs] [Qh] [Th] [2s] [Td] board as Robinson47's shipwrecked adventure would end in fourth place ($3,350.00).

Another cooler for a Bears fan

As bdubs3737 watched his Chicago Bears lose last weekend in the NFC Championship game to the Green Bay Packers, the cards would cruelly fall his opponent's way here as well. With the blinds at 125/250 ante 25 bdubs3737 would call from the small blind as paulifax checked the option as [3d] [5h] [Qs] came down on the flop. bdubs3737 put out a 300 chip bet that was called to see the [6h] turn. bdubs3737 backed off as paulifax selected 555 for a bet that bdubs3737 called. Another six [6c] on the river that bdubs3737 liked and led out for 1,345 as paulifax shoved for 3,926 which was met by a snap call. Both had trip sixes as bdubs3737 held [6s][kc] but paulifax's kicker matched the board [Qd][6d] for a boat and the 10,137 chip pot. Four hands later and bdubs3737's tournament life was done in third place ($4,500.00).

Mountain and the molehill

paulifax would start heads-up play with a 11,126 to 2,374 lead with blinds at 150/300 ante 25 but after 13 hands Walter tgp would nearly even it up shrinking the lead to 7,954 to 5,546 and the two remaining players decided to wait for the mods to divvy up the remaining money.

A slight slant from a 50-50 chop was agreed to below as paulifax wanted a nice round five figure score:

Walter tgp: $9,510.00
paulifax: $10,000.00

After the PokerStars host settled up the cash the players tossed in the zero value tournament chips as paulifax happened to find pocket jacks [Js][Jc] which held off the [3s][4c] of Walter tgp to officially take the title of this month's Battle of the Planets champion!

January Battle of the Planets $50,000 Triple Shootout results (01-30-11)
(* denotes part of two-way deal)
1. paulifax (Erfurt) $10,000.00
2. Walter tgp (heredia) $9,510.00
3. bdubs3737 (Tucson) $4,500.00
4. Robinson47 (Andover) $3,350.00
5. Yarchel22 (Лубни) $2,735.00
6. PinkoPanther (Vancouver) $2,200.00
7. f1v3h34d (stamford) $1,700.00
8. Fuumin (Plovdiv) $1,200.00
9. g3r4rd0x (Lima) $775.00

Team PokerStars had a hockey team with the goalie pulled worth of players today. Andre Coimbra, George "Jorj95" Lind, and Diego "vgreen22" Brunelli were sporting their well deserved Supernova Elite stars under their pictures. Marcello Del Grosso was trying to bring home a Boxing Day victory, but the Canadian would get stopped by moneymike7 in the first round. Grayson "spacegravy" Physioc tried to work his way out of a big hole heads-up against 99zeu99 and found himself shoving 1,500 chips all-in preflop with [Ts][6s] against 99zeu99's [8s][Ah] with the blinds at 75/150. The final board [3h][8c][Kc][Ks][5s] did not help the Team PokerStars Online member who finished in 137th place.

In fact none of the Team PokerStars players would find their way to the final 81 paid spots today as Lind, Coimbra, and Brunelli all took their six black and white supernova stars back to the SnG arena to hopefully gather another ticket to this freeroll for next month.

At the two hour mark and most of the 70+ tables had been folded up for the year, Bombaata and Grey Poopon were on Table 4 as last two players before everyone locked up at least $195.00 today. With the blinds at 150/300 ante 25, Grey Poopon down 3,387 to 5,613 would limp in from the button as Bombaata kept the heat on by shoving all-in. Grey Poopon made the call with a middle suited ace [Ac][7c] and Bombaata flipped up [9h][Ks]. The flopped two pair [Th] [7h] [Ah] looked great for Grey Poopon until he saw they were all hearts which matched the nine sitting in Bombaata's hand. [4s] on the turn changed nothing but the [5h] on the river snatched the 6,774 chip pot for Bombaata as nine fresh tables were laid out for our first table winners.

razvaan1979 would wrap up the first final table seat, fittingly at Table 1 where he would be joined by eight others. On Table 7, BigHeadMode and Navigatorlg worked out a little deal to split the final table winnings before they got it in preflop with Navigatorlg's big slick gunning down BigHeadMode's pocket queens. After the ladies fell short, all railbirds moved over to Table 3 where Markschillin held a big lead on csabes going into the hourly five minute break. csabes knows what it takes to move to the final table as last year the SnG specialist took third place in this freeroll for $4,500.00. Dogged by a huge deficit however (1,936 to 11,564) and blinds at 150/300 ante 25, csabes was not able to make a similar run tonight. Shoving from the button with [7h][8d], csabes would have to outrun the two broadway cards [Qd][Jc] of Markschillin. The queen [Qc] [Th] [3c] [Kh] [Ts] on the door was enough to put the last 3,872 chips on the table into Markschillin's stack and start up the final table below:

Seat 1: razvaan1979 (1500 in chips)
Seat 2: respekt777 (1500 in chips)
Seat 3: Markschillin (1500 in chips)
Seat 4: dimmo86 (1500 in chips)
Seat 5: Martynas (1500 in chips)
Seat 6: ajiaj0197 (1500 in chips)
Seat 7: Navigatorlg (1500 in chips)
Seat 8: TDGamecocks (1500 in chips)
Seat 9: derdaniel81 (1500 in chips)

Immediately Navigatorlg went into negotiations mode to split up the final table money and most of the folks in the holiday spirits were looking for a socking filled with about $4,000.00 a piece. After a few laps around the track, the PokerStars mod came by to orchestrate such a deal. Seven of the nine shot up their hands right away; followed by derdaniel81 falling into line but ajiaj0197 was the lone player to abstain, remaining silent despite the pleas from the table. The eight angry men were determined to knock out the toucan avatar, so with one player casting a non-vote the race to the $12,000.00 first place prize was on.

Even after the first two blind levels of 10/20 and 15/30, players still plead to ajiaj0197 to take the split but the GoldStar VIP remained mum as play moved on into the 25/50 blind level and a slight lead for derdaniel81.

Letting the cards do the talking

ajiaj0197 would not submit to the deal but managed to let the cards to the damage. As the blinds moved up to 50/100 ajiaj0197 would open from the button for 350 as short-stacked TDGamecocks would shove all-in from the big blind for 1,033. Back to the silent tropical bird avatar, ajiaj0197 would make the call holding [Ah][8c]. TDGamecocks turned up a much better hand, pocket kings [Kd][Kh]. After an eight on the turn [9s] [Ts] [Jh] [8s] ajiaj0197 acquired a few more outs and found one on the river [As]. TDGamecocks would have $775.00 to root on his favorite college football team from South Carolina.

Outlook dimmed

Another bump in the blinds (75/150) and another player eliminated. With 960 chips left, dimmo86 would open shove holding pocket tens [Ts][Td] and found a caller in derdaniel81 sitting in the big blind looking at [Qh][Ad]. The race look like it ended after the [8c] [Ac] [9s] hit the middle of the flop. The turn made things interesting [7c] by opening up an open-ended straight draw. But, the [3d] on the river did not hit one of those ten outs and dimmo86 was 86'd from the final table in eighth place ($1,200.00).

No respekt from the ladies

Fresh from the hourly five minute break the two short stacks respekt777 and razvaan1979 would take their battle preflop, watch the video below for the results:

After raising all-in from UTG for 690 chips respekt777's [8d][8h] was behind razvaan1979's ladies [Qd][Qc] and in need of some help. A couple of straighten cards on the flop was about as close as respekt777 would get as the board [Jd] [3d] [9d] [4c] [Ah] completely missed the seventh place finisher ($1,700.00).

Falling off the boat

Markschillin was down to 634 chips and blinds at 100/200 but thanks to his new buddy Navigatorlg he would more than triple up in two hands. After surviving the first all-in against Navigatorlg holding [Ac][6c] and out lasting [Kh][7h] by catching sixes full on the river. The very next hand both of the players shoved their chips in the middle with Navigatorlg's tournament life on the line this time. With just 764 chips left over from the previous hand, Navigatorlg would call the shove by Markschillin. Maybe a hint of tilt went into the call but [6s][9s] for Navigatorlg was up against the queens [Qh][Qd] of Markschillin. No cracking flush or straight came down the [7c] [Qs] [Jh] [4h] [Jc] board that ended with Markschillin's second consecutive full house. Navigatorlg tried to direct a chop, but instead would have to settle for $2,200.00 in sixth place.

The $1,265.00 gamble

ajiaj0197 took a risk by not chopping up the prize pool at the beginning of the tournament. The lone non-vote, ajiaj0197 would have to finish at least third to make a profit on the gamble. Unfortunately ajiaj0197 gamble would end up costing $1,265.00 after this hand below:

The nasty turned jack hit Martynas' [Ac][Jd] and rivered a flush [7d] [2d] [Ad] [Js] [Kd] to add insult to injury after overcoming ajiaj0197's [As][Qc]. Left with just 166 chips, three hands later the failed gamble was complete and ajiaj0197's fifth place finish was worth ($2,735.00).

Back to our regularly scheduled programming

Now that the one player who was not playing nicely with others had zero chips, the final four immediately got the PokerStars mod to the table for a quick chop. Martynas did not like the even chop but the other three coaxed the chip leader to sign the dotted line after conceding a few dollars.

Martynas $8,075.00
derdaniel81 $6,637.50
razvaan1979 $6,637.50
Markschillin $6,000.00

With the money out of the way the tournament became an all-in fest to clear the table of the play chips since there was no monetary value tethered to them. derdaniel81 will go down as the official December $50,000 Battle of the Planets triple shootout champion after his [Kd][4d] outlasted Martynas' [6d][9s] on the final [Jc] [7c] [3h] [Ad] [5s] board.

Congratulations to all of our participants at tonight's final table, be sure to start hunting for next month's ticket!

Battle of the Planets $50,000 Triple Shootout results (12-26-10)
(* denotes part of four way deal)
1. derdaniel81 (Rostock) *$6,637.50
2. Martynas (Clerihan, Clonmel) *$8,075.00
3. razvaan1979 (Craiova) *$6,637.50
4. Markschillin (Lowell) *$6,000.00
5. ajiaj0197 (widnes) $2,735.00
6. Navigatorlg (Lugansk) $2,200.00
7. respekt777 (Bihac) $1,700.00
8. dimmo86 (Turku) $1,200.00
9. TDGamecocks (Greenwood) $775.00

Team PokerStars had four players cashing in their monthly entrance tickets today. Definitely not first timers to the monthly triple shootout as André "acimbra" Coimbra, Diego "vgreen22" Brunelli, Grayson "spacegravy" Physioc, and Marcello Del Grosso all joined. Grayson seemed to have enjoyed his mother's cooking a bit too much and was summarily blinded off, while Marcello would go out early in the first round after catching a bit of bad luck. With the blinds at 25/50 greenflush76 would raise UTG to 150 as Del Grosso would three bet all-in from the button holding big slick [Ad][Kd]. Covered by Del Grosso, greenflush76 made the call flipping up the dominated [Ks][Qc]. [5c] [2c] [Th] flop favored the Canadian Team Pro but the [Qs] left him with just seven outs on river. The [7c] did not turn things around and Del Grosso was knocked down to 69 chips. Triple up on the first hand, three hands later was eliminated by Cashout91 in 402nd place.

Andre Coimbra would get down to three players at his table and found himself all-in for a 6,680 chip pot with the blinds at 75/150 after a coordinated [4d][6h][5d] flop came down. Pocket sevens [7c][7s] sitting with the Team Online member as archenemy85 had a few outs himself holding a suited big slick [Ad][Kd]. Coimbra's pair would go down twice as an ace [Ac] hit the turn and insult to injury occurred on the [3d] river as archenemy85's nut flush sent Andre packing in 184th place.

The last hope for Team PokerStars was Diego Brunelli who found himself heads-up against Change2305AA who held a big chip lead (7,205 to 3,295) as the two squared off for a quick heads-up match. In the eighth hand with Change2305AA expanding the lead to 7,955 to 2,545 and blinds at 75/150, Change2305AA would min raise from the button as Diego called from the blinds. Flop of [Jc][Qc][3d] came down and Brunelli would check as Change2305AA followed through with a 150 chip bet, check-raised to 600 by the Team Online member, Change2305AA made the call as the [6s] fell on the turn. Diego would shove for 1420 and Change2305AA made the call. Open ended straight draw for Diego [9h][Tc] and second pair for Change2305AA holding [Jh][Ks]. Ace [Ac] on the river helped no one and the final Team PokerStars player was eliminated in 172nd place as Change2305AA moved on to the second round.

Everyone moving on to the final 81 would receive $195.00, LEVS.tv and GoldStar VIP Cautioner flying the Arizona flag would determine the last seat. And play they did, going thru the 100/200 ante 25 level, 150/300 ante 50 level, and finally the 200/400 ante 50 level as the match could have gone longer except for a fortunate river card. With Cautioner holding a 1,856 chip lead both players would find pocket pairs and shove preflop. Eights for Cautioner [8d][8s] and pocket jacks for [Jh][Jd] LEVS.tv which looked good for the 8,644 chips in the middle. Four cards on the community board were fine for LEVS.tv [5d] [9s] [2c] [4d] but the [8h] on the river gave Cautioner the set, at least $195.00, and eliminated LEVS.tv to start up round two.

lambonali out of North Las Vegas had time to hit the Strip before the final table as the first person to knockout their entire table, lambonali locked up at least $775.00 for ninth place. After 12ziz12 knocked off bernardc, all eyes moved to table nine where miglis and Siervos fought until the 150/300 ante 25 blind level. Nearly even in chips (7,335 to 6,165), Siervos was a little behind when he min-raised from the button and got miglis to push all-in holding [Ah][6h]. Holding pocket jacks [Jh][Jc] Siervos called quickly and watched two hearts hit the [Th] [8h] [6c] flop. No ace nor heart on the turn [8d] and Siervos was looking good to collect the 12,330 chip pot, but the [5h] spiked on the river and Siervos (who cashed in the Super Tuesday in March for $17,160.00 http://www.pokerstarsblog.com/super_tuesday/2010/super-tuesday-brings-victory-for-dean23p-065108.html ) would settle for 10th place ($195.00) setting up our final table below:

Seat 1: personal (1500 in chips)
Seat 2: 12ziz12 (1500 in chips)
Seat 3: Sh0ckdaWorld (1500 in chips)
Seat 4: Kornone (1500 in chips)
Seat 5: beserious (1500 in chips)
Seat 6: lambonali (1500 in chips)
Seat 7: Pruper81 (1500 in chips)
Seat 8: bagerfck (1500 in chips)
Seat 9: miglis (1500 in chips)

After the new seating arrangement and resetting the stacks to 1,500 chips and blinds to 10/20, our race to $12,000 was off! Well, it started as the action was predictably tight having a high stacks to blinds ratio. No eliminations or large hands went off in the first two blind levels, and for the first time in a while, no nine-way chop talks as this collection of SnG specialists got down to business.

Three 12 minute levels would run by and still no eliminations as our final nine moved into the 50/100 blind level with miglis the only play with over 2,000 chips and Supernova VIP 12ziz12 the only one under 1,000 chips.

Shock the one

The hand before everyone got a five minute break, Sh0ckdaWorld would min raise from UTG +1, and Kornone on the immediate left would shove for 1,155 chips. The table took off for a smoke as Sh0ckdaWorld covered and snap called with pocket kings [Kd][Kc]. Kornone would need some help holding [Ac][Qd] and found a queen on the [2d][Qc] [Jh] flop. Still needing a queen or ace, Kornone would miss on the [3h] turn and [7d] river to finish in ninth place ($775.00).

First to out

miglis would hold the chip lead after the hourly forced break but fell on hard times quickly after giving up a double up to 12ziz12. While still in the 50/100 blind level, lambonali would raise to 150 as it folded to miglis in the big blind holding just 1,141 chips and pushing them in preflop. lambonali covered and called the shove holding big slick in hearts [Ah][Kh], which dominated the [8h][Ac] held by miglis. The all under board of [6d] [7d] [4c] [4h] [2c] spilled out as miglis flew off in eighth place ($1,200.00).

Making it personal

Players try not to expect the worse on the river, but it does happen. Watch below for another example:

Moving up to the 75/150 blind level, the shoves were coming in quickly. bagerfck would earn a double up at Pruper81's expense and three hands later beserious would snag those chips from bagerfck for a double up. More action? Just two hands after beserious doubled up, personal had cornered a much depleted Pruper81. All-in from UTG for just 358 chips, personal would also shove a short stack in two chairs down. The rest of the table folded as Purper81's pocket fives [5s][5c] raced against personal's [Jd][Ac]. Ace on the river too cliché? It happens. With the ace hitting on the river [7h] [7c] [8c] [Kc] [Ah] Pruper81 was done in seventh place ($1,700.00).

Clock strikes 12

While still in the 75/150 level, 12ziz12 who had been holding on to a short stack for much of the final table, finally found a resting place for his remaining chips. After calling a raise to 375 from lambonali out of the big blind, 12ziz12 held 393 chips back to see the [Jc] [2s] [6s] flop. After the flop, 12ziz12 shoved the rest of the chips in holding [Qd][Kh] as lambonali's pair of sixes was ahead [Ad][6h]. [Td] on the turned opened up a bunch of straight and overcard outs, but the little [2h] on the river closed out the night for 12ziz12 in sixth place ($2,200.00). This was 12ziz12's second trip to the final nine for the Battle of the Planets freeroll, earning a fifth place finish in September.

THE RIVER CARD CLEARLY HIT THE NINE REF!

Five handed in the 100/200 blind level beserious would open from the cutoff to 600 chips holding just 365 chips behind as bagerfck raised enough from the small blind to put beserious all-in. beserious of course called flipping up [9c][Ad] and was very much dominated by the big slick [Kc][Ac] held by bagerfck. King on the [Jh] [Kh] [7c] flop all but ended the night for beserious but a [9s] on the turn gave him two outs on the river. Unfortunately for the McEnroe fan the [Js] was just beyond the chalk and beserious headed to the locker room in fifth place ($2,735.00).

No shocker here

A flush sweat for personal, would Sh0ckdaWorld get there? Tune in below to find out:

100/200 blinds still with no antes as shortstacked Sh0ckdaWorld tried to move in from UTG holding [9s][Qs] and just 1,380 chips. Folded to personal in the big blind who covered easily and made the call with [Ac][5d]. Two spades on the flop [2s] [3c] [5s] gave Sh0ckdaWorld even more bullets at claiming the 2,860 chip pot, but the [2h] turn and [Kc] river missed the flush and pair draws to send Sh0ckdaWorld off the court in fourth place ($3,350.00).

Quiet night on the chatting front, even as the chip counts were relatively close, no one initiated chop talks as the blinds moved up to include antes 125/250 ante 25.

Out like a lamb

personal took over in the late stages of the tourney and rolled with that momentum. Holding the big stack with 7,494 chips and blinds at 125/250 ante 25 he would shove from the small blind forcing lambonali to make a decision for his stack holding a middle ace [8h][Ad]. Call, was the answer, as personal was not playing the chip bully and held the dominate [Ac][Jh]. Nary an eight was found on the [3d] [5h] [7d] [Qh] [9s] board and lambonali was sheered in third place ($4,500.00) setting up the heads-up match between bagerfck and personal.

Bagged, tagged, and shipped

Just two hands after personal collected the wool from lambonali, bagerfck pressed all-in from the button with a 2,757 to 10,743 chip disadvantage. personal holding a couple of face cards [Js][Qc] called quickly. bagerfck was looking for some clubs holding [Tc][3c] and would find two of them by the turn [8h] [Jd] [4c] [Kc] but pairing the [3h] on the river was not enough as personal's pair of jacks took down the $12,000.00 first prize and November's installment of the Battle of the Planets $50,000 triple shootout freeroll!

November $50,000 Battle of the Planets Triple Shootout Freeroll results (11-28-10)
1. personal (München) $12,000.00
2. bagerfck (tønder) $7,500.00
3. lambonali (North Las Vegas) $4,500.00
4. Sh0ckdaWorld (Brick) $3,350.00
5. beserious (Pittsburgh) $2,735.00
6. 12ziz12 (Inverloch) $2,200.00
7. Pruper81 (Maliaño) $1,700.00
8. miglis (alunis) $1,200.00
9. Kornone (Tierp) $775.00