With nine hours in the books, it would take the players less than 90 minutes to declare a winner. When all was said and done it was egor2077 getting hot hands at the right time to decimate his last opposition and claim the $149,017.54 top prize, with no deals made at the final table this week.

Short stack smerks pushed his stack into the middle several times before finding himself in a final coin flip against GoldStar player xQ024. Smerks held a slight edge preflop with [8h]-[8d], but xQ024's [Ks]-[Jd] made top pair on the [Kh]-[Th]-[7s] flop and smerks needed on of the two remaining eights or running hearts to stay alive. The turn card was a singularly unhelpful [Ad], and when the river brought the [9s], smerks was headed to the rail in 9th place ($7,620.80). Just a few hands later funnywhiteshss open-shoved with [Kh]-[Qs], only to run into egor2077's [Ah]-[As]. The board ran out [4c]-[8h]-[9s]-[7d]-[5s], and then there were seven. Funnywhiteshss picked up $11,907.50 for 8th place.

The all-ins were flying around like bullets in a Quentin Tarantino movie, but most of the time the short stacks were dodging elimination. After an opening all in move from egor2077 in the small blind, timdmd defended his big blind with [Qh]-[9h]. It turned out to be a good read, as egor2077 was on a steal with [As]-[3c], but the [Jc]-[9c]-[Ah] flop put egor2077 firmly into the driver's seat. Timdmd needed a queen or another nine to stay alive, but the turn and river ran out [6d]-[3h], and he was done in 7th place ($21,433.50).

XQ024 came out firing again with a series of strong preflop raises, and fabregarp moved all in over the top of his button raise with [As]-[2h]. This time xQ024 turned over the dominating [Ad]-[Kc], and fabregarp was in danger of elimination. The flop of [3d]-[3h]-[6d] was no help to either player, but fabregarp picked up additional outs when the [5c] hit the turn. No deuce or four landed on the river, however, as the [Jc] was the final card in his final hand. Fabregarp picked up an impressive $30,959.50 for his 6th-place finish.

If a picture is worth a thousand words, this little video shows how a river is worth $40,485.50. That's how much olle101 picked up for his tournament after busting out in 5th place.

Play slowed dramatically with only four players remaining, as the remaining players jockeyed for position and passed the chip lead back and forth among themselves. Finally, just before the final break of the night, egor2077 took out two players in short order to move into a 2:1 chip lead going into heads-up play. First, xQ024 moved all in from the small blind with [Tc]-[Th], and egor2077 called with [Ad]-[Kd]. A flop of [4s]-[Ac]-[3h] put the coin flip in egor2077's court, and when the turn and river came down [Jd]-[7c], xQ024 was done in 4th place ($53,821.90).

On the very next hand, egor2077 raised from the button with [Ac]-[9c], and FUTURE102 moved all in over the top with [Ks]-[Kd]. FUTURE102 looked poised to double through egor2077 on the [Qd]-[8c]-[5d] flop, but the [Tc] on the turn gave egor2077 more outs to win. The [Ah] on the river was one of those outs, and FUTURE102 was done in 3rd place ($78,589.50) and egor2077 took a significant chip lead into heads up play.

No stranger to online final tables, Titantom32 closed the gap heads up fairly quickly, refusing to make things easy on egor2077. The players feinted and parried for long minutes before finally the chips went in the middle for the last time.

When the dust settled, egor2077's two pair were better than Titantom32's, and he was eliminated in 2nd place ($110,977.90). With no deal in place, or ever seriously discussed, egor2077 took out the final three opponents at the final table to claim the $149,017.54 top prize. Congratulations to egor2077 and all our final table players!

Tonight however we have big poker action for those who followed the exploits of the November nine into the wee hours last night. The $750,000 guarantee Sunday Warm-up started off at noon Central Standard Time with 4,578 runners signing over $215 for a shot at the $143,641.17 first place prize. Among those in the running late were a rarity at the PokerStars tables, someone holding six stars with a nifty black background like former Sunday Million winner tsifknits. The Supernova Elite was alive up to the final two tables but ran pocket threes into the pocket tens of jackson18249 and couldn't find any help from the board but took home $2,746.80 in 17th place.

A railbird asked how one makes it to the final table of the Sunday Majors while 2009 WCOOP final tablist DAVIDOXXX was all-in with [As][Qd] against the pocket deuces of Falfaris [2d][2c] and the board [2h] [Kc] [3c] [2s] [9s] to give Falfaris four-of-a-kind.

Another commenter deadpanned after the hand "Get quads".

Tonight's bubble boy probably hoped for quads but would have settled for just a pair as BabyAS was all-in with [7d][Ah] against the [Ad][Qd] of DaHussstla. The [3d][5h] [Ts] [3c] [Js] missed both players but DaHussstla's queen kicker was enough to send BabyAS into the corner as the bubble boy in tenth place ($5,493.60) setting up the final table below:

Seat 1: lukro8 (3497262 in chips)
Seat 2: DaHussstla (5662939 in chips)
Seat 3: Falfaris (3210426 in chips)
Seat 4: Frank NoLuck (686588 in chips)
Seat 5: Slayer_pol (5418052 in chips)
Seat 6: jphilli (9357408 in chips)
Seat 7: Shippotamus (6981026 in chips)
Seat 8: jackson18249 (7588193 in chips)
Seat 9: Thrasymachus (3378106 in chips)

jphilli comes in as the chip leader this evening after making a tough call with 15 players remaining on a coordinated board with a set of nines against the push of Thrasymachus who held pocket queens and an open-ended straight draw. No outs arrived as jphilli starts off with the most chips and 65K/130K ante 13K blinds.

Seven hands in the short stacked Frank NoLuck found a lucky double-up with [Ad][Jc] finding an ace on the board against pocket queens [Qs][Qh] of Slayer_Pol for a 1.5 million chip pot to stay afloat. But, ten hands later Frank No Luck would find no improvement on that short stack and found those newly acquired chips in the middle pre-flop against Falfaris. After folding around to the small blind, Falfaris would shove a covering stack into the Frank NoLuck in the big blind. Needing to gamble after losing some of those chips in previous hands found in the double-up, Frank NoLuck would make the call for 690,176 total holding [Js][8s] and probably was surprised about being ahead of Falfaris' [6s][9c]. A flopped jack [7h] [As] [Jh] gave Frank No Luck a big lead, the turned [Td] gave FalFaris outs that were not there before, and the river [8c] snatched away Frank NoLuck's victory giving FalFaris the straight and sending Frank NoLuck home in ninth place ($7,324.80).

The very next hand a shift in the chip lead would take place as jackson18249 and chip leader jphilli would play an expensive game of chicken. With the blinds at 100K/200K ante 20K jphilli would open from the button for 444,000 and jackson18249 re-popped for 1.28 million from the big blind as jphilli would make the call to see the [2c] [8c] [2s] flop. jackson18249 would lead out for 1.48 million and jphilli made the call. [Kh] on the turn and jackson18249 would slow down and check as jphilli tried a 1.75 million chip bet to take down the pot but jackson18249 came alive with a check-raise all-in for 5.75 million total. The bet was not answered and jackson18249 took down the huge 9.2 million chip pot as the hole cards will have to wait to be revealed tomorrow during the replay of the final table as shown in the PokerStars lobby.

After a quick five minute break, the players wasted no time getting back to business. On the very first hand after the break, with the blinds up to 100K/200K ante 20K, lukro8 decided to try to improve on a short stack by shoving for nearly 1.7 million chips from early position holding [Kh][Th]. But, Falfaris was looking for elimination number two and re-shoved from the cutoff with [Jc][Ad]. lukro8 could only find two hearts and no kings or jacks on the [6d] [4h] [Qs] [3c] [3h] board as Falfaris sent home the Poland native home in eighth place ($11,445.00).

Thrasymachus (ok say that three times REALLY fast) would also find a need to improve on a short stack despite doubling up on the chip leader jackson18249 after jackson attempted a big stack bullying blind versus blind move with [Ts][2s] and shoved into Thrasymachus found an ace [Ah][6s] which improved to a straight and snagged a 3.8 million chip pot. Unfortunately that roll would not last as the blinds increased to 125K/250K ante 25K and Thrasymachus tried again to beat jackson18249, this time shoving from UTG for 2.7 million with [Kc][Jh] but jackson18249 was waiting in the big blind with plenty of chips and [Ac][Qs] to make the call. A flopped queen was all it took, as character from Plato's dialogue couldn't find a king to catch up on the [4c] [Qh] [2s] [5c] [9s] board and the Greek philosopher was out to contemplate the meaning of finishing in seventh place ($20,601.00).

From here things sped up a bit as the blinds stayed at 125K/250K ante 25K as Falfaris and jphilli went to war preflop in the below hand with similar stacks for a 6.4 million chip pot:

jphilli's dominating [Jc][As] would hold up over Falfaris' [Ad][9s] on the [7c] [Jh] [Th] [Ks] [6s] board to cripple Falfaris to just 488K in chips. Those scraps would double-up once, but seven hands later ended up in DaHussstla's stack, ending Falfaris' night in sixth place ($29,757.00).

The very next hand after Falfaris took leave from the table, the chip leader jackson18249 would three-bet jphilli who raised to 650K from UTG. The 1.65 million three-bet wasn't enough to detour jphilli, as the answer was a shove all-in for 4.7 million. jackson18249 holding pocket sevens [7s][7c] and a sizable chip lead made the call. jphilli would be all-in for the coin flip holding a suited [Ks][Qs] but the only broadway card that showed up for the party was a couple of jacks [5c] [Js] [6c] [9d] [Jd] as jackson18249's sevens held up and jphilli was gunned down in fifth place ($38,913.00).

Immediately following jphilli's elimination, jackson18249 broached the idea of a chip chop to the other players. With Team PokerStars Pro Hevad Khan standing by to take all orders, the players sporadically peppered some answers but gave nothing definitive as five hands would be played when Slayer_pol raised to 699,999 from small blind. The blinds holding at 150K/300K ante 30K, the awesomely named Shippotamus went for broke by shoving for 5.1 million holding [Ac][7h]. Slayer_pol not only covered but the Hannibal Lecter icon licked his lips maybe with fava beans and a nice chianti while holding pocket rockets [As][Ad] and made the easiest call in poker. Shippotamus would snag a seven on the flop but those chips in the middle would get devoured by Slayer_pol after the rest of the [Tc] [8c] [7d] [4s] [9c] board fell awarding the 10 million chip pot to Slayer_pol. Shippotamus received $51,731.40 for fourth place as the remaining players cut right into the chopping business again.

This time RaiNKhaN crunched the numbers for our remaining trio and after a very brief negotiation they agreed to the chip chop numbers below:

jackson18249: $127,196.23
DaHussstla: $93,868.28
Slayer_pol: $94,781.77

$10,000.00 still awaiting our champion tonight as the game was turned back on with the blinds still at 150K/300K ante 30K. The players would loosen up their preflop range with the big money off the table and jackson18249 took the first big hit as shown in the video below:

jackson18249's [Kd][Jd] would catch huge on the [Ts] [5d] [Qh] flop with an open-ended straight draw and live pair cards, but the [3c] and [6d] failed to overcome DaHussstla's ace-high [As][8h]. The biggest pot of the tournament awarded 21.2 million chips and the chip lead to DaHussstla.

Nine hands later it was Slayer_pol's turn to double-up, again off of jackson18249 who would three-bet Slayer_pol all-in with [Ts][8s]. Holding [As][Jc] Slayer_pol would make the call creating a 15.2 million chip pot. An eight should show up on the [5s] [3d] [8h] flop and Slayer_pol was standing up ready to leave as the [7d] failed to turn the tide, but the river [Ah] again brought the money card and Slayer_pol stayed alive while massive chip leader jackson18249 would be knocked down to under 10 million chips for the first time since grabbing the chip lead early at the final table.

The river seemed to bring love to the person behind all night, the following hand was no exception as jackson18249 was all-in after the flop against Slayer_pol. Check out the river dropping in the video below:

Despite the set of flopped tens by Slayer_pol holding [Td][Tc], the rivered broadway straight of jackson18249 holding [Kd][Jc] on the [2s] [Th] [Qs] [7c] [Ah] board shipped 17 million chips to jackson18249 while crippling Slayer_pol to just 3.4 million chips and blinds going up to 200K/400K ante 40K.

Several hands of blind trading took place before Slayer_pol rattled off four preflop blind steals in a row before getting called. In the fifth hand Slayer_pol would push for 3.9 million from the small blind holding [Kc][Tc] and get called by jackson18249 with the dominating big slick [Kh][Ac]. No surprises here as the board [2h] [Ad] [Jh] [6s] [6c] failed to connect on the turn or river for Slayer_pol who finished with the chopped $94,781.77 in third place.

Considering the aggressiveness of the two players, this author was to believe heads-up play would take all of two or three hands. As they started out with the chip counts shown below:
Seat 2: DaHussstla (26677346 in chips)
Seat 8: jackson18249 (19102654 in chips)

I was off by 34 hands as the 37 hand battle saw little chip movement but ended with a bang. jackson18249 would lose about four million chips coming into the final hand shown below and looked good to double-up...

... but that river card just refused to cooperate tonight as yet another river reversal resulted in the extra $10,000.00 being sent to DaHussstla when the [Ad][Js] he held hit the rivered ace to overcome the pocket nines [9d][9s] of jackson18249 on the [3h] [5s] [Qc] [Qs] [Ac] board to earn $103,868.28 and become this week's Sunday Warm-up champion!

jackson18249's chip lead during the chop talks allowed the runner-up tonight to walk home with $127,196.23

Be sure to check out all the action tonight as covered on Pokerstars.TV on Tuesday with commentary and hole cards revealed to see who was bluffing who out of those big preflop pots.

$750,000 Guarantee Sunday Warm-up (11-08-09)
(*denotes three-way chop)
1. DaHussstla (Hannover) $103.868.28
2. jackson18249 (Las Vegas) $127,196.23
3. Slayer_pol (Lucynów) $94,781.77
4. Shippotamus (Reutum) $51,731.40
5. jphilli (langley) $38,913.00
6. Falfaris (Wien) $29,757.00
7. Thrasymachus (Toronto) $20,601.00
8. lukro8 (Warszawa) $11,445.00
9. Frank NoLuck (Winona) $7,324.80

After a little over a hour-and-a-half, 3,000 players remained, with clickys the leader at nearly 75,000. About 45 minutes later, 2,000 were left, and katallo had stormed in front with 134,198. At the 3 hr., 15 min. mark, 1,000 players still had chips, at which point daphishermen had the most with 221,354.

The cash bubble burst at around the four-hour mark, meaning the 675 remaining players were all going to be enjoying some sort of profit for their efforts. At that point, magicdave2 was atop the leaderboard with 328,009, followed by Maskus (299,371) and katallo (258,147). A little over an hour later, 200 remained, with moneymike7 quickly closing in on the one-million chip mark. After six-plus hours of play, 100 players were left, and ssirC was in front with more than 1.4 million. Team PokerStars pro Victor Ramdin would be one of the next ones out, finishing in 98th place.

About the time Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Joe Blanton was throwing the first pitch of Game 4 to Derek Jeter of the New York Yankees -- approximately seven-and-half-hours into the tourney -- there were just 32 players left gathered around four tables, with kregme1 the leader with about 4.2 million, trailed by KvicKiller (3.26 million) and CMOT_Donkey (3.11 million).

Play continued, and at the eight-and-a-half hour mark they were down to just ten. Finally a short-stacked caprizas pushed all in with [Ac][Jh] and got called by KvicKiller who held [Ad][6s]. A six flopped, no jack came to save caprizas, and the final table was set:

Seat 1: akia86 -- 1,975,425
Seat 2: Brughtality -- 2,888,005
Seat 3: CMOT_Donkey -- 2,052,970
Seat 4: Loverat -- 11,384,587
Seat 5: KvicKiller -- 8,104,073
Seat 6: DCal Zone -- 5,417,791
Seat 7: kregme1 -- 683,794
Seat 8: SebbyGl -- 2,578,014
Seat 9: oli4ever -- 12,385,341

You might notice Team PokerStars Pro Joep "Pappe_Ruk" van den Bijgaart chiming in there in the chat box. In fact, the Dutch pro was actually slated to help out over with the Sunday Million tonight, so Chris "Money800" Moneymaker stepped in to take over hosting duties. As the Phils and Yanks moved into the fifth inning of their game tied 2-2, our final nine players took up their positions around their own field of green.

It would take a while for the first player to strike out (so to speak). With the blinds at 100,000/200,000 (20,000 antes), akia86 open-shoved all in for nearly 1.8 million, and CMOT_Donkey called for 1,355,515. The table folded around, and akia86 turned over [8d][8c] to CMOT_Donkey's [Ad][Ac]. All was well for CMOT_Donkey through the flop -- [6s][Qc][7s] -- and turn -- [9h]. But the [8h] cruelly fell on the river, giving akia86 the two-outer and CMOT_Donkey slid home in ninth.

A little while later, SebbyGl was the beneficiary of some fortunate timing by getting dealt pocket aces on the same hand oli4ever picked up two kings. The aces held, and SebbyGl was suddenly challenging Loverat and DCal Zone for the chip lead. Meanwhile, oli4ever, now one of the short stacks, was sounding a little like a disgruntled Cubs fan in the chatbox:

oli4ever: nh sebby
oli4ever: nice setup stars

The remaining eight players were already beginning to make some noises about chopping, but before all could agree to pause the tourney, three more would fall in quick succession.

First KvicKiller open-raised all in from the small blind for 2,720,919, and got called by DCal Zone in the big blind. KvicKiller showed [8c][9s] and DCal Zone [Ac][3c]. The board came [Kd][2d][Ah][As][Qh], and KvicKiller had been picked off in eighth.

oli4ever's tourney ended soon thereafter when he similarly open-shoved from the SB with his last 2,168,729, and akia86 called from the big blind. oli4ever showed [Qs][9h] and akia86 [Ah][9d]. The flop came [3h][As][Kc], and oli4ever was in sad shape. The [Jh] turn brought him straight possibilities, but the river [7h] was a swing-and-a-miss for oli4ever who hit the rail in seventh.

Just four hands later, with the blinds now up to 125,000/250,000 (ante 25,000), a similar sequence was followed when the table folded to kregme1 who pushed all in for 1,048,352 from the small blind, and SebbyGl made the call. kregme1 showed the mighty [2d][4d] and SebbyGl [Qd][8d]. The community cards came [8c][Ts][9d][5c][2c], and kregme1, having been caught stealing, was eliminated in sixth.

The remaining players continued to talk about chopping, although not everyone was willing and the game continued. Then came a hand in with Loverat opened with a raise to 750,000 from UTG, then DCal Zone, sitting to Loverat's left, reraised to 1.75 million. It folded back around to Loverat who made the call. The flop came [9h][9c][Kc]. Loverat checked, and DCal Zone shoved all in with his huge 12 million-plus chip stack. Loverat called with his remaining 4,880,806, turning over [Ac][6c] for a flush draw. An ace would work for Loverat, too, as DCal Zone showed [Th][Tc]. But the turn was the [9s] and the river the [4d]. Tens full for DCal Zone meant Loverat was hitting the showers in fifth.

DCal Zone would quickly be back in action, raising to 800,000 from under the gun. It folded to Brughtality in the big blind who reraised all in for 3,783,010, and DCal Zone called, turning over [As][9c] to Brughtality's [3h][3c]. The flop came [Kh][2h][Jd], and Brughtality's treys were still good. But the turn was the [Ad], leaving Brughtality just two outs. The river was the [6d], and like that ball Phillies slugger Chase Utley was smacking over the right-field wall in the seventh inning to cut the Yankees lead to 4-3, Brughtality was out of there in fourth.

The remaining trio did finally get that discussion of a possible deal going, and with Moneymaker's help the numbers for a chip-chop were presented. At that point DCal Zone held the lead with 24,762,974, akia86 was second with 18,930,276, and SebbyGl was the short stack with just 3,776,750. However no agreement could be reached, and the cards were soon back in the air.

A few hands later, SebbyGl had chipped up a bit before limping in from the small blind, then akia86 checked from the BB. The flop came [Ts][9c][Tc]. SebbyGl checked, akia86 bet 400,000, SebbyGl check-raised to 915,125, akia86 reraised all in and SebbyGl called for 6,218,375 total. SebbyGl showed [Th][5h] for trip tens, and akia86 [Qc][5c] for the flush draw. The [6c] came on the turn, completing akia86's flush, and after the [3h] fell on the river, SebbyGl had grounded out in third.

After that hand, the remaining two players were nearly even in chips, with DCal Zone at 24,762,974 and akia86 having 22,707,026. The 2003 World Series of Poker Main Event champ again ran the numbers according to the stack sizes, which came out to $125,387.13 for DCal Zone and $124,159.86 for akia86. akia86 said that sounded good, but DCal Zone said he wanted $128,000.

akia86: whats wrong with you? :)
akia86: its just about 3k
DCal Zone: 128 or play
akia86: k fine

The new calculations meant $128,000 for DCal Zone, $121,546.99 for akia86, with $10,000 left on the table for the eventual winner. So, after nearly ten hours of poker, the tournament was resumed.

The pair battled gamely, and after 80 hands of heads-up -- much like the Yanks and Phillies, tied at 4-4 as their game headed into the ninth -- DCal Zone and akia86 were similarly still even in chips. Then on Hand No. 103 of heads-up play, some ten-and-a-half hours after the first hands of the tournament had been dealt, a winner was finally decided.

A couple of nice-sized pots had allowed DCal Zone to chip up to 30,149,943, while akia86 had slipped to 17,320,057. With blinds a whopping 250,000/500,000 (ante 50,000), akia86 opened from the small blind/button with a raise to 1,204,823. DCal Zone reraised to 3.3 million, prompting an all-in shove from akia86. DCal Zone made the call, showing [8s][8d] to akia86's [As][6d]. The board went [Td][7c][Kd][Ts][Jh], and as the Yankees were scoring the go-ahead runs in the top of the ninth, the Sunday Warm-Up had reached its conclusion.

Check out PokerStars.TV for a weekly wrap-up show covering all of the Sunday Majors, including commentary and hole cards. Even better than reading boxscores in the morning paper!

$750,000 Guarantee Sunday Warm-up Results (11-01-09)
(*denotes two-way chop)

1. DCal Zone (Chicago) -- $138,000.00*
2. akia86 (Wiesbaden) -- $121,546.99*
3. SebbyGl (Leipzig) -- $78,325.51
4. Brughtality (Saint Paul) -- $53,641.11
5. Loverat (Stockport) -- $40,349.51
6. kregme1 (Frederiksvaerk) -- $30,855.51
7. oli4ever (Amsterdam) -- $21,361.51
8. KvicKiller (Slany) -- $11,867.51
9. CMOT_Donkey (Amersfoort) -- $7,595.21

On to the road to the six figure payouts tonight:

After heavy hitters like grebnrets86 (Final table Sunday Million August 2009 $18K, and two Sunday Warm-up final tables in March 2008 for $34K and $76K) and MCLegend (Runner-up Sunday Million February 2009 $127K and Runner-up 2008 WCOOP Event #26 for $84K) exited in 13th and 12th place respectively we crept closer to the final table.

On the bubble it was the very aggressive munchenHB getting a shorten 2.3 million chip stack while holding [Kd][Ah] into middle against big stacked a$$ou holding pocket fours [4s][4h] thus started the roller-coaster board for both of them. First, munchenHB would hit a king on the [3h] [3c] [Ks] flop to take the lead, but a$$ou would come right back to turn a boat [4c]. munchenHB couldn't find a king on the [Js] river and was out in 10th place ($5,673.93) as tonight's bubble boy.

Seat 1: jasonbarton (4655579 in chips)
Seat 2: sdrltd55 (5067960 in chips)
Seat 3: WhiteRabbito (1653112 in chips)
Seat 4: sizzlinbetta (12515454 in chips)
Seat 5: dawod_swe (1262960 in chips)
Seat 6: POKER-OBIWAN (1588112 in chips)
Seat 7: a$$ou (11103247 in chips)
Seat 8: seppmann7 (3857688 in chips)
Seat 9: Catenaccio (5975888 in chips)

Two Team PokerStars Pros Tom McEvoy and Chris Moneymaker would welcome the final nine to the table this evening.

Final table play would start with 80K/160K ante 16K blinds and sizzlinbetta and bubble-buster a$$ou come in as the big stacks. Usually there's time to settle into the final table as the players get used to each other's betting habits before the explosion of action happens.

Not tonight.

Just nine hands into the final table we would send off our ninth place finisher. In middle position and under ten big blinds in the stack for POKER-OBIWAN fold or shove was the only two options. Pocket queens [Qd][Qs] are an above average hand as POKER-OBIWAN decided to test the waters by shoving all-in for 1.1 million in middle position. There was however a disturbance in the force to POKER-OBIWAN's immediate left named a$$ou who would raise and push out any other attempts to play holding pocket kings [Kc][Kh]. No amount of jedi training would help here as the board ran out [3c] [3d] [6h] [Ts] [5h] to send POKER-OBIWAN back to Tatoonie with ninth place money ($7,628.81).

Rest is for the weak we've heard and none of these players have rested much while battling for the past nine hours. Just two hands later WhiteRabbito would find [Qh][Ah] and shove 1.3 million into the middle against chip leader sizzlinbetta's pocket fours [4s][4h]. After flopping trips, WhiteRabbito hold retain the lead by the river [Ad] [As] [9h] [Js] [2d] and score a three million chip pot to stay alive.

Another two hands later with the blinds moved up to 100K/200K ante 20K dawod_swe tried to improve on a small stack by three-betting all in on the button for 1.5 million chips over the top of Cantenaccio's UTG raise holding [As][Qc]. Again, like POKER-OBIWAN, dawod_swe was facing the pocket kings [Kh][Kd] of Cantenaccio. The kings would hold again on the [Js] [2d] [9s] [Jd] [2c] board as dawod_swe took an exit stage left in eighth place ($11,920.01).

Action, action, action, continued just eight hands after seeing off dawod_swe another all-in and call occurred. This time it was seppmann7 and WhiteRabbito trying to improve their stacks. Check out the video below for the results of the 5.5 million chip pot as both go all-in preflop:

Pocket aces would spell seventh place ($21,456.01) for WhiteRabbito as [Ad][9h] couldn't find a second nine against seppmann7's rockets on the [7d] [6c] [4c] [9s] [Qd] board.

Keeping with the fast playing trend of the final table tonight, just another six hands went by before the largest pot of the tourney went off. With blinds still at 100K/200K ante 20K sdrltd55 would raise to 550K in early position as chip leader sizzlinbetta would three-bet in the cutoff to 1.44 million. sdrltd55 elected to call and see the [Ts] [Kc] [Ah] broadway flop. sdrltd55 would check to the aggressor as sizzlinbetta would simply shove all-in covering sdrltd55's remaining three million chips. Holding [Ks][Qs] sdrltd55 would make the call to see the dire straits the hand was in against the big slick [As][Kd] of sizzlinbetta. A queen on the turn [Qd] opened a few outs, but there was no jack to chop nor queen on the river [7h] and sdrltd55 was out in sixth place ($30,992.01).

jasonbarton decided to join the party twelve hands after sdrltd55 bid adieu. With blinds still at 100K/200K ante 20K and after a raise to 545,455 from a$$ou UTG, jasonbarton would three-bet shove for 2.1 million total holding pocket sevens [7h][7s]. Those killer kings [Kd][Ks] showed up yet again as a$$ou covered easily and made the call. The kings were never threatened on the [Th] [Qd] [6s] [5h] [As] board as jasonbarton became the latest causality to pocket kings tonight, but takes home $40,528.01 in fifth place.

Whew. As the players finally came up for air the remaining four asked the kind staff at PokerStars to look into the chop numbers shown below with the help of Team PokerStars pro Tom McEvoy:

sizzlinbetta: $118,283.99
a$$ou: $112,738.74
seppmann7: $81,054.08
Catenaccio: $70,739.67

A debate broke out about who's better than who and of course no one wins by arguing over the internet as the players got back down to business with no deal in place as the blinds were about to rise to 125K/250K ante 25K. All four would play thru the level with only a gentle flatting out of the chips occurring as a$$ou assumed the chip lead from sizzlinbetta as shown by the chip count starting the 150K/300K ante 30K level:

Seat 4: sizzlinbetta (13367510 in chips)
Seat 7: a$$ou (17884248 in chips)
Seat 8: seppmann7 (9620139 in chips)
Seat 9: Catenaccio (6808103 in chips)

Catenaccio would spike the first ten million chip pot of the tourney after getting a suited big slick [Kc][Ac] and nearly five million chips into the middle preflop against the chip leader a$$ou's [Kd][Js]. By the turned pair of jacks for a$$ou [7s] [9d] [8c] [Jc] it looked like Catenaccio would earn a pricey bad beat story. River cards are laid out for a reason, and this one contained a club [Qc] giving Catenaccio a river flush and the 10.2 million chip pot. With a further flattening of the chip counts the chop talks sparked again with the below figures given out for the player's consumption:

sizzlinbetta: $106,295.67
seppmann7: $99,006.45
a$$ou: $94,280.03
Cantenaccio: $83,234.32

No dice again and the cards were spun in motion for our four handed table. The final four would play thru the 150K/300K ante 30K level with no one leaving as sizzlinbetta and a$$ou started pulling away from seppmann7 and Catenaccio as the blinds rose to 200K/400K ante 40K.

a$$ou would take down three hands in-a-row, on the fourth hand we saw the second ten million chip pot play out between a$$ou and seppmann7:

After completing in the small blind a$$ou waited for seppmann7 to pounce on the apparent weakness. seppmann7 would comply by pushing all-in from the big blind with [Ah][6s] as a$$ou couldn't find the call button quick enough with pocket kings [Kc][Ks]. As with all the elimination hands involving kings tonight they would hold with authority here [Kh] [Qh] [7c] [Kd] [3s] hitting quads by the turn and sending seppmann7 home with $53,878.41 in fourth place.

Talks of chopping never entered the picture three handed as sizzlinbetta and a$$ou shut down Cantenaccio to just one pot for the first ten hands of three-handed play. Finally Cantenaccio put together three wins in a row until finding pocket fours [4s][4c] sitting on the button and shoving for 7.7 million chips. After sizzlinbetta folded, a$$ou woke up with a pocket pair as well. No, not kings but pocket sixes [6d][6s] which were enough to call and the greater pocket pair would prevail again on the [5h] [Ad] [7h] [Jc] [Ks] board as Cantenaccio earned $78,672.01 in third place.

Starting heads-up play, a$$ou's elimination of third and fourth place gave the chip leader a 32 million to 14 million chip lead over sizzlinbetta. Thanks to the lead of a$$ou, sizzlinbetta now looked for an opportunity to lock up some additional prize pool dollars as the two agreed upon the third attempt at a chip chop seen below:

a$$ou: $130,745.60
sizzlinbetta: $119,520.46

Leaving $10,000.00 on the table for the winner, this heads-up match would be over quickly. sizzlinbetta did manage a sizable 13.5 million chip pot, but a$$ou's chip lead was too strong winning seven of the eight heads-up hands including the tournament ending hand below:

After completing on the button, a$$ou would call the 1.3 million chip raise from sizzlinbetta to see the [2s] [9c] [3h] flop. sizzlinbetta would lead out for 1.6 million and be met with a raise to 4.8 million by a$$ou. sizzlinbetta would top that raise with a three-bet to 12 million. a$$ou put an end to the raises putting sizzlinbetta all-in with a four-bet to 19.2 million. Pot committed, sizzlinbetta would make the call with presto [5d][5h] and see the bad news as a$$ou flopped top pair holding [Qc][9s]. The [Ac] turn opened up four more outs, but sizzlinbetta couldn't find any presto magic on the [Jd] river and the 35.5 million chip pot was shipped to a$$ou. $119,520.46 was taken home by sizzlinbetta who's aggressive play took the big stack all the way to second place.

In the end it was the other starting big stack, a$$ou, that would ultimately walk away with the biggest prize, winning $140,745.60 as this week's Sunday Warm-up champion.

Be sure to tune in to PokerStars.TV for their weekly wrap show of the Sunday Majors with commentary and hole cards.

$750,000 Guarantee Sunday Warm-up Results (10-25-09)
(* denotes two-way chop)
1. a$$ou (HAMPSTEAD) *$140,745.60
2. sizzlinbetta (Little Egg Harbor) *$119,520.46
3. Catenaccio (Hamburg) $78,672.01
4. seppmann7 (Berlin) $53,878.41
5. jasonbarton (Liverpool) $40,528.01
6. sdrltd55 (sandbanks) $30,992.01
7. WhiteRabbito (Perth) $21,456.01
8. dawod_swe (Västerås) $11,920.01
9. POKER-OBIWAN (Edwards) $7,628.81

Frugtplukker was the final table bubble boy, collecting $5,294 for 10th place when his pocket eights couldn't hold up. Witcherd came into the final table with the biggest stack, but pocktnizzles and Supa4real were also stacked deep as the final nine consolidated to play for the big money.

Almost as soon as the final table started, it was time for one of the tournament's scheduled breaks. After a quick five-minute pit stop, short stack jouby44 picked up his namesake hand in late position and moved all in with [4s]-[4c]. Brianm15 defended his big blind with [Ah]-[9d], and the race was on. That race ended in 9th place for jouby44 as the flop came down [7c]-[Ac]-[6h] to give brianm15 top pair and leave jouby44 drawing thin to say alive. The turn and river brought no help as they came down [Th]-[Ts], and jouby44 was the first elimination from the final table, picking up $7,059.21 for 9th place.

Jordie1982 went out in 8th place in very unlucky fashion after getting all his chips in as a big favorite over brianm15. After action folded around to his button, Jordie open-shoved with [Ah]-[Qc]. Brianm15 made the call from the small blind with [Kd]-[Qs], and Jordie1982 looked poised for a double up, especially when the flop came down [8s]-[2s]-[6c]. The [7s] on the turn gave Brianm15 a few more outs to the flush, but it was the [Kc] on the river that shipped the pot Brian's way, leaving Jordie1982 out in 8th place ($11,030.01).

It was turning into a night of nasty river cards, and BillieD was the next victim to be washed away when he ran afoul of chip leader witcherd. On the short stack, BillieD open-shoved with [Qs]-[Qd], and super stack witcherd defended his small blind with [Ks]-[5s]. The flop was harmless, coming down [9h]-[Ad]-[6h], and the [8h] on the turn was no help to either player. But the river peeled off the [Kh], giving witcherd the bigger pair, and the last of BillieD's stack as well. BillieD picked up $19,854.01 to soothe the pain of the bad beat.

Witcherd claimed another victim when his [6s]-[6h] not only held up against kingsofcards all-in, but actually improved significantly along the way. Kingsofcards moved all in for a huge preflop raise from the cutoff with [4c]-[4s], and witcherd called from the small blind with sixes. If kingsofcards was in trouble preflop, the [6c]-[Jc]-[8h] left him drawing to running perfect cards to stay alive. None of those running perfect scenarios included the [9d], so when that peeled off on the turn, the king was dethroned and drawing dead. The river was a meaningless [Jd], and kingsofcards was done in 6th place ($28,678.01). After that hand, witcherd's chip stack was nearly twice that of his nearest opponent.

That chip stack got even healthier when witcherd busted his third opponent in quick succession, this time taking out bboooommmmmm in 5th place ($37,502.01). Action folded around to bboooommmmmm, who moved all in preflop from the small blind with [Ah]-[8c]. Witcherd quickly called with [Ad]-[10c], and the chip leader was once again in the driver's seat with an opponent all in. The flop of [As]-[7h]-[Qd] did nothing to change the preflop standings, and when the turn and river came down [3c]-[Qs], it was all over for bboooommmmmm. The remaining four players took a moment to discuss a deal, and after lengthy negotiations came to the following guaranteed money: brianm15 locked up $75,000 even, with pocktnizzles securing $77,484.15. Supa4real claimed $88,000.00, and chip leader witcherd picked up a guaranteed $113,400.00, with $10,000 left for the eventual winner. With the deal in place, the four remaining players settled in to battle for the remaining ten grand the all-important bragging rights.

The play was slower than normal once a deal was in place, but after a few orbits of probing and folding, pocktnizzles and witcherd squared off for one last fight. Pocktnizzles opened for a raise from the cutoff with [8h]-[7d], and witcherd three-bet from the button with [Qc]-[Jc]. The other players got out of the way, and pocktnizzles moved all in over the top. Witcherd made the call, and his overcards improved to a flush draw on the [5s]-[2c]-[3c] flop. The Ks on the turn was no help for either player, and witcherd still led with his unpaired high cards. The [Ac] on the river made his flush, and pocktnizzles was done in 4th place with his $77,484.15 payday.

Brianm15 managed to double through witcherd twice with three players left to move into a solid second place, as Supa4real saw his chip stack begin to dwindle. After a series of raises and re-raises, the last of Supa4real's stack went in on a flop of [8d]-[6d]-[8s]. Supa4real was holding [Kh]-[7s], but brianm15 had flopped two pair with [7h]-[6h] and made the call. The turn and river came down [5s]-[6s] to give brianm15 the full house and the chip lead as he bounced Supa4real in 3rd place, good for $88,000 after the deal.
Tides had certainly turned for brianm15, who was last in chips with four players left. He went into heads-up play with the chip lead, and it took just a few minutes for him to finish off his penthouse to outhouse story and lock up the extra $10,000 by booting witcherd in 2nd place. The final hand looked like this:

Brianm15 opened for a raise from the button, witcherd three-bet, and brianm15 called. The flop came down [4h]-[2s]-[5c], and witcherd led out. Brianm15 made the call, and the [3s] hit the turn. Both players checked, and fireworks erupted on the [Kh] river. Witcherd checked, brianm15 led out, and witcherd check-raised all in with [Qh]-[5d] for top pair on the flop. Brianm15 quickly called with [Ad]-[9c], showing the turned straight for the pot and the tournament win! With the extra $10,000 for winning the tournament, brianm15 secured an $85,000 payday, while witcherd still ended up with $113,400 for his work in the tournament. Congratulations to all our final table players and everyone who cashed in this week's Sunday Warm-Up!

Among those deep in the running for the massive six figure payday, Mary 717 who collected a WCOOP bracelet in last year's Event #7 and final tabled Event #20 for a total of $359K (read her WCOOP winner's interview here). But, Mary 717's run to add another major final table ended in 17th place ($2,627.41).

Ride a rush, catch some good cards, whatever you want to call it Maudi138tt sailed into the final table tonight with a big stack thanks to eliminating the last two players prior to the final nine tonight. With blinds at 80K/160K ante 16K, BigBMan29 went down in 11th place after three betting all-in for 2.8 million against a raising Maudi138tt and Markgräfler called the initial raise on Maudi's immediate left. Maudi138tt would re-raise all-in as well as Markgräfler went back to sipping some Oktoberfest bier and folded. Pocket tens [Tc][Ts] dominated the pocket sevens [7h][7s] of BigBMan and Maudi138tt put this one away early after flopping a set on the [3d] [Th] [4c] [8d] [Ah] board taking in the 6.3 million chip pot as BigBMan walked out with $5,254.81 in 11th place.

In the very next hand Markgräfler tried to get some of those chips back from Madui138tt that were lost after getting squeezed out. After Markgräfler limped in from UTG, the hand folded around to Maudi138tt in the big blind who checked the option. [9s] [Qc] [Qd] spilled out on the flop as Maudi138tt checked again, and Markgräfler tried to take it down with a 320K bet, but Maudi138tt flat called. [Ts] on the turn and again Maudi138tt checked, and again Markgräfler bet but doubled it to 640K. Maudi138tt then doubled Markgräfler's bet to 1.28 million and it was Markgräfler turn to call leaving only 1.5 million behind. The [3h] river got Maudi138tt to lead out another 1.28 million and Markgräfler push the remaining 1.5 million into the middle holding [Ks] [Th], the pair tens looked limp compared to Maudi138tt's flopped nines full [9d][9h]. Maudi138tt would head to the final table with over 12 million chips and Markgräfler would be named tonight's bubble boy in tenth place ($5,254.81).

Seat 1: Maudi138tt (12023896 in chips)
Seat 2: PokerikdeB (2186680 in chips)
Seat 3: THUGer (6080610 in chips)
Seat 4: FatFatJesper (6353300 in chips)
Seat 5: NutsErryTime (5350737 in chips)
Seat 6: FATMIKE79 (4550012 in chips)
Seat 7: Wawa711 (3446630 in chips)
Seat 8: jornxx (2004118 in chips)
Seat 9: FlopeDeNuts (1794017 in chips)

Maudi138tt started up the final table with nearly double the amount of chips of second place FatFatJesper but with the blinds at 80K/160K ante 16K short stacks would be looking to double-up early and often.

FatFatJesper would collect the first multi-million chip pot of the final table pushing THUGer out of the hand after three-betting THUGer preflop and continuing on a monotone flop of [7d] [9d] [4d] with an 880K bet. But, it would be the chip leader to exile our first final tablist. FlopeDeNuts came into the final table with the least amount of chips and would exit the same way. With blinds still at 80K/160K ante 16K FlopeDeNuts tried to take down the blinds with an open button shove of 1.8 million while holding a suited connector [8c][9c]. Maudi138tt continued the card rush holding pocket kings [Kc][Kd] in the small blind and made the call. The flop offered some sunshine pairing up FlopeDeNuts' nine, but the rest of the [9s] [2h] [Ac] [Qh] [As] board failed to overcome the cowboys as FlopeDeNuts was out in ninth place ($7,006.41). This isn't FlopeDeNuts first brush with a big cash, chopping up the Sunday Million in September last year for over $116K (read the Sunday Million final table recap here).

THUGer played the namesake part of schoolyard bully in the next elimination. Blinds holding at 80K/160K ante 16K, PokerikdeB would open shove from the button just like FlopeDeNuts for a similar 1.5 million chips also holding a suited hand [6h][Ah]. Following the script, THUGer would make the call in the small blind with a dominating hand, this time [As][Qc] was the choice of weapon. Right to the rolling credits at the end, PokerikdeB would be eliminated like FlopeDeNuts, only it was THUGer who paired the flop and this time had his opponent drawing dead by the turn on the [3c] [Qd] [Kd] [9d] [Kh] board. The Netherlands native PokerikdeB would leave the final table with an extra $10,947.51 finishing in eighth place.

Seven hands later the other Netherlander at the final table would join his fellow countryman on the sidelines. The blinds moved up to 100K/200K ante 20K further pushing smaller stacks to make push or fold decisions. jornxx is no stranger to big lights of the Sunday Majors, finishing 7th in the Sunday Million in August but only held 1.5 million chips with were used to three-bet a raising FATMIKE79 who pushed out 422K. Holding 4.5 million before the hand began, FATMIKE79 well covered the shove and made the call holding [Th][Ac]. The pocket nines [9h][9s] of jornxx held a slight lead but those hopes were slowed on the [Tc] [Jd] [6d] flop as FATMIKE79 paired the ten. A [2d] on the turn was no help and the [Qs] on the river sent jornxx back to Amsterdam with seventh place money ($19,705.51).

The players would take a short break to have Team PokerStars Pro Humberto Brenes and Host Tom tally up some possible chop numbers with the final six stacked as shown below and Maudi138tt still as the only one with over 10 million chips:

Seat 1: Maudi138tt (13821913 in chips)
Seat 3: THUGer (6210290 in chips)
Seat 4: FatFatJesper (7550300 in chips)
Seat 5: NutsErryTime (5050737 in chips)
Seat 6: FATMIKE79 (6634130 in chips)
Seat 7: Wawa711 (4522630 in chips)

The players did not like the figures thrown at them and play quickly continued.

Wawa711 would double up off the chip leading Maudi138tt as the suited connectors [7s][8s] bested the pocket treys [3h][3d]of Maudi138tt for a 6.3 million chip pot as the blinds rose again to 125K/250K ante 25K.

Fifteen hands later started a flurry of action started with THUGer and FATMIKE79 tangling in some post-flop action. After a preflop raise by THUGer and call from FATMIKE79 in the big blind both saw the [Th] [Kd] [7d] flop to their liking and traded all-in bets to create a 8.9 million chip pot with FATMIKE79's tournament life on the line. THUGer holding big slick [Kh][Ad] and FATMIKE79 also hit the kicker holding [Ah][Ts]. The better ace would prevail on the [4h] turn and [2s] river as THUGer pounded the 8.9 million pot off FATMIKE79 who earned $28,463.51 in sixth place.

Here's an interesting hand, one that didn't result in elimination, but nonetheless not one you regularly run into during your normal nightly grind through ten tabling SnGs and cash games:

FatFatJesper got the courage (or had the ace) to bet out on the all kings board and took the 1.1 million chip pot.

Eight hands later THUGer kept up the assault on this Sunday Warm-up final table putting Wawa711 to the test preflop in the hand below, creating the first 10 million chip pot of the tournament:

The small pocket treys [3s][3c] of THUGer proved to be enough as Wawa711's [As][Qc] failed to catch on the [2d] [4s] [6d] [Jd] [5c] board and THUGer assumed the chip lead hauling in 10.7 million tournament chips as Wawa711 headed out for some yummy TastyKakes with fifth place prize money ($37,221.51).

With four players remaining the talks of chops came up on the chat box, but this time the talks were short and sweet as players expressed a need to GAMBOOOOOL and four-handed play resumed.

As the blinds increased to 150K/300K ante 30K, THUGer and FatFatJesper would knot up in a blinds versus blinds battle as THUGer threw in a raise to 800K from the small blind and FatFatJesper took offense and shoved over the top for 5.9 million. THUGer would cover and make the call holding a decent [Ad][Jh]. But, FatFatJesper sat with a wide smile and a dominating suited big slick [Kh][Ah]. Not used to being the underdog, THUGer came out swinging as a deadly jack was laid on the flop's door and held on the [Jc] [3s] [6d] [9d] [5c] board as the 12 million chip pot increased THUGer's stack to 22 million as FatFatJesper received a $49,482.71 bad beat story in fourth place.

Three hands later it was THUGer again, this time pulling off the gloves against the short stacked NutsErryTime. Blinds still at 150K/300K ante 30K, THUGer would open in the small blind for 790K but NutsErryTime would take [Kh][Js] to the felt by shoving for 4.5 million. Thanks to the massive stack and a decent [Ad][Qd] hand the call was a quick one from THUGer. The exit came on the turn of the [5h] [Ac] [9h] [6d] [Th] board as THUGer would add another 9.2 million to the already overflowing chip leading stack as NutsErryTime lacked the nuts this time leaving with $72,253.51 in third place.

Maudi138tt assumed the chip lead for most of the final table until THUGer's pummeling of the last four players left the heads-up chip stacks looking like this:

Seat 1: Maudi138tt (15988403 in chips)
Seat 3: THUGer (27801597 in chips)

Showing a softer side perhaps, THUGer offered to chop up the remaining prize pool for $120,000.00 as Maudi138tt countered with $110K and $119K for THUGer.

THUGer's reply? "120 or we continue play; I'm used to getting what I want"

Maudi138tt would give in to the bully as the final two spots got the payouts below, leaving $10,000 on the table for the Sunday Warm-up Champion.

Maudi138tt: $109,426.22
THUGer: $120,000.00

With the big money locked up, heads-up play would start with a bang at 150K/300K ante 30K blind level and continue for a long fight. The third hand saw Maudi138tt playing the part of muscled street corner fighter and winning a 5.4 million chip pot after three-betting THUGer preflop, betting 1.5 million on the flop and getting calls both times. With the board showing [Jh] [3h] [4d] [Qc] on the turn another bet of 3.9 million from Maudi138tt got THUGer to back down and evened up the chip counts a bit as THUGer's lead was dropped to 24 million to Maudi138tt's 19 million.

Six hands later Maudi138tt would string together six straight wins to bring the chip counts nearly even, then ten hands later after THUGer fought back to win six of seven hands the two would throw their stacks into the middle preflop creating a massive 37 million chip pot. Watch the hand play out below:

A bit of a cooler for THUGer holding [Qs][Ah] and facing the suited big slick [Ks][As] of Maudi138tt as the four outs went to three after the [Ts] [8d] [Jd] flop. But THUGer couldn't find broadway on the [Th] turn nor [5s] river and Maudi138tt took over the chip lead 37 million to six million for THUGer.

THUGer wasn't going to lay down however winning the next six of seven hands as the two would trade glancing blows back and forth over getting to the 200K/400K ante 40K blind level before the players found a flop they both liked. Still holding a 36 million to seven million chip lead, Maudi138tt would call the min-button raise from THUGer and both would see a coordinated [7d][6h] [5d] flop. Maudi138tt tried to win this one quickly with a min bet but THUGer would have nothing to do with that sending out a raise to 2.55 million. Maudi138tt responded by setting THUGer all-in holding top pair and a redraw to a straight [8s][7c]. THUGer also had the straight draw but was behind with the ace kicker [Ah][8c]. A pair of ladies on the [Qc] turn and [Qh] river did THUGer no help and the long heads-up battle came to a conclusion as THUGer walked away with $120,000.00 as the runner up.

Maudi138tt stuck up to the aggressive THUGer and walked away with victory along with the additional $10,000.00 added to the dealt $109,426.22 for being crowned this week's Sunday Warm-up Champion!

Congrats to all our final table players this evening and be sure to catch all the hole cards exposed on the PokerStars.TV recap of tonight's tournament to be shown later this week.

$750,000 Guarantee Sunday Warm-up (10-11-09)
(*denotes two-way deal)

1. Maudi138tt (Rostov-na-Donu) *$119,426.22
2. THUGer (Stokmarknes, Norway) *$120,000.00
3. NutsErryTime (orlando) $72,253.51
4. FatFatJesper (Bunkeflostrand) $49,482.71
5. Wawa711 (Cherry Hill) $37,221.51
6. FATMIKE79 (Unterhaching) $28,463.51
7. jornxx (Amsterdam) $19,705.51
8. PokerikdeB (Tilburg) $10,947.51
9. FlopeDeNuts (Holiday) $7,006.41

With all the high rolling action in London enough PokerStars players were still near a computer to crush tonight's Sunday Warm-up $750,000 Guarantee. 4,329 players strung together $215 a piece to create a $865,800.00 prize pool with $135,826.71 of that going to tonight's champion.

After a little more than nine hours of play and some lengthy bubble sweat, our final table was set by DM the best. Playing five-handed with blinds at 80K/160K ante 16K, DM the best would open from UTG for 480K and it folded around to rAdve in the small blind who would push for 2.1 million with pocket tens [Th][Ts]. DM the best covered and made the call with the dominating pocket jacks [Jh][Js]. [8c] [3d] [Qc] [4s] [Ac] spilled onto the virtual felt and rAdve dripped away as tonight's bubble boy in tenth place ($5,194.81) setting the final table shown below:

Seat 1: ugritaly (2671998 in chips)
Seat 2: lbkslim (4573212 in chips)
Seat 3: thegwtg (2990808 in chips)
Seat 4: slyfox151 (3395010 in chips)
Seat 5: exposabre (7241547 in chips)
Seat 6: Shhh00kem (5860221 in chips)
Seat 7: pleasepick (5433313 in chips)
Seat 8: DM the best (6268253 in chips)
Seat 9: Poiser (4855638 in chips)

No overwhelming chip leader coming into the final nine tonight as exposabre shows up the biggest stack, with blinds quickly going up to 100K/200K ante 20K play would come fast. As shown by the sixth hand of the final table when lbkslim started the hand with a middle position raise to 435,000 and was challenged by a three-bet all in from thegwtg for 2.6 million total on lbkslim's immediate left. Folded back around the lbkslim who would cover and make the call holding pocket queens [Qc][Qd] which held the lead over thegwtg's [Jd][Kh]. thegwtg would flop a pair of jacks and turn a gutshot (of which lbkslim held two little ladies) but couldn't pull off the upset on the [Jh] [Td] [5d] [Ah] [8d] board. thegwtg's final table lasted six hands but earned $6,926.41 in ninth place for those hands.

With the blinds still at 100K/200K ante 20K ugritaly would pick up a much needed double up at the hands of DM the best who's pocket queens [Qc][Qs] were not the best against the [Jh][Ac] of ugritaly. Both players got their money in preflop, but ugritaly would catch an ace on the flop, and hold on the [Tc] [3d] [As] [9d] [3s] board for the 4.5 million chip pot.

One hand before the blinds rolled up to 125K/250K ante 25K, ugritaly and Poiser would tangle preflop for a 7.9 million chip pot with near even stacks. Watch the hand play out below:

The suck and re-suck as Poiser's flopped pair of tens holding [As][Td] looked to be the winner until ugritaly's [Qc][Ac] caught back up on the river [8h] [Ts] [Jc] [2d] [Kc] by hitting the gutshot broadway straight and sending Poiser down to under 100K in chips. Those chips would be taken by lbkslim two hands later as Poiser was sent off the stage in eighth place ($10,822.51).

ugritaly wasn't done yet as four hands later slyfox151 would try to sneak past the big stack. Blinds held steady at 125K/250K ante 25K as ugritaly made a three times the big blind raise from middle position and slyfox151 came over the top, shoving for 2.5 million with big slick [Kd][Ac] from the button. The blinds took a chance to watch the late night NFL game as ugritaly called with pocket queens [Qs][Qc]. ugritaly would have to fade a diamond draw with two overs on the river of the [7d] [4c] [5d] [Td] [7s] board but the 5.5 million chip pot would ship to ugritaly's stack in the end. slyfox151 was hoping for a repeat performance of a Sunday Warm-up victory last year (read the PokerStars Blog final table report here), but came up short in seventh place ($19,480.51).

With six left and the break signaling a raise of the blinds to 150K/300K ante 30K four players agree to look at some chop numbers in the first chatter of the entire final table. Two abstained from such talks so play resumed, with one of the short stacks, DM the best, finding a touch of luck on the river against ugritaly holding [Qs][5d] and pushing all-in preflop in a blind versus blind battle. ugritaly held a sizable hand in the big blind and called with big slick [Kc][Ah]. Just when it looked like we were going to announce our fifth place finisher DM the best struck gold on the [3c] [6d] [9h] [6c] [Qh] river for the 5.8 million chip pot.

Shortly after ugritaly unwillingly gave Shhh00kem a double-up, the remaining two players from the previously aborted chop talks spoke up as Team PokerStars Pro Steve Paul-Ambrose went behind the magic curtains to gather the potential chop numbers.

ibkslim $88,332
exposabre $80,596
Shh00kem $77,079
pleasepick $68,770
DM the best $59,571
ugritaly $37,622

But, exposabre put the sword to the deal and said no dice as the cards went back up in the air. Immediately, exposabre would double up the short stacked ugritaly as [As][Qc] held over the [Js][Ah] of exposabre for a 3.9 million chip pot giving ugritaly tournament life again. Pleas for a deal continued to pour in, but exposabre held fast to the "no deal" stance by staying out of the chat box as the blinds moved up to 200K/400K ante 40K. At this point only lbkslim had over 25 big blinds as the chips were still relatively spread out:

Seat 1: ugritaly (5417220 in chips)
Seat 2: lbkslim (10552218 in chips)
Seat 5: exposabre (7367272 in chips)
Seat 6: Shhh00kem (9102467 in chips)
Seat 7: pleasepick (6634313 in chips)
Seat 8: DM the best (4216510 in chips)

DM the best was knocked down to 3.8 million but after three-betting Shhh00kem all-in with pocket nines [9s][9d] and having those nines hold against Shhh00kem's pocket ducks [2s][2c] on a [7c] [Jh] [4c] [8c] [Kh] board DM the best was back in business with the 8.5 million chip pot as Shhh00kem as knocked down to 2.6 million. Not to lie down for dead, Shhh00kem would double up five hands later holding [Ah][7h] and catching an ace on the flop against pleasepick's pocket jacks [Jd][Js] and gathering 4.5 million into the panda's stack.

Those newly acquired chips wouldn't last long as Shhh00kem shoved from the cutoff six hands later with [Ac][3c] and got looked up by similarly stacked ugritaly in the big blind holding pocket sixes [6c][6h]. A flopped set of the sixes was needed as it rendered Shhh00kem's rivered pair of aces moot on the [6d] [5s] [7h] [Jd] [Ad] board. Shhh00kem rattled $28,138.51 out of the prize pool in sixth place.

Again whispers of an attempted deal were shot thru the chat box as the blinds bumped to 250K/500K ante 50K but exposabre still remained silent but offered a "gg" to our tough luck fifth place finisher. Watch pleasepick and DM the best knot up in a preflop all-in blind versus blind battle:

Oof. The bottom two cards in the deck [2h][3c] made a rivered wheel on the [5d] [Qd] [Ac] [8c] [4h] board for pleasepick as DM the best was in excellent shape to double up holding [Th][As] after flopping the pair of aces. The brutal beat would have to be salved with $36,796.51 in fifth place prize money for DM the best.

With the huge blinds and short stacks play continued with no post flop play as a raise or three-bet shove took the pot. Eventually two decent hands would collide and those hands belonged to lbkslim and exposabre. With blinds still at 250K/500K ante 50K exposabre's tournament life was on the line holding [Ac][Js] and looking at the wrong end of the sword as lbkslim's pocket kings [Kh][Kd] were more than enough on the [5h] [5c] [7d] [Jc] [3c] board. lbkslim collected the 16 million chip pot and exposabre collected the prize pool posted amount for the fourth place finisher ($48,917.71).

The blinds would move up to 300K/600K ante 60K and the number of players would move down from three to two. With the first sight of post flop play, ugritaly would call the three bet coming from ibkslim as the two would check out the [9d] [9c] [6s] flop before getting their chips into the middle. ugritaly would lead out for 4.2 million and call the 9.8 million chip shove by ibkslim while slightly covering to be shown the bad news. Even though ugritaly's pocket eights [8s][8c] dominated preflop, they were crushed after ibkslim flopped a boat with pocket sixes [6c][6d] . The eights would never catch up on the [5d] turn or [Ks] river as ibkslim would collect the 27.8 million chip pot.

Left with under three big blinds, ugritaly would push [Ad][6h] on the very next hand and ibkslim was right there to call with [Ac][7h]. Both would flop a pair but ibkslim's was one pip higher on the [6s] [7d] [2d] [3h] [Qs] board to send ugritaly out in third place ($71,428.51).

Heads-up play would start out like this:

Seat 2: lbkslim (29888624 in chips)
Seat 7: pleasepick (13401376 in chips)

The lead plus huge blinds favored lbkslim as the chip leader would only lose one out of eight heads-up hands en route to tonight's Sunday Warm-up victory. After a brief system break and the chat box unnaturally quiet of chop talks the two would get all their chips into the middle for the coin flip below:

ibkslim's sailboats [4d][4h] would drift off with the $135,826.71 in first place money, defeating the [Ah][8c] of pleasepick on the tournament's final board of [5c] [Kd] [3d] [3s] [2c].

For the runner-up a consolation prize was selected just for pleasepick in the sum of $100,865.71 ending the 11 hour battle at the Sunday Warm-up.

Congrats to all of our winners this evening, be sure to check out PokerStars.TV for all the EPT London updates and video replay with commentary and hole cards of the Sunday Warm-up and Sunday Million.

$750,000 Guarantee Sunday Warm-up (10-04-09)
1. lbkslim (lubbock) $135,826.71
2. pleasepick (Vienna) $100,865.71
3. ugritaly (perth) $71,428.51
4. exposabre (toronto) $48,917.71
5. DM the best (Cherepovec) $36,796.51
6. Shhh00kem (Brooklyn) $28,138.51
7. slyfox151 (Netherlands) $19,480.51
8. Poiser (Assen) $10,822.51
9. thegwtg (Immenstaad) $6,926.41

Gomes comes into the final table tonight fourth in chips after the final table was set by cabby123. In the deciding bubble hand cabby123 would four-bet TexDuke all-in and get a call as both players had considerable stacks to begin with creating a 13.5 million chip pot, the winner would be the final table's chip leader. Sure enough both turned over huge hands, cabby123 had pocket aces [Ac][As], and TexDuke was left with deflated pocket kings [Kh][Kc]. The kings never threatened on a small [6h] [9s] [6c] [5h] [2s] board as TexDuke and the Coach K avatar were sent off the court in 10th place earning $5,300.41 as tonight's bubble boy.

Seat 1: Beto777 (6323501 in chips)
Seat 2: Sn0wb4ll (7680491 in chips)
Seat 3: CoachConrad (2897111 in chips)
Seat 4: krash778 (2557778 in chips)
Seat 5: KenT351 (2175219 in chips)
Seat 6: MVital23 (1734571 in chips)
Seat 7: cabby123 (13874942 in chips)
Seat 8: El ibero (1793338 in chips)
Seat 9: Allingomes (5133049 in chips)

The blinds would start out at 65K/130K ante 13K and KenT351 would make the first big move doubling up on the fourth hand of final table play. KenT351's pocket kings [Kd][Ks] were plenty to overtake the pocket eights [8s][8h] of Beto777 especially with the flopped set [4c] [Kc] [Td] [7h] [3d] for the 4.5 million chip pot. Five hands later it was El ibero's turn to double up, taking some of KenT351's newly acquired chips in a 3.5 million chip pot where El ibero's [Ah][Td] held up to KenT351's [7s][Ac] to stay alive.

As the blinds rose to 80K/160K Beto777 and Sn0wb4ll traded raises preflop to see a [Ac] [2d] [4s] flop. Beto777 checked as Sn0wb4ll kept the foot on the gas with a 1.44 million chip bet, Beto777 would check raise all-in for 2.5 million more creating a 11.2 million chip pot. Beto777 flipped up [Qd][Ad] outkicking Sn0wb4ll's [Tc][As]. The kicker would improve on the [Qs] turn and Sn0wb4ll was drawing dead shoving the huge pot to Beto777 who joined cabby123 in the eight figures club.

At the break before the blinds went up to 100K/200K ante 20K here's how the nine stacked up:

Seat 1: Beto777 (10985674 in chips)
Seat 2: Sn0wb4ll (2063154 in chips)
Seat 3: CoachConrad (2900611 in chips)
Seat 4: krash778 (1908778 in chips)
Seat 5: KenT351 (2821600 in chips)
Seat 6: MVital23 (1447071 in chips)
Seat 7: cabby123 (12693942 in chips)
Seat 8: El ibero (3047676 in chips)
Seat 9: Allingomes (6301494 in chips)

Team PokerStars Pro Tom McEvoy had the MC'ing duties tonight quipped about Gomes' large rooting section which included fellow Brazilian Team PokerStars Pro Andre "aakkari" Akkari and Gualter "stockcar99" Salles.

MVital23 started as a short stack, did manage to double up but with the rising blinds found that stack dwindle down until pushing 1.8 million chips holding [Js][Ac] UTG which looked good for the blinds until KenT351 called from the big blind with [6s][Ad]. Looking for more than the blinds with the big advantage, MVital23's pulse was very healthy until the [Kc] [Ah] [Th] [6c] on the turn gave KenT351 the advantage. The straight, and higher two pair outs missed on the [2c] river sending our ninth place finisher home with $7,067.21

Alexandre Gomes kept his foot on the gas after MVital23's elimination and found himself quickly shortstacked. First, losing doubling up krash778 when the preflop raise, flop, and river bets all were called by krash778 holding [Jd][Ad] who rivered a pair of aces [Kd] [5d] [6s] [8h] [Ah] after flopping the nut flush draw, didn't need the pair as Gomes exposed [9c] [Jh] for the bluff. Five hands later he would double up Sn0wb4ll as both shoved preflop with Gomes covering. Gomes couldn't get [Kc][Th] past the [Ah][Qh] of Sn0wb4ll which turned the nut flush on the [7h] [6s] [6h] [9h] [5h] board and the 3.9 million chip pot went to Sn0wb4ll.

The very next hand Gomes tried again to get past Sn0wb4ll with a preflop raise of one million which represented almost all his chips but Sn0wb4ll held firm with [Ah][9c]. After the rest of Gomes' chips hit the middle after the flop, Gomes would expose [7c][Kc] and neither player connected on the [8s] [5d] [Ts] [2d] [Ac] board and the Team PokerStars Pro would have to wait for another time to conquer a Sunday Major as he was out in eighth ($11,042.51).

Sn0wb4ll kept rolling and gaining chips in the process, this time it was CoachConrad adding to the sphere's chip stack. With the blinds at 150K/300K ante 30K Sn0wb4ll opened for 900K from the button. Holding 2.8 million in chips and [8h][Ah] in the small blind, CoachConrad was going to teach the button raiser a lesson with a three-bet shove all-in. Good lesson, bad timing as Sn0wb4ll snap-called with big slick [As][Kd] and the [3c] [Th] [6d] [2d] [Td] board helped no one as CoachConrad was sent back to the sidelines with seventh place money ($19,876.51).

Eight hands later with the blinds holding at 150K/300K ante 30K former huge stack cabby123 had fallen on hard times and as down to 3.6 million when shoving over the top of an UTG raise of big stacked Beto777. Watch the results of the hand below after Beto777 made the call with pocket jacks [Jh][Jc]:

The [Qh][Ad] of cabby123 couldn't catch Beto777's jacks on the [8c] [7c] [Th] [5d] [9d] board as the 7.7 million chip pot shot Beto777 over the 20 million chip mark and cabby123 fare meter was stopped in sixth place ($28,710.51).

At the start of five handed play there were brief talks of a deal but the mix of language barriers and uneasiness of chopping early stopped the discussions as play resumed with blinds going up to 200K/400K ante 40K.

The next two eliminations came in nearly back-to-back. Beto777 led off the betting in the first hand raising from the cutoff to 1.2 million as krash778 three-bet all-in to 3.8 million from the small blind. Not to be out done, KenT351 in the big blind made the call leaving 1.6 million behind as Beto777 decided to keep the rest of the big stack and folded. [Ts][Kh] for krash778 and a suited big slick for KenT351 [Kc][Ac] and on the all wheel cards board [5s] [2d] [2c] [5c] [3h] krash778 hit the wall and ended the night in fifth place ($37,544.51).

Two hands later while chop talks began again El ibero tried shoving 3.4 million chips and pocket deuces [2h][2d] into the blinds of Beto777 and Sn0wb4ll. El ibero would get by the chip leader, but Sn0wb4ll would make the quick call and covered holding pocket jacks [Jh][Jd]. Sn0wb4ll missed broadway on the [Qc] [Td] [Kh] [5s] [4s] board, but the jacks were plenty to eliminate El ibero in fourth place ($49,912.11).

After El ibero exited the final table the remaining three got their heads together for chopping up the remaining prize pool, but with one slight issue. KenT351 left his Russian-English translator somewhere else and the language barrier stopped play for a bit as Tom McEvoy searched headquarters for a suitable translator to help him dole out the numbers. After the Team PokerStars Pro got a few phrases of Russian into the text box a simple "da" and "I agree" from KenT351 and the other two fell in line reach the deal below:

KenT351: $92,161.56
Sn0wb4ll: $93,378.26
Beto777: $118,844.60

$10,000.00 was left out of the deal for the winner as we resumed 3-handed play that was the blinds move up to 250K/500K ante 50K meaning 900K sat in the middle preflop. The play stepped up accordingly as KenT351 made the first move winning a coin flip on the river with [7s][Ad] against the pocket treys [3s][3h] of Beto777 on the [Jd] [2c] [2h] [4s] [7d] board. Beto777 wouldn't give up the chip lead long, winning six out of the next seven hands.

Despite the resurgence Beto777 would give up a few chips to Sn0wb4ll when facing an all-in raise from Sn0wb4ll on a [9d] [9h] [Jd] [5d] [8d] board Beto777 couldn't come up with a call and shifted the lead over to Sn0wb4ll. But, the three remained with similar chip stacks.

Nine hands later Beto777 and KenT351 would knock heads preflop again. This time KenT351 led off with a 1.5 million chip button raise with the blinds still at 250K/500K ante 50K as Beto777 shoved all-in from the small blind for just under ten million with pocket sixes [6d][6s]. KenT351 took a few seconds but chose to call with [Ad][4s] and got no help from the [7h] [7d] [9s] flop, nor the [Jc] turn. But, the cruel counterfeiting [Js] hit the river giving KenT351 a higher two pair plus ace kicker as Beto777 will have to enjoy taking home the most money tonight in third place ($118,844.60).

Heads-up play lasted exactly two hands as on the decisive hand KenT351 would min-raise from the button and Sn0wb4ll called to see the [Qs] [2s] [Ad] flop. Sn0wb4ll check the option but KenT351 would bet one million, and... well watch the video below for the answer:

They would trade bets until all the chips were in the middle on the flop. Sn0wb4ll holding [Ac][5s] for top pair and KenT351's [Ts][Qc] hit middle pair on the [Qs] [2s] [Ad] flop. But, the [Th] turn gave KenT351 two pair which would avoid Sn0wb4ll's outs on the [7s] river. With the 30.3 million chip pot KenT351 was declared in the winner thus snagging the extra $10,000 to go with the chopped $92,161.56 for a six-figure score as this week's Sunday Warm-up champion!

Sn0wb4ll's surge in latter half of the final table nearly added up to a win, but instead the German will take away a hefty sum of $93,378.26 from the chop agreement.

Congrats to all our winners and be sure to check out PokerStars.TV's wrap up show for all of tonight's highlights with commentary and the hole cards exposed for your pleasure.

$750,000 Guarantee Sunday Warm-up (09-27-09)
* denotes part of three way chop
1. KenT351 (Воронеж) *$102,161.56
2. Sn0wb4ll (Hamburg) *$93,378.26
3. Beto777 (S.Paulo - NO CHAT) *$118,844.60
4. El ibero (Valladolid) $49,912.11
5. krash778 (Ростов-на-Дону) $37,544.51
6. cabby123 (verona) $28,710.51
7. CoachConrad (Stamford) $19,876.51
8. Allingomes (Curitiba - BRASIL) $11,042.51
9. MVital23 (Ufa) $7,067.21

Right before the final table, heißtercamp had this author scrambling the search engines on how to insert the German letter into the page. Luckily, there were enough people out there on the internet with the kindness in their hearts to educate me on such matters. The reason it was important? heißtercamp came into tonight's final table as the chip leader after knocking out deamon10 after the two traded raises until deamon10 was all-in holding [Jc][Ac]. heißtercamp was looking great flipping up a suited big slick [Ah][Kh] and the dominant hand would hold on the [Qd] [4h] [As] [6d] [4d] board to ship the huge 7.5 million chip pot and the chip lead to heißtercamp and knock out deamon10 as tonight's bubble boy in tenth place ($4,920.00).

Seat 1: CuCbKu (4637081 in chips)
Seat 2: MarcMcFly (1956052 in chips)
Seat 3: gargamelesp (2896426 in chips)
Seat 4: heißtercamp (10905983 in chips)
Seat 5: J0hnny_Dr@m@ (6373880 in chips)
Seat 6: Morph2oo6 (1716156 in chips)
Seat 7: Monterpol (3429307 in chips)
Seat 8: apestyles (2861000 in chips)
Seat 9: Jarfish (6224115 in chips)

Morph2oo6 got the party started early going all-in just five hands from the start of the final table with the blinds at 65K/130K ante 13K and riding big slick [Ks][Ad] to victory over the [Jd][As] of CuCbKu for the 3.4 million chip pot. Play would settle in for a bit as the chip leader heißtercamp took many pots uncontested preflop including one for 2.6 million after 4-betting J0hnny_Dr@m@ and taking it down without any board cards.

After two blind levels of mostly preflop poker, heißtercamp would stumble a bit running pocket queens into pocket kings twice and doubling up apestyles and CuCbKu in the process. Right before the second cooler, CuCbKu managed the first elimination at the final table taking out gargamelesp. With the blinds at 100K/200K ante 20K gargamelesp would shove 2.3 million chips from UTG and got the table to fold around to CuCbKu in the small blind who made the call holding [Kh][Ac]. Big slick dominated the [Ad][Tc] held by gargamelesp and would hold on the [Qc] [Jh] [9c] [7h] [7s] board sending The Smurf's arch enemy home in ninth place ($6,560.00). The very next hand using the newly acquired five million chips from gargamelesp, CuCbKu would take the chip lead from heißtercamp when the pocket kings would hold up against heißtercamp's queens for a 12.6 million chip pot.

heißtercamp was not detoured by the bad luck as on the very next hand MarcMcFly tried to steal the blinds open pushing a short 1.9 million chip stack on the button with [Jd][Qs]. heißtercamp reeling from the large pot lost to CuCbKu was still sitting in the small blind with over four million chips made the call holding [Jc][As]. This time it was heißtercamp's turn with the dominate hand and it would hold on the [8h] [9s] [Kc] [Ad] [7s] to retain a few chips via the 4.2 million chip pot. MarcMcFly was sent back to Hill Valley without the DeLorean but will have $10,250.00 for the eighth place to help save the clock tower.

The players finally took a breather from the big pots for five hands when Morph2oo6 was facing a 511,000 chip raise from J0hnny_Dr@m@ holding only 2.2 million chip and a suited big slick [Ad][Kd]. The three bet all-in was made as J0hnny_Dr@m@ thought over the pot odds and made the call with [Tc][Qc]. All was a walk in the park towards a much needed double up for Morph2oo6 until the river card hit on the [7d] [5d] [6s] [2c] [Th] board as J0hnny_Dr@m@ hit the four outer on the river to send Morph2oo6 home in seventh place ($18,450.00).

Still in the 100K/200K blind level Monterpol would pick up a much needed double up against apestyles as pocket queens took another beating, this time Monterpol's [8s][As] found an ace on the [5c] [Jh] [Ad] [Jc] [Td] board to ship the 3.6 million double up to Monterpol.

apestyles would take some chips back as the blinds rose to 125K/250K ante 25K after shoving over the top of an UTG raise from JarFish and a three-bet from J0hnny_Dr@m@. The four-bet was not answered by either player as apestyles raked in the 4.3 million chip pot. The very next hand JarFish's [Kc][Jh] would double up off J0hnny_Dr@m@'s big slick [Ad][Ks] pulling out a three-outer on the river with the board showing [6s] [7d] [8s] [8c] [Js] for a 10.4 million chip pot.

Monterpol would let J0hnny_Dr@m@ back into the game as it was J0hnny_Dr@m@'s turn for some luck as J0hnny_Dr@m@'s [2c][Ad] hit versus Monterpol's dominating [9h][Ah] on the [4s] [2d] [4d] [Qc] [3s] board for a 3.4 million chip pot. Since the two were similarly stack Monterpol was left with fumes that JarFish would collect five hands later while rivering a straight sending Monterpol home in sixth place ($26,650.00).

With the newly acquired chips J0hnny_Dr@m@ tried to get out of the chip cellar taking on the chip leader CuCbKu all-in preflop. Watch below for the results:

This time J0hnny_Dr@m@ holding [Ah][5s] couldn't sneak the smaller kicker past the five card board as CuCbKu's big slick [Ad][Ks] held up on the [4s] [Jc] [9d] [Jh] [7c] board as J0hnny_Dr@m@ took home $34,850.00 in fifth place.

The next elimination came at the hands of part head-scratcher and part great instincts. With the blinds at 150K/300K ante 30K watch the hand between heißtercamp and apestyles play out:

heißtercamp went for the three-bet bluff from the big blind holding [3h][2h] and apestyles put together the pieces of the puzzle enough to call with [As][5s]. Both players managed to hit two pair, but apestyles' was the mightier on the [8c] [2c] [Ad] [5c] [3s] board sending home the beginning final table chip leader in fourth place ($47,150.00).

After JarFish trimmed a six million chip pot off CuCbKu the players held very similar stacks and brief chop talks took place. apestyles wasn't 100 percent on board, looking for a six figure score so play resumed. A few hands later apestyles was already to relent and was ready to look at the figures after the current hand...

... and lost the all-in preflop battle against CuCbKu knocking the chip leading apestyles from 18 million chips to a little over six million and boosting CuCbKu to over 24 million when CuCbKu's [Ac][Jh] held over apestyles' [Th][Ah].

The wheels came off in a hurry for apestyles' as three hands later CuCbKu called apestyles' button push from the big blind with pocket eights [8s][8h]. apestyles could only produce [3c][Ad] and watched CuCbKu promptly hit a set on the flop and with apestyles drawing dead by the turn, a mocking ace hit the river on the [6s] [8d] [5s] [Jc] [Ah] board. Although it's not the six figure score, apestyles was looking for the $67,650.00 earned in third place is decent brag post material.

After apestyles left the tournament table, JarFish and CuCbKu got together to carve out a couple of six-figure scores as the two used the chip chop suggestions from the PokerStars host and agreed to the figures below:

JarFish: $101,693.63
CuCbKu: $112,986.37

With the big money off the board there was still a sizable $10,000 set aside for tonight's champion. JarFish was looking at a long road to recovery starting off with a 31 million to 9 million chip deficit as CuCbKu held a commanding lead.

JarFish would chiseled up to 13 million chips but tried snag a one million chip preflop raise from CuCbKu with an overshove holding [Kh][7c]. The aggressiveness did not pay off here as CuCbKu snap called with pocket jacks [Jh][Jd] and rode the [8s] [4h] [2c] [8c] [3c] board to victory in tonight's Sunday Warm-up!

CuCbKu's win earned the extra $10,000.00 set aside from the deal bringing the total win to $122,986.37 as JarFish took home six-figures as the runner up tonight with $101,693.63 from the two person deal.

Be sure to check out all the hole cards with commentary tomorrow from the staff PokerStars.TV's Online Poker Show.

$750,000 Guarantee Sunday Warm-up Results (08-30-09)
*denotes part of two-way deal
1. CuCbKu (Augsburg) *$122,986.37
2. Jarfish (Port Moody) *$101,693.63
3. apestyles (Austin) $67,650.00
4. heißtercamp (Neverscared) $47,150.00
5. J0hnny_Dr@m@ (Athens) $34,850.00
6. Monterpol (Police) $26,650.00
7. Morph2oo6 (Oudenbosch) $18,450.00
8. MarcMcFly (Windhagen) $10,250.00
9. gargamelesp (Singapore) $6,560.00

After a brief hand-for-hand period, the final table kicked off with Payacan and Blue Knight1 holding the biggest stacks. Szusza84 was the final table bubble boy, busting with top pair against a flush to claim $4,693.21 for 10th place. Prezidento barely lasted long enough to hear Greg "Fossilman" Raymer's welcoming remarks before he busted in 9th place ($6,257.61) in a huge hand against Dsavo. Coming into the final table the shortest of the short stacks, Prezidento open-shoved from early position with [Ad]-[Qc]. Dsavo woke up in the big blind with [Ac]-[Ah], and snap-called. Prezidento was behind and stayed that way as the final board ran out [As]-[5d]-[8s]-[2c]-[Jd]. Dsavo's top set was good, and then there were eight.

Columbian80% found himself running on fumes with barely 2 big blinds left, so when the action folded around to his button, he shipped it in with [Kd]-[2h]. El Tiltor decided it was his turn to wake up with a monster in the big blind, and called with [As]-[Kh]. The flop of [7c]-[7s]-[5c] helped neither player, and the [Td] on the turn left Columbian80% drawing for three outs. The [Ad] was the furthest thing from help he could have found, and his tournament was over in 8th place ($9777.51).

Faster than you can say "wait a minute, I'm still typing over here!" the field lost another competitor as kiehndk went to the rail in 7th place ($17,599.51). All the money went in preflop, as kiehndk open-shoved from the button with [Kc]-[9d]. Big stack Payacan thought for a moment before making the call with [Ad]-[Ts], but when the flop came down [Td]-[3d]-[6h], it was a great move. The [6d] on the turn gave Payacan the nut flush draw to go with top pair, but the river was an irrelevant [Qc] as Payacan sent kiehndk packing.

The pace of play slowed not a bit as players came back from break to see the next elimination on the very first hand. Blue Knight1 raised from the small blind with [As]-[Ts], and saufar moved all in over the top. Blue Knight1 thought for a moment before making the call, and found out he was in great shape when saufar tabled [Ks]-[9s]. The flop hit both players as it came down [9d]-[Tc]-[3h], but Blue Knight1 had top pair, top kicker and a huge lead in the hand. Top pair held up as the turn and river came down [8h]-[6h], and saufar fell in 6th place for $25,421.51.

El Tiltor was the next to fall when he moved all in preflop with [Qd]-[Js] and got one caller in Blue Knight1 with [Kc]-[Qs]. The board ran out a singularly unhelpful [2d]-[5d]-[Ts]-[9h]-[Th], and El Tiltor was El-iminated in 5th place ($33,243.51). After dropping most of his stack to calvo1989 when he ran [Ad]-[9h] into calvo1989's [Ah]-[Qs], Blue Knight1 was running on fumes when he put the last of his chips in the middle of the table preflop. In his final hand, Blue Knight1 found all his cookies in the middle of the table after calvo1989 raised preflop, Payacan called from the small blind, and Blue Knight1 moved in for the last of his stack from the big blind. Both opponents called, and the live players checked down the [4s]-[Qs]-[Jc]-[6c]-[7h] board. Payacan showed [Ac]-[7d], and Blue Knight1 mucked, picking up $44,976.51 for 4th place.

Just as talks of a deal were starting, a huge hand broke out between the two big stacks. When the dust settled, there was one less big stack after this monster hand.

Dsavo earned a very respectable $64,531,51 for his 3rd-place finish, and the two survivors took a moment to come to a deal. After looking at the numbers, the two remaining players agreed on a chop which gave Payacan $107,352.35 and calvo1989 $96,970.47, with $10,000 left in the middle for the eventual champion. With the details taken care of, the players returned to their corners and came out swinging for the last $10K.

Payacan took a 3:1 chip lead into heads up play, and it wasn't long before the final outcome was decided. Payacan lost the chip lead in huge hand early in heads up play, and the whole confrontation lasted less than fifteen minutes. Finally, it all came down to a coin flip and the river card, as the final hand unfolded like this -

Calvo1989 came from behind in dramatic fashion at the final table to take down the whole enchilada, including the $96,970 from the chop and the extra $10K left for the winner, making his total take $106,970.47. Congratulations to calvo1989 on a spectacular final table performance and a great come-from-behind victory!

plz be live can thank the guarantee busting crowd in assembling the $815,200 prize pool that was divided among 585 players tonight.

PiMaster sliced up Manta_Rays to set up the final table by riding a suited big slick [Ad][Kd] to victory over Manta_Rays' [As][Ts] when the board ran out [Qd] [Ah] [2h] [8h] [4c] to set up the final nine below:

Aftret was the one to watch tonight, having some past success in the Sunday Million with two final tables in the past year (see the PokerStars blog write ups here and here) and looking for first place after finishing 7th and 3rd in the Sunday Million in the past year.

Seat 1: cailloulefou (3109574 in chips)
Seat 2: Bojinator (5489418 in chips)
Seat 3: GAKingChaser (6126495 in chips)
Seat 4: Dago40 (7668711 in chips)
Seat 5: BenDana-1 (1973408 in chips)
Seat 6: PiMaster (4306153 in chips)
Seat 7: Aftret (1867182 in chips)
Seat 8: plz be live (3307510 in chips)
Seat 9: hugo1006 (6911549 in chips)

With the blinds starting at 65K/130K ante 13K hugo1006 would waste no time claiming the first big pot of the evening, calling down Bojinator on a board showing [Kc] [Th] [Ks] [7s] [2h] and was happy to find that second pair of tens [9d] [Tc] was more than enough for the 5.3 million chip pot.

Five hands later it was the aforementioned Aftret started the final table with the low end of the leaderboard but got a much needed double up after pushing all-in with big slick into the middle [As][Kh] while UTG and getting some action from Bojinator holding pocket tens [Tc][Th]. Slick would hit an ace on the flop and hold on the [Ac] [Js] [2d] [Qd] [4s] for the 3.8 million chip pot sending Bojinator under one million chips. Bojinator would last for a few more hands but ultimately hand those remaining chips over to GAKingChaser when Bojinator's [Tc][Ks] couldn't suck out versus the [Ts][As] on the [9c] [6h] [8d] [5c] [9h] board. After starting fourth chips, Bojinator would have to settle for ninth place and $6,521.61 tonight.

BenDana-1 called out for the PokerStars One Time Chip after getting low on chips with blinds at 80K/160K ante 16K finding [Tc][Ac] all-in preflop against the big slick of PiMaster [Ad][Ks]. The [As] [8c] [7d] gave both a pair of aces but the king kicker still ruled. [2c] on the turn brought the flush draw, with filled up on the [5c] river as BenDana-1 swept the much needed 2.7 million chip pot.

The blinds rose again to 100K/200K ante 20K as short stacked PiMaster took [Ac][8d] in the cutoff for a raise to one million. Folded to hugo1006 who would 3-bet it putting PiMaster all-in in the big blind holding [Jc][Ks] and enough chips to gamble. PiMaster made the call and the brief preflop favorite got a rude [Jh] [Kh] [6c] flop, and was drawing dead by the [2c] turn. The [Ah] on the river was too little, too late and sent my favorite geometrical symbol home with $10,190.01 in eighth place.

The very next hand cailloulefou would wrestle the chip lead away from hugo1006 after flopping trip tens as hugo1006 did not believe the three-bet after the flop and called to see pocket threes on the [6h] [Th] [Tc] were not going to cut it. No trey on the [8c] turn nor [Kd] river and the huge 13 million chip pot was shipped to cailloulefou as hugo1006 slipped to 4.3 million. Two hands later cailloulefou found another big pot to tangle in, this time with GAKingChaser. With the blinds at 100K/200K ante 20K folded around, cailloulefou would raise to 500K from the button and GAKingChaser would give action with a three-bet to 1.225 million. The chip leader would make the call in position to see a mono-tone [2h] [7h] [Qh] flop. With a stop-and-go play, GAKingChaser tried pushing [Js][4h] for 3.4 million. But, cailloulefou held [Qs] [Ks] good for top pair and just had to fade the flush draw. Two clubs later [3c] and [Jc], the 9.8 million chip pot flowed into cailloulefou's stack as GAKingChaser was chased from the table in seventh place ($18,342.01).

BenDana-1 would capture another short stacked double up courtesy of Aftret immediately after GAKingChaser's departure. Taking down a 4.7 million chip pot as the two were all-in preflop and BenDana-1's [Kd][Qd] held up over Aftret's [9h][Jh] on the [8c] [2h] [6d] [2c] [Qs] board.

Eliminations would slow down for awhile as the blinds held steady at 100K/200K ante 20K when plz be live would take a 5.8 million chip pot from cailloulefou as plz be live's big slick [As][Kc] was very much alive against the [Jd][Kh] of the chip leader. cailloulefou didn't catch up on the [Ts] [6h] [3d] [5h] [Td] board and plz be live was back in action with the double up.

Three hands later with no change in the blinds, Dago40 and hugo1006 would push their similar stack into the middle preflop for a sizable 11.2 million chip pot. Watch the action play out below:

Dago40's pocket sevens would hold against the [Qd][Ac] of hugo1006 on the [Jd] [9c] [8d] [4c] [4s] board as hurricane hugo was downgraded to a light spring rain shower exiting in sixth place ($26,494.01) as Dago40 was only looking up at cailloulefou in the chip counts.

After the blinds bumped up to 125K/250K ante 25K plz be live took the role of aggressor and pushed 549,775 into the middle from UTG. Folded around to Aftret who chose to call in the big blind to see the [3d] [7d] [5s] flop. Aftret would check, prompting plz be live to bet out for 3/4th of a million. Aftret wasn't done with the hand and check-raised to two million. plz be live liked those pocket aces [As][Ad] enough to shove all-in as Aftret would call with [Td][9d]. It was Aftret who was hoping to be live, and was until the [2s] and [Ts] came down on the board missing the flush draw and sending fifth place money ($34,646.01) to Aftret who adds yet another big finish in a PokerStars Sunday major.

Two hands later BenDana-1's run of getting low in the chip counts and doubling up would find its end. Down to 1.75 million chips and blinds at 125K/250K ante 25K BenDana-1 would push from the cutoff holding pocket sevens [7s][7c]. But, the other three table mates all held over 10 million chips, and one of them would make the call. Dago40 liked [Ah][8d] enough to make the call in the big blind creating the 3.7 million chip pot. The flop [6s] [6c] [Ks] was clean for BenDana-1, but the turned [Ad] gave Dago40 a pair of aces which would fade the two sevens on the river [5d], showing BenDana-1 where to pick up the fourth place cash of $46,874.01

Three-handed play was fairly even as the blinds notched up to the 150K/300K ante 30K level. cailloulefou took a near five million chip hit against plz be live when plz be live shoved out a 4.5 million chip bet on the river with the board showing [Qc] [2c] [5d] [3c] [Qd] that cailloulefou couldn't answer as the former chip leader slipped to 8.4 million as plz be live enjoyed the big stack with over 18 million. That hand would set up the biggest hand of the tournament worth 17 million chips below as the same two online rounders would tangle:

After both players liked the [Jh][Jc][7c] flop enough to shove all-in, it was the pocket eights [8d][8c] of plz be live that were well ahead of the second pair of cailloulefou holding [Ks][7s]. The king nor seven would hit on the [Qs] turn nor [2h] river as cailloulefou would have to settle for third place ($67,254.01) after a strong start to the final table.

The shallow blinds of 150K/300K ante 30K with our two final combatants both holding a wall of chips had all the makings for a long heads-up battle right?

Faster than eighth place PiMaster could count out Pi to the 10th place we had our Sunday Warm-up Champion.

In the third hand of heads up play with plz be live holding 29 million chips to Dago40's 11.6 million the two would trade bets preflop until all of their chips were in the middle creating a 23.3 million chip pot:

Dago40: [2d][2h]
plz be live: [4h][4c]

Already ahead with the higher pocket pair plz be live's dominating hand got a bigger bump on the [Kh] [Ac] [4s] flop. Dago40's tournament live was down to a perfect-perfect situation and the 989:1 shot did not come in as the turned [Ts] ended Dago40's tourney receiving nearly six figures ($95,378.41) as tonight's runner-up.

With the set of sailboats, plz be live casted off nearly ten hours ago to sail off into the sunset with an extra $127,986.41 as this week's Sunday Warm-up Champion!

Congrats to all of our winners tonight and be sure to check out PokerStars.TV tomorrow for the Sunday Warm-up wrap up show.

$750,000 Guarantee Sunday Warm-up Results (08-16-09):
1. plz be live (Beavercreek) $127,986.41
2. Dago40 (Leipzig) $95.378.41
3. cailloulefou (limelette) $67,254.01
4. BenDana-1 (Muenchen) $46,874.01
5. Aftret (Trondheim) $34,646.01
6. hugo1006 (Häder) $26,494.01
7. GAKingChaser (watkinsville) $18,342.01
8. PiMaster (Glen Carbon) $10,190.01
9. Bojinator (Port Kembla) $6,521.61

It was certainly a case of the rich getting richer on the final table bubble, as hwtd1's pocket aces held up on a king-high board to boot short-stacked Charibert to the rail in 10th place when his top pair wasn't quite good enough. Hwtd1 was the dominant chip leader before that hand, and after it came into the final table with a massive 14 million in chips, more than double the stack of his nearest competitor.

The action kicked off right from the start at the final table, with hwtd1's huge stack translating into several short stacks around the table. Two of them tangled on one of the very first hands, and a cruel river washed away dan82mur in 9th place ($6,544). All the money went in preflop, as chip leader hwtd1 raised from middle position. MellowGold11 smooth-called from the button, but dan82mur moved all in from the small blind. Hwtd1 got out of the way, but mellowGold11 made the call with [Ac]-[Qs], only to find dan82mur holding [Ad]-[Kc]. The [7d]-[Ah]-[9h] flop left mellowGold11 drawing slim, and the [5c] on the turn was no help. The river brought the [Qd], giving mellowGold11 the three-outer he needed, and dan82mur was done.

It was just a couple of hands later when the next victim fell, this time at the hands of Bassduck. This time the best preflop hand held up as Bassduck opened for a raise with Ah-Qc. Prallimall moved all in over the top with Ad-Jd, and was dominated when Bassduck made the call. The flop pretty much sealed the deal, as Bassduck made top pair on the [7h]-[Qh]-[5c] board. With no flush draw available, prallimall was drawing dead after the [3h] turn, so the [Jc] on the river was just adding insult to injury as prallimall retired in 8th place ($10,225).

Faster than a typing blogger, the field shrunk again as powerle and haneferd tangled in a huge confrontation that left the game seven-handed. As was the case in most of our bustout hands, all the money went in preflop, as powerle open-shoved with [As]-[Th]. He was in deep trouble when haneferd snap-called with [Ad]-[Ah]. The outcome was pretty standard, as the board ran out [8s]-[Ac]-[Td]-[8d]-[8h] to give both players a full house. Haneferd's yacht proved the bigger boat to powerle's dinghy, and powerle was done in 7th place ($18,405).

Eventual champ mellowgold11 claimed another victim when he busted Paulmclean23 in 6th place ($26,585) to move ever closer to the chip lead. Hwtd1 raised preflop and got action from mellowGold1, Bassduck and Paulmclean23, and then the fireworks went off on the [7d]-[2s]-[4s] flop. Bassduck led out, Paulmclean raised, hwtd1 got out of the way, and then mellowGold11 moved all in over the top! Paulmclean23 quickly called all in for less, and Bassduck decided discretion was the better part of valor and got out of the way. Paulmclean23 held the lead with [4c]-[2c] for two pair, but mellowGold11 had [As]-[Qs] for the nut flush draw. The turn brought the [Ts] to complete mellowGold11's flush, and Paulmclean was drawing to four outs. The [Kh] on the river wasn't one of those outs, and his tournament was over.

Bassduck came back from break on the short stack, and it only took a few hands for all his chips to end up in the middle of the table. After a button raise from mellowGold11, Bassduck shipped it in with pocket sevens. MellowGold11 had a real hand, and made the easy call with two queens. Nothing out of the ordinary happened on the [Ac]-[6h]-[Kh]-[5d]-[Th] board, and Bassduck picked up $34,765 for 5th place.

It took next to no time for the first pile of eliminations to come to pass, but it took almost an hour for the field to shrink the next spot, as hwtd1 came from behind to send happyfister packing in 4th place ($47,035). All the money went in preflop, as hwtd1 moved all in with [As]-[Tc] and happyfister snap-called with [Kd]-[Ks]. The flop was ugly for happyfister, coming out [Qh]-[Ad]-[5c], and happyfister needed one of two outs to stay alive. It was not to be, as the turn and river came down [5s]-[Th] to cut the field to three.
That hand gave the chip lead back to hwtd1, who had lost it earlier in the final table. His aggression unabated, hwtd1 took out haneferd in 3rd place ($67,485) a few hands later. It was hwtd1 who put the final nail in the coffin, but mellowGold11 did all the heavy lifting, decimating haneferd's stack in this huge hand.

With the chip lead firmly in hwtd1's hands going into heads up play, it was time for the final break of the night. The players came back from break to play a tremendous back and forth heads up match, with lead changes coming every few minutes as one player would pull away, only to fall prey to a big hand that didn't go his way. Finally, after one of the longest heads up matches I've seen in a Sunday Warm-Up, and with no talk of a deal ever kicking off, mellowGold11 took the chip lead for the final time. The final hand was as exciting as they come, starting off as a coin flip, then the pendulum swinging one way, then a massive two-outer to send all the chips in the other direction. Check out this craziness -

When the dust settled, mellowGold11 came from behind to knock out hwtd1 in 2nd place ($95,706) and claim the whopping $128,426 top prize. Congrats to our top two finishers on a phenomenal heads up match, and congratulations to all our final table players in this week's Sunday Warm-Up!

With about 50 players left tonight, there was a familiar name sitting atop the leaderboard. Team PokerStars Pro Maridu Mayrinck was leading the pack and looking to equal or pass the third place finish fellow Team PokerStars Pro Isabelle "NoMercy" Mercier had in the Sunday Million just three ago (read the write up here) Unfortunately in a blind versus blind battle, she would run into the flopped straight by The- Toilet 0 after turning trips and could not fill up on the river to finish in 22nd place ($2,144.01).

But, Maridu was not the only storyline coming from Rio de Janerio tonight as Friend of PokerStars race car driver Gualter "stockcar99" Salles was heading for the final table himself standing on the penultimate table but ran [7d][Ad] into the pocket queens [Qs][Qh] of vluff and couldn't find an ace or diamonds on the [6h] [Js] [2s] [Qc] [Ks] board to finish in 15th place ($3,859.21).

Maridu's adversary The- Toilet 0 would grace the final table after kingpin023's [Kd][Qc] outran the [Ah][Th] of purjo1 after the two got all their chips in the middle preflop. purjo1 was looking great for a double up to nearly three million chips on the [Tc] [5c] [7d] [6h] board, but the rivered [Kh] shipped the pot to kingpin023 and set up the final table below:

Seat 1: PetjeXL (3428072 in chips)
Seat 2: RichyPal (2482518 in chips)
Seat 3: DAFLYINGKIWI (2781632 in chips)
Seat 4: The-Toilet 0 (2665792 in chips)
Seat 5: kingpin023 (9560652 in chips)
Seat 6: gokveld (7454736 in chips)
Seat 7: Hobbes200 (7548222 in chips)
Seat 8: vluff (4505164 in chips)
Seat 9: jdog_fl (2453212 in chips)

Starting off with blinds at 80K/160K ante 16K tonight for our final nine just eight hands into the big money PetjeXL made the first reach for the top cash of $134,540.29 by raising it up to 382,900 and getting kingpin023 to shove with pocket fours [4s][4d] over the top forcing PetjeXL to make an easy decision with pocket queens [Qd][Qh]. [Ah] [6s] [5d] [5h] [2h] spilled out on the board and PetjeXL doubled up with the 5.5 million chip pot.

Six hands later we would have our first loss of the final table when shortstacked jdog_fl would raise a middle position limping Hobbes200 from the button with blinds still at 80K/160K ante 16K. On the [3s] [6s] [5h] flop Hobbes200 tried to be the aggressor and led out for 1.06 million, but jdog_fl holding an overpair of jacks [Jd][Jh] was going nowhere and pushed the remaining chip stack of 2.01 million over the top and into the middle. Hobbes200 would make the call holding two overcards (actually only one that mattered) and the flush draw [Ts][Ks]. The turn was all that was needed as Hobbes200's flush draw got there with the [As] landing jdog_fl ($6,860.81) in ninth place as the jacks became useless.

RichyPal would trim a 3.5 million chip pot off Hobbes200 slowing down Calvin's sidekick reign as the chipleader temporarily. But, six hands later holding [Ah][Qh] in the small blind and looking down the barrel of The-Toilet 0's shove for 3.3 million, Hobbes200 would make the call. The- Toilet 0's [7h][8h] wasn't looking too hot after the [Ad] [9d] [3h] flop, the [7d] gave everyone's favorite bathroom utensil for reading the Sunday paper some life, but the [9h] on the river flushed The- Toilet 0 out of tonight's final table in eight's place ($10,720.01).

DAFLYINGKIWI would get a much needed double up four hands later as the blinds moved up to 100K/200K ante 20K taking pocket jacks to the house against the pocket nines of gokveld's for a 3.1 million chip pot.

But, gokveld would those chips back and more in the following hand against the RichyPal:

RichyPal's pocket queens [Qh][Qs] were no match for gokveld's big slick [Kh][Ac] in the night's first eight digit pot as gokveld took down the 11.2 million chip pot and RichyPal added $19,296.01 to the family vault in seventh place.

vluff started a run at the chip lead get a timely double up off Hobbes200 when [7c][As] was good enough against Hobbes200's [Ks][Jd] for a 6.8 million chip pot. As the players finally took a breather for several hands until DAFLYINGKIWI got gokveld for a double up taking the road to value town after flopping a full house with big slick and earning 6.7 million chips in the process.

Three hands later as the blinds moved up to 125K/250K ante 25K kingpin023 and Hobbes200 would knot up preflop for a huge 14 million chip pot. Hobbes200 turned up big slick [Kh][As] and kingpin023 pocket nines [9s] [9d] for a race for the tournament chip lead at this point. The [Ac] [3s] [5d] [Th] [Kd] board gave big slick another victory tonight as the Apple Valley native kingpin023 took home $27,872.01 in sixth place.

Seven hands later vluff would double up in the first 20 million chip pot when the [6d][Ah] out flopped Hobbes200's pocket eights [8d] [8s] on the [Ac] [2d] [Kd] [Qs] [9s] board, knocking the former chip leader down to 7.6 million chip with the blinds still at 125K/250K ante 25K. Hobbes200 would take another hit two hands later as PetjeXL got an extra large river card when pocket sixes looked dead in the water against Hobbes200's pocket tens. But the final card rained down [5s] [4h] [Qd] [4d] [6s] and with the six of spades PetjeXL was back in business with that 8.4 million chip pot.

Even though Hobbes200 was against the ropes, it would be gokveld's turn a few hands later with his tournament life on the line against DAFLYINGKIWI. This one ended before the excitement started as both players got their four million chip stacks into the middle preflop only to see DAFLYINGKIWI's pocket aces [Ac] [Ad] casting a huge shadow over gokveld's [As][Td]. No surprise four flushes or straights on the [5d] [6s] [9c] [Js] [9s] board as gokveld was awarded $36,448.01 in fifth place.

Hobbes200 would hold on to the short stack for several hands but ran into an extremely hot vluff who was in the mist of taking down nine out of ten hands in a row as the blinds held at 125K/250K ante 25K. Both players got their chips in the middle preflop, vluff with the tonight's popular hand, big slick [Ac][Kc], and Hobbes200 looking alive with [Td][Qs]. The [Tc] [3c] [8d] hit both players as Hobbes200 held top pair and vluff with the two overcards and flush draw. The overcards became worthless on the [Ts] turn giving Hobbes200 trips, but the [9c] on the river awarded the 9.9 million chip pot to vluff and fourth place money ($48,454.41) to Hobbes200.

A brief pause by Team PokerStars Pro Tom McEvoy http://www.pokerstars.net/team-pokerstars/tom-mcevoy/ shot out the potential chop number for the remaining three, but they didn't like the near six figures split up three-ways so a return to the battle was swift.

As opposed to the first six knock-outs of the final table the three handed battle would go across an entire blind level as no one was eliminated during the 150K/300K ante 30K level but vluff and PetjeXL would meet up all-in preflop when the blinds moved up to 200K/400K ante 40K. PetjeXL's short stack and tournament life was on the line after pushing 6.7 million chips on the button with pocket fours [4s][4h] only to run into vluff's pocket nines [9h][9c] in the big blind. PetjeXL would get need an extra small four on the board this time, and didn't get it on the [Ad] [As] [7s] [6h] [Qh] board. The not-so-small third place prize of $70,752.01 was transferred to PetjeXL's account after the pocket fours missed and set up heads-up play between vluff and DAFLYINGKIWI.

vluff would start out heads-up play with a 2:1 chip lead (seen below) forcing DAFLYINGKIWI into defense mode most of the head-to-head battle with constant raises.

Seat 3: DAFLYINGKIWI (14395381 in chips)
Seat 8: vluff (28484619 in chips)

DAFLYINGKIWI was up to the challenge, briefly taking the chip lead at one point after a lengthy 20 minute war that final ended shortly after the introduction to the 250K/500K ante 50K blind level with the below hand:

This time the pocket queens [Qd][Qs] of vluff hold over DAFLYINGKIWI's [Ah][8c] after vluff turned on the gas and won 17 of the final 18 hands in succession and claimed this week's Sunday Warm-up crown for $134,540.29!

DAFLYINGKIWI unfortunately ran into the aggressive vluff and couldn't alter the tide but did take the tidy sum of $99,910.41 back to Auckland as tonight's runner-up.

PokerStars.TV will have the running commentary of tonight's tournament along with all the exposed cards during their video recap tomorrow. Congrats to all of our winners this evening!

$750,000 Guarantee Sunday Warm-up Results (08-02-09)

1. vluff (Quebec) $134,540.29
2. DAFLYINGKIWI (Auckland) $99,910.41
3. PetjeXL (De Meern) $70,752.01
4. Hobbes200 (Podnart) $48,454.41
5. gokveld (Jørpeland) $36,448.01
6. kingpin023 (Apple Valley) $27,872.01
7. RichyPal (dagenham) $19,296.01
8. The-Toilet 0 (Chicago) $10,720.01
9. jdog_fl (Deltona) $6,860.01

The balance of power at the final table started off a little lopsided, as Aguskb took a massive chip lead into the final nine. Aguskb came into the final table with more than 13 million in chips, with his nearest competitor sitting around 8 million. The action was tentative at first, as the players settled into full table action again. But before long the bets started to fly and the field started to thin.

The first bustout of the final table came in a soul-crushing hand. Jane Smith opened for a raise and blend84 moved all in over the top. Action folded back around to Jane Smith, who called with [Jh]-[9h]. Blend84 tabled [Ac]-[Kc], and promptly flopped top pair on a board of [Ad]-[2d]-[Js]. Jane Smith needed a jack or a nine to bust blend84, and the turn obliged by dropping the [9d] onto the table. The river was the unhelpful [5c], and blend84 was done in 9th place ($6,884.81).

Another gut-wrenching come from behind hand sent ILANI7 to the rail in 8th place ($10,757.51). The micro-stacked ILANI7 moved all in preflop with [Ac]-[9h], and UNCGuy made the call from the small blind with[Ks]-[9s]. The flop came down gin for UNCGuy as he hit two pair on the [Jc]-[Kc]-[9d] board. ILANI7 had a backdoor flush draw, but the [4h] on the turn left him drawing to just an ace. The [5s] on the river was no good, and UNCGuy dunked ILANI7 in 8th place.

Just when you were starting to think that bad beats were the theme of the final table, that idea was reinforced by dippedydawg's bustout hand. Dippedydawg raised preflop with [Qd]-[Qh], and HEMIpowerSW moved all in over the top with [7d]-[7h]. Dominated not only by pips but also in suits, things weren't looking good for HEMIpowerSW. The all-heart flop of [3h]-[Jh]-[Kh] didn't make anything any better, nor did the [5s] on the turn. But the river delivered the [7c], hitting one of HEMIpowerSW's two outs, and sending dippedydawg to the rail in 7th place ($19,363.51).

Finally, after three bustouts, the best hand preflop held up in an all in confrontation. Daddddymufff open-raised with [8d]-[8h] from the cutoff, and Wackworm moved all in over the top from the small blind. Everyone got out of the way, and Daddddymufff made the call. Wackworm had outs with the [Ac]-[8c], but none of them came on the [Jc]-[2s]-[Td]-[Jd]-[5d] board, and Wackworm was whacked in 6th place ($27,969.51).

UNCGuy found himself on the short stack and got the last of his chips in with [Ad]-[2c]. HEMIpowerSW called with [Kc]-[Js], and it was a coin flip for UNCGuy's tournament life. UNCGuy held a slight lead after the [Qh]-[6d]-[Tc] flop, but the [Kd] on the turn moved the needle over to HEMIpowerSW's side. The river brought the [9h]; filling HEMIpowerSW's straight and sending UNCGuy home in 5th place ($36,575.51). Just moments later the field went from four to three as Aguskb took out Jane Smith in 4th place ($48,623.91) when his [9s]-[9h] held up against Jane Smith's [As]-[Js] on a board of [Ts]-[5h]-[3c]-[2c]-[3h]. Jane Smith lost the coin flip, but pocketed nearly $50K for a great tournament run!

The chip stacks were close in size to start three-handed play, and none of the three remaining players seemed in a hurry to commit their entire stack. They traded pots back and forth until the following hand leveled a knockout blow for HEMIpowerSW.

HEMIpowerSW picked up a respectable $70,999.51 for the day's work, and Daddddymufff took a 2:1 chip lead into heads up play. But as we know, it only takes one misstep for the momentum to swing, and Aguskb picked his spot and doubled through Daddddymufff to reclaim the chip lead. The back and forth of heads up continued for some time before this massive hand took place.

With a chip lead nearing 6:1, the final outcome was pretty well set. It was only a matter of time before Aguskb's chip lead proved too much for Daddddymufff. In the final hand, Daddddymufff open-shoved with [9s]-[2s]. Aguskb called with [Kc]-[Qs], and hit a king on the [8s]-[7c]-[Kd] flop. The [9c] on the turn gave Daddddymufff a little help, but the [Ad] on the river couldn't save him. Daddddymufff picked up $100,259.91 for second place as Aguskb finished the final table where he started off - with all the chips. First place was good for a whopping $135,010.93 as Aguskb took down all comers in the Sunday Warm-Up!
Congratulations to Aguskb on his great victory, and congrats as well to all our final table players!

Mr.Ingenious had the perfect plan to set up the final table this evening. First, call short stacked Scary_Tiger's push from the button with [Ts][Ac]. Second, acknowledge the advantage over Scary_Tiger's [9c][Kd]. Third, after watching a king fall on the turn promptly river an ace to take the 3.2 million pot on the [Jd] [6d] [7d] [Kh] [As] to send the stripped one home in tenth place ($5,051.81). Poker is easy, and the Sunday Warm-up had its final nine.

Seat 1: USCphildo (3834464 in chips)
Seat 2: bigboybunk (2486561 in chips)
Seat 3: Purr Of Aces (4208584 in chips)
Seat 4: gummmmi (3276552 in chips)
Seat 5: leclash (5256829 in chips)
Seat 6: ole6 (1068160 in chips)
Seat 7: Scarer (7476307 in chips)
Seat 8: starchiebear (9812468 in chips)
Seat 9: Mr.Ingenious (4670075 in chips)

Scarer will be looking to improve on a Sunday Warm-up final table in March (ninth place finish write-up here) tonight. Scarer is no stranger to success having taken down SCOOP Event #10 low buy-in NLHE heads-up tourney in April for $13,402.41 (check out the SCOOP write-up here).

Derek "Purr Of Aces" Morris will be representing Great Britain at the final table tonight. The two-time veteran of the PokerStars World Cup of Poker (see write-up from the PokerStars World Cup here) comes in with a mid-stack as the blinds start off at 80K/160K ante 16K.

All nine players survived the first blind levels as the chip counts shifted slightly when bigboybunk's flush doubled-up off of Scarer and Scarer the very next hand took down a 4.3 million chip pot with trip kings to retrieve some of those chips from the chip leader starchiebear:

Seat 1: USCphildo (2643464 in chips)
Seat 2: bigboybunk (7910683 in chips)
Seat 3: Purr Of Aces (3404584 in chips)
Seat 4: gummmmi (3660552 in chips)
Seat 5: leclash (2828268 in chips)
Seat 6: ole6 (1155160 in chips)
Seat 7: Scarer (7664819 in chips)
Seat 8: starchiebear (10005259 in chips)
Seat 9: Mr.Ingenious (2817211 in chips)

After the break, gummmmi once left for dead after running a button steal that ended up badly when leclash turned up pocket aces [As][Ac] against [8d][Kc], made a respectable comeback to three million chips after surviving two all-ins against starchiebear and leclash.

USCphildo along with the shortstacks Mr.Ingenious, Purr Of Aces, and ole6 started to feel the crunch of blinds rising to 125K/250K ante 25K. Making a standard raise to 600K from UTG + 1, USCphildo was left to make a decision for the tournament life when starchiebear re-raised all-in. Pocket jacks [Js][Jc] was the choice of weapon for USCphildo, slightly ahead of the big slick [Ah][Kd] of starchiebear and looked good after the [4d] [Qd] [2s] flop. But, the [Ac] on the turn flipped the coin in starchiebear's direction and stayed that way after the [Tc] river for our first elimination of the evening. USCphildo picked up $6,734.41 for the ninth place finish.

Shortstacked with pocket queens [Qc][Qh] is a favorable position to be in, and Purr Of Aces was looking good for a double up after calling the all-in shove by Mr.Ingenious. The PlatniumStar Mr.Ingenious could only produce a suited [Ts][As], but the [6d] [3s] [9c] [Ac] [6c] board provided the ace needed to crack Morris' ladies and sent the Wigan native home in eighth place with $10,522.51 to warm up with for another possible World Cup run next year.

Action continued to heat up as Scarer wrestled the chip lead away from starchiebear after pocket jacks [Jd][Js] all-in preflop for Scarer held up against starchiebear's [9h][Ad] for a 9.6 million chip pot. Three hands after the big pot between Scarer and starchiebear, shortstacked ole6 tried to get back into the action pushing preflop with big slick [Ks][Ac] with a blind level change coming in just three hands later and holding only 2.5 big blinds. bigboybunk provided the action calling from the small blind with [Qc][Tc] to gather 1.6 million chips in the middle . The [3h] [Jc] [2c] flop made the hand a coin flip as bigboybunk added a flush draw to the outs available, the [Qs] on the turn hit one of those outs, and trips on the river with the [Qh] sent ole6 away with $18,940.51 in seventh place money.

Another player on the ropes found a decent pocket pair to push with eight hands later as gummmmi shoved from the button with pocket jacks [Jh][Js] with the blinds at 150K/300K ante 30K and holding a micro stack of just under 750,000 chips. Scarer in the big blind made the easy math call holding [As][8d] and caught the ace on the flop and retained that lead thru the river [Ac] [Tc] [6d] [3s] [Qs] to send home gummmmi in sixth place ($27,358.51).

This author's favorite hand happens to be pocket nines, that might not be the case for Mr.Ingenious after the hand below played out for the PlatinumStar's tournament life against the big slick of bigboybunk:

The ace on the flop does in the pocket nines, and Mr.Ingenious diabolical poker ways were ended in fifth place adding $35,776.51 to the bankroll.

Four handed played lasted thru a blind level, as the remaining four shuffled chips across the felt with bigboybunk getting ground down to just four million chips and blinds at 200K/400K ante 40K. Facing a 945,565 chip raise from Scarer, bigboybunk took [7c][Ad] and those four million chips into the middle. Scarer made the call with pocket nines [9d][9h], this time the pocket pair holds up against the ace as the [5d] [Qh] [Tc] [Ks] [8h] board remained ace-free to award the 8.6 million chip to Scarer and $47,561.71 in fourth place money to bigboybunk.

The biggest hand of the tourney came down while three handed as leclash led over for a little more than a le-million on the button and was facing the push of starchiebear from the big blind. Watch the remainder of the action below:

leclash's [Th][Ah] holds on the [6d] [5s] [3d] [8d] [3s] board over starchiebear's [9h][Ad] having dodge a diamond on the river to ship $69,448.51 as heads-up play would have to wait until after the players broke with the blinds rising to 250K/500K ante 50K.

Seat 5: leclash (25607717 in chips)
Seat 7: Scarer (16482283 in chips)

Despite the chip deficit, Scarer and leclash spoke briefly about chopping up the prize pool but nothing solidified as the players decided to let the cards decide who would walk away with that $132,061.59 and with a SCOOP victory in a heads-up tournament, the advantage may be with Scarer.

First big pot went to Scarer as pocket kings [Ks][Kh] were more than enough to overcome the [Qh][Kd] of leclash as the two got all their chips into the middle preflop for a 32 million chip pot. The kings held on the [5d] [7s] [As] [5c] [6h] board and Scarer held a 32 million to 9 million chip advantage.

But, leclash did not back down as eight hands later the double up would go into his stack after correctly calling with pocket kings on a jack-laden flop [Jc] [Js] [9s] [Qd] and catching the crafty Scarer holding just pocket fives [5d][5s] instead of a jack to win that 22 million chip pot.

The lead would open up to 34 million for leclash versus seven million for Scarer as the blinds increased again to 300K/600K ante 60K, and on the first hand of the new blind level the players pocket nines would once again provide someone with chips. Watch the up and down hand provide Scarer some love on the turn and well, see for yourself in the video.

Straight for Scarer on the turn, and the rivered boat as the four paired up to give leclash the title of Sunday Warm-up Champion! Scarer vastly improved on the ninth place finish a few months back in the same tournament, taking home $98,069.71 tonight as the runner-up, while leclash made the right decision not to deal and made off with the whole $132,061.59 for the win.

Be sure to check back tomorrow as PokerStars.TV will provide commentary and hole cards for your viewing pleasure of the big hands from tonight's contest.

$750,000 Guarantee Sunday Warm-up Results (07-19-09)
1. leclash (baillargues) $132,061.59
2. Scarer (Glasgow) $98,069.71
3. starchiebear (provo) $69,448.51
4. bigboybunk (West Palm Beach) $47,561.71
5. Mr.Ingenious (Hamburg) $35,776.51
6. gummmmi (Thuine) $27,358.51
7. ole6 (Markkleeberg) $18,940.51
8. Derek "Purr Of Aces" Morris (Wigan) $10,522.51
9. USCphildo (Mount Pleasant) $6,734.41