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Home / Uncategorized / Sunday Warm-Up: Major uptick in bankroll, dr_upswing90 wins title and $93K

This weekend kicked off the ninth edition of the popular MicroMillions series. However, the Sunday Majors were also dishing out sizable prize pools as tonight’s Sunday Warm-Up demonstrated. Thanks to the $598,400 prize pool Germany’s dr_upswing90’s huge comeback, while heads-up against beldarion, was worth $93,949.42.

Just a few months ago 22ehnutzz was in a similar position in this Sunday Major. The Brazilian would take 14th place back in June narrowly missing out on the final table. This time 22ehnutzz would take the chip lead into the final two tables with the $93,949.42 sitting up top now within reach.

However, a lone Red Spade would be looking to thwart 22ehnutzz’s attempt to claim the win. PokerStars Greek Challenger Stavros “IDOLLS” Kalfas would be one of 11 players still in the hunt after taking out MysticLie6 in 12th place ($3,740.00) as the ninth hour of play came to a close.

Kalfas’ stack would get a sizable boost going into the final table thanks to the aptly named player WaffleBubble. With blinds up to 50K/100K ante 10K, beldarion would min-raise from the hijack seat as WaffleBubble shoved from the small blind for 1.39 million. However, Kalfas would wake up in the big blind and called while covering WaffleBubble’s stack. beldarion did not join in. This turned out to be a wise choice as Kalfas turned up pocket aces A♦ Aâ™  , easily defeating WaffleBubble’s A♣ J♥ on the 7â™  3♦ 2♦ 2♣ 10â™  board to start up the final table below:

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Seat 1: Cigar71 (179332 in chips)
Seat 2: AAtroutAK (3504249 in chips)
Seat 3: dr_upswing90 (2717402 in chips)
Seat 4: IDOLLS (5998062 in chips)
Seat 5: jellycz (2638747 in chips)
Seat 6: 22ehnutzz (3484172 in chips)
Seat 7: BSHZoli (2141328 in chips)
Seat 8: Pendos90 (2161640 in chips)
Seat 9: beldarion (7095068 in chips)

Burned out

On the first hand of the final table, Cigar71’s microstack would stay at the table just long enough for a couple of players to type “gl” into the chat box. With the blinds still at 50K/100K ante 10K, Cigar71 would shove 169,332 chips into the middle as it folded around to the final table chip leader beldarion who made the call in the big blind holding J♦ 10♦ . Cigar71’s 10♣ A♥ was in excellent shape for a double up after the ace-high flop 9♥ Aâ™  9♣ . However, the cruel runner-runner straight from the turn Qâ™  and river K♥ left Cigar71’s stack in ashes with a ninth place finish ($4,787.20).

beldarion flexes muscles

Early on in the final table beldarion had no intention of letting anyone near the top stack. Shortly after the blinds moved up to 65K/130K ante 13K, beldarion would min-raise from UTG as it folded around to BSHZoli in the small blind who three-bet to 650,000. beldarion wasted no time in shoving for 7.9 million as BSHZoli called with pocket queens Qâ™  Q♦ . beldarion’s big slick K♥ A♦ answered the challenge quickly, flopping an ace J♣ Kâ™  2♦ 5♣ 5♦ to win the 4.4 million chip pot and send BSHZoli home with $7,779.20 in eighth place.

Swimming home

Near the end of the 80K/160K ante 16K blind level, Stavros decided he did not like the look of beldarion’s monstrous 14 million chip stack and started to do something about it. AAtroutAK’s smallish stack of 1.06 million would hit the middle from the cutoff as Kalfas, holding 6.6 million chips, also shoved from the small blind. jellycz took a short break folding the big blind as Kalfas turned up pocket sevens 7♦ 7â™  . AAtroutAK’s 9â™  K♣ would not win the big flip, missing the 3♣ A♥ 10♦ Q♥ Aâ™  board completely. He claimed $13,763.20 for seventh place.

No need for the nuts

Several hands later and still in the 80K/160K ante 16K blind level, jellycz doubled up Pendos90 leaving himself as the shortstack with just 599,782 chips. That amount would hit the pot from the small blind and 22ehnutzz joined the party, flipping up Doyle Brunson’s favourite hand 2♣ 10â™  from the big blind. jellycz’s 8♣ J♣ was given a fighting chance but the turned deuce 6♣ 3♣ A♦ 2â™  Q♦ would sink jellycz in sixth place ($19,747.20).

Back in the picture

Chip leader beldarion, who had 15 million chips at this point, had preferred to delegate the dirty work of eliminating players to others for the past few blind levels. Cleaned up after a five minute break, beldarion went to work with the blinds moving up to 100K/200K ante 20K. After min-raising from the hijack seat, beldarion would see the flop with Pendos90 making the call from the big blind. A coordinated 7♣ 10♦ J♦ flop got both player’s attention as Pendos90 would be all-in with an open-ended straight draw Qâ™  K♥ but looking up beldarion’s flopped set of sevens 7â™  7♥ . The Q♦ did not help and the fourth seven in the deck 7♦ hit the river, as Pendos90 earned $25,731.20 in fifth place, narrowing missing out on becoming a two-time Sunday Warm-Up champ.

Stavros “IDOLLS” Kalfas eliminated in fourth place

Kalfas never let beldarion’s iron grip on the chip lead deter his actions, as the Red Spade stayed alive into the 125K/250K ante 25K blind level. Unfortunately after doubling up 22ehnutzz, the Greek pro was not able to recover. Holding just 1.6 million chips in the cutoff, Stavros would shove as it folded around to dr_upswing90 who made the call from the big blind with J♥ Aâ™  . Kalfas’ Q♥ 10♦ would not touch the 2♥ 3â™  Kâ™  9♦ 9â™  board earning him $34,408 in fourth place.

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Stavros “IDOLLS” Kalfas – fourth place ($34,408.00)

beldarion adds to chip lead going into heads-up

As the blinds moved up to 150K/300K ante 30K, the elimination of the Red Spade would prompt a short, but unsuccessful attempt to chop up the remainder of the prize pool — likely due to beldarion’s 20 million chip stack towering over dr_upswing90’s 6.2 million and 22ehnutzz’s 2.79 million. The shortstacked 22ehnutzz would try to pick off the blinds with a shove from the small blind holding 5â™  A♣ . But, beldarion would have likely called regardless of stack size while showing pocket queens Q♣ Qâ™  . No ace on the 10♥ 2♥ 6♣ 10â™  4â™  board sent 22ehnutzz away in third place ($49,679.16), starting up heads-up play.

Dr. Feelgood

Most of the time with one player holding such a large chip lead (23 million to 6 million) the ending comes swift for the smaller stack. Tonight, dr_upswing90 wanted to write a different conclusion coming right out of the gate by winning the first 3.6 million chip pot.

Things continued to go dr_upswing90’s way as three minutes later dr_upswing90 would call all-in preflop with K♣ 9♣ and hit the flop hard enough A♥ K♥ 4â™  A♦ 5♣ to double up against beldarion’s pocket eights 8♣ 8♦ .

Six hands later with the blinds still at 150K/300K ante 30K, beldarion would min-raise from the button as dr_upswing90, now holding a 20.4 million to 9.4 million chip lead, shoved with 9♦ A♣ . beldarion wasted no time calling with big slick Kâ™  Aâ™  . Despite flopping a king, beldarion watched in disbelief as a fourth diamond hit the river Q♦ K♦ A♦ 3♥ 4♦ shipping this week’s Sunday Warm-Up title and $93,949.42 to dr_upswing90!

PokerStars Sunday Warm-Up results (11-09-14):

Entrants: 2,992
Places paid: 432
Prize pool: $598,400.00

1. dr_upswing90 (Germany) $93,949.42
2. beldarion (Germany) $70,012.80
3. 22ehnutzz (Brazil) $49,679.16
4. Stavros “IDOLLS” Kalfas (Greece) $34,408.00
5. Pendos90 (Russia) $25,731.20
6. jellycz (Czech Republic) $19,747.20
7. AAtroutAK (Czech Republic) $13,763.20
8. BSHZoli (Hungary) $7,779.20
9. Cigar71 (United Kingdom) $4,787.20

David Aydt is a freelance contributor

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