It’s always nice to run hot at a final table, regardless of the tournament. Just ask braindeador who made it all of the way to the end of MicroMillions 5 Event #83 having built a chip lead with nine remaining, then managed to eliminate seven of the last eight opponents to win the tournament and a $10,238.04 first prize.

Of course, it wasn’t quite as easy for braindeador as that might sound, as the winning of the tournament was hardly guaranteed until almost the last hands were dealt. Read on for details.

Event #83 offered players a $4.40 no-limit hold’em tournament with the option of taking one re-buy and one add-on. A total of 9,721 participated, and with 6,859 taking re-buys and another 3,141 taking add-ons the total prize pool ballooned to $78,884, thus besting the event’s $50K guarantee.

The top 1,260 finishers split those riches, with four-figure cashes guaranteed those making the final seven. Meanwhile a five-figure payday was scheduled to go to the winner, and even after a three-way deal struck by braindeador, BlackOps02, and Sulainis, the winner braindeador managed to walk away with a first prize of more than ten grand.

It took more than six-and-a-half hours for the field to be cut down to just 100 players, at which point Avstralopit and BlackOps02 sat atop the counts as the only players with more than 3 million chips.

About 90 minutes later they’d played all of the way down to 18 players, with Avstralopit having slipped down the counts to hit the rail in 34th ($157.76). BlackOps02 was still there with a below average stack, though, with everyone at that point chasing hummer160286 in first position with a gaudy stack of over 19 million — about six million ahead of second-place Just4fun62.

An hour after that nine more players had hit the rail. Analyser2 (18th), gollick (17th), and zaljuks (16th) each claimed $205.09 worth of the prize pool. Lexandro777 (15th), scimnia (14th), and TalisT (13th) made $311.59 apiece. Then primo2906 (12th), bestmkd275 (11th), and Artie0001 (10th) were each successively knocked out, all earning $418.08.

During that stretch hummer160286 stayed out in front and would have kept the lead if not for losing a big preflop all-in versus netanelel3 with A♣ K♠ versus netanelel3’s 10♦ 10♠ . In that one the board rolled out a dramatic 5♦ Q♣ J♥ , then 10♣ , then J♦ , the rivered full house winning for netanelel3 over hummer160286’s turned straight.

hummer160286 still had a big stack, but braindeador would be the one carrying the lead to the final table with more than 25 million.

Seat 1: GREGX0X (Russia) — 15,339,879
Seat 2: OLEG2323 (Russia) — 6,933,756
Seat 3: limb01 (Australia) — 5,105,730
Seat 4: BlackOps02 (Netherlands) — 6,726,563
Seat 5: netanelel3 (Israel) — 13,166,300
Seat 6: Sulainis (Germany) — 2,259,288
Seat 7: braindeador (Germany) — 25,235,182
Seat 8: Just4fun62 (Denmark) — 2,252,326
Seat 9: hummer160286 (Ukraine) — 21,585,976

The final nine all made it to the nine-hour break, then shortly after play resumed the blinds were 250k/500k when leader braindeador raised to 1 million from the button, then Just4fun62 reraised all in for 2,867,152 from the small blind. hummer160286 called the shove from the big blind, and braindeador called as well.

The flop came all clubs — 4♣ J♣ 2♣ — and hummer160286 checked. braindeador then bet all in, forcing a fold from hummer160286, and braindeador turned over 6♣ 3♣ for a flopped flush. Just4fun62 had A♦ Q♦ and was already drawing dead, with the K♣ turn and 10♣ river putting a flush on the board to tease Just4fun62 before heading out in ninth.

On the very next hand, limb01 open-raised all in for 2,168,230 from under the gun and got a single caller in braindeador playing from the cutoff. limb01 had K♥ 7♥ and braindeador A♦ 6♠ , and the board came J♠ A♠ Q♣ K♦ 5♠ to give braindeador the better pair and eliminate limb01 in eighth.

A few minutes later the blinds were 300k/600k when braindeador min-raised to 1.2 million from the hijack seat, then hummer160286 called from the cutoff and OLEG2323 called as well from the small blind. The flop came J♣ 2♦ 10♦ . OLEG2323 checked, braindeador put out a big bet of over 32 million, hummer160286 called all in for 5,372,036, and OLEG2323 folded.

braindeador: 10♣ 10♠
hummer160286: K♣ Q♦

It was another big flop for braindeador, making a set of tens, while hummer160286 was still drawing plenty live with an open-ended straight draw. The turn was the A♣ , making Broadway for hummer160286, but the river brought the 2♥ to pair the board and improve braindeador to a winning full house. The hand very much resembled that earlier one versus netanelel3 for hummer160286, only this time the hand ended hummer160286’s run in seventh.

RSS readers click through to view replay

The streak for braindeador soon continued in a hand that saw GREGX0X go out in sixth place as braindeador’s fourth straight final table knockout.

In that hand braindeador opened for 1.2 million from the small blind and GREGX0X called from the big blind, then the pair saw the flop come 4♣ 10♣ 3♦ . braindeador led for 1.2 million and GREGX0X called, then the J♥ fell on the turn. This time braindeador bet 3 million, and when GREGX0X shoved for 7,513,316, braindeador was there with a call.

GREGX0X had 10♠ 6♠ for tens, but braindeador’s K♠ 10♦ made the same pair with a better kicker. The river was the case ten — the 10♥ — and GREGX0X was out in sixth.

“braindeador is so hot” typed Sulainis afterwards. Subsequent chat then led the remaining five players to pause the tournament to talk about a possible deal to divide the remaining prize money.

At that point braindeador had almost 64 million — well over half the chips in play — and so when “chip chop” numbers were produced (leaving $1,000 for which to play) they actually suggested more than $13,700 to go to braindeador, a figure which the others quickly pointed out was more than $2K what first place was scheduled to receive!

The group negotiated further with braindeador agreeable to reducing that figure to something more reasonable, but ultimately BlackOps02 wasn’t able to accept the new deal and so play was resumed.

Soon braindeador was claiming yet another final table victim in netanelel3 after the latter open-pushed for 7,226,474 from the cutoff with A♦ 10♦ and braindeador called from the small blind with K♣ K♥ . The board ran out 4♠ J♥ Q♥ 5♠ 2♠ and netanelel3 was done in fifth.

Two hands later BlackOps02 cut into braindeador’s big stack somewhat in a hand that saw the latter pick up K♥ K♠ yet again, but BlackOps02 be dealt A♣ A♠ . The aces held, and BlackOps02 doubled to almost 35 million to move into second position behind braindeador who still led with more than 52 million.

Not long after came the next elimination, and finally it was someone other braindeador earning a knockout. With the blinds at 400k/800k, Sulainis limped in from under the gun, OLEG2323 completed from the small blind, and BlackOps02 checked from the big blind. The flop came K♣ K♥ 4♥ and OLEG2323 immediately shoved for 805,360 with only BlackOps02 calling.

As it turned out the two players had the same hand, with OLEG2323 turning over 7♣ 4♠ and BlackOps02 7♥ 4♣ . But then the turn brought the Q♥ and river the 8♥ , meaning the heart in BlackOps02’s hand made their hands very different, giving BlackOps02 a winning flush and knocking out OLEG2323 in fourth.

braindeador, BlackOps02, and Sulainis played a few more hands and then stopped the tournament again to discuss a deal, with BlackOps02 barely leading with 45,677,856, braindeador right there with 45,252,840, and Sulainis third with 7,674,304. It took a bit of back-and-forthing, but at last the group decided upon terms to divide the prize pool — leaving that $1,000 for which to play — and the tourney finally resumed.

Three-handed play saw BlackOps02 grabbing a couple of big pots to edge out to a lead while Sulainis slipped further to less than 4.7 million.

Then with the blinds still 400k/800k a hand arose that saw Sulainis calling from the button and both blinds coming along, then the flop arrive 5♣ 5♥ 6♠ . It checked to Sulainis who bet 800,000 and only braindeador called. The A♠ fell on fourth street and again it was braindeador check-calling a bet of 800,000 from Sulainis.

The river was the 9♣ . This time braindeador led for 2.4 million, and Sulainis called with the 2,174,304 left behind. braindeador then showed 8♣ 7♠ for a rivered straight, better than Sulainis’s trip fives with 7♦ 5♦ , and they were down to two.

RSS readers click through to view replay

Heads-up play began with BlackOps02 still in front with 60,511,856 to braindeador’s 38,093,144, and within a few hands they’d reached the tourney’s 10-hour break with braindeador having chipped up some to pull close to even. The first hand back after the break then brought what would turn out to be the decisive hand of the tournament.

With the blinds up to 500k/1m, BlackOps2 raised to 2 million from the button and braindeador called. The flop came J♣ 6♠ Q♣ . braindeador checked, BlackOps02 bet 1.7 million, braindeador check-raised to 4.6 million, BlackOps02 made it 9.47 million to go, and braindeador called.

The turn then brought the A♠ and this time braindeador bet 9.55 million. BlackOps02 responded with an all-in shove and braindeador quickly called with the 26,498,144 left behind.

braindeador: K♣ 10♠
BlackOps02: 6♥ 6♦

BlackOps02 had flopped a set of sixes, but braindeador had turned a Broadway straight. The river then brought the 8♦ , and suddenly braindeador had more than 95 million while BlackOps02 had tumbled back to less than 4 million.

RSS readers click through to view replay

BlackOps02 managed to double up on the next hand with K♣ 5♠ versus braindeador’s 10♠ 7♦ , but on the one after that was all in again with 9♥ 8♣ and in dire shape versus braindeador’s Q♠ Q♥ .

The flop came 5♠ Q♦ 9♦ to improve braindeador to a set of queens, but the 6♥ turn did give BlackOps02 a chance at filling a backdoor straight. The river was the 4♣ , however, and after knocking out seven of eight opponents at the final table, braindeador had won.

Congratulations to braindeador for topping a huge field of 9,721, running hot at the best time at the final table, and ultimately joining the exclusive group of players who have earned five-figure paydays in MicroMillions events. And kudos as well to BlackOps02 and Sulainis for making it to the three-way deal and ensuring themselves handsome cashes as well in Event #83 of MicroMillions 5.

PokerStars MicroMillions 5 Event #83 ($4.40 NLHE, 1R1A) results (*reflects three-way deal)

Players: 9,721
Total Prize pool: $78,884.00
Re-buys: 6,859
Add-ons: 3,141
Places paid: 1,260

1. braindeador (Germany) — $10,238.04*
2. BlackOps02 (Germany) — $9,269.32*
3. Sulainis (Germany) — $6,500.00*
4. OLEG2323 (Russia) — $3,944.20
5. netanelel3 (Israel) — $3,155.36
6. GROGX0X (Russia) — $2,366.52
7. hummer160286 (Ukraine) — $1,577.68
8. limb01 (Australia) — $867.72
9. Just4fun62 (Denmark) — $611.35

Just a few more MicroMillions 5 events remain, with everyone looking forward to tomorrow’s $22 buy-in Main Event for which the guarantee is a whopping $1 million! Check the MicroMillions page for full details.

Martin Harris is Freelance Contributor to the PokerStars Blog.

Back to Top