Friday, 29th March 2024 07:58
Home / Uncategorized / TCOOP 2015: Criptoon pulls off heroic come-from-behind win in Event #4 $55 NL

In a little more than four hours and for the price of a round of drinks for your friends at the pub, you could walk away with almost a year’s worth of wages. That’s the beauty of TCOOP, where the final table lasts shorter than an episode of The Simpsons.

Canada’s AJacejackAJ advanced to the final table with an ultra-rare Triple COOP championship within grasp. AJacejackAJ binked a SCOOP in 2012 and won a WCOOP bracelet in 2014. Alas, AJacejackAJ fell short of a prestigious Triple COOP after busting in fifth place. Two Dutchies — Masta_shadow and Criptoon — were left standing at a final table in TCOOP Event #4 that whizzed by in only 21 minutes and featured two bizarre instances when two players were eliminated in the same hand. Heads-up battle of the Netherlands went so fast, you could have sneezed and missed all seven hands. Criptoon overcame nearly a 3-1 disadvantage to emerge as one of the champions on the first day of the 2015 Turbo Championship of Online Poker.

On the opening day of TCOOP, Event #4 $55 NL Hold’em attracted a healthy field of 6,204 runners. They collectively created a prize pool worth $310,2000. Only the top 810 places paid out, but $48,517.98 was originally set aside to the eventual champion.

The money bubble popped in only two hours and thirteen minutes. Within 2.5 hours, 90% of the entire field was liquidated. By the third hour of play, fewer than 99 players remained in the hunt for a TCOOP crown. With 60 players remaining, a trio of 1M chip stacks emerged with pistons87 (Canada) leading the way. With 30 to go, jaggaRbomb (Canada) seized the lead with 3M. By the time 18 players were left on the final two tables, Masta_shadow (Netherlands) surged to over 4.4M and took over the top spot. With 11 remaining, Criptoon and jaggaRbomb fought neck-and-neck for the lead with 7M each. With action hand-for-hand on the final table bubble, two-time COOP winner AJacejackAJ won a race with 5♥ 5♣ against reeda205’s Q♥ 10♥ , to send the Czech Republic’s reeda205 home in tenth place. With nine remaining, the final table was set.

TCOOP_2015_E04_FT.jpg

2015 TCOOP Event #4 Final Table Chip Counts:
Seat 1: Pe3aK84 (2,186,104)
Seat 2: jaggaRbomb (6,706,422)
Seat 3: Masta_shadow (4,475,988)
Seat 4: AJacejackAJ (4,283,739)
Seat 5: damourinio (1,874,338)
Seat 6: Criptoon (7,140,215)
Seat 7: thenickh (1,607,930)
Seat 8: haof11 (1,475,368)
Seat 9: Jesusisback0 (1,269,896)

The final table commenced during Level 45 with blinds at 80K/160K and a 20K ante. The front runner was Criptoon (Netherlands) with 7.1M, meanwhile, Jesusisback0 was bringing up the rear as the shortest stack at 1.2M. Jesusisback0 won a SCOOP in 2014 and was seeking a second COOP crown. AJacejackAJ was no stranger to a final table. The Canadian had two COOP victories with wins in the 2012 SCOOP and 2014 WCOOP, and was seeking a TCOOP win to fill in an elusive Triple COOP.

The Long Run: Jesusisback0 eliminated in 9th place

Nine hands. One full orbit. That’s how long it took before two players rumbled at the final table. Short-stacked Jesusisback0 was seeking a double up and open-shoved 789,896 with A♥ 8♣ . Alas, jaggaRbomb accepted the challenge with a formidable 10♣ 10♦ . Although Jesusisback0 flopped an Ace and turned trips, that was no match for jaggaRbomb, who flopped a set and turned a full house. The board finished up Aâ™  J♥ 10♥ A♦ Q♦ and jaggaRbomb won the pot to chip up to second overall. Poland’s Jesusisback0 became the first player to exit the final table. Ninth place paid out $2,481.60.

The Greeks Don’t Want No Freaks: damourinio eliminated in 8th place and haof11 eliminated in 7th place

You probably want to go shopping with Masta_shadow, because Masta knows how to find a sick deal. You can’t beat a two-for-one deal, right? Three-way action. Short-stacked damourinio made a final stand and moved all-in for 1,279,338, but haof11 re-shoved for 2,400,736. Alas, Masta_shadow called from the big blind after waking up with Big Slick.

damourinio: 3♥ 3♦
Masta_shadow: A♦ K♠
haof11: A♥ Q♣

A king on the flop sunk damourinio’s hopes. The board finished up K♣ 8♦ 4â™  Jâ™  8♥ . damourinio’s two pair was inferior to Masta_shadow’s Kings and eights. Masta_shadow won the main pot and the side pot. Greece’s damourinio busted in eighth place, which paid out $3,877.50. Israel’s haof11 also failed to improve and was knocked out in seventh place, which paid out $6,979.50.

Those Shoes: Pe3aK84 eliminated in 6th place

Fireworks ensued on the next hand. Pe3aK84 shoved for 1,934,854 with Aâ™  9â™  and jaggaRbomb called with A♣ J♣ . jaggaRbomb hit the flop with a pair of Jacks and finished up with two pair — Jacks and sixes. Russia’s Pe3aK84 hit the virtual rail in sixth place, which paid out $10,081.50.

With five to go, Criptoon stood atop of the heap with 9M, followed by jaggaRBomb’s 8.2M. The shortest stack was AJacejackAJ struggling with 1.8M.

King of Hollywood: AJacejackAJ eliminated in 5th

Ah, the limp-call with Kings trick! Masta_shadow limped, AJacejackAJ moved all-in for 2,594,489 with K♥ 2â™  , and Masta_shadow called with K♣ K♦ . The board ran out Q♦ 10♥ 4♥ 8♦ 9♥ . AJacejackAJ never improved and Masta_shadow’s pocket cowboys held up. For a fifth-place performance, AJacejackAJ collected $13,183.50.

With four remaining, Masta_shadow seized the lead with 11.2M, while thenickh was treading water with a 3.8M short stack.

Heartache Tonight: thenickh eliminated in 4th and jaggaRbomb eliminated in 3rd

Another two-for-one special. This one was a heck of a cooler. The good old Big Slick versus Queens and Jacks. jaggaRbomb bombed it all-in for 4,190,964, Masta_shadow re-bombed for 10,343,997, and shorty thenickh called all-in for 3,457,110.

thenickh: Q♣ Q♥
Masta_shadow: J♣ J♦
jaggaRbomb: A♦ K♣

jaggaRbomb flopped an Ace, but Masta_shadow flopped a set of Jacks. No one else improved when the board ran out A♣ J♥ 6♦ 3♦ 10♠ . Masta_shadow dragged the main pot and side pot. Going into this hand, thenickh held fewer chips so thenickh was knocked out in fourth place, which paid out $17,526.30. One-time chipleader jaggaRbomb busted in third place and earned $25,544.97.

HEADS-UP: Masta_shadow (Netherlands) vs. Criptoon (Netherlands)
Seat 3: Masta_shadow (22,783,035)
Seat 6: Criptoon (8,236,965)

The battle of the Netherlands. Criptoon trailed by nearly 3-1.

QUICK DEAL

Action was paused to discuss a deal, especially with these five-minute turbo blinds. The final two combatants had to leave $6,000 on the table to the eventual champion, but they agreed on a deal that guaranteed Masta_shadow $40,754.53 and Criptoon locked up $37,901.75.

The Disco Strangler: Masta_shadow eliminated in 2nd; Criptoon wins Event #4!

Heads-up action lasted a mere seven hands with Criptoon coming from behind to win six out of the final seven hands. On the third hand, Criptoon doubled up with J♠ J♥ to avoid elimination and pull almost within even.

Going into the final hand Criptoon picked up a narrow lead. Criptoon min-raised to 800K, Masta_shadow bumped it up to 1,950,000, Criptoon four-bet to 3.6M, Masta_shadow five-bet shoved for 13,787,345, and Criptoon called. Another cooler, eh? Criptoon tabled K♥ K♠ while Masta_shadow was hoping A♥ K♣ can stave off elimination. The board finished up 10♦ 10♣ 4♣ 2♦ 8♠ and Masta_shadow never got that Ace to improve. Criptoon dragged the pot and won the tournament. For a runner-up performance, Masta_shadow earned $40,754.53.

Congrats to the Netherlands’ Criptoon for winning TCOOP Event #4 and a first-place prize worth $43,901.75.

TCOOP-04 $55 NL Hold’em (Turbo)
Entrants: 6,204
Prize Pool: $310,200
Places Paid: 810

1. Criptoon (Netherlands) $43,901.75 **
2. Masta_shadow (Netherlands) $40,754.53 **
3. jaggaRbomb (Canada) $25,544.97
4. thenickh (United Kingdom) $17,526.30
5. AJacejackAJ (Canada) $13,183.50
6. Pe3aK84 (Russia) $10,081.50
7. haof11 (Israel) $6,979.50
8. damourinio (Greece) $3,877.50
9. Jesusisback0 (Poland) $2,481.60

** Denotes a deal among the final two players

Visit the TCCOP homepage for satellite information, a full list of remaining events, and find out who is currently in the lead for Player of the Series.

Pauly McGuire is an author and freelance contributor to PokerStars Blog.

Study Poker with Pokerstars Learn, practice with the PokerStars app