The most recent two events in the UltimateBet Online Championships (UBOC) were the first tournaments in the series to not have prize pools beyond their posted guarantees. The eighth ($200,000 guaranteed no-limit hold'em) and ninth ($100,000 guaranteed H.O.R.S.E.) events in the 10-event series fell short of their goals and thus broke the UBOC's heretofore very successful guarantee-busting streak. It is uncertain whether the lagging interest in the two most recent events or the success of the first seven is the best indication of what to expect at Sunday's main event. The main event is a $530 no-limit hold'em tournament with a huge $1 million guaranteed prize pool and will be held on Dec. 10 at 3 p.m. EST.
UBOC Event No. 9: $100K Guaranteed H.O.R.S.E.
The UBOC H.O.R.S.E. event, like its FullTilt Online Poker Series (FTOPS) counterpart before it, had a turnout that was below expectations. However, the lower attendance meant more dead money for those who did enter the fray, making their buy-ins an excellent deal. Two hundred eighty-eight entered the tournament, each putting up $215 to do so. The entry numbers meant UltimateBet put a $42,400 overlay into the prize pool to match the $100,000 guarantee. Internet pro Sorel "imper1um" Mizzi snuck into the 30 paying places when he finished 25th ($650).
WiscoMurray entered the final table with a substantial chip lead with $234,000 compared to YoungSupremcy in second with $134,000. Jpmetalman and buckstop were pulling up the rear with only a bet's difference between their stacks at $34,000 and 28,000, respectively. Jpmetalman was the first to go 10 hands into the final-table action during a razz round. After heavy action on third street between him and WiscoMurray, both players alternated betting and calling single bets until sixth street. Jpmetalman was showing 3-9-5-10 and he pushed all in for his last few chips. WiscoMurray called with A-2-A-9 and seventh street was dealt. WiscoMurray showed 8-7-5 in the pocket for an eight low and Jpmetalman flipped up A-J-4 for a nine low and was eliminated in eighth ($3,500).
Within four minutes, buckstop had more than tripled his stack to sit among the mid-stacks at the table. Shipitdotcom's stack, on the other hand, had reached a critically low point at $19,000 when the stakes were at $8,000-$16,000. He raised and then called all in with a 4 showing against WiscoMurray's 3. The boards ran out until shipitdotcom showed 4-7-10-7-3-2-J against WiscoMurray's 3-5-4-A-3-2-K. WiscoMurray took down the pot with the ultimate nuts in razz, a five low, against shipitdotcom, who only managed a 10 low. Shipitdotcom pocketed $4,500 for his seventh-place finish in the event.
The rest of the players stuck it out for over a half hour before the next elimination. During that time, WiscoMurray's chip lead slipped away until he sat in second with $148,000 against spithotfire's $255,000. It was a seven-card stud eight-or-better round of play, with stakes at $15,000-$30,000, and igolow's $51,000 stack couldn't last long unless she made a move. She did precisely that when she raised with the 2
against indariva's completion on third street showing the 4. Indariva called and fourth street made her hand the 4
9
, which she checked. Igolow now showed 2 5 and bet. Indariva called and then showed 4 9 8 on fifth street. Igolow had first action, as she was showing 2 5 Q, and she pushed in her few remaining chips. Indariva called and their last two cards were dealt such that indariva held 4 9 8 A (A A
J) for trip aces. Igolow showed 2 5Q 5 (4 3 2) for two pair, fives and twos, and no low hand, not enough to stay alive. She took home $5,500 for sixth.
YoungSupremcy, who had been the short stack at the table before igolow's departure, went down to the felt in the very next hand. He and WiscoMurray raised back and forth on third street until YoungSupremcy finally called all in, showing the 3. WiscoMurray was showing the 2 and his board ran out until he showed 2 10 2 3 (A J 4) for an ace-high flush. YoungSupremcy's was showing 3 5 6 5 (9 8 3) for two pair, fives up, with no low hand. He was sent packing in fifth and earned $6,500.
With YoungSupremcy gone, buckstop was now the short stack again, after having avoided the designation since early at the table. It was soon buckstop's time to go, just two minutes after YoungSupremcy's elimination and still within the seven-card stud eight-or-better round. Buckstop bet aggressively throughout against indariva until he finally pushed all in on sixth street, showing 2 7 8 9 against indariva's 2 3 Q 7. Indariva called and both players were dealt their last card. Indariva showed 2 3 Q 7 (K K Q) for two pair, kings up, and buckstop flipped over 2 7 8 9 (A J 7) for just a pair of sevens. Buckstop got an $8,000 payday for fourth place.
Indariva had the advantage starting three-way play, sitting with $281,000 compared to spithotfire in second with $230,000. WiscoMurray wasn't far behind in third with $209,000. Both spithotfire and WiscoMurray lost some of their stacks to indariva over the next two minutes, spithotfire to the point that his stack was already more than halved. During a hold'em round, with stakes at $20,000-$40,000, spithotfire called preflop from the small blind and indariva raised from the big blind. Spithotfire called and the flop came A Q 10. Spithotfire bet and indariva called to see the 3 on the turn. Spithotfire again bet out and now indariva raised the small amount to put spithotfire all in. Spithotfire called and showed the 10 9 for a pair of tens while indariva turned over pocket queens for a flopped set. Another ace came on the river to give indariva a full house and send spithotfire to the rail in third ($11,000).
Indariva now had three times as many chips as WiscoMurray as heads-up play began. It was just two more minutes until indariva took down the tournament. WiscoMurray raised preflop and indariva called to see a flop of A 6 4. Both players checked and the turn put out the 4. Indariva now bet and WiscoMurray raised. Indariva called and the river brought the Q. Indariva again bet and WiscoMurray pushed all in for a little more. Indariva called and showed J 9 for an ace-high flush. WiscoMurray revealed pocket nines for two pair, nines and fours, and was ousted in second ($15,500). Indariva won the tournament and raked in $26,000 and a silver UBOC winner's bracelet.
The final standings were:
1) indariva – $26,000
2) WiscoMurray – $15,500
3) spithotfire – $11,000
4) buckstop – $8,000
5) YoungSupremcy – $6,500
6) igolow – $5,500
7) shipitdotcom – $4,500
8) Jpmetalman – $3,500
UBOC Event No. 8: $200K Guaranteed No-Limit Hold'em
The UBOC no-limit hold'em tournament, the eighth event in the series, brought in 789 players on Friday night. Like the H.O.R.S.E. event last night, the number of entrants was shy of what UltimateBet needed to clear its guarantee. The 211-player deficiency meant that UltimateBet had to come out of pocket for $42,200 to meet the $200,000 guarantee for the event. The event's final table had a lot of Internet pro star power with Jeff "Uli Kunkel" Garza, Annette "Annette_15" Obrestad, Corey "muchaka" Cheresnick, and Stuart "brett ho" Hosen.
Mcmanusd was the eventual winner of the event, beating out runner-up stargrazer to win $46,000 and a silver UBOC bracelet.
The final standings were:
1) mcmanusd – $46,000
2) stargrazer – $28,000
3) ungarprodg – $18,500
4) Uli Kunkel – $13,000
5) brett ho – $11,000
6) Annette_15 – $9,000
7) dendog2 – $7,000
8) bluffenuff4u – $5,000
9) twelvem – $3,500
10) muchaka – $2,000
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