Online Poker: Traheho Wins FTOPS Main Event (2024)

The final hand of the FTOPS III Main Event (screenshot courtesy of CardPlayer.com reader Rick "pparazorback" Rybaczek)

Full Tilt Online Poker Series III No-Limit Hold'em Main Event

Full Tilt guaranteed $3.4 million in total prize pool money for the 10 events in the Full Tilt Online Poker Series III (FTOPS III). They were a little off.

The tournament series never actually missed a guarantee. Heck, one event almost quadrupled the posted guarantee (event No. 7, the no-limit hold'em with rebuys tournament). When it was all over, the series had handed out more than $4.4 million to entrants.

And what was the crown jewel of it all? The $1.5 million-guaranteed no-limit hold'em main event, of course. Last night's main event lured 3,217 entrants at $500 apiece, to build a prize pool of $1,608,500. Players had to dig in their heels until only 459 players remained if they wanted to get a piece of the prize.

Of the in-the-money players, quite a few were Full Tilt-sponsored pros, including Mark Vos (142nd, $1,448), Chris Ferguson (203rd, $1,126), Paul Wolfe (261st, $1,046), and Layne Flack (308th, $885). Some notable Internet players cashed in the event, as well, including Tuan "Supertuan1" Nguyen (18th, $8,043), Spiked (the winner of the FTOPS II main event, 33rd, $4,826), Kyle "kwob20" Bowker (47th, $2,976), Eric "Rizen" Lynch (107th, $1,609), Sorel "kristy_sea" Mizzi (167th, $1,287), and Kevin "GetPWN3D" Saul (aka BeL0WaB0Ve, 192nd, $1,126) within the top 200.

There were still some highly notable players left when it got down to the final table action. The most recognizable name at the table was poker pro Robert "Miss Lulu" Williamson III, a World Series of Poker bracelet winner in pot-limit Omaha. He sat at the table in sixth place with $1.8 million in chips. The chip leader was another notable, Internet poker phenom Brian "tsarrast" Rast, who had $3.3 million. Also at the table were Alec "traheho" Torelli with $2.3 million and Justin "Boosted J" Smith, the FTOPS III tournament leader board leader before the event began, with $2.1 million.

It was a relatively long while before the first elimination hand of the table. After 20 minutes of play, Boosted J raised to $250,000 preflop, with the big blind at $100,000, and bokpower pushed all in over the top for $944,000. Boosted J called and showed pocket eights and was up against bokpower's A 10 for a virtual coin-flip situation. The board ran out Q J 2 9 4, completely missing both players, and bokpower was the first player eliminated in ninth ($21,554).

Things started to go a little faster now, and CoinFlip followed bokpower out the door just four minutes later. Tsarrast raised to $300,000 preflop and CoinFlip pushed all in for just over $1 million. Tsarrast called and showed A 8 and was dominated by Coin Flip's A Q. The flop reversed the domination when it came J 9 8, giving tsarrast a pair of eights. The turn brought CoinFlip some extra hope with the K, giving him a gutshot-straight draw, but the river was the 5 and CoinFlip was out in eighth ($28,953).

THEOLDLION was the next to go when he pushed all in preflop for $1.3 million in the small blind against two limpers and tsarrast reraised all in over the top for $4.9 million from the big blind. Tsarrast's reraise folded the limpers and he showed A K. THEOLDLION held pocket tens for a coin-flip situation. The flop basically ended the race when it came A 7 3, giving tsarrast a pair of aces for the lead. The turn was the 9 and the river the J, giving tsarrast an unneeded flush, and THEOLDLION went out in seventh, for $36,996.

Tsarrast was now in excellent shape, with more than $6 million in the chip lead versus Boosted J in second with $2.9 million. After a little more than 10 minutes, traheho and Balforios, the two short stacks, went at it. Traheho raised to $300,000, with the big blind now at $120,000, and Balforios pushed all in over the top for $1.1 million. Traheho called, having Balforios covered by almost $300,000, and showed A K. Balforios held a dominated A 8 and needed help. The board ran out Q 5 3 A J, pairing each player's ace but leaving traheho's kicker to play to eliminate Balforios. Balforios earned $49,381 for his sixth-place finish.

Just three minutes later, Mychc*mstien was down to the felt. Miss Lulu typed "Come and get it," into the chat box before he raised to $360,000 preflop. Mychc*mstien responded, "OK," and pushed all in for $2.3 million. Traheho reraised all in for $2.9 million, folding Miss Lulu, who apparently wasn't all that interesting in "giving it." Traheho showed pocket queens and was well ahead versus Mychc*mstien's pocket nines. The board ran out and improved neither player and Mychc*mstien was sent to the virtual rail in fifth ($66,753).

Robert "Miss Lulu" Williamson III had been nursing a stack below $2 million for the vast majority of the final table, and he finally pushed all in preflop from under the gun. Traheho reraised all in, folding the remaining players, and showed pocket sixes. Miss Lulu held K J for a race situation. The flop came 7 6 3, plummeting Miss Lulu's chances for survival down to just 4 percent as a result of traheho's flopped set. The turn put the final nail in the coffin with the Q and Miss Lulu was drawing dead and was sent home in fourth place ($89,272).

Traheho had the chip lead with three players remaining, with $7.2 million compared to Boosted J in second with $4.6 million and tsarrast in third with $4.3 million. Tsarrast lasted another seven minutes before his final hand. Traheho raised to $400,000 preflop from the button, with the big blind now at $160,000, and tsarrast called from the big blind. The flop came 9 8 8 and tsarrast checked. Traheho bet $575,000 and tsarrast raised to $1.4 million. Traheho pushed all in over the top, having tsarrast covered, and tsarrast called all in and showed 10 9 for two pair. Traheho held pocket kings for the lead with two pair, kings up. The turn and the river were blanks and traheho took down the pot to eliminate tsarrast in third. Tsarrast made $114,204 for third place.

Traheho now had $11.3 million to kick off the heads-up match. Boosted J held $4.8 million and was just one double-up from the chip lead. Unfortunately for Boosted J, he made only a little headway before the final hand, just two minutes into the match. Boosted J raised to $400,000 preflop and traheho reraised up to $1.4 million. Boosted J pushed all in for $5.5 million and traheho called and showed A K. Boosted J was dominated with A Q and needed help. The board ran out J 10 2 5 4, completely missing both players and giving the hand to traheho for the win. Boosted J cashed out for $175,327 in second place while traheho earned $288,002 for his first-place finish.

Both players will receive special avatars for their performances at the FTOPS. Traheho earned an exclusive gold FTOPS jersey avatar for winning the main event. Boosted J will receive a customized avatar (similar to the Full Tilt-sponsored pros) for topping the FTOPS tournament leader board due to his performance in the main event.

The final standings were:

1) Alec "traheho" Torelli - $288,001.93
2) Justin "Boosted J" Smith - $175,326.50
3) Brian "tsarrast" Rast - $114,203.50
4) Robert "Miss Lulu" Williamson III - $89,271.75
5) Mychc*mstien - $66,752.75
6) Balforios - $49,380.95
7) THEOLDLION - $36,995.50
8) CoinFlip - $28,953
9) bokpower - $21,553.90

Card Player is working with several sites that continue to serve U.S. players to provide deposit bonuses to our readers. Click on the following names to receive bonuses: UltimateBet, Bodog, Absolute, and

.