YouTube Video: $1,650 Championship Event Final Table

December Mega Stack Challenge - Event #9 - $1,650 NLH Main Event - Final Results

Place	Name	Prize
1	Marsel Backa, Waterbury, CT	$65,191
2	Long Tran, Quincy, MA	$65,191
3	Tou Kue, Coventry, RI	$32,554
4	Ralph Macri, Redding, CT	$26,306
5	Samantha Cohen, Boca Raton, FL	$19,730
6	Jeffrey Yanchek, Meriden, CT	$15,784
7	Carlo Sciannameo, Worcester, MA	$12,824
8	Timothy O’Keefe, Providence, RI	$10,523
9	Timothy Reilly, Natick, MA	$8,226
10	Suad Kantarevic, Danvers, MA	$5,754
11	Bryan Leskowitz, Leominster, MA	$5,754
12	James Campbell, Marlborough, MA	$5,754
13	Jason Scudamore, Cleveland, OH	$5,096
14	Mark Schumacher, Hopkinton, MA	$5,096
15	Daniel Chalifour, Swanzey, NH	$5,096
16	Jeffrey Miller, New Vernon, NJ	$4,768
17	Giuseppe Ruvolo, Gloucester, MA	$4,768
18	Randolph Spain, Brewer, ME	$4,768
19	Raphael Richter, Provincetown, MA	$4,439
20	Julian Sacks, Ridgewood, NJ	$4,439
21	Joseph Berardi, Groton, MA	$4,439
22	Aaron Smith, Plymouth, MA	$4,110
23	Julie Bae, Stamford, CT	$4,110
24	David Anderson, Holden, MA	$4,110

1st Place: Marsel Backa ($65,191)

Marsel Backa and Long Tran made a deal to chop 1st and 2nd place money as they are friends. After a few hands of raising and re-raising, the two finally got it in. Marsel had said that he had looked at one card as he revealed his [Kc][Jh], and Long hadn't looked as he flipped over his first card, the [Ac]. His second card was the [9s], so he was in good shape to double up. Marsel said he'd win the pot for sure, and the [2d][9h][Ks] put his king jack in front. The [7d] turn changed nothing, and the [Tc] river meant Long Tran would exit the tournament in 2nd place, good for $65,191.

Marsel Backa has won the $1,650 Championship Event, taking home $65,191, the trophy, and the title. Congratulations, Marsel!

3rd Place: Tou Kue ($32,554)

Long Tran folded the button and Marsel Backa limped the small blind. Tou Kue moved all in from the big blind, and Marsel snap called.

Marsel [Qd][Js]
Tou [Ad][Kd]

Marsel was 33% to eliminate his opponent, and the [2c][Td][Qh] flop meant Tou was in bad shape. Tou asked the dealer to give his opponent two pair, but instead the [Ac] hit the turn to give Tou top pair. Marsel asked for a king on the river, but instead the [Qs] fell, which was good enough to earn Marsel the KO. Tou will exit the tournament in 3rd place, collecting $32,554 for his efforts.

Update chip counts on break

Long Tran - 2,300,000
Marsel Backa - 3,900,000
Tou Kue - 465,000

Here are the prizes left to play for:

1st Place: $79,906
2nd Place: $50,476
3rd Place: $32,554

Marsel Backa cripples Tou Kue

All three players saw a [Ah][9c][8c] flop, and Tou Kue raised after a bet and a call. Tou Kue folded but Marsel Backa made the call. The turn brought the [4h], and Marsel check-called a 220,000 bet from Tou. When the [Qd] hit the river, Marsel lead out for 700,000, almost all of Tou's stack. Tou went into the tank, but eventually called and saw the bad news. Marsel had rivered the nuts with [Jh][Td]. Tou mucked his hand, saying, "You got so lucky."

4th Place: Ralph Macri ($26,306)

Ralph Macri was all in preflop [7h][7c] and was up against Marsel Backa's [Ks][Js]. The [Jc][6c][2c] gave Marsel top pair, but Ralph had set and flush outs. The [Kd] turn changed nothing, and the [Qs] river meant Ralph would exit this tournament in 4th place. Ralph will collect $26,306 for his efforts.

5th Place: Samantha Cohen ($19,730)

Samantha Cohen was all in preflop holding [As][Jd] and was called by Long Tran holding [2s][2h]. The board ran out [3d][5d][6c][8s][Qh], and Samantha will finish this tournament in 5th place. She will collect $19,730 for her efforts.

Tou Kue wins a pot off of Samantha Cohen

At 10,000/20,000 blinds with a 3,000 ante, Tou Kue opened the pot to 45,000 and Samantha Cohen made the call on the button. The blinds folded, and the two saw a [6d][2h][5s]. Things got interesting really fast, as Tou's 60,000 bet got raised to 160,000, and then Tou three-bet to 300,000. Samantha made the call, and the [9d] turn curiously brought a check from Tou. Samantha bet 350,000, only to be met with an all in by Tou. Samantha took her time before folding, and Tou took down a nice pot and now sits on almost 1,900,000. After the hand, Marsel Backa gave Tou props for the play, which he said he doesn't normally do.

6th Place: Jeffrey Yanchek ($15,784)

Jeffrey Yanchek opened the pot before being three-bet by Marsel Backa. Jeffrey made the call, and then check-called the [Qh][4d][Qc] flop. The [9h] brought another check by Jeffrey, and Marsel bet 80,000. Jeffrey check-raised to 215,000, and Marsel smooth called to see the [8h] river. Jeffrey moved all in and Marsel snap called, and Jeffrey declared "straight" before seeing Marsel flip over [Qd][4s] for a flopped full house. Jeffrey's jack-ten wouldn't be good enough, and he will be eliminated in 6th place, good for $15,784.

7th Place: Carlo Sciannameo ($12,824)

Carlo Sciannameo was all in preflop holding [5s][5c] against Ralph Macri's [Ts][Td]. The [4s][Ks][3c] flop was no help for Carlo, but the [6d] turn gave him an open ended straight draw. The [8s] just barely missed, eliminating Carlo in 7th place. He will collect $12,824 for his efforts.

Updated chip counts at the break

The final 7 players in the $1,650 Championship Event are now on their first break of the final table. When they return, blinds will be 10,000/20,000 with a 3,000 ante. Here are updated chip counts in seat order:

Samantha Cohen - 1,369,000
Long Tran - 1,551,000
Ralph Macri - 998,000
Jeffrey Yanchek - 553,000
Marsel Backa - 899,000
Carlo Sciannameo - 400,000
Tou Kue - 1,005,000

8th Place: Tim O'Keefe ($10,523)

Jeffrey Yanchek limped under the gun and Tim O'Keefe limped as well. Long Tran completed the small blind, and Ralph Macri checked. The foursome saw the flop fall [4s][Qc][6c], and Ralph bet 45,000 after being checked to. Jeffrey folded, and Tim raised to 110,000, leaving himself around 200,000 behind. Ralph moved all in after Long folded, and Tim made the call.

Ralph [Qs][6s]
Tim [Ah][Qd]

Ralph had flopped two pair and would knock Tim out if he didn't get counterfitted. The [Kh] gave Tim three extra outs, but the [2d] river sealed his fate. Tim will exit this tournament in 8th place, collecting $10,523.

Marsel Backa doubles through Carlo Sciannameo

We arrived to find a board of [7d][8s][7h][3d][Ks]. Marsel Backa was in the big blind and had moved all in, and Carlo Sciannameo, from under the gun, snap called. Marsel turned over [8h][7s] for a full house, prompting Carlo to jump out of his chair and say, "The one hand I can't beat" as he tabled his own full house with [3h][3c]. Luckily for Carlo, Marsel had lost a chunk of his stack in the last level to Samantha Cohen, so Carlo still has around 300,000. Meanwhile Marsel is back up to just over 1,000,000.

9th Place: Tim Reilly ($8,226)

Tim Reilly was all in from early position and was called by Tou Kue. The rest of the table folded, and Tim got the bad news: his [Qc][Jc] ran into Tou's [Qs][Qh]. The [Js][8c][8h] flop gave Tim some hope, but those hopes were dashed on the [Qd] turn. The [7d] hit the river to send Tim to the rail in 9th place, good for $8,226.

10th Place: Suad Kantarevic ($5,754)

Today's Schedule

Today is Day 11 of the Foxwoods Mega Stack Challenge. This series features over $1,000,000 in Guaranteed Prizes. Here's what's on today's schedule:

11am:
Event #11 $230 NLH
$20,000 Guaranteed
($200 Buy-in / $30 Entry fee)
Players start with 15,000 in non-value tournament chips
Registration will remain open until the start of Level 7 (approximately 2:00pm)
Levels will last 25 minutes.
There will be a 45 minute dinner break after Level 14 (approximately 5:35pm).
Full structure is available here.

12pm:
Day 3 of Event #9 $1,650 NLH Championship Event
$300,000 Guaranteed
10 players remain. Marsel Backa is the overnight chip leader.
Levels be played for 60 minutes.
Full structure is available here.

Other Tournaments:
9am: $60 NLH
2pm: $80 NLH
6pm: $120 NLH
8:30pm: $100 NLH Bounty

A full series schedule is available here.

December Mega Stack Challenge - Event #10 - $300 NLH Big Stack - Final Results

Place	Name	Prize
1	Venkatara Ganne, Edison, NJ	$10,623
2	Richard Salaices, Framingham, MA	$6.90
3	Hamid Kashvari, New York, NY	$4.58
4	Natale Kuey, Bronx, NY	$3.43
5	David Dabreo, Coventry, RI	$2.62
6	Gholamreza Khoshkhou, Norwich, CT	$2.12
7	Richard Jordan, Shelton, CT	$1.72
8	JeWook Oh, Fresh Meadows, NY	$1.39
9	Michael LaBarge, Cromwell, CT	$1.11
10	Genti Buzi, Poughkeepsie, NY	$776
11	Russell Green, Syosset, NY	$776
12	Thomas Walsh, Lowell, MA	$776
13	Justin Mancuso, Lynbrook, NY	$694
14	Anthony Magistrale, Danbury, CT	$694
15	Aaron Mayor, Putnam Valley, NY	$694
16	Burton Rubin, Stamford, CT	$653
17	Kevin Grant, Oakville, CT	$653
18	Roger Palombizio, Tolland, CT	$653