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NestOfSalt wins Sunday night H.O.R.S.E.

The October 18th edition of Full Tilt Poker Sunday Night HORSE drew a much smaller than average crowd. Only 149 players turned out for the weekly mixed poker tournament, making the prize pool just $30,000. Sixteen players would receive a payday with first taking home $9,000.

Only six Full Tilt red pros turned out for the event. Stuart Paterson, Lee Watkinson, Diego Cordovez, Cyndy Violette, Chris Ferguson, and Aaron Bartley were there to represent the red pros. Other notables in the field were Bryan Micon, Prahlad Friedman, Pokerfan X, and Horryclutch.
o SHAKESPEAR o was the unfortunate bubble boy of the event, finishing in 17th place. Diego Cordovez was the only Full Tilt red pro to make the money and was the final table bubble boy, finishing in 9th. IIyich2006 entered the final table with the chip lead with D-Krug right on his heels. This is how the final eight players started final table play:
Pokerfan X 14,984

fan4mizzou 7,545

D-Krug 93,146

TurnRiva 73,618

NestOfSalt 52,396

IIyich2006 135,660

JGpokerplayer 65,079

Cal-Nik-2 4,572

Cal-Nik-2 was the first player eliminated from this final table. NestOfSalt completed the bet during Razz showing a three and Cal-Nik-2 called all-in for less than the completion. He had 9-4-2 against NestOfSalt’s 7-6-3. The best that Cal-Nik-2 could make was a nine and NestOfSalt turned an eight and rivered a seven low to leave us with seven players.
Pokerfan X had the misfortune of having multiple bring-ins during this final table. With just 2,984 after the ante, he caught the 2c during stud hi and decided to put his entire stack at risk. JGpokerplayer called with buried aces. Pokerfan X had three clubs and we were off to the races. Unfortunately, Pokerfan X did not catch either clubs, or even a single pair.

JGpokerplayer caught aces up to send Pokerfan X out in 7th.
Fan4mizzou started the final table with just 7,545 and managed to outlast two players to move up the pay ladder. Sixth place would be where he would finally finish in this event. He completed the bet and was all-in for 4,135. D-Krug raised and everyone else folded. D-Krug held split eights against a 7-6-4 for fan4mizzou. By fifth street, fan4mizzou held an open ended straight draw, but never got there.

D-Krug caught three eights on sixth street and filled up on the river to send fan4mizzou out in 6th.

TurnRiva was all-in on third during Stud 8 and both NestOfSalt and IIyich2006 called along. By the river, IIyich2006 held aces for the high and NestOfSalt held an 8-6 low. TurnRiva couldn’t beat either hand and was out in 5th.

The game moved onto Limit Holdem and D-Krug three-bet a pot pre-flop with JGpokerplayer. On a flop of Kh-Qd-9s, the pot was capped between the two, leaving JGpokerplayer with just 510 chips. They went into the pot on the turn of the 10d. D-Krug made the call and turned over Ks-Jh for a straight. JGpokerplayer turned over Kc-10s for two pair. The river fell the Ah to give K-Krug broadway and JGpokerplayer hit the rail in 4th.

D-Krug proceeded to be grinded down over the next few minutes and was unable to catch a break. Ultimately, he was down to just 7,312 and all-in calling the big blind during an Omaha hand. NestOfSalt and IIyich2006 both were in the hand and stayed in until showdown. At the river, NestOfSalt held two pair and a weak low, which was good enough to knock out D-Krug in 3rd place.

Heads-up play started relatively even with IIyich2006 holding 237,868 chips to the 209,132 of NestOfSalt. Play went back and forth for a while with both taking their turn as chip leader. Ultimately, the tide turned to NestOfSalt’s favor as he ground IIyich2006 down to just 27,868 in chips. All of those chips went in pre-flop with IIyich2006 holding Kc-Kh-6s-4s and NestOfSalt holding Ah-3h-Qs-2c. The flop fell Qc-10s-2h to give NestOfSalt two pair and the lead. The turn fell the Ad to improve NestOfSalt’s two pair, but now IIyich2006 could potentially make a low on the river. The river fell the Jc and NestOfSalt became the Sunday Night HORSE champion. IIyich2006 finished in 2nd and took home $6,000.