Event #4 in the FTOPS VII series took place this past Friday, February 8^th featuring Pot Limit Hold’em. It was hosted by Gus Hansen and 1,215 players turned out for the event, many of them getting there by way of satellites. With a buy in of $200 + $16 and guaranteed prize pool of $100,000 you couldn’t go wrong playing in this tournament and your odds of walking away with a profit were pretty good from the start. The healthy turnout more than doubled the prize pool from the $100,000 guaranteed to a cool $243,000 – a mind blowing result! The large prize pool could afford to make payouts to over 10% of the participants in this event.

Pot Limit Hold’em has built somewhat of a reputation as being the most skilled variation of poker today. It differs from No Limit Hold’em in that players are unable to push all in right when they want, which makes things difficult for an under skilled poker player. In this variation there’s no escaping the skill that comes with a seasoned player. Pot Limit Hold’em is much more of a post flop game, and anyone will tell you that 90% of your skills will be called upon after those first three cards are dealt.

Let’s look at some stats:

Final Table Payouts – Event 4
1st: $53,460.00
2nd: $34,020.00
3rd: $24,603.75
4th: $19.743.75
5th: $14,895.90
6th: $10,935.00
7^th: $7,047.00
8^th: $5,103.00
9^th: $3,645.00

With a $50,000 difference between 1^st and 9^th place you can bet your bottom dollar that I’d be fighting for first place. I simply wouldn’t be fully satisfied otherwise.

Fifteen FTP professional players entered the tournament in hopes their skills would take down another 1^st place win. Their abilities weren’t enough this time around, as none of them made the final table. In fact, none of them placed in the money for this event at all. One mentionable player is “All in at 420” who came in at 111^th place for a small $340.20 prize. He has shown great consistency in the online poker community and is ranked nicely at Pocket Fives. “All in at 420” is the only ranked member at Pocket Fives to place in the money for Event 4.

Final Table Results

1st: Prokurist $53,460.00
2nd: petezky $34,020.00
3rd: FrankGrymes $24,603.75
4th: 1Mastermind $19,743.75
5th: carpman42 $14,895.90
6th: KSmith2K7 $10,935.00
7th: SkewpTroop $7,047.00
8th: drlove527 $5,103.00
9th: pflippaD12 $3,645.00

In the end it was Prokurist who snagged the win after an intense battle at the final table and petezky who followed right behind in 2^nd place. 1Mastermind, a self-proclaimed professional, came in at 4^th place and does quite well for himself playing poker according to PocketFives.com. In what was the least pro-heavy event of this FTOPS series we’re seeing a lot of players who have yet to make a name for themselves and what better than placing in the FTOPS to establish that name.

The full 135 paid places are as follows:

1      Prokurist      $53,460.00
2     petezky     $34,020.00
3     FrankGrymes     $24,603.75
4     1Mastermind     $19,743.75
5     carpman42     $14,895.90
6     KSmith2K7     $10,935.00
7     SkewpTroop     $7,047.00
8     drlove527     $5,103.00
9     pflippaD12     $3,645.00
10     Old Latrobe 14     $2,065.50
11     Will_B_D     $2,065.50
12     loser127     $2,065.50
13     data1123     $1,506.60
14     TWEB31     $1,506.60
15     KudelyKQ     $1,506.60
16     Wu_Wizard     $1,057.05
17     Hava Nagila     $1,057.05
18     LTBGGTBL     $1,057.05
19     yomjl221     $838.35
20     willyss     $838.35
21     Ladbrokes     $838.35
22     parlaypaul     $838.35
23     KidPVP     $838.35
24     AAsugarfreeAA     $838.35
25     TheKidFrn     $838.35
26     DaVinci2K7     $838.35
27     Ranto     $838.35
28     Metalboy     $729.00
29     kils80     $729.00
30     KashleisMom03     $729.00
31     jensaaaaa     $729.00
32     FullTiltCheeky     $729.00
33     j2the6th     $729.00
34     cardsharkk     $729.00
35     Fisumus Maximus     $729.00
36     natebelt11     $729.00
37     krmont22     $631.80
38     crackin_ty     $631.80
39     Boosted J     $631.80
40     Nootorious     $631.80
41     RandomDonk     $631.80
42     Dantes_11     $631.80
43     slse1805     $631.80
44     Riverwild114     $631.80
45     Chances Cards     $631.80
46     TheComeUp     $558.90
47     Frozen Emotions     $558.90
48     JMaster130     $558.90
49     aceviper     $558.90
50     Aiha     $558.90
51     MKSquad     $558.90
52     sk the gun     $558.90
53     hotshot80     $558.90
54     gr24     $558.90
55     O Kooler     $498.15
56     JOEEYEBALL     $498.15
57     texanssoccer07     $498.15
58     scottsmin     $498.15
59     krazyjimi     $498.15
60     Bhanks11     $498.15
61     qjuice14     $498.15
62     MJAY13     $498.15
63     hcherry     $498.15
64     RTNM     $449.55
65     seaanchor     $449.55
66     enemyunknown     $449.55
67     game153     $449.55
68     Ponga80     $449.55
69     Skacle     $449.55
70     BOLVAN     $449.55
71     magoobry     $449.55
72     FinnishNightmre     $449.55
73     Devilchef     $400.95
74     chickensalad     $400.95
75     andima34     $400.95
76     Bele61     $400.95
77     Mrs Magoo     $400.95
78     NoBrains     $400.95
79     samuelw21     $400.95
80     calbears22     $400.95
81     Hector01     $400.95
82     jdyer4     $376.65
83     knluiy     $376.65
84     Jaypahhee     $376.65
85     The_Closer3     $376.65
86     mazdausa     $376.65
87     NONOW     $376.65
88     TheTouni     $376.65
89     agriffrod     $376.65
90     CrazyJoeD     $376.65
91     SplitOpenAndMel     $364.50
92     Shmily413     $364.50
93     Shifty1768     $364.50
94     baldiini12     $364.50
95     OutPlayAsians     $364.50
96     bottsky     $364.50
97     BEWdragon     $364.50
98     Viktor     $364.50
99     FtheYankees     $364.50
100     Plz_Stop_Lookin     $352.35
101     hookemhorns     $352.35
102     timped     $352.35
103     Skjerve1     $352.35
104     wutes     $352.35
105     scarfire     $352.35
106     FromAbove     $352.35
107     FitteTryne99     $352.35
108     sipperelly     $352.35
109     ZEUSMUIR     $340.20
110     lakisha     $340.20
111     All In At 420     $340.20
112     MattSuspect     $340.20
113     Kallinho     $340.20
114     jacksup     $340.20
115     Burr_CO     $340.20
116     neil003     $340.20
117     Homerjoe76     $340.20
118     scewtr     $328.05
119     frostey     $328.05
120     quad stacks     $328.05
121     0 BrightEyes 0     $328.05
122     Tomgus456     $328.05
123     Jacksy7     $328.05
124     abigluva     $328.05
125     Wawa711     $328.05
126     peppii     $328.05
127     neffa     $315.90
128     bfly501     $315.90
129     Latipha     $315.90
130     Ipooponyou     $315.90
131     tycoonish     $315.90
132     theboy0103     $315.90
133     splashpoker     $315.90
134     Ann_lyvang     $315.90
135     Williamsdad     $315.90