Getting so on the subject of a big tournament final table and falling at the bubble could make it look like another shot will happen soon. But, sometimes that second shot can take months, and even years before the avatar is shown under the spotlights with the general table description inscribed at the virtual felt. Mudrik made probably the most of reaching the overall table of tonight's Battle of the Planet $50,000 triple shootout freeroll, by collecting the whole $12,000.00 first prize after missing out at the chance last year.

Team PokerStars Pro Henrique Pinho caught the incorrect end of a cooler early at the first leg of the triple shootout today. With the blinds at 15/30 Pinho would raise to 90 at the cutoff as ansuz made the decision from the button. 6♠3♥7♣ at the flop hit both players hard enough to warrant a pot bet from ansuz and a raise to 225 from Henrique. After the J♦ the remainder of their funds were shoved within the middle as Pinho revealed a collection of sixes 6♣6♦. ansuz caught a suite in addition showing the sevens 7♠7♥. No quads at the T♠ river left the Portuguese pro with just 85 chips. Those could be donated two hands later as Henrique left the tournament area in 459th place.

The other Red Spade in today's freeroll took his massive amount of VIP stars to the 50/100 level but could go no further. Team Online's George "Jorj95" Lind doubled up early at the first table but found himself with just 750 chips facing a shove by the chip leader iceheart2010. Lind would choose to call the button shove from the small blind holding T♣7♦. iceheart2010 didn't turn over much Q♦2♣ however the hand proved to be enough K♥ J♠ 8♣ 8♦ Q♣ to knock Lind out in 276th place.

On to the cash round with 81 players securing $195.00 UK's tom22709 would claim the primary seat on the big table with $12,000.00 for the taking. Last year in May Mudrik would narrowly fail to spot the general table after busting at the bubble, today was redemption time for the Ukrainian taking the second one seat on the final table after defeating kill-man-Jar heads-up.

holazse would finish off petros19890 as DomBusiness and chlenupitera battled heads-up for the last seat on the final table. With the blinds as much as 125/250 ante 25 DomBusiness would limp in from the button to peer a 9♣5♠3♣ flop. DomBusiness would bet 250 chips at it as chlenupitera made the decision. 7♦ at the turn and both players got excited to throw within the remainder of their tournament funds. Unlucky, for DomBusiness to make a straight 4♠6♦ as chlenupitera turned over the nut straight 8♦6♥ because the 2♣ river started up the general table below:

Seat 1: Mudrik (1500 in chips)Seat 2: MaxBracht (1500 in chips)Seat 3: holazse (1500 in chips)Seat 4: chlenupitera (1500 in chips)Seat 5: tom22709 (1500 in chips)Seat 6: Anssi A (1500 in chips)Seat 7: berek71 (1500 in chips)Seat 8: gettingpwned (1500 in chips)Seat 9: nuizizi (1500 in chips)

Hola and adios

Usually the primary couple of levels contain minor pots being pushed around but tonight Mudrik and holazse had other ideas. Just six hands into the overall table Mudrik and holaze would shove preflop as Mudrik was all-in turning over pocket queens Q♣Q♥ while staring down on the Q♠A♠ held by holaze. A GOOD two-spade flop 2♠8♥5♠ flop gave holazse a sweat, but a few nines at the turn 9♦ and river 9♣ sent holaze off right down to 360 chips.

Three hands later holaze would make a min-raise from middle position as chlenupitera three-bet to 120 getting calls from berek71 and holaze to peer a 8♦9♥4♣. Everyone jumped into the boat as holaze shoved for 270 chips, and chlenupitera called all-in after berek71 check-raise shove. chlenupitera showed the flopped set of eights 8♥8♣, holaze flopped bottom pair 5♦4♦, and berek71 took the bad beat with pocket jacks J♣J♠. Actually, it is not a nasty beat until five cards are at the board because the 2♥ turn didn't help however the J♦ at the river would send both holazse (ninth place, $775.00) and chlenupitera (eighth place, $1,200.00) packing.

berek going berserk

As mentioned before, usually the general table is quiet throughout the starting rounds but tonight bucked that trend. Ten hands after the double knockout and still within the initial 10/20 blind level seventh place cash could be awarded. The primary player to earn their final table seat, tom22709, would raise to 60 from UTG as berek71 three-bet to 160 chips. Folded back to tom22709 holding pocket queens Q♥Q♠ and wasting no time to shove 1,320 chips. Also impatient, berek71 quickly called with pocket kings K♥K♠. No queens between the aces A♥ 3♦ J♣ 9♦ A♠ and tom22709 was shown the door in seventh place ($1,700.00).

Got pwned

Every player, even folks who with big Red Spades next to their name, has felt queasy once you have outplayed by someone, or in gamer-speak got pwned. With the blinds going as much as 25/50 gettingpwned would enter a 299 chip three-bet over the min-raise of Anssi A. Anssi A was not comfortable with that and shoved for 1,667 chips as gettingpwned was happy to make the decision all-in with pocket kings K♥K♣. Anssi A turned over a mid-ace A♥8♦ and watched the flopped straight draw miss at the 9♥ 6♠ 7♣ Q♠ 3♦ board knocking Anssi A all the way down to 145 chips. The scraps would visit MaxBracht four hands later as Anssi A claimed $2,200.00 in sixth place.

Slinging mud

The players would pop out of the fourth hourly break with big pots on their minds as Mudrik and MaxBracht would create a 3,900 chip preflop pot. Take a look at the effects below:

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MaxBracht could be all-in and behind holding A♥5♣ against Mudrik's suited A♠9♠. Started behind and ended behind 8♦ 4♠ 2♣ T♣ K♦ because the nine kicker played and MaxBracht earned $2,735.00 in fifth place.

nuizizi shakes up the table

Holding the chip lead with 5,304 chips within the 75/150 level, nuizizi would face a 1,448 chip small blind shove from gettingpwned. The gut call with 9♣K♣ proved to be a profitable one as gettingpwned turned over the lesser king K♥7♠. Both players would hit two pair at the K♦ 6♣ 4♥ 7♦ 9♦ board as gettingpwned was eliminated in fourth place ($3,350.00)

Don't you worry, everything is gonna be alright

Watching your opponent flop that two-outer may cause some elevated stress levels to mention the least. Nobody could blame berek71 for being slightly upset after seeing the flop on this hand. With the blinds as much as 75/150 Mudrik would min-raise as berek71 simply shoved for 4,836 chips holding pocket kings K♣K♠. Showing similar haste, Mudrik called all-in with queens Q♣Q♥ and was happy to look another one at the flop Q♠3♠J♥. But, the kings wouldn't be denied because the turn 9♣ and river T♥ gave Mudrik the backdoor straight and getting back into the tournament with the 3,074 chip pot.

Going after the chip leader

nuizizi continued to guide the tournament near the tip of the 75/150 blind level as berek71 all the way down to 1,559 chips got a bit of pressure within the big blind. Mudrik within the small blind would shove for 4,514 chips as berek71 take a look at pocket sevens 7♠7♦ to come back into the combination by making the decision all-in. Mudrik flipped up a small suited ace A♠2♠ because the board flipped up an ace in addition K♥ 5♠ Q♣ A♥ 3♣ to send berek71 away with $4,500.00 in third place.

Mudrik comes away clean

A couple of mentions towards understanding an ICM deal appeared within the chatbox however the players seemed determined to let the cards and chips do the talking instead. With the blinds as much as 125/250 ante 25 and Mudrik leading 9,083 to nuizizi's 4,417 chips they decided to flip for the last Battle of the Planets title of 2013. Watch below as Mudrik's pocket fours 4♠4♦ go up against nuizizi's Q♥A♣:

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No aces, no queens at the 2♠ 8♦ T♣ 5♥ 6♥ board shutdown nuizizi's run as Mudrik made essentially the most of the second one chance to win this month's Battle of the Planets triple shootout freeroll for $12,000.00!

Battle of the Planets $50,000 triple shootout freeroll results (12-29-13):

Players entered: 556Places paid: 81Prizepool: $50,000.00 (freeroll)

1. Mudrik (Ukraine) $12,000.002. nuizizi (Canada) $7,500.003. berek71 (Poland) $4,500.004. gettingpwned (Germany) $3,350.005. MaxBracht (Germany) $2,735.006. Anssi A (Finland) $2,200.007. tom22709 (UK) $1,700.008. chlenupitera (Russia) $1,200.009. holazse (Hungary) $775.00

David Aydt is a contract contributor

Read More... [Source: PokerStarsBlog.com :: Battle of the Planets]