By July 2, 2015 this year’s Card Player Player of the Year race already looked to be all but over. By that point Anthony Zinno had already accumulated 6,488 POY points, a massive amount that easily dwarfed the year-long point totals of the past three Player of the Year award winners, with 5,498 for 2014 champ Dan Colman, 5,140 for two-time award winner Daniel Negreanu (2004,2013) and 5,100 for 2012 POY winner Greg Merson. It wasn’t quite the runaway victory that it looked to be, with several competitors closing the gap in the waning months of the year, but Zinno was able to hold on to become the 2015 Card Player Player of the Year.

Over the past 12 months Zinno won the most POY-qualified titles of any player on the tournament circuit, making 11 final tables and emerging victorious five times. The 34-year-old poker pro, originally from Cranston, Rhode Island, now resides in Boston, Massachusetts. Zinno studied chemical engineering and patent law in the past, but turned his focus towards poker after law school. It appears to have been a good decision, as he cashed for $3,442,769 this year alone, with big scores coming in a variety of games, formats, field sizes and buy-in price points.

He started off his incredible 2015 run by winning back-to-back World Poker Tour main events, in the process becoming only the third player to ever win three events on the WPT, joining the likes of Gus Hansen and Carlos Mortensen. His first win this year came in the 2015 WPT Fallsview Poker Classic $5,000 CAD main event. He outlasted a field of 419 players to win $252,420 and 1,440 POY points.

Just three weeks later Zinno tore through a 538-player field to win the 2015 WPT L.A. Poker Classic $10,000 main event for $1,015,860 and 2,100 points, catapulting him into the top spot in the POY standings for the first time. He never did relinquish that lead through the remainder of the year.

Just a week after that, Zinno won his third title of the year, outlasting a field of 20 players to win the $25,000 high roller event at the WPT Bay 101 Shooting Star series. For that win he secured $197,758 more in earnings and another 420 POY points.

If it was the WPT that jump started Zinno’s year, it was the World Series of Poker that solidified his claim to the POY title. Over the six weeks at the Rio All Suite Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas Zinno made a total of five final tables. All of his tournament success so far in the year had come in no-limit hold’em, but at the WSOP he demonstrated some of his versatility by making the final tables of the $10,000 Omaha eight-or-better championship and the $10,000 limit hold’em championship.

Zinno finished off the series with two of the four biggest scores of his career. First he finished seventh out of 135 players in the WSOP $111,111 One Drop high roller event for $565,864 and 330 points.

Almost immediately after busting that tournament he hopped into the WSOP $25,000 pot-limit Omaha high roller event. After three days of play he came out on top of the 175-player field in that event to earn his first World Series of Poker gold bracelet, the $1,122,196 top prize (his largest score ever) and 1,092 POY points.

“This is certainly my best day as a poker pro," said Zinno after the win. "And it was made even better by winning it in a game I love which is PLO and also against a very skilled final table, which is something where I can take extra pride in that.”

Just a few days into the seventh month of the year Zinno had already acquired nearly 1,000 more POY points than any of the last three champions using the same scoring criteria. In the months that followed he cashed 12 more times, including a win in the $1,090 heads-up no-limit hold’em event at the Borgata Poker Open for $24,442 and 144 points.

Zinno did win a sixth title of the year at the European Poker Tour Malta festival, but the €5,300 buy-in pot-limit Omaha event failed to qualify for the POY race, not meeting the minimum requirement for entries or generating at least a $250,000 prize pool. He did earn $74,371 for topping the 41-player field, however.

In the end Zinno put together one of the most impressive years on the tournament circuit the game has ever seen, with five huge POY-qualified titles, 11 final-table finishes and $3,442,769 in cashes throughout the year. He demonstrated his skill, consistency and variety over the course of 12 months to dominate in a year that saw several players put together incredible runs. POY runner-up Joe Kuether and third-place finisher Nick Petrangelo earned more points that any of the last three champions as well, putting together year’s that very well could have earned them the Player of the Year award if it weren’t for the incredible showing by Zinno.

“I’m obviously doing something right,” Zinno told Card Player after winning his bracelet this summer. “I practiced and worked really hard, but my best advice to everyone out there is just to work hard and set goals. Have a dream and chase it. Live is short, so just keep going for it.”

Zinno traveled much of the year, around the country and around the world chasing this dream. Today it has officially come true. Anthony Zinno is the 2015 Card Player Player of the Year.

Here is a look at Zinno’s POY-qualified scores in 2015:

Date	Tournament	Buy-In (USD)	Place	Payout POY Points
Feb 15, ’15	WPT Fallsview Poker Classic $5,000 No-Limit Hold’em Main Event	$4,025	1	$252,420 1440
Mar 05, ’15	WPT L.A. Poker Classic $10,000 No-Limit Hold’em Main Event	$10,000	1	$1,015,860 2100
Mar 12, ’15	Bay 101 Shooting Star $25,000 No-Limit Hold’em	$24,500	1	$197,758 420
Apr 15, ’15	WPT SHR Poker Showdown $2,200 No-Limit Hold’em Six Max	$2,200	2	$41,284 220
May 05, ’15	EPT Grand Final €2,200 No-Limit Hold’em	$2,452	9	$11,822 36
Jun 10, ’15	WSOP $10,000 Omaha Eight-or-Better	$10,000	6	$74,262 240
Jun 13, ’15	WSOP $5,000 No-Limit Hold’em Eight Max	$5,000	7	$64,484 360
Jun 26, ’15	WSOP $10,000 Limit Hold’em	$10,000	5	$72,377 250
Jun 29, ’15	WSOP $111,111 No-Limit Hold’em for One Drop	$111,111	7	$565,864 330
Jul 02, ’15	WSOP $25,000 Pot-Limit Omaha Eight Max	$25,000	1	$1,122,196 1092
Sep 18, ’15	Borgata Poker Open $1,090 No-Limit Hold’em Heads-Up	$1,000	1	$24,442 144

Here is a look at the final standings in the 2015 POY Race:

Rank	Player	POY Points	Earnings
1	Anthony Zinno	6,632	$3,442,769
2	Joe Kuether	6,070	$2,084,691
3	Nick Petrangelo	6,026	$3,362,396
4	Byron Kaverman	5,342	$3,008,957
5	Benjamin Zamani	4,561	$1,095,924
6	Jason Mercier	4,494	$1,951,409
7	Steve O’Dwyer	4,400	$4,550,025
8	Rainer Kempe	4,392	$1,508,065
9	Taylor Paur	3,984	$1,971,944
10	Dzmitry Urbanovich	3,978	$3,958,885
11	Joseph Mckeehen	3,923	$7,810,170
12	Mario Javier Lopez	3,898	$1,204,412
13	Mustapha Kanit	3,860	$2,259,859
14	Kevin MacPhee	3,710	$1,795,306
15	Ivan Luca	3,625	$1,533,916
16	Igor Yaroshevskyy	3,396	$1,045,372
17	Erik Seidel	3,340	$4,983,119
18	Jack Salter	3,331	$784,954
19	Paul Volpe	3,275	$1,003,036
20	Nipun Java	3,240	$603,262

Card Player Player of the Year Winners:

Year	Player Name
1997	Men Nguyen
1998	T.J. Cloutier
1999	Tony Ma
2000	David Pham
2001	Men Nguyen
2002	T.J. Cloutier
2003	Men Nguyen
2004	Daniel Negreanu
2005	Men Nguyen
2006	Michael Mizrachi
2007	David Pham
2008	John Phan
2009	Eric Baldwin
2010	Tom Marchese
2011	Ben Lamb
2012	Greg Merson
2013	Daniel Negreanu
2014	Daniel Colman
2015	Anthony Zinno

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The Turbo Championship of Online Poker (TCOOP) is hogging most of the attention this week but for the SnG specialists here at PokerStars this is their monthly championship. The Battle of the Planets $50,000 triple shootout freeroll is only for those who claim a ticket during the weekly stakes battles along with weekly cash prizes. This month a SCOOP champ would square off against a GoldStar VIP heads-up for the title and the full $12,000.00 sitting up top. The SCOOP champ would take home the first monthly title of 2014 as Blackbeaty topped 89s AAo JQs for the win and $12,000.00.

After an hour and forty minutes of scattered SnG play the first round would come down to Table 58 where Art2404 and Templar85 battled it out for the final money spot and a spot in the second round. With the blinds up to 150/300 ante 25 Art2404 would shove from the button for 2,068 holding The Brunson [Th][2c] as Templar85 covered and made the call with [Jh][Qh]. Both players would pair the flop and no more [Tc] [Qc] [Jd] [7d] [8d] as Templar85 was blessed with the win and all 81 remaining players locked up at least $195.00

The second round would see whatthe252 and 89s AAo JQs quickly claim their seats at the final table thus making a minimum of $775.00 with a possible $12,000.00 made simply from their hard work at the SnG tables. Hard work got 123ME321 a long sought return to the Battle of the Planets triple shootout final table. The UK player made it here back in March of 2010, near the beginning of the promotion, collecting $3,350.00 in fourth place at the time.

The black stars of the Supernova Elite graced one of the final three heads-up matches left. L.A.Ruseman perhaps slowed down only a bit to opening six tables of $60 SnGs while heads-up with sihuynh. SCOOP 2012 Event #1-L champ Blackbeaty would claim one of those three seats in the 150/300 ante 25 level as Allin Akhbar and puffNfly headlined Table 4. Allin Akhbar's pocket nines would put away puffNfly as the action turned to Table 1 to see who would be keeping their seat at the final table.

L.A.Ruseman and sihuynh would stretch their match until the 200/400 ante 50 level when both caught pocket pairs with only a 500 chip difference between them. All the funds would go in preflop as L.A.Ruseman flipped up pocket tens [Td][Th] dominating the pocket eights [8c][8d] of sihuynh. The [5s] [Kd] [5d] [7s] [6d] would send the Supernova Elite onward to the final table shown below:

Seat 1: L.A.Ruseman (1500 in chips)
Seat 2: osiileaz (1500 in chips)
Seat 3: Blackbeaty (1500 in chips)
Seat 4: Allin Akhbar (1500 in chips)
Seat 5: folliage8 (1500 in chips)
Seat 6: whatthe252 (1500 in chips)
Seat 7: The Cambist (1500 in chips)
Seat 8: 123ME321 (1500 in chips)
Seat 9: 89s AAo JQs (1500 in chips)

Allin Akhbar tried to rally the troops early for a nine-way split and nearly $4K a piece. But the rest of table stayed fairly mum to the chop tactics as everyone else enjoyed the 10/20 blinds and 1,500 starting chip stacks, settling in for the $12,000.00 contest.

Little chip movement highlighted a rather tight few levels as no player cracked the 2,000 chip level for a stretch of time. 89s AAo JQs and L.A.Ruseman seemed to be the most active throwing a few three-nets and four-bets out there pre-flop but no big pots over 700 chips.

Big hand finally comes

Towards end of the 25/50 level L.A.Ruseman would min-raise as Allin Akhbar made it 185 to go from the button. whatthe252 four-bet to 400 as L.A.Ruseman paused a bit before making it 1,120 while leaving 56 chips behind. whatthe252 put the Supernova Elite all-in while showing [As][Ks]. No worries for L.A.Ruseman's pocket aces [Ac][Ah] until two spades hit the [Ts][5d][4s] flop. The turn [Tc] and [6h] failed to fill the flush draw knocking whatthe252 down to 242 chips. Those markers would last for six hands before being shuttled off to Blackbeaty as whatthe252 took home $775.00 in ninth place.

Black widow

Two hands later Blackbeaty would get a more significant all-in hand. Still in the 25/50 blind level osiileaz raised to 125 from the cutoff and Blackbeaty made the call from the button to see a [3d] [Jd] [9c] flop. osiileaz followed through with a 162 chip bet as Blackbeaty called again. [3c] on the turn and osiileaz checked as Blackbeaty put out 200 chips. Check-raise all-in was the answer as Blackbeaty called with top pair [Jh][As] outflopping the pocket eights of osiileaz. The river [2c] was not an eight and osiileaz claimed $1,200.00 in eighth place.

Lovely foliage

One minute before the hourly break and a bump in the blinds to 100/200 folliage8 would open shove for 2,970 in the small blind hoping to take it down with [5c][Qc]. Instead The Cambist woke up with [Ah][Js] and made the call for 870 chips. The lovely lady of spades would sit in the middle of the [2h] [Td] [Qs] [6d] [8c] board to ship the 1,940 chip pot to folliage8 as The Cambist would be asked to sit out in seventh place ($1,700.00).

Set overkill

Watch below as 89s AAo JQs takes on L.A.Ruseman all-in preflop for a 2,054 chip pot leaving one player to claim $2,200.00 in sixth place:

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Right after the blinds moved up to 75/150, 89s AAo JQs tried to bully the big blind with a shove for 1,405. L.A.Ruseman, now shortstacked, made the call all-in for 877 holding [Qh][Kc]. The face cards needed to outflip pocket fours [4h][4s], and instead watched the sailboats catch a third one on the river [7h] [9s] [Js] [2s] [4d] ending L.A.Ruseman's night in sixth place ($2,200.00).

It's a trap!

The rail may have known something Allin Akhbar did not, pleading with the shortstack not to steal the blinds. With the blinds still at 75/150 chip leader Blackbeaty would min-raise from the cutoff as Allin Akhbar shoved for 1,331 chips from the button. Holding [As][Ks] 123ME321 was happy to re-shove for 3,293 chips. Blackbeaty got out of the way as Allin Akhbar showed the dominated [Ad][5d]. Both players would pair their ace on the flop, but 123ME321 locked up the hand with two pair on the turn [Qc] [4c] [Ah] [Kh] [9h] ending Allin Akhbar's run in fifth place ($2,735.00).

Trimming the foliage

As the blinds moved up to 100/200 a three-way all-in saw 89s AAo JQs with a shot to knockout two players. Instead 123ME321 and folliage8 got some chips back and four-handed play moved on. A few hands later Blackbeaty would min-raise from the cutoff as folliage8 shoved for 2,358 chips. Folded back to the chip leader holding [Ad][Qs] and making the call as folliage8 turned up [Ah][Th]. The ten hit a little too late for folliage8 as the queen on the door [Qc] [4h] [Kd] [3s] [Ts] knocked out folliage8 in fourth place ($3,350.00).

An improvement for 123ME321

Well it was not the redemption win that 123ME321 was shooting for, but third place was improvement over the last trip to this special final table. With the blinds still at 100/200 89s AAo JQs would min-raise from the button as 123ME321 made it 1,884 out of the big blind holding pocket eights [8s][8d]. 89s AAo JQs was happy to show pocket nines [9c][9h] as the [Js][4d] [Kc] [6h] [Qc] board sent 123ME321 off in third place ($4,500.00).

SCOOP champ wins it

Even through most of heads-up play, the big hand came with Blackbeaty shoving with [Qh][Ad] into the pocket tens [Th][Ts] of 89s AAo JQs. An ace on the [Jc] [8h] [Ah] [3c] [Ks] flop would ship 11,874 chips to Blackbeaty. Two hands later they would square off for the rest of them. Check out the January Battle of the Planets winning hand below:

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Pocket kings [Kh][Ks] would put this title to bed for Blackbeaty as 89s AAo JQs [9s][Qc] could not catch any of the [Ad] [Jd] [Td] [Ac] [Jc] board to name Blackbeaty the January Battle of the Planets triple shootout champ earning $12,000.00!

Battle of the Planets Triple Shootout freeroll results (01-26-14):

Players entered: 545
Places paid: 81
Prizepool: $50,000.00 (freeroll)

1. Blackbeaty (Germany) $12,000.00
2. 89s AAo JQs (Russia) $7,500.00
3. 123ME321 (United Kingdom) $4,500.00
4. folliage8 (United Kingdom) $3,350.00
5. Allin Akhbar (Dominican Republic) $2,735.00
6. L.A.Ruseman (Mexico) $2,200.00
7. The Cambist (Germany) $1,700.00
8. osiileaz (Argentina) $1,200.00
9. whatthe252 (Canada) $775.00

David Aydt is a freelance contributor

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Former champions and players who have made the final table of the Battle of the Planets monthly $50,000.00 triple shootout freeroll often make return trips. It took two our final table players three and four years respectively to come in and say hi today. But, the month tonight would go someone new as jSorc took down $12,000.00 after winning three straight tables.

Down to the final two tables of the first round Warningstein would take out Jjinjo after hitting a turned wheel to close their match as all eyes moved over to Table 47 where nitur and jucecito held the key to the second round. With the blinds up to 150/300 ante 25 and showing no sign of stopping, the rail was getting a bit antsy to start up the money round where everyone was assured at $195.00 for winning their first table.

When the blinds moved to 200/400 ante 50 nitur continued to be stay aggressive while picking up several preflop pots as jucecito won enough to stay away. Staying on the gas peddle, nitur pushed again from the button to 6,905 as jucecito found pocket fives [5h][5d] were plenty to make the call. nitur's [Kc][Tc] found a ten on the flop [Ts] [2s] [7c] [Ac] [Qs] to end the last match and start up the round of 81.

12ziz12 already has two Battle of the Planet freeroll final tables. September 2010 placing fifth ($2,735.00) and November 2010 taking sixth ($2,200.00). Well... make that three final tables as the Australian made short work of the table in claiming the first seat. And after taking down Event #1-M for $131,114.57 in the SCOOP 2013 that is finishing up tomorrow let's say 12ziz12 is back.

Down to Gdzila versus skeldon87 for the last seat at the final table with a potential $12,500.00 or $195.00 already earned. Down 3,739 to 9,761 Gdzila would shove over the top of a min-raise by skeldon87 holding [Ks][2s]. skeldon87's mid-ace [As][9h] was enough to make the call and enough to win the final pot after an ace hit the flop [Jd] [Jc] [Ac] [9s] [5c] to solidify it and start up the final table below:

Seat 1: russunray (1500 in chips)
Seat 2: kafelnikovz (1500 in chips)
Seat 3: jSorc (1500 in chips)
Seat 4: camelino (1500 in chips)
Seat 5: skeldon87 (1500 in chips)
Seat 6: ViKtOrHaZaRd (1500 in chips)
Seat 7: blackDonii (1500 in chips)
Seat 8: 12ziz12 (1500 in chips)
Seat 9: Godfatti (1500 in chips)

Out as fast as coming in

12ziz12 waited over 30 minutes for the last round of this triple shootout to start and was out of the tournament in under 10 minutes after pushing a semi-bluff a little too far. Still in the initial 10/20 blind level with the bound showing [Ks] [7d] [8d] [Th] 12ziz12 was faced with an all-in bet by skeldon87. Holding [Jd][Ad] 12ziz12 made the call facing pocket aces [Ac][As]. The fourth ace showed up on the river [Ah] sending 12ziz12 to the rail in ninth place ($775.00).

Russ runs away

Into the 25/50 blind level russunray would min-raise from middle position as it folded around to camelino in the big blind with pocket sixes [6s][6h] and under the starting stack. camelino would shove for 1,275 total as russunray holding big slick [Kh][Ac] made the call for less. No card over a nine on the [2c] [9c] [2h] [4c] [5h] board and russunray went away in eighth place ($1,200.00).

In the black

As the blinds moved up to 50/100 ViKtOrHaZaRd slipped to just 790 chips and was able to open shove with a small ace [Ac][5d] from early position. Unfortunately, blackDonii one to the left was eager to call any bets with pocket aces [Ah][As]. No miracles on any streets here [7c] [7d] [Qs] [9d] [Tc] and ViKtOrHaZaRd left in seventh place ($1,700.00).

12 chips? 12 chips

That's all kafelnikovz had left tangling with jSorc. With the blinds moving up to 125/250 ante 25 and still six players remaining kafelnikovz would try to bully jSorc with a shove from the small blind. Holding a decent heads-up ace [9c][Ad] jSorc made the correct call kafelnikovz flipped up a smaller ace [5s][As]. Both players would pair their kickers [9s] [Ks] [7h] [3c] [5d] leaving kafelnikovz with 12 chips. Two hands later kafelnikovz would officially receive sixth place cash ($2,200.00).

A familiar face

It may have been a few years ago but Godfatti chopped up this freeroll back in 2009 and was looking to do so again nearly four years later. Two hands after kafelnikovz took leave Godfatti took a shot holding just 529 chips by shoving all-in barely over the 500 chip raise by skeldon87. skeldon87 made the call with pocket sevens [7s][7h] and managed to take the 1,433 chip pot after the [6h] [Qh] [8c] [3d] [Qd] failed to connect with Godfatti's [5d][As]. A little less than last time, but Godfatti earned $2,735.00 in fifth place.

Fast to the finish

Just three hands later camelino would take a shot at improving a shortstack against the sizable 125/250 ante 25 blinds. Open shoving from the cutoff for 1,805 as skeldon87 went looking for a second straight elimination by re-shoving from the button with pocket sixes [6s][6c]. Despite flopping a flush draw [Ac] [Kd] [Ad] [Qs] [2h] camelino's [Td][8d] would miss the board enough to ship the 4,085 pot to skeldon87 as camelino earned $3,350.00 in fourth place.

Black magic?

jSorc had to cast some kind of spell over backDonii who took down six hands in row to get the Hungarian to sit down for once. Firing 4,363 chips into the pot from the button was a decent way to get blackDonii to fold but skeldon87 did not. Holding pocket jacks [Jc][Js] skeldon87 made the call for less as jSorc showed a marriage in diamonds [Qd][Kd] which quickly found another queen on the [Qh] [5h] [8h] [2h] [5d] board to claim the 7,769 chip pot and send $4,500.00 with skeldon87 in third place.

Minute to win it

Ten hands and jSorc never let go of the lead. It would only take a minute to get through those ten hands and claim the $12,000.00 along with the May Battle of the Planets title. Watch below:

RSS readers please click through to view video

Down to 2,715 chips blackDonii would shove over the top of jSorc's raise holding [Th][Kc] as jSorc made the call with [As][Jh]. An ace on the turn [6c] [9s] [5s] [Ah] [5c] would shutdown blackDonii for the evening as jSorc claimed the entire $12,000.00 first place prize!

PokerStars Battle of the Planets May $50,000 freeroll (Triple Shootout) results

Players: 480
Prizepool: $50,000.00
Places paid: 81

1. jSorc (Slovenia) $12,000.00
2. blackDonii (Hungary) $7,500.00
3. skeldon87 (United Kingdom) $4,500.00
4. camelino (Austria) $3,350.00
5. Godfatti (Netherlands) $2,735.00
6. kafelnikovz (Brazil) $2,200.00
7. ViKtOrHaZaRd (Czech Republic) $1,700.00
8. russunray (Russia) $1,200.00
9. 12ziz12 (Australia) $775.00

David Aydt is a freelance contributor

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Spring time has broken out for most of our players. Unless you live in Canada like four players who made today's $50,000 Battle of Planets monthly triple shootout freeroll final table. Despite a few days of "Spring" weather, ice is still showing on some lakes with snowbanks prevalent while driving through the cities. The drab weather did not bother one of those Canadians as dthorne04 paved the way through the icy 589 player field to win $12,000.00

Ten minutes before the two hour mark the final initial round table would wind its last hand down. With the blinds at 200/400 ante 25 and Bankyard holding a 5,337 to 5,163 chip lead over Chipsy36, Bankyard would raise from the button to 860 total. Chipsy36 looking down at [Kh][Ts] shoved as Bankyard complied with a call holding [9d][As]. The flop clobbered with Bankyard's ace [7h][Ad][7d] leaving Chipsy36 to only a runner-runner straight or trips combo to win. Two kings later [Kd] and [Kc] Chipsy36 would take down the 10,326 chip pot and gather the scraps from the next hand as a stunned Bankyard exited in 82nd place giving our remaining 81 players at least $195.00 each.

34offsuitJR had a thirst for some cash today, finishing off table nine in last than an hour with the aforementioned Chipsy36 going down during heads up play to earn the first seat at the final table. Canada would continue to fill the table (34offsuitJR) as the North American country took home four of the first five seats.

Down to two tables two players from Hungary (p€troceli and SZERENCSFIA) would duke it out on table four and p€troceli winning the honor to represent Hungary at the final table. As Kirill Juma and ross997 would only last one hand longer on table two. With the blinds at 150.300 ante 25 Kirill Juma holding 2,903 chips to ross997's 10,597 would face a bullying button raise to 4,350. With a suited king [Kd][3d] Kirill Juma decided it was go time and called as ross997 showed [Js][Td]. A ten in the middle of the [Qd] [Th] [2h] [8s] [4h] flop was all that was needed to start up the final table below:

Seat 1: dthorne04 (1500 in chips)
Seat 2: ross997 (1500 in chips)
Seat 3: AB_Poker_12 (1500 in chips)
Seat 4: p€troceli (1500 in chips)
Seat 5: kanskje123 (1500 in chips)
Seat 6: nickyshu (1500 in chips)
Seat 7: Gabiru01 (1500 in chips)
Seat 8: dirty.brasil (1500 in chips)
Seat 9: 34offsuitJR (1500 in chips)

First in, first out

The 10/20 level would leave quickly as the players usually use this time to feel out their tablemates for a quick chop of the sizable amount of free cash at this table. Instead we would get two quick eliminations after the blinds moved up. The first hand of the 15/30 blind level saw 34offsuitJR on the wrong side of a cooler. 34offsuitJR would limp in from middle position as p€troceli made it 90 total as kanskje123 and 34offsuitJR both called. p€troceli led out for 150 on the [2c][8d][As] flop as kanskje123 folded but 34offsuitJR dialed it up to 450 chips. Holding a set of eights [8h][8s] p€troceli shoved as 334offsuitJR quickly called with a set of ducks [2d][2h]. One out became no outs as the [Ac] turn and [4h] river shut down 34offsuitJR finishing in ninth place ($775.00).

Fast start

Just two hands later a second cooler would end someone's Battle of the Planets freeroll. kanskje123 would open to 150 from middle position as Gabiru01 made it 350 from the big blind. kanskje123's aces [As][Ac] went for maximum value by pushing 1,040 chips as Gabiru01 made the call for less holding jacks [Js][Jc]. An ace in the door [Ah] [4d] [6h] [4s] [2h] and Gabiru01 was no more taking home $1,200.00 in eighth place.

Three-way excitement

Mid-way through the 50/100 blind level Gabiru01, nickyshu, and ross997 decided to gather their chips into the middle for a 4,730 chip pot. Watch below as aces go down, but no one leaves:

RSS readers please click through to view video

ross997: [5s][5d]
nickyshu: [As][Ah]
Gabiru01: [8h][8d]

Three pairs and ross997 covered the table, but it would be Gabiru01 finding a connection to the [Qd] [8s] [2c] [Qs] [7d] board to claim 4,270 chips from the main pot, as nickyshu stayed alive snagging 460 from the side pot as all seven players hit the five minute break soon afterwards.

Ross erased

After losing the three-way all-in, ross997 never recovered. With the blinds up to 75/150 dthorne04 open shove from the button as a short-stacked ross997 made the call for less holding just 935 chips in the small blind. Pocket sevens [7c][7h] for ross997 racing against the [9h][Qd] for dthorne04. It looked like the sevens would hold after a wheel started to appear on the [4d] [2s] [3s] [5h] board. But a [9c] river ended ross997's night in seventh place ($1,700.00).

Rise from cracked aces

The other player who lost in that pivotal three-way hand, nickyshu, made the most of those leftover chips received from the cracked aces. After staying in the game, nickyshu got involved in another three-way pot, this time shoving with 745 chips holding big slick [Ad][Kh], slightly more than AB_Poker_12's 725 chip shove with [Ac][7s]. Gabiru01 joined the party calling all bets holding [Qs]. Not needed but, nickyshu connected on the [Ah] [3d] [Kd] [7h] [3s] board to collect 2,365 chips as AB_Poker_12 was the odd person out in sixth place ($2,200.00).

COOKIE MONSTER WANTS YOUR CHIPS!

NOM NOM NOM NOM. dthorne04's Cookie Monster avatar went looking for more chips and found some in p€troceli's stack that did not even need to be dipped in milk. With the blinds holding at 75/150 dthorne04 limped in from the small blind and p€troceli checked the option to see a [4s][Ac][Qc] flop. Cookie Monster led out for 155 chips and p€troceli matched it with a call. [Tc] on the turn and dthorne04 bet again this time for 305 chips as p€troceli made a go for the pot and shoved for 1,350 chips. Having hit a flush on the turn [8c][3c] dthorne04 quickly called as p€troceli's [7h][Jc] needed another club on the river. [3d] was not it as p€troceli took home $2,735.00 in fifth place.

More chips for the blue one

Cookie monster was not satisfied with just one helping of chips and went looking for more. As the blinds moved up to 100/200 dirty.brasil tossed in a shove from the button for 2,170 chips as dthorne04 in the small blind re-shoved for 5,475 chips. nickyshu stayed quiet as dthorne04 showed pocket queens [Qh][Qs] leading dirty.brasil's [6h][Ac]. Despite a six on the door [6s] [Tc] [9c] [5c] [7h] dirty.brasil's stack was cleaned out in fourth place ($3,350.00).

Heads-up in a hurry

On the very next hand dthorne04 would look to make it three eliminations in a row after min-raising from the button and Gabiru01 shoved from the big blind for 1,450 chips total. dthorne04 made the call with [As][Tc] needing to outrun the [Qs][Jh] of Gabiru01. Top two pair on the [Ad] [Th] [5d] [2s] [4h] board was more than plenty to knock out Gabiru01 in third place ($4,500.00).

No chat, just business and $12K please

Much like the entire final table, the chat box stayed dead silent as no talk about chopping up the remaining $19,500.00 on the table came into the play. There was not a lot of time to chat as heads-up play was over in nine minutes flat. As the blinds moved up to 125/250 ante 25 and dthorne04 holding a 8,035 to 5,465 chip lead, both players liked the [3d][Td][9c] flop to end the tournament. Watch below for the conclusion:

RSS readers please click through to view video

Top pair-good kicker [Kc][Ts] for nickyshu was good enough for a three-bet shove. And top two pair [Th][9s] was more than good enough for a call . Two blanks later [8s] and [4d] dthorne04 walked away with the rest of nickyshu's chips and $12,000.00 after winning the March Battle of the Planets triple shootout freeroll!

$50,000 Battle of the Planets triple shootout freeroll results (03-31-13):

Players entered: 589
Places paid: 81
Buy-in: Earned ticket
Prize pool: $50,000.00
First Place: $12,000.00

1. dthorne04 (Canada) $12,000.00
2. nickyshu (China) $7,500.00
3. Gabiru01 (Brazil) $4,500.00
4. dirty.brasil (Canada) $3,350.00
5. p€troceli (Hungary) $2,735.00
6. AB_Poker_12 (Canada) $2,200.00
7. ross997 (United Kingdom) $1,700.00
8. kanskje123 (Norway) $1,200.00
9. 34offsuitJR (Canada) $775.00

David Aydt is a freelance contributor

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

This month's edition of the $50,000 Battle of the Planets triple shootout freeroll was about perseverance. TRICKI1 would be knocked down to a chip count early on that most poker players would toss in thinking their tournament time was over and move on to the next one. Instead, TRICKI1 went from earning $1,700.00 in seventh place to $4,500.00 in third place after finally being knocked out by the eventual champion from the Ukraine ssv1978. Read below for the story of how they claimed that cash.

The first round and money bubble would come down to VIP SilverStar salamon10 and green6label out on Table 77. The winner would lock up $195.00 and still have a shot at the $12,000.00 at the final table. With the blinds at 150/300 ante 25 green6label holding a sizable 7,360 to 1,640 chip lead, would keep the pressure on with a shove from the button. salamon10 looking to swim upstream called immediately with pocket jacks [Jc][Js]. green6label's [8c][3h] looked very modest until a pair of eights and a trey hit the [8h] [Td] [3d] [9s] [8d] board and busted salamon10 harshly on the bubble.

At the start of the second round a very familiar name in the tournament realm popped up almost as quickly as salamon10's exit. If there's a tournament at PokerStars, Calvin "cal42688" Anderson has likely won it. Sunday Warm-Up? Check. WCOOP? Check. SCOOP? Check. Main Event Passport? Check. Unfortunately, Mr. Anderson would not add a Battle of the Planets victory to his trophy case today, busting right after winning his first table in 81st place ($195.00).

scorpchess would be the first to claim a final table seat tonight. The Russian player has made waves at big final tables before after chopping up the Sunday Warm-Up in April last year for $80,500.00. Two fellow countrypersons would join scorpchess as Shmotka and clausdorf4 claimed the second and third seat at the table. Shmotka is looking to improve on a 9th place finish in this freeroll back in August last year.

Down to the last seat carpanizle sat with a 3,926 to 9,574 chip deficit and blinds at 150/300 ante 25 against Sickofitall5 and decided to test luck with a shove holding pocket fives [5h][5c]. Sickofitall5 responded with a call while showing [Ts][Kc] and was immediately given more outs on the [8d][Jh][9c] flop. The [6c] turn did not change anything but the [Qs] river gave Sickofitall5 a straight and locking up $775.00 for making the final table.

Seat 1: Reiarturo (1500 in chips)
Seat 2: clausdorf4 (1500 in chips)
Seat 3: scorpchess (1500 in chips)
Seat 4: TRICKI1 (1500 in chips)
Seat 5: Caber89 (1500 in chips)
Seat 6: kiltedmich (1500 in chips)
Seat 7: Sickofitall5 (1500 in chips)
Seat 8: Shmotka (1500 in chips)
Seat 9: ssv1978 (1500 in chips)

The first blind level would be sprinkled with nine-way chop talks between half of the table while the other half seemed to ignore the possibility of locking up nearly four thousand dollars.

Early exit for Reiarturo

A call it a semi-bluff gone really wrong. Early in the 15/30 blind level ssv1978 would raise to 70 from the small blind as Reiarturo three-bet to 210. ssv1978 called to see an all-diamond flop [9d][4d][7d] and checked immediately. Reiarturo led out for 225 as ssv1978 popped out the hole to check-raise to 450. Holding big slick and the second biggest diamond [Kd][Ac] Reiarturo shoved for 1,160 chips. Unfortunately for Reiarturo, ssv1978 held the biggest diamond along with the trey [Ad][3d] for the nut flush and reducing Reiarturo chances of winning to zero. Left with 45 chips Reiarturo would donate them to Caber89 on the next hand to finish in ninth place ($775.00).

Nearly a double

The 25/50 and 50/100 blind levels would pass easily enough as kiltedmuch continued to try and round the troops for an eight way chop. Instead as the blinds moved up to 75/150 a three-way hand would knock one player out and cripple another. Watch below for the action:

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TRICKI1 tried to grab the pot with the flopped top pair [Jd][6d] and a re-draw to a straight after everyone checked the flop [Jh] [4c] [3s] [5c] but that backfired when scorpchess shoved with the turned wheel [Ad][2c]. clausdorf4 [As][8c] would be the odd person out after the [Js] river earning $1,200.00 in eighth place.

Shorty gains money

Knocked down to under 200 chips, TRICKI1 would survive long enough to move up the pay scale as the blinds moved up to 100/200 kiltedmuch would shove from the cutoff for 1,972 chips holding pocket threes [3s][3c]. Folded to ssv1978 in the big blind who covered and made the call with [Ah][Jd]. Good race and good day to kiltedmuch as an ace hit the door [As] [Tc] [7s] [2h] [5c] and UK player took $1,700.00 in seventh place.

Possible chip and a chair story in the making
TRICKI1 would continue the ascent to a possible five figure payday as yet another player would be relieved of their chip stack. With the blinds holding at 100/200 it would be TRICKI1's turn to become the executioner as short-stacked Sickofitall5 with just 612 chips would shove from the hijack seat and TRICKI1 made the call in the big blind with a couple of hearts [Jh][3h]. Strangely, Sickofitall5 held only a couple of wheel cards [2h][5d] that missed the [Qh] [Qc] [7h] [3d] [6c] board completely shipping $2,200.00 to Sickofitall5 in sixth place.

Caber tosses Shmotka

While the caber toss is a traditional Scottish event Caber89 used a couple of virtual cards instead of a long wooden pole to knock out Shmotka. Four hands after Sickofitall5 left, Caber89 would min-raise from the cutoff as Shmotka shoved for 1,957 on the button with pocket jacks [Jh][Js]. Caber89's aces [As][Ac] made the call an easy one as the [8d] [8h] [2s] [6d] [9h] board showed zero face cards as Shmotka picked up $2,735.00 in fifth place.

It's Tricky!

With the blinds moving up to 125/250 ante 25 TRICKI1 holding just three chips more than scorpchess would call the Russian's shove from the small blind holding [Ac][7s]. It was a good call as scorpchess flipped up [Js][9s]. Despite picking up a straight draw on the flop, scorpchess found nothing [7d] [Qc] [8d] [5c] [3h] on the board to help out as scorpchess took home $3,350.00 in fourth place.

Almost made it

A good story always has a conclusion and TRICKI1's conclusion would come in third place. With the blinds moving up to 150/300 ante 25 TRICKI1 would shove from the button for 2,637 chips as ssv1978 waiting a few moments before calling with pocket nines [9h][9s]. One overcard for TRICKI1's [Ks][8c] to hit and it did not as the [5h] [6d] [Qd] [7h] [Tc] board favored ssv1978 ending a great comeback tale for TRICKI1 in third place ($4,500.00).

YEAH! Turns into OMG NO! (or the other way around)

Watch below for the final hand of the tournament as Caber89 holding pocket tens [Ts][Th] is all-in preflop against ssv1978's big slick [Kh][Ah] for a 10,924 chip pot:

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ssv1978 would flop top pair [Kd][5c][Td] but Caber89's set of tens was way out in front. Needing a runner-runner ssv1978 got one on the turn [Ks] and the $12,000.00 ace on the river [Ad] to win the February edition of the Battle of the Planets triple shootout!

February Battle of the Planets $50,000 triple shootout results (02-24-13):

Players entered: 496
Places paid: 81
Buy-in: Ticket (freeroll)
First place: $12,000.00

1. ssv1978 (Ukraine) $12,00.00
2. Caber89 (Germany) $7,500.00
3. TRICKI1 (Canada) $4,500.00
4. scorpchess (Russia) $3,350.00
5. Shmotka (Russia) $2,735.00
6. Sickofitall5 (Germany) $2,200.00
7. kiltedmich (United Kingdom) $1,700.00
8. clausdorf4 (Russia) $1,200.00
9. Reiarturo (Brazil) $775.00

David Aydt is a freelance contributor

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

It took about eight years worth of testing but we finally have come up with our list of top rated online casinos. We split them up into 3.0 star, 4.0 star, and 5.0 star online casino reviews. Our favorites are obviously the 5.0 star group, but many of us here actually play at the 4.0 star and 3.0 star sites. Anyway, the page is now setup and will be updated often, well, not really often, but if something changes at a casino, they start not paying out their players in a timely manner, or a new casino is released, or something like that, then the page will be updated.

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