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September 22 2011, Mickey Doft, Brett Collson

Four players were awarded bracelets on Day 18 of the 2011 PokerStars World Championship of Online Poker as play inched closer to Sunday's Main Event. Among them was online poker pro Jason "jdtjpoker" Wheeler, who picked up his first WCOOP bracelet and his biggest score on the site by cruising to victory in Event #49, the $1,000 No-Limit Hold’em Two-Day event. Others claiming victory late on Wednesday were "CASINO ROYAL," "PjotrNL" and "mnstrkll."

More than 1,000 players entered the $1,000 No-Limit Hold’em Two-Day event on Tuesday and only 49 returned when play resumed on Wednesday. Among the notables vying for the first-place prize of $182,340 were Grayson "gray31" Ramage, Jason "jdtjpoker" Wheeler, Michael "Skämmes" Tureniec, Kevin "KevBoyStar" Stani, Jason "jakoon1985" Koon, and Team PokerStars player Jose "nachobarbero" Barbero.

Wheeler gained steam leading up to the final table and added even more to his chip-leading stack when he eliminated Germany's "DuTTiFruTTi9" in tenth place to create a final table of nine.

Wheeler got involved right away when he tangled with highly regarded pro Jason "jakoon1985" Koon. With the blinds at 5,000/10,000, Wheeler min-raised from under the gun and Koon flat-called from middle position. Israel's "mikzoan" then three-bet to 68,999 from the button. The blinds folded and Wheeler four-bet to 125,400, which prompted a five-bet shove from Koon for 417,529. "Mikzoan" folded (he said later that he had pocket kings) and Wheeler called, creating a pot worth more than 900,000:

Koon:
Wheeler:

Koon was in excellent shape to double up but the flop gave Wheeler a flush draw to go along with his two queens. The turn kept Koon in front, but the on the river completed Wheeler's flush to send Koon out in ninth place with $12,662.

After "mikzoan" eliminated "JCoghlan" in eighth, Wheeler finished off Simeon "IamBuddhaa" Naydenov to stake his claim to nearly two-thirds of the chips in play with six players left. Denmark's "EDWARDHOPPER" made his presence known by hitting a two-outer to send "TicociT" to the rail in sixth, and then doubled up with pocket kings against "mikzoan's" queens to climb into second position.

Short stacks "bobbypacheco" and "FeriBo" were disposed of by Wheeler in fifth and fourth place, respectively, setting up a three-handed battle with "EDWARDHOPPER" and "mikzoan" chasing overwhelming chip leader, Wheeler. "Mikzoan" endured Wheeler's relentless aggression for a while, even managing to double through the leader one time, but his run ended when he got his remaining chip in preflop with against Wheeler's . The gave Wheeler aces and kings to send his opponent to the rail with $98,261.

Wheeler began the heads-up match with a 10-to-1 chip advantage, but "EDWARDHOPPER" had notions of painting a comeback. He doubled to 1.5 million early on in a flush-over-flush situation and later doubled again when he got his chips in preflop with pocket twos against and turned a set.

However, Wheeler, never backing down, finally secured his first WCOOP bracelet after an astounding 407 hands of heads-up play. On the final hand, "EDWARDHOPPER" raised his button to 77,000 (blinds 17,500/30,000) and then moved all-in with a four-bet for 1.05 million with . Wheeler called with and finished on top when the board rolled out . The $182,340 payday was Wheeler's biggest since moving to Mexico after the fallout from Black Friday.

Notable Finishes: Ryan "ryanghall" Hall (16th - $6,585), Michael "Skämmes" Tureniec (25th - $4,660), Grayson "gray31" Ramage (30th - $4,153), Kevin "KevBoyStar" Stani (30th - $3,647), Jose "nachobarbero" Barbero (46th - $3,242)

Event #49 kicked off early Wednesday with 1,157 players generating a prize pool of $505,800. Team PokerStars members Vivian Im and Liv Boeree each made the money by cracking the top 153 paid spots but ultimately exited in 98th and 86th place, respectively.

Former PokerStars Sunday Million and Sunday 500 winner Peter "twirlpro" Turmezey held the chip lead with three tables remaining and coasted to the final table with his eyes set on the $87,301 first-place prize.

Here's how the final table stacked up:

It took 40 hands before the first player at the final table was eliminated. "Pokerlove82" made the most of that time as the German player doubled up twice to move within striking distance of the leaders. A short-stacked "Sykoen" then moved in for nearly 13 big blinds on the button with pocket sevens and was called by "tbac1" with . An ace on the flop was enough to make "Sykoen" the first casualty at the final table.

"Tbac1" went back to work moments later when he eliminated Turmezey in eighth place. Turmezey picked up kings and four-bet all-in preflop for more than 1 million, but "tbac1" had and faded a king on the board to take the chip lead.

After "G's zee" was sent packing in seventh place, "tbac1" called a three-bet shove from "Indo17" with and found himself in great shape against a lowly . The board gave "tbac1" a pair of tens, which was good enough to reduce the field to five.

"Pokerlove82" stayed out of trouble after his early rush but was the victim of an unfortunate river card with four players remaining. With the blinds at 40,000/80,000, "pokerlove82" min-raised from the cutoff with . "CASlNO ROYAL" three-bet to 320,000 from the small blind with and then called a four-bet shove from "pokerlove82" for 1,153,490. The flop and river kept "pokerlove82" in front with his pair of fives, but the on the river stamped a disappointing conclusion to his memorable run.

The demise of "dbt777" began three-handed when he lost a preflop confrontation with (9c} against the of "tbac1." The left "dbt777" crippled, and he was eliminated in third place a few hands later.

"CASlNO ROYAL" entered heads-up play with a 2-to-1 advantage over "tbac1." The two players exchanged the chip lead multiple times before it ended with some drama on the final hand. The two players saw a flop of and "tbac1" bet 375,000. "CASlNO ROYAL" check-raised to 750,000, and "tbac1" moved all-in for 2,276,840. "CASlNO ROYAL" called with and had picked off the bluff of his opponent who showed . The lead quickly shifted with the on the turn, but the on the river gave "CASlNO ROYAL" a winning two pair and the WCOOP title. He earned $87,301 and the coveted bracelet, while "tbac1" collected $63,225 as the runner-up.

Notable Finishes: Kyle "KJulius10" Julius (29th - $1,871)

Daniel "KidPoker" Negreanu made another deep WCOOP run with a 23rd-place showing in Event #50, the $200 No-Limit Hold’em Big Antes, for this 10th cash of the WCOOP. A short-stacked Griffin "Flush_Entity" Benger shoved for 16 big blinds on the button with . Negreanu picked up in the big blind and called all-in for 13 big blinds. Unfortunately for Negreanu, the board ran out to end his run. Benger, though, did not parlay that knockout into a seat at the final table.

Here were the chip counts of the nine that made it:

Exiting the final table first was "theguzzler". In a blind-versus-blind battle, "theguzzler" shoved with and was called by "scorpchess" with . The board rolled out , offering no help to "theguzzler," down to a mere three big blinds following the loss. Several hands later, "theguzzler" was out in ninth place. Shortly thereafter, "aaaRtINS" fell in eighth place. "Csabesz3" min-raised in middle position, leading to "aaaRtINS" shoving from the small blind for about 20 big blinds with . It was bad timing for "aaaRtINS" as "Csabesz3" called immediately with . No miracle flop saved "aaaRtINS."

"SarahSugar" was the next to fall. From the hijack, "SarahSugar" put in a min-raise that was called by "PjotrNL" in the big blind. An flop appeared, leading to a "PjotrNL" check-call of a two-fifths pot bet. The hit the turn, resulting in another check from "PjotrNL." "SarahSugar" made a similar sized bet, but this time "PjotrNL" shoved. "SarahSugar" called all-in for another 17 big blinds with , but fell behind on the turn as "PjotrNL" showed down . The river was the , ending "SarahSugar's" tournament. Another significant blind-versus-blind battle went in "scorpchess'" favor, spelling the end of "bananeraise's" tournament. Action folded to "bananeraise" in the small blind who jammed for just more than 16 big blinds with . In the big blind, "scorpchess" woke up with and held through the board.

"Csabesz3" took fifth place, four-bet shoving for about 25 big blinds into "scorpchess'" . The flop and turn fell , making things interesting. However, the river secured the pot for "scorpchess." About 45 minutes later, "ricardotaki" bid adieu. After "RandomRab" raised on the button, "ricardotaki" made a move from the small blind for 19 big blinds with . "PjotrNL" looked at in the big blind and called all-in for just a little less. "RandomRab" got out of the way, allowing the board to come down . With less than a big blind remaining, "ricardotaki" busted three hands later.

Finishing in third place was "scorpchess," four-bet shoving 27 big blinds into "PjotrNL's" . With , "scorpchess" came close as the board ran out Jd}, but it wasn't enough to survive. The chip counts beginning heads-up play were the following:

"PjotrNL:" 9,921,836
"RandomRab:" 2,343,164

"RandomRab" battled back, doubling up twice and grabbing the chip lead. However, the crucial coin flip went in "PjotrNL's" favor and ultimately was the decisive hand. With a slight chip lead, "RandomRab" four-bet shoved and with 52 big blinds behind, "PjotrNL" opted to call all-in with . The board came down to give "PjotrNL" the rivered straight to take the gigantic chip lead. Two hands later, "PjotrNL" finished it off to win the $78,496 first-place prize and WCOOP bracelet.

Notable Finishes: Kyle "KJulius10" Julius (10th - $3,336.08), Jared "jvengrin" Vengrin (11th - $3,336.08), David "Cairns1987" Cairns (13th - $2,600.18), Griffin "Flush_Entity" Benger (14th - $2,600.18), "HonestPete" (22nd - $1,569.92), Daniel "KidPoker" Negreanu (23rd - $1,569.92), Jimmie "AlusivPnkBny" Guinther (25th - $1,569.92)

Even though Daniel "KidPoker" Negreanu busted from Event #50, he was also making a nice run in Event #51, the $300 Pot-Limit Omaha Hi/Lo for his 11th cash of the WCOOP. He eventually finished in 21st place, committing his short stack with on a board. His opponent, "aakenny", tabled and scooped the pot thanks to the turn (7-5 low) and river (set of jacks - high).

Here were the chip counts at the start of the final table:

Short-stacked "IRLMedic" busted on the second hand of the final table. All-in preflop with , "IRLMedic" faced chip leader "mnstrkll's" . The board fell , giving "mnstrkll" kings and queens to send "IRLMedic" away in ninth place. Not finished yet, "mnstrkll" eliminated "nccarvalho11" next. After an under-the-gun raise by "nccarvalho11" was called by "mnstrkll" in the cutoff, the rest of "nccarvalho11's" chips went into the pot with on a flop. If it were a live game, "mnstrkll" would have beat ""nccarvalho11"" into the pot with . The turn and river ended ""nccarvalho11's" tournament in eighth place.

Still adding to a now dominating chip lead, "mnstrkll" disposed of "akkenny" in seventh place. All-in preflop with , "akkenny" looked to survive against the held by "mnstrkll." A gave "mnstrkll" the nut flush with the second nut low to take control of about half the chips in play. In a surprise to nobody, "mnstrkll" eliminated the next player, too. "Cloudag88" three-bet shoved from the big blind for five big blinds holding . Facing "mnstrkll's" , "Cloudag88" couldn't defeat the nut flush as the board came down .

Following a flop, "Kanolio" got it in with . Was there much of a chance to hold against "mnstrkll's" draw-heavy ? No, as the hit the turn to give "mnstrkll" an unbeatable straight. However, the opportunity for the final table sweep for "mnstrkll" was out the door a few hands later. Dylan "ImaLucSac" Linde, in the big blind, faced a button min-raise from "Burkoló". Linde three-bet the pot, but "Burkoló" came back over the top. Linde called all-in with and faced "Burkoló's" . The board ran out to give "Burkoló" a set of jacks to bust Linde in fourth place.

Still, scoring that elimination did not save "Burkoló" from a third-place result. "Mnstrkll" was back at it, holding for top pair and a flush draw on a flop. "Burkoló tabled for aces and the nut-low draw, but the way this final table was going, how was that going to hold? A turn gave "mnstrkll" straight outs, while the river made two pair for "mnstrkll" to take a monster chip lead into heads up play with "dev209."

"mnstrkll:" 3,727,423
"dev209:" 807,577

Despite surrendering one double-up to "dev209," "mnstrkll" finished it off on hand No. 13 of the heads-up duel. After they saw a flop, the chips went flying. With , "mnstrkll" held bottom pair and a wheel draw to "dev209's" , middle pair with the second nut-low draw. The on the turn gave "dev209" a flush draw, straight draw, and the second nut low. However, the river ruined it all as "mnstrkll" made a wheel to scoop the pot and win the WCOOP bracelet.

Notable Finishes: Steve "BetrThanPhil" Tripp (17th - $1,768.65), Daniel "KidPoker" Negreanu (21st - $1,251.66)

We will be providing in-depth daily recaps of all WCOOP final tables, so be sure to keep it here at PokerNews to stay up to date on all of the exciting action as it occurs.

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