Ukrainians Dominate 888poker Mystery Bounty Main Event As It Overlays Again

Players from Ukraine made up five of the eight 888poker $80,000 Mystery Bounty Main Event finalists this week. Unsurprisingly, one of them came out on top and became the tournament’s champion. “kingsluvan” gets to call themselves this event’s champion for at least the next week. The $10,549 they collected may last a little longer than those bragging rights.

This week’s $109 buy-in event saw 721 entries, including 153 re-entries. That meant that the $80,000 Mystery Bounty Main Event overlaid again. 888poker reduced the guarantee from $100,000 to $80,000 in late July, and it has yet to reach the new, lower guarantee.

While overlays cost 888poker money, they are great for those who pony up the buy-in because they have to outlast fewer players for the same rewards.

$80,000 Mystery Bounty Main Event Final Table Chip Counts

The $80,000 Mystery Bounty Main Event final table is renowned for wrapping up quite quickly, but this week’s edition was something else. Even including the scheduled break, it took less than 75 minutes from start to finish.

There were no eliminations for the first 25 minutes, a dry spell that “Why_a_King” ended. Their last five big blinds went into the middle with ace-deuce from the big blind after the aggressive “Travel99” had min-raised on the button. “Travel99” called with eight-five of diamonds and proceeded to turn a flush.

That elimination opened the proverbial floodgates, and a constant flow of eliminations followed, with three more players busting within the next 10 minutes.

“Dimitr1us,” commentator Aaron Barone‘s pick to win this event, busted at the hands of “Travel99.” The latter min-raised in the hijack seat before calling the 14 big bling three-bet shove from “Dimitr1us.” It was ace-nine versus the at-risk player’s ace-five of clubs. Two clubs on the flop gave “Dimitr1us” additional outs, but “Travel99″‘s nine-kicker ultimately played, and the final table was down to six players.

Sixth place went to “TitovSej,” who was the second-shortest stack when the final table action began. They became another victim of “Travel99”. “Travel99” min-raised with eight-five offsuit, and “TitovSerj” called all-in from the big blind with queen-seven. A five on the flop and turn gave “Travel99” another scalp.

“Travel99” continued their role as executioner when they sent “Antrage” to the showers in a battle of the blinds. “Antrage” open-shoved for a shade over 10 big blinds from the small blind with king-ten. “Travel99” called with pocket nines, and they turned a full house as “Antrage ” turned a straight.

The final four became three as the clock approached the hour mark. Surprisingly, it wasn’t “Travel99” who busted another player. “SHADY_XV” min-raised on the button, “Ra4ok123” three-bet all-in for 19 big blinds with jack-ten of diamonds in the small blind, and “kingsluvan” tank-called with pocket eights in the big blinds, which folded out “SHADY_XV.” Those eights flopped a set, faded outs to a straight, and “Ra4ok123′” run ended.

The average stack at the start of three-handed play was more than 51 big blinds, but it didn’t stop the tournament from wrapping up in the next 25 minutes.

Almost immediately after the scheduled break, a game-changing hand went down that saw “kingsluvan” sail into a substantial chip lead. “SHADY_XV” limped with ace-deuce of diamonds in the small blind, “kingsluvan” raised with ace-king in the big blind, then called when “SHADY_XV” ripped in 31 big blinds. “SHADY_XV” turned a myriad of outs, which they missed, and they crashed out in third place. “Travel99” had disconnected before that hand, which may have shaped how the hand progressed.

As a result of that hand, “kingsluvan” went into the heads-up clash with “Travel99” holding a two-to-one chip. “Travel99” didn’t manage to reconnect, and although “kingsluvan” stalled as much as they could to give their opponent a chance to get back in, “Travel99” was eventually blinded out.

$80,000 Mystery Bounty Main Event Final Table Results

Your next chance to play in the $80,000 Mystery Bounty Main Event is from 6:00 p.m. BST on August 30. $109 is the buy-in, but satellites from only $0.10 run around the clock.

Matthew Pitt hails from Leeds, West Yorkshire, in the United Kingdom, and has worked in the poker industry since 2008, and worked for PokerNews since 2010. In September 2010, he became the editor of PokerNews. Matthew stepped away from live reporting duties in 2015, and now concentrates on his role of Senior Editor for the PokerNews.