Pbustos14 Runs Hotter Than the Sun and Wins The Festival Online Main Event
For more than three weeks the first edition of The Festival Online ran on 888poker. The successful first edition of the series ended on Monday night with an incredible run by Argentine player Pbustos14, who won the Main Event after cracking aces twice.
The Festival Online Main Event - Final Results
- Buy-in: $215
- Players: 673 players (plus 140 re-entries)
- Prize money: $162,600
- Winner: Pbustos14 ($26,552.58)
The Main Event buy-in was $215, making it one of the most expensive events at The Festival Online. However, 888poker offered numerous big Main Event satellites in the weeks leading up to the final weekend of the series. This gave players the chance to qualify for a fraction of the buy-in. A total of 813 players registered for the Main Event, including 140 re-entries. A prize pool of $162,600 was played for.
The Main Event began on Sunday evening and play continued well into the night until the final table was found and the tournament was adjourned. The final nine players returned on Monday night to play the final table and determine the winner of the biggest tournament of the festival series. The final table was broadcast live on 888poker's Twitch channel with David Tuchman and Nick Wealthall providing commentary.
With Aces Cracked, Pbustos14 Starts a Crazy Run at the Final Table
When the final table started, Pbustos14 had the fewest chips and after a few minutes of play, he had only 9 big blinds left. Then he found A 7 under the gun. He raised to 6 big blinds and was practically all-in. Right behind him, the player xFink_Ploydx found A A and went all-in. Pbustos14 pushed his last chips into the middle and was a clear underdog in the showdown. But he had all the luck on his side as the board brought K 4 3 Q 3 - a flush for Pbustos14. He more than doubled up and was suddenly in the thick of the action.
After this key all-in, the Argentine won every relevant all-in. When five players were left, he took the lead for the first time and managed to crack aces (somehow) once again. Pbustos14 was all-in with A-8 against MindaugasKR's A-A and again a glaring underdog. This time the board fell K-J-3-Q-T, giving both players the same straight. A little later, the Argentine eliminated his opponent MindaugasKR in 4th place when he moved all-in from the small blind with T-8 against A-9 and hit an eight on the river. In the very next hand, Pbustos14 was all-in with 2-2 against iOwnU888. The latter also held A-9 but found no help on the board. With that, the tournament was heads-up.
The heads-up was played between Pbustos14 and vpedote. The duel started with a clear lead for the Argentinian with 65 versus 16 big blinds. He managed to extend his lead and after a few hands without an all-in, Pbustos14 found A A on the button. He raised to 2 big blinds and vpedote called with Q 6 . The flop brought Q J 5 - top pair for vpedote. Pbustos14 bet a small amount and vpedote called. The turn brought the 9 and now Pbustos14 went all in after a check and vpedote called with his pair. The river brought an insignificant 2 and the tournament was decided. After cracking aces twice at the final table, Pbustos14 now won the heads-up, fittingly, with that very hand. He received $26,552.58 and was crowned champion of the first Festival Online Main Event.
The Festival Online High Roller Final - Final Results
- Buy-in: $525
- Players: 80 players (plus 27 re-entries)
- Prize money: $53,500
- Winner: TheAudrius ($14,739.25)
The High Roller final of The Festival Online had a $525 buy-in, making it a good deal more expensive than the Main Event. 107 entrants were drawn to the tournament on Sunday and it ended in the early hours of Monday morning. A little over six hours were played and in the end, the player TheAudrius from Lithuania won the tournament. He took home almost $15,000.
The Festival Online Afterparty - Final Results
- Buy-in: $109
- Players: 157 players (plus 52 re-entries)
- Prize money: $20,900
- Winner: fanatmalini ($4,685.78)
The final Festival Online tournament was Monday night's Afterparty, which ran concurrently with the Main Event final table. With a total of 209 entrants, the tournament was a worthy conclusion to the series with just over $20,000 at stake. After just over six hours, the player fanatmalini won the event and took home a little bit over $4,600.
Next Stop of The Festival Series in Bratislava
The Festival Online has concluded and now The Festival Series is focusing on the next live stop. This one will take place in October in Bratislava. From October 10 to 16, the Banco Casino will host the next live festival in the Slovakian capital. The Main Event comes with a guarantee of half a million euros, making it the biggest event in the history of The Festival. The week-long event will feature several dozen side events, including many poker tournaments of various types, a blackjack and roulette tournament, and a sports betting tournament.
