The Online Railbird Report: Kostritsyn Wins $1.1 Million, Ivey Up & More

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Mar 01, 2013 6 min read Last updated Nov 16, 2021

In last week��s Online Railbird Report, we told you about some great action at the PokerStars high-stakes tables, and this week we turn our attention back to Full Tilt Poker, which is where Alexander ��PostFlopAction�� Kostritsyn finished as the week��s biggest winner (from Feb. 20-27) after profiting $1,114,471 in 7,002 hands spread across 89 sessions.

Other big winners this week included "kagome kagome�� (+$780,256 in 44 sessions/5,456 hands), Phil ��Polarizing�� Ivey (+$590,801 in 86 sessions/7,369 hands) and Alex ��Alexonmoon�� Luneau (+$504,758 in 61 sessions/8,385 hands). Although it was a kind week for Ivey, he is still down a little over a million in 2013.

Poker is a zero-sum game, which means for every dollar won, another dollar is lost. No one lost more this week than the Macau-based ��patpatpanda��, who dropped $728,354 in 13,584 hands spread across 107 sessions. Likewise, Patrik ��FinddaGrind�� Antonius (-$683,294 in 55 sessions/5,012 hands), Viktor ��Isildur1�� Blom (-$406,333 in 170 sessions/12,867 hands) and Hac ��trex313�� Dang (-$389,660 in 58 sessions/4,681 hands) all found themselves in the loser column after uncharacteristically bad weeks.

Luneau Wins $445K Playing 2-7 Triple Draw While Blom Drives PLO Action

On Wednesday, Feb. 20, Alex ��Alexonmoon�� Luneau walked away the day��s biggest winner after banking $445,000 at the 2-7 triple draw tables against Phil ��OMGClayAiken�� Galfond, who ended up finishing as the biggest loser after dropping $630,000 (though he��d go on to get it back and then some over the next few days). While that game produced the biggest winner and loser, the real action centered around Viktor ��Isildur1�� Blom at the pot-limit Omaha games.

Blom started off with wins in both the cap PLO and uncapped PLO games before taking $239,000 from Scott ��mastrblastr�� Seiver at the 2-7 triple draw tables in just an hour and a half. From there, the Swede moved on to the $250/$500 PLO tables and worked his winnings up to $850,000. Unfortunately for him, and much to the surprise of the railbirds, he dropped nearly half a million back in just 30 minutes.

In one monster pot, which happened to be the day's biggest, action was six-handed when Hac ��trex313�� Dang ($189,913.50) opened for $1,500 on the button only to have Blom ($314,578.50) three-bet to $5,600 from the small blind. Dang responded by four-betting to $19,400, Blom five-bet to $54,800, and Dang called, bringing about a J?2?3? flop. Blom led out for $110,700 and then called $24,413.50 more when Dang moved all in for $135,113.50.

Blom: A?A?7?K?
Dang: K?Q?J?9?

Blom got it in with aces and the nut-flush draw, which was a huge favorite against Dang��s pair of jacks. Unfortunately for the Swede, the J? spiked on the turn to give Dang trips and a big lead. The 8? river failed to help Blom, and he watched the $380,724 pot pushed to his opponent.

In another notable hand, action was still six-handed when Ilari ��Ziigmund�� Sahamies ($67,622.89) called from the hijack seat, and Blom ($108,213.50) raised to $2,850 from the cutoff. Ben ��Sauce1234�� Sulsky ($128,339) then three-bet to $10,150 from the small blind, Sahamies called, and Blom four-bet to $44,550. Two calls ensured, the flop fell 7?2?8?, and Sulsky led out for $83,789. Sahamies and Blom both called off for $23,072.90 and $63,663.50, respectively, and the cards were turned up.

Sahamies: 5?6?6?7?
Sulsky: K?10?10?9?
Blom: A?K?9?K?

Both Sulsky and Sahamies had flopped open-ended straight draws to go with their pairs, while Blom had the biggest pair with kings. The 3? strengthened Blom��s position, giving him the nut-flush draw, but the 10? river proved disastrous because it gave Sulsky a set and the $284,847 pot. Sulsky went on to win $369,000 on the day while Blom finished a modest $99,400 winner.

Kostritsyn Runs Over Mixed Game on Way to Becoming 2013��s Biggest Winner

On Sunday, Feb. 24, Alexander ��PostFlopAction�� Kostritsyn battled ��patpatpanda�� in an epic heads-up battle at the $300/$600 and $1,500/$3,000 mixed game tables. After seven hours, he walked away a $766,500 winner. The win thrust the Russian into the lead on the Biggest Online Winner of 2013 Leader Board, which has all come on Full Tilt Poker. That also make��s him FTP��s biggest winner since the once vilified site returned to the market.

Despite losing so much, ��patpatpanda�� appeared to be a good sport when the match came to an end as evidenced by the following exchange in chat box:

PostFlopAction: eyes are closing, very tired. can we play 2 more rounds and continue tomorrow?
patpatpanda: sure .
PostFlopAction: sorry, wish i could play nonstop 48 hours like u guys
PostFlopAction: too old probbaly
patpatpanda: gg.. wp..im happy too lose.
patpatpanda: np
PostFlopAction: we can play 2 more rounds if u want
PostFlopAction: just wanted to warn
patpatpanda: no tx
PostFlopAction: ok gg.
patpatpanda: good play.
patpatpanda: gg
PostFlopAction: thx. dont remember when i ran that hot

$400/$800 PLO Returns to Full Tilt Poker

Pot-limit Omaha is a big game, especially when it��s played at $400/$800 with antes �� the biggest PLO game currently available online. That��s what spread on Monday, Feb. 25 on Full Tilt Poker as Ben ��Bttech86�� Tollerene won $284,000 off ��patpatpanda��, Jen ��Ingenious89�� Kyll?nen and Ben ��Sauce1234�� Sulsky in just 47 minutes. It came as no surprise that Tollerene won the day��s two biggest pots.

In the first, action was heads-up between ��patpatpanda�� ($126,759) and Tollerene ($113,239.50) when the former opened for $2,700 and then called when the latter three-bet to $8,400. Tollerene led out for $11,286 on the 10?8?7? flop, and then called when ��patpatpanda�� raised to $24,800. The 2? turn saw Tollerene check-call a bet of $29,348, and then both players checked the 6? river. ��Patpatpanda�� revealed A?7?8?4? for two pair, but it was no good as Tollerene rolled over K?6?K?10? for a flush, shipping the $125,396 pot to his way.

In the other big pot, which was between the same two players, Tollerene ($180,683) opened for $2,400 and then called when ��patpatpanda�� ($157,800.50) three-bet to $7,500. ��Patpatpanda�� proceeded to check-call bets of $12,240 and $31,824 on the 8?9?10? flop and 2? turn, respectively, and then check-folded when Tollerene bet $82,742.39 on the 6? river. With that, Tollerene raked in another $103,428.

While things went well for Tollerene, it wasn��t without hitting some speed bumps.

��patpatpanda�� Gets Some Back in Wednesday Action

Even though ��patpatpanda�� finished as the week��s biggest loser, things would have been even worse had it not been for a $272,000 win on Wednesday at the pot-limit Omaha tables. While he played a couple different stakes, the majority of his profit, as well as the day��s biggest pots, came from the $400/$800 game.

Biggest Winners/Losers (Full Tilt Poker)

Week��s biggest winners (2/20-2/27): Alexander ��PostFlopAction�� Kostritsyn (+$1,114,471), ��kagome kagome�� (+$780,256), Phil ��Polarizing�� Ivey (+$590,801), Alex ��Alexonmoon�� Luneau (+$504,758), Phil ��OMGClayAiken�� Galfond (+$345,253), ��punting-peddler�� (+$303,629), Ben ��Sauce1234�� Sulsky (+$302,042)

Week��s biggest losers: ��patpatpanda�� (-$728,354), Patrik ��FinddaGrind�� Antonius (-$683,294), Viktor ��Isildur1�� Blom (-$406,333), Hac ��trex313�� Dang (-$389,660), Erik ��Erik1223�� Sagstr?m (-$362,522), Kyle ��KPR16�� Ray (-$332,948), Ilari ��Ziigmund�� Sahamies (-$288,093)

Year��s biggest winners: Alexander ��PostFlopAction�� Kostritsyn (+$2,406,609), Phil ��OMGClayAiken�� Galfond (+$1,797,335), Tom ��durrrr�� Dwan (+$1,757,576), ��SallyWoo�� (+$1,647,472), Kyle ��KPR16�� Ray (+$1,273,804), Ben ��Bttech86�� Tollerene (+$932,902), Viktor ��Isildur1�� Blom (+$922,347), Ronny ��ronnyr37617�� Kaiser (+$873,763)

Year��s biggest losers: Ben ��Sauce1234�� Sulsky (-$2,352,391), Scott ��mastrblastr�� Seiver (-$1,191,393), Phil ��Polarizing�� Ivey (-$1,069,156), ��punting-peddler�� (-$1,029,007), Alex ��IReadYrSoul�� Millar (-$1,009,788), ��patpatpanda�� (-$948,194), ��CRAIN85�� (-$925,500), ��Johnbest�� (-$793,503), Gus Hansen (-$779,490)

*Denotes PokerStars

_{Data, hands and replayer obtained from HighStakesDB.com}

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• Tags Alexander Kostritsyn Ben Tollerene Full Tilt Poker Online Poker Phil Ivey Phil Galfond PokerStars Railbird Report Viktor Blom
• Related Players Phil IveyAlexander KostritsynPhil GalfondViktor BlomBen Tollerene