Those that have been following PokerNews‘ World Championship Of On-line Poker (WCOOP) round-ups could have seen Danish participant “AresVaettur” within the desk of outcomes. The Dane took down WCOOP 63-M: $530 NLHE 6-Max Turbo for $36,161, a powerful prize however one which many probably scanned previous.
Nonetheless, there may be extra to this victory than meets the attention as a result of “AresVaettur,” a PokerStars common, was solely enjoying on this event as a result of he turned a $1.50 Energy Path ticket right into a WCOOP ticket bundle. At this time, “AreVaettur,” Toke Gerding Jensen to his pal, talks completely to PokerNews.
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The place It All Started
Jensen is a 33-year-old copywriter from Odense who works from the house he shares together with his girlfriend of 13 years. As soon as work is out of the way in which, he loves playing online poker. Like many grinders, Jensen’s introduction to the sport was televised poker.
“Again when poker was largest, I watched all of the greats each in EPTs and WPTs, and the drama and theatre of all of it simply excited me. Once I grew up, I began enjoying all types of various tournaments, and I bought extra severe about it with age. I began off enjoying spin & gos, then micro-stakes event. In 2018, I had my first, for that point, huge rating, after I received a Scorching $3.30 at PokerStars for over $700.”
Fastforward to immediately, and Jensen’s love for poker continues to be robust, and he can usually be discovered enjoying the $3.30 Bounty Builder on-demand tournaments, Power Path, and different turbo tournaments underneath $10 at PokerStars.
Though Jensen is a micro-to-low-stakes participant, he performed in a $25,000 buy-in event in 2019: the PokerStars Players Championship (PSPC).
Shocked Reside On Air
Within the lead-up to the inaugural PSPC, the Poker within the Ears podcast ran a freeroll league. The winner obtained a Platinum Cross, which granted entry to the PSPC event, lodging, and journey bills.
The league progressed to the ultimate night time, and Jensen was topping the leaderboard. Nonetheless, in an terrible stroke of luck, he couldn’t log into his account and in the end fell wanting successful the Platinum Cross, however his journey was not over; not by an extended stretch.
“James and Stapes invited me onto the podcast to a quiz about Bojack Horseman. I assumed the prize can be a $109 Sunday Million ticket because it usually was, however they determined to shock me stay on air with a Platinum Cross!”
Jensen made his strategy to The Bahamas to play within the largest buy-in event of his life. He could not have come out on prime, however that honor went to fellow Platinum Cross winner Ramon Colillas; the expertise was out of this world.
“The event itself was insane. At first, I used to be informed I used to be going to start out out on the principle characteristic desk. To be a part of historical past in that means was VERY thrilling to me, however I ended up being “relegated” to the secondary characteristic desk, and with this being solely my second-ever stay poker event, I used to be woefully unprepared. However I performed my recreation, did myself proud and got here residence with a foul beat story and a foul bluff proven to the world. It was actually a enjoyable journey!”
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Redeeming a Silver Energy Cross From a $1.50 Funding
In August, with the 2024 WCOOP quickly approaching, Jensen jumped right into a $1.50 Energy Path event as he does throughout most of his periods. That $1.50 finally become a Silver Cross price $2,500, and Jensen redeemed it for a WCOOP ticket bundle.
“The Energy Path is truthfully the most effective worth on PokerStars. The $1.50s are all the time working, and the gamers have little to no concept what satellite tv for pc ICM is, which I reap the benefits of every single day I play. I all the time sprinkle within the energy paths throughout my periods, and that ended up paying off after I received a silver go in August. The redeemable choices for the passes are so engaging and I ended up utilizing it for a WCOOP tickets bundle. If I win a gold go, I’ll positively go to an EPT cease although, so look out!”
Final Gasp Effort within the WCOOP
Jensen is the primary to confess that his shot-taking in WCOOP occasions hadn’t precisely gone to plan, and he discovered himself with just one ticket of the bundle remaining, one price $530. He used his ticket to enter WCOOP 63-M: $530 NLHE 6-Max Turbo, which drew in 394 entrants and boasted a $197,000 prize pool.
“It was the final ticket left from the bundle and a min money would have secured my a reimbursement on the tickets’ general worth. I had not had a great collection up up to now. The final half-hour had been loopy on the ultimate desk, and I’ve watched the replay again a number of instances (and I’ve notes on 13 fingers, on issues I ought to have in all probability achieved in a different way).”
“When the final hand was happening, I used to be full of nervousness, and due to this fact, I used to be enjoying WAY too quick. I used to be shaking, and after I noticed it was a flip, I leaned nearer and nearer to the display screen because it was occurring. It was my ultimate desk of the day. And when the pocket fives held, I broke down a bit. I had some individuals from GJs discord that was following alongside with out seeing my playing cards. When the hand was over, we jumped on a discord name and celebrated. I used to be elated, overstimulated, and fully exhausted, but additionally actually comfortable.”
WCOOP 63-M: $530 NLHE 6-Max Turbo Last Desk Outcomes
| Rank | Participant | Nation | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Toke Gerding “AresVaettur” Jensen | Denmark | $36,161 |
| 2 | Viktor “papan9_p$” Ustimov | Belarus | $26,301 |
| 3 | grinder1992 | Bulgaria | $19,130 |
| 4 | Fabiano “Kovalski1” Kovalski | Brazil | $13,914 |
| 5 | Stefan “baeks22” Schillhabel | Austria | $10,120 |
| 6 | AchoBogdanov | Bulgaria | $7,360 |
| 7 | klem90 | Austria | $5,888 |
The “GJ” Jensen talked about is none aside from PokerStars ambassador Georgina “GJReggie” James. Jensen counts James as a great pal, and is energetic in her neighborhood, a lot in order that the $3.30 Bounty Builder Turbo on Calls for are referred to as “Ares Specials” in James’ neighborhood!
The victory was made sweeter as a result of this occasion drew in a few of on-line poker’s most outstanding gamers. The likes of Alexandros “Pwndidi” Theologis, “FAL1st,” Fabiano “Kovalski1” Kovalski, Brunno “botteonpoker” Botteon, and Jensen’s heads-up opponent Viktor “papan9_p$” Ustimov had been only a handful of stellar names he needed to deal with. Nonetheless, quite than being overwhelmed by going through such gifted opponents, Jensen simply caught to his weapons and performed his A-game.
“The humorous factor… I’m actually dangerous at remembering on-line tags, and since I by no means play excessive stakes, I did not actually know. However these locally following alongside and celebrating each ladder informed me, once we bought to the ultimate desk, ‘Oh, it is simply $25M price of cashes at your desk. Straightforward work.’ It was nearly only a meme the truth that I used to be there. However it was sensible to be there. At any time when I have been in increased buy-ins earlier, I’ve generally avoided bluffing and different instances I’ve overcompensated to attempt to slot in. This time, I discovered a stability. AND the playing cards actually went my means. I performed my finest poker, AND I bought fortunate. That’s the solely means I can win a event of this magnitude, when all these crushers are my opponents.”
Jensen’s stack dwindled to solely three huge blinds at one stage of the ultimate desk, however he started eyeing the first-place prize after twice doubling up. A short while later, due to the turbo blind construction, Jensen defeated Ustimov heads-up, grew to become a WCOOP champion, and noticed $36,161 land in his PokerStars account stability.
“My plans are to repay me and my girlfriends’ pupil money owed. I’ll enhance my buy-ins a bit, too, do not get me mistaken, however I’m not keen to go loopy with it. I do know this was a fortunate punch. I can’t be going to excessive stakes earlier than I do extra finding out, so for now, I’m simply erasing debt and making life a bit sweeter for my accomplice and me.”
Earlier than Jensen returned to the day by day grind, we requested him what he would say to different PokerStars gamers who’re undecided about enjoying Energy Path tournaments.
“It’s the finest worth on the location. Plain and easy. Sprinkle it into your periods. Regardless of if you wish to construct bankroll with ticket packages or if you wish to expertise poker stay. That is the way in which.”
Observe in Jensen’s Footsteps and Play Your Option to WCOOP Principal Occasion Glory
The 2024 WCOOP is quickly nearing its thrilling conclusion, however there’s nonetheless a whole lot of poker to be performed. This weekend sees thetrio of No-Restrict Maintain’em Principal Occasions shuffle up and deal, with buy-ins of $109, $1,050, and $10,300.
Every of the WCOOP Principal Occasions has a number of choices for PokerStars gamers dreaming of competing for a share of a seven-figure prize pool, however who could not have the bankroll required to purchase in straight.
There are particular version Spin & Go tournaments, boosted satellites all through the weekend (together with an $11 buy-in with 300x $109 seats assured), and Jensen’s favourite route: Energy Path.
Jensen resides proof that you do not have to spend so much to win huge at PokerStars. Take a look at the WCOOP Principal Occasion satellites, Spin & Go, and Energy Path choices, and make the following PokerNews article all about you.
