Tim "blumenkind53" Ulrich knows a little something about the Sunday Million final table. Back in August 2010 he won it, but due to a four-way deal, the $160,781 he took home that night wasn't the largest share of the prize pool. Since then, Ulrich has won two Super Tuesday titles and tonight he got the chance to make it a double in the Million as well. Sporting a substantial chip lead with three players remaining, Ulrich was hesitant to negotiate a deal at this final table, but when Running Goot began to live up to his name, winning a massive coin flip to double up, Ulrich changed his tune. Blumenkind53 locked up $180,000 in the deal only to be dealt a huge cooler moments later. Blumenkind53 didn't win his second Sunday Million crown tonight-- those honors went to liv_hbk-- but he did come away with over $15,000 more than the winner. Who says there's no karma in poker?

7,439 players bought in to this week's Million, pushing the prize pool up to $1,487,800.00. 1,080 places were paid with first place set to earn $223,174.92. Twenty-one Red Spades were scattered through the field including Liv Boeree, Jake Cody, Marcel Luske, Andre Akkari, Joe Cada, George Danzer and the brothers De Meulder. Two finished in the money-- Martin Hruby (874th) and Andre Coimbra (226th).

Blinds were up to 125,000/250,000 with ten players remaining and PoKAaGuurl was down to only 1.2 million. With the action folded to him in the small blind, PoKAaGuurl shoved with [Js][4h] and Balda23 called with [Qc][2c] in the big blind. Balda23 flopped a queen and PoKAaGuurl flopped a four, but PoKAaGuurl didn't improve any further and was eliminated on the final table bubble.

Final table chip counts

Seat 1: Madcandle (6,738,196 in chips)
Seat 2: orba88 (3,276,826 in chips)
Seat 3: m0ura0886 (3,906,101 in chips)
Seat 4: blumenkind53 (11,366,772 in chips)
Seat 5: Balda23 (12,112,281 in chips)
Seat 6: DonkingDonks (8,851,176 in chips)
Seat 7: Running Goot (9,607,826 in chips)
Seat 8: liv_hbk (6,696,640 in chips)
Seat 9: 1mDonuts (11,834,182 in chips)

One down on Hand #1

The first hand of the final table produced its first elimination. With 3.9 million behind, m0ura0886 opened for a 3x raise to 750,000 from UTG and Balda23 shoved for 12 million from middle position. M0ura0886 called, his [5c][5d] racing with [Ad][Kd]. M0ura0886 survived the [Qs][Td][8h] flop as well as the [8d] turn, but the [Ac] spiked on the river to give Balda23 the win. M0ura0886 was eliminated in ninth place, earning $11,530.45.

Balda23 busts in eighth

As the blinds rose to 150,000/300,000, short stack orba88 caught a break. All-in for 2.7 million, orba88's pocket queens flopped top set vs. Balda23's [Ah][8h], good for a double-up to 5.93 million. However, Balda23's chips soon ended up in liv_hbk's stack. After blumenkind53 opened for a min-raise, Balda23 three-bet to 1.75 million from middle position and liv_hbk shoved from the big blind. Blumenkind53 folded and Balda23 called, his [Ts][Th] up against [Kc][Qd]. However, liv_hbk flopped a king and turned a queen to win the 16.3 million pot, leaving Balda23 below 5 million in chips.

A short time later, DonkingDonks opened for 888,000 UTG and Balda23 shoved for 4.65 million from the big blind. DonkingDonks called, his [As][Kh] dominating Balda23's [Ah][Ts]. The ace-king held, the board running out [9h][9s][5c][7d][Js] to eliminate Balda23 in eighth place ($17,853.60).

orba88 ousted, liv_hbk wants a deal

One orbit later, the action folded around to orba88 in the small blind. Orba88 found pocket sevens and moved all-in for 4.4 million only to run into blumenkind53's [As][Kc] in the big blind. Blumenkind53 hit a king on the flop and ended orba88's run in seventh place, good for a $31,987.70 payday.

Running Goot got a boost when he doubled through liv_hbk, his [Ah][Qh] winning a race against [7s][7h]. Liv_hbk was left with only 4.2 million but got lucky against DonkingDonks a few hands later. All-in with [Ah][Td] against [Jd][Jc], liv_hbk hit a [Th][Tc][9s] flop and doubled to a more comfortable 13.2 million.

Back in safer territory, liv_hbk polled his opponents with regard to a potential deal.

liv_hbk: up to tim
Madcandle: i have it ticked
Madcandle: cant hurt to look
blumenkind53: as soon as we look i ll say its not enough and then will be the greedy guy, so it doesnt make sense lets play on
Running Goot: yeah its all good

blumenkind53's back-to-back bustouts

1mDonuts was the last player below 10bb and when he three-bet shoved for 5.1 million, blumenkind53 was all too happy to call with [Kh][Kd]. 1mDonuts's [Ad][Js] did not improve and he hit the rail in sixth place, collecting $46,121.80.

On the very next deal the actio coded to Madcandle on the button. He moved all-in for 10.4 million and blumenkind53 reshoved for 16.4 million from the small blind. Blumenkind53's [As][Qh] had Madcandle's [Ac][8s] crushed, and he made a Broadway straight to boot on the [Kc][Jc][4c][Td][Th] board. For fifth place, Madcandle took home $60,999.80.

Madcandle burns out

Two hands after Madcandle's elimination, Running Goot three-bet shoved from the small blind with [Th][Td] and initial raiser DonkingDonks called with [Ad][Qh]. This time the coin fell with the pair and DonkingDonks was crippled to less than 2 million in chips. Blumenkind53 finished him off a few hands later, his [8h][9h] rivering a ten-high straight vs. DonkingDonks's [Ah][Jc].

We have a deal!

At long last, all three players agreed to pause the action and look at numbers. Here's a look at how they stacked up at the time:

blumenkind53 - 32,418,811
Running Goot - 26,324,895
liv_hbk - 15,646,294

Liv_hbk requested ICM figures, but upon seeing them, blumenkind53 deemed his share too small.

HostPeterZ (Administrator): blumenkind53:$171,726.00
HostPeterZ (Administrator): Running Goot:$165,412.48
HostPeterZ (Administrator): liv_hbk:$149,268.92
HostPeterZ (Administrator): Left To Play for place 1: $20,000.00

blumenkind53: ok i can not go under 180k so I need 8.3k from the 2 of you
liv_hbk: i'll give you 4
Running Goot: ill top you up to 180k
Running Goot: w/ the chip chop

After a bit of nipping and tucking our trio came to a consensus, locking up the following shares:

HostPeterZ (Administrator): blumenkind53:$180,000.00
HostPeterZ (Administrator): Running Goot:$161,412.48
HostPeterZ (Administrator): liv_hbk:$144,994.92
HostPeterZ (Administrator): Left To Play for place 1: $20,000.00

blumenkind53 eliminated in third place

No sooner had cards gone back in the air did liv_hbk and blumenkind53 get into a pre flop raising war. Blumenkind53 five-bet shoved for 32.2 million with [Jd][Js] only to run into liv_hbk's [Ah][Ad]. Liv_hbk's aces held and blumenkind53 plummeted to 14 million in chips.

Blumenkind53 chipped back up to 23 million, but again ran into liv_hbk with a monster hand. Blumenkind53 made another five-bet shove, this time with [Ah][Jh], and liv_hbk looked him up with [Ad][Kh]. Liv_hbk's dominating hand held and blumenkind53's run at a second Sunday Million title came to an end in third place. However, blumenkind53 took the largest share of the prize pool at $180,000 thanks to the three-way deal.

Heads-up chip counts

Seat 7: Running Goot (26,039,240 in chips)
Seat 8: liv_hbk (48,350,760 in chips)

Running Goot did just that, doubling up on the first hand of heads-up play. In a three-bet pot, Running Goot fired the flop, turn, and river on a [Th][3c][2c][Kd][6h] board, liv_hbk calling down the whole way with [Ac][2h]. Running Goot's top pair with [Kh][7h was good and he doubled to 52 million.

Liv_hbk went back to work and chipped up from 22.3 million to 32.4 million. With the blinds up to 400,000/800,000, liv)hbk three-bet pre flop to 4 million, then checked the [Ah][5h][2c] flop. Running Goot checked behind. The turn came the [8h] and liv_hbk bet 4.25 million. Running Goot called and they went to the river, the [9d]. Liv_hbk fired another 6.55 million and Running Goot folded, surrendering the chip lead to liv_hbk.

Sporting a 7 million lead over Running Goot, liv_hbk went for the touchdown on the next hand... and scored!

Congratulations to Romania's liv_hbk on winning the Sunday Million! He banked $164,994.92 for the win while runner-up Running Goot earned $161,412.48.

PokerStars Sunday Million results for 11-17-2013

Players: 7,439
Prizepool: $1,487,800.00
Places paid: 1,080

1. liv_hbk (Romania) $164,994.92*
2. Running Goot (Canada) $161,412.48*
3. Tim "blumenkind53" Ulrich (Germany) $180,000.00*
4. DonkingDonks (Canada) $78,853.40
5. Madcandle (Finland) $60,999.80
6. 1mDonuts (Malta) $46,121.80
7. orba88 (Israel) $31,987.70
8. Balda23 (Czech Republic) $17,853.60
9. m0ura0886 (Portugal) $11,530.45

*= reflects the results of a three-handed deal that left $20,000 in play for the winner

Kristin Bihr is a freelance contributor to the PokerStars Blog.

Read More... [Source: PokerStarsBlog.com :: Sunday Million]