The 200 seat guaranteed WSOP ME Qualifier on PokerStars picked up 8076 entrants by the time registration had closed.  This meant a whopping 226 packages were there to play for.  After a gruelling 9 hours of play tioalberto had the undesired honour of bubbling in 227th to wrap up the tournament.

For the final 2 hours of the tourney many tables were being dominated completely by a big stack raising every hand, because they had others at the table covered, and obviously everyone was reluctant to bust.   Some serious stalling was taking place on all tables as the short-mid stacks were hanging on the best they could to ensure they made it.

Here is an example of a “safe” player (jacob126b38) raising every hand abusing the super-tightness of all other “unsafe” players.  He did this every hand for at least 90 mins.

PokerStars Game #18168239696: Tournament #89000000, $350+$20 Hold’em No Limit - Level XXII (5000/10000) - 2008/06/16 - 00:30:36 (ET)
Table ‘89000000 381′ 9-max Seat #9 is the button
Seat 1: AttackDog (187410 in chips)
Seat 2: baztheman (67598 in chips)
Seat 3: drpainx (89552 in chips)
Seat 4: ~J-Mani~ (32404 in chips)
Seat 5: PePsi4569 (130174 in chips)
Seat 6: jacob126b38 (1029773 in chips)
Seat 7: Leewah (69216 in chips)
Seat 8: EwigerStenz (120428 in chips)
Seat 9: NoKidding (109495 in chips)
AttackDog: posts the ante 1000
baztheman: posts the ante 1000
drpainx: posts the ante 1000
~J-Mani~: posts the ante 1000
PePsi4569: posts the ante 1000
jacob126b38: posts the ante 1000
Leewah: posts the ante 1000
EwigerStenz: posts the ante 1000
NoKidding: posts the ante 1000
AttackDog: posts small blind 5000
baztheman: posts big blind 10000
*** HOLE CARDS ***
drpainx: folds
~J-Mani~: folds
PePsi4569: folds
jacob126b38: raises 250000 to 260000
Leewah: folds
EwigerStenz: folds
NoKidding: folds
AttackDog: folds
baztheman has timed out
baztheman: folds
Uncalled bet (250000) returned to jacob126b38
baztheman is sitting out
baztheman has returned
jacob126b38 collected 34000 from pot
jacob126b38: doesn’t show hand
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot 34000 | Rake 0
Seat 1: AttackDog (small blind) folded before Flop
Seat 2: baztheman (big blind) folded before Flop
Seat 3: drpainx folded before Flop (didn’t bet)
Seat 4: ~J-Mani~ folded before Flop (didn’t bet)
Seat 5: PePsi4569 folded before Flop (didn’t bet)
Seat 6: jacob126b38 collected (34000)
Seat 7: Leewah folded before Flop (didn’t bet)
Seat 8: EwigerStenz folded before Flop (didn’t bet)
Seat 9: NoKidding (button) folded before Flop (didn’t bet)

Next hand:- 

PokerStars Game #18168292066: Tournament #89000000, $350+$20 Hold’em No Limit - Level XXII (5000/10000) - 2008/06/16 - 00:34:13 (ET)
Table ‘89000000 381′ 9-max Seat #1 is the button
Seat 1: AttackDog (181410 in chips)
Seat 2: baztheman (56598 in chips)
Seat 3: drpainx (88552 in chips)
Seat 4: ~J-Mani~ (31404 in chips)
Seat 5: PePsi4569 (129174 in chips)
Seat 6: jacob126b38 (1052773 in chips)
Seat 7: Leewah (68216 in chips)
Seat 8: EwigerStenz (119428 in chips)
Seat 9: NoKidding (108495 in chips)
AttackDog: posts the ante 1000
baztheman: posts the ante 1000
drpainx: posts the ante 1000
~J-Mani~: posts the ante 1000
PePsi4569: posts the ante 1000
jacob126b38: posts the ante 1000
Leewah: posts the ante 1000
EwigerStenz: posts the ante 1000
NoKidding: posts the ante 1000
baztheman: posts small blind 5000
drpainx: posts big blind 10000
*** HOLE CARDS ***
~J-Mani~: folds
PePsi4569 has timed out
PePsi4569: folds
PePsi4569 is sitting out
jacob126b38: raises 250000 to 260000
Leewah: folds
EwigerStenz: folds
PePsi4569 has returned
NoKidding: folds
AttackDog: folds
baztheman has timed out
baztheman: folds
baztheman is sitting out
drpainx: folds
Uncalled bet (250000) returned to jacob126b38
baztheman has returned
jacob126b38 collected 34000 from pot
jacob126b38: doesn’t show hand
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot 34000 | Rake 0
Seat 1: AttackDog (button) folded before Flop (didn’t bet)
Seat 2: baztheman (small blind) folded before Flop
Seat 3: drpainx (big blind) folded before Flop
Seat 4: ~J-Mani~ folded before Flop (didn’t bet)
Seat 5: PePsi4569 folded before Flop (didn’t bet)
Seat 6: jacob126b38 collected (34000)
Seat 7: Leewah folded before Flop (didn’t bet)
Seat 8: EwigerStenz folded before Flop (didn’t bet)
Seat 9: NoKidding folded before Flop (didn’t bet)