This week's Sunday Million -- the weekly $215 no-limit hold'em tournament on PokerStars that may be online poker's hottest event -- didn't quite match last week's in the case of turnout, nevertheless it was each piece as exciting. A field of 7,989 took part this time around, and after almost 12 hours of play it was D DIGGLER99 of Canada outlasting everyone for a first-place finish and prize of $189,044.16. And due to a three-handed final table deal, Epiphany77 of the uk also earned a handsome payday of $201,711.71 for a runner-up finish.

It took about five hours for the cash bubble to burst. With 1,170 players remaining, be lucky9 was leading with about 437,000, with peso7 (316,000) and dhutt (305,000) occupying the following two spots within the counts.

About three hours later the sector had shrunk below 100 players with shaldyn, CHUBSTER, and Telefonkiosk topping the counts because the only players with greater than 2 million chips, while both dhutt (543rd, $479.34) and peso7 (319th, $639.12) had fallen.

All of these other former leaders also can be eliminated once the tourney was approaching the 10-hour mark and field had shrunk to 18, with shaldyn going out in 81st ($1,997.25), be lucky9 in 56th ($2,476.59), CHUBSTER in 32nd ($3,195.60), and Telefonkiosk just missing the last two tables by finishing 19th ($3,516.16). Meanwhile Epiphany77 had moved well sooner than the pack with greater than 10.6 million when no person else had 7 million.

It would take about an hour more for eight more to hit the rail, with Evan "SenorPokes" Jarvis (18th), WayneDaBang (17th), and Phil "bergeroo" Huxley (16th) each earning $4,234.17; ParisienO (15th), Spraggs (14th), and swimmer25 (13th) getting rid of $6,391.20 apiece; and Ravic85 (12th) and João "tchonchiti" Almeida (11th) cashing for $8,548.23 each.

Hand-for-hand play began with 10 players left, and before long two eliminations occurred at the same hand.

On one table it was domastah open-raising all in for 1,581,894 (just a little over six big blinds) from the button with Q♠5♦ and getting called by Epiphany77 within the big blind holding K♠J♠. The board ran out 8♣K♥5♠8♥J♣, and domastah finished 10th for $8,548.23.

Meanwhile Sergio "trujustrus" Cabrera was open-pushing with a larger stack of 4,375,522 from the small blind at the other table with J♠9♠ and got looked up by D DIGGLER99 within the big blind who were dealt A♠5♠. The community cards rolled out 5♦6♥T♠6♠3♦, giving D DIGGLER99 sixes and fives and ending Cabrera's run in ninth for a $12,382.95 payday.

With crazyalex696 having moved prior to Epiphany77 within the counts and one seat already empty, the general table had begun.

Seat 1: pixigirl123 (Denmark) -- 5,316,381Seat 2: schmuggel15 (Germany) -- 7,114,369Seat 3: crazyalex696 (Latvia) -- 25,109,905Seat 4: rashevski2 (Belarus) -- 4,479,528Seat 5: Epiphany77 (UK) -- 21,063,338Seat 6: holy h3ll (Israel) -- 3,385,394Seat 7: emptySeat 8: D DIGGLER99 (Canada) -- 8,879,166Seat 9: MorrisB1 (Netherlands) -- 4,541,919

It took lower than an orbit for the following elimination to come.

The blinds were 150k/300k with a 30k ante when it folded around to Epiphany77 within the small blind who raised to 660,000. holy h3ll responded by pushing all in for 3,915,394 from the massive blind and Epiphany77 made the call.

It was A♣Q♣ for Epiphany77 while holy h3ll needed help with K♣Q♠. The board ran out nine-high -- 9♥8♥6♥4♠3♥ -- and holy h3ll was out in eighth.

The blinds moved as much as 200k/400k, and shortly it was rashevski2 pushing for 2,499,528 from early position and getting a single caller in MorrisB1 from the button. rashevski2 showed A♠4♣ and was behind MorrisB1's A♥Q♠. The board came K♠9♦7♥5♣Q♦, and rashevski2 was done in seventh.

About five minutes later, crazyalex696 open-raised all in for 5,958,722 from the button and Epiphany77 called from the small blind. Again it was a situation of both players having aces however the all-in player being outkicked as crazyalex696 had A♠2♦ and Epiphany77 A♣Q♠. The community cards rolled out J♣Q♥K♣K♦5♠ and crazyalex696 was eliminated in sixth.

Soon after that hand the blinds were still 200k/400k when D DIGGLER99 opened for 880,000 from the small blind and MorrisB1 called from the massive blind.

The flop came 3♥A♦9♦ and D DIGGLER99 fired 666,500 into the center with MorrisB1 again calling. The turn brought the 3♠ and a check from D DIGGLER99, and MorrisB1 took the hole to bet 2.4 million. D DIGGLER99 called.

The river was the T♠. This time D DIGGLER99 pushed all in for greater than 7.7 million and MorrisB1 called with the 3,666,866 left behind. MorrisB1 had 6♣3♣ for trip treys, but D DIGGLER99 had an entire house with A♥A♣ and MorrisB1 was sent railward in fifth.

The final four paused the tourney briefly to talk about a potential take care of Epiphany77 way out in front with over 43 million, D DIGGLER99 next with somewhat under 19.5 million, and schmuggel15 and pixigirl123 both around 8.7 million. But an agreement couldn't be reached and play soon resumed.

A few more minutes passed, then with the blinds as much as 250k/500k it was chip leader Epiphany77 raising to one million from under the gun and pixigirl123 reraising all in for 6,086,762 from the small blind. It folded back to Epiphany77 who called, turning over A♠T♥ to pixigirl123's A♥3♣, and five cards later -- 7♦6♦J♦7♥4♥ -- they were right down to three.

The tourney was paused again and numbers were over again produced for a potential chop. Epiphany77 still led and was as much as 53,213,402, D DIGGLER99 was next with 18,017,860, and schmuggel15 was third with 8,658,738. This time all ended up agreeing to the ICM figures and a deal was struck leaving $20,000 at the table for which to play.

schmuggel15 held on for a while, but with the blinds as much as 300k/600k pushed all in for 7,068,538 from the button and got a caller in D DIGGLER99 from the large blind. schmuggel15 had A♦K♣ and the preflop edge versus D DIGGLER99's K♥Q♠, however the flop came K♦5♠Q♣ to pair the latter twice, and after the 4♠ turn and 8♣ river schmuggel15 was out in third.

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Epiphany77 began heads-up play with just about a 2-to-1 chip advantage with 52,170,142 to D DIGGLER99's 27,719,858. However at the eighth hand between the pair the stacks were essentially switched in a hand that saw D DIGGLER99 earn a large double-up.

After D DIGGLER99 called a preflop three-bet from Epiphany77, then Epiphany77 check-called a chance at the flop from D DIGGLER99, Epiphany77 check-raised all in at the turn with the board showing 9♠T♦Q♣2♦ and D DIGGLER99 called.

D DIGGLER99 had J♦9♣ for nines and an open-ended straight draw while Epiphany77 had 8♣7♥ for a lesser open-ender, and when the river brought the 9♥ D DIGGLER99 had seized the lead.

They battled onward, then with the blinds still 300k/600k it was D DIGGLER99 raising to twelve. million, Epiphany77 making it 3 million to go, and D DIGGLER99 calling. The flop came all clubs -- K♣4♣3♣ -- and Epiphany77 checked. D DIGGLER99 bet 2.3 million, Epiphany77 check-raised to 5.4 million, and D DIGGLER99 called.

The turn was the 8♠, and Epiphany77 checked again. This time D DIGGLER99 bet 4.2 million, and when Epiphany77 check-raised again -- moving all in for 18,580,284 -- D DIGGLER99 was there with the call.

Epiphany77: K♦T♠D DIGGLER99: A♣A♠

Epiphany77 had top pair of kings but no club while D DIGGLER99 had the overpair with a flush draw in addition. The river was the Q♠, and it was in all places... using pocket aces a second time to knock out a last table opponent, D DIGGLER99 had won!

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Congratulations to D DIGGLER99 for topping another huge Sunday Million field to earn a $189K-plus payday. And kudos in addition to Epiphany77 who way to the three-handed deal took away the most important cut of this week's Sunday Million prize pool with greater than $201K.

1/12/14 Sunday Million ($215 No-Limit Hold'em) results

Players: 7,989Prize pool: $1,597,800.00Places paid: 1,170

1. D DIGGLER99 (Canada) -- $189,044.16*2. Epiphany77 (UK) -- $201,711.71*3. schmuggel15 (Germany) -- $144,511.45*4. pixigirl123 (Denmark) -- $80,529.125. MorrisB1 (Netherlands) -- $63,912.006. crazyalex696 (Latvia) -- $47,934.007. rashevski2 (Belarus) -- $31,956.008. holy h3ll (Israel) -- $18,374.709. Sergio "trujustrus" Cabrera (Portugal) -- $12,382.95

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

The 2014 PokerStars Caribbean Adventure is reaching its climax with the conclusions of both the principle Event and High Roller happening tomorrow. Click over to the PokerStars blog's start-to-finish coverage of the PCA to determine who tomorrow's winners will be.

Martin Harris is Freelance Contributor to the PokerStars Blog.

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