It has been a rough 2013 for Chris Big HuniHunichen (pictured), who barreled to a second place finish in the 888 Poker Whale last weekend for $39,000 officially. The longtime member of the PocketFives community has $5.4 million in tracked scores, but admitted, “I have had a pretty rough year online for the first time in my life. I was on my last session before getting backed again, so it couldn’t have come at a better time.”

The Whale comes with a $530 buy-in and paid out $260,000 to the top 82 finishers. Hunichen asserted to PocketFives, “I love the tournament and the idea. 888 overall is pretty soft even though this bird brings out some of the sickos, which can make things really awkward because a lot of them have names I don’t recognize yet. Most of them know it’s me because my screen name is so obvious, so instantly the dynamics are changed when I play on 888.”

Prior to his second place finish to foraminiferain the Whale, Hunichen had never cashed in the tournament before. “I told my horse and one of my best friends the day before how I had never cashed in that tournament and, knowing I was close to possibly getting backed again, I told him I would give it one more chance, so it was kind of fitting I ended my online dry streak with a chop in the Whale.”

As we said, his Whale score bucked an off-year for Hunichen, who recapped, “I have only been a breakeven player on PokerStars and Full Tilt in 2013. It has been quite a change and quite a wakeup call. Luckily, I have had had a good year with backing and buying pieces to keep me afloat. I also finally hit my first big live score and my first six-figure score this year when I final tabled the first ever Millionaire Maker WSOP event.”

Hunichen finished sixth in the WSOP Millionaire Maker for $229,000, one of three in the money finishes he had at the annual Las Vegas series this year. He gleaned, “I changed some things in my game and haven’t been playing my best at crucial times when I need to be stepping up to the plate. Luckily, the WSOP final table and the Whale have made it a solid year overall.”

Hunichen is camped out in Costa Rica playing online poker. He traveled to Las Vegas for the WSOP, returned to Central America, and then headed to Florida for the $10 million guaranteed tournament at Seminole Hard Rock. There, he relayed, “I got in for five bullets and was pretty frustrated by the time I left. On bullet #1, Gags30 (pictured) bluffed me for all of the chips where if I had called, I would have had a massive stack and only gotten in for one bullet.” He ultimately did not cash.

Hunichen recently purchased a dune buggy, which he has been “whipping around on checking out all of the dirt roads around Playas del Coco.” On the move in general, Hunichen said, “It has been pretty easy. Moving to a different country was a little tough at first, but it was a blessing. I have lived in paradise for over two years now and I’m surrounded by all of my brothers and my beautiful girlfriend, so it’s a pretty good life.”

In case you’re wondering, Hunichen met his girlfriend when he moved to Costa Rica. He explained, “We were just friends and she was in another town for close to a year. When she came back to Coco, we started hanging out. Eventually, we started dating and somehow I got convinced to finally slow down my lifestyle and get a girlfriend again.”

If playing in the Whale sounds like a hoot, you can sign up for 888 Poker through PocketFives’ links and make a deposit to get a 100% up to $600 bonus, $8 free, and one free month of PocketFives MTT Training. Plus, sign up before the end of September for 888 through PocketFives’ links and you’ll get three free months of PocketFives Trainingupon earning 50 player points on the site. Create your account through this link.

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