Chop It Like It’s Hot

Joshua McSwiney limped in from early position before Ehsan Amiri bumped it up to 80,000 from the cutoff. Action folded to Jim Pizanias in the big blind, who three-bet to 225,000. McSwiney responded with a shove for 1,130,000, which quickly forced Amiri out of the way.

Pizanias went deep into the tank, muttering, “Do I want to flip?” as he wrestled with the decision. After a moment of internal debate—and some external commentary—he grabbed a stack and slammed it into the pot.

Joshua McSwiney: A♣K♦
Jim Pizanias: A♦K♠

Both players cracked a smile seeing the mirror match, but it wasn’t quite a guaranteed chop—Pizanias picked up a freeroll on the 6♣J♦9♦ flop with a backdoor flush draw. However, the 5♠5♦ runout brought no drama, and the pot was split down the middle.

“We won some of his money anyway,” Pizanias joked, nodding at Amiri.

Amiri, half-laughing, flipped him the bird and quipped, “You only get a blind and a half each.”