2014 World Series of Poker

Event #15: $3,000 Six-Handed No-Limit Hold'em
Day: 3
Event Info

2014 World Series of Poker

Final Results
Winner
Winning Hand
ak
Prize
$508,640
Event Info
Buy-in
$3,000
Prize Pool
$2,211,300
Entries
810
Level Info
Level
32
Blinds
60,000 / 120,000
Ante
15,000

Hands #61-65: Vayo Doubles Through Kitai

Level 27 : 20,000/40,000, 5,000 ante

Hand #61: Gordon Vayo moved all in and Davidi Kitai asked for a count of his stack. The dealer obliged and informed Kitai it was for 618,000. Armed with this information Kitai decided to call.

Kitai showed {K-Spades}{9-Clubs} and was against the {Q-Clubs}{10-Hearts} of Vayo. The final board read {8-Clubs}{3-Hearts}{3-Clubs}{A-Clubs}{10-Clubs} and Vayo won the pot and doubled up.

Hand #62: Tony Ruberto raised to 100,000 from the button and Kitai went into the tank for close to a minute before emerging with a raise to 225,000 from the big blind. Ruberto moved all-in, Kitai grimaced and mucked his hand.

Hand #63: Kitai’s raise to 85,000 from the button went uncalled.

Hand #64: It was heads up to the {K-Clubs}{Q-Spades}{A-Diamonds} and both Ruberto and Kitai checked, which is what happened on the {6-Spades} turn. Ruberto lead out for 75,000 on the {9-Hearts} river and then called when Kitai raised to 230,000.

Kitai took the pot down with his {9-Diamonds}{6-Clubs}.

Hand #65: Ruberto raised to 85,000 from the button and Kitai responded with a three-bet to 265,000. Vayo folded but Ruberto called.

The dealer put the {4-Spades}{8-Clubs}{6-Diamonds} flop into view, Kitai bet 225,000 and Ruberto called. The turn was the {J-Hearts} and Kitai moved all-in prompting a quick fold from Ruberto.

Tags: Davidi KitaiGordon VayoTony Ruberto

Mark Darner Eliminated in 4th Place ($132,169)

Level 27 : 20,000/40,000, 5,000 ante
Mark Darner - 4th Place
Mark Darner - 4th Place

Hand #56: Davidi Kitai opened for 85,000 under the gun and took down the blinds and antes.

Hand #57: Gordon Vayo moved all in under the gun for 615,000 and the rest of the players folded.

Hand #58: Tony Ruberto moved all in from the button and won the pot.

Hand #59: Davidi Kitai raised to 85,000 from the button and won the pot.

Hand #60: Davidi Kitai raised to 85,000 under the gun and Mark Darner moved all in from the small blind for 620,000. Tony Ruberto then moved all in over the top for just 30,000 more and Kitai got out of the way.

Ruberto: {j-Diamonds}{j-Spades}
Darner: {a-Spades}{q-Hearts}

It was a flip, but Darner needed to improve to stay alive. It didn't happen on the {2-Hearts}{6-Hearts}{2-Spades} flop, nor on the {10-Spades} turn. That meant Darner needed either an ace or queen on the river, but it was not meant to be as the {5-Spades} blanked.

Darner exited to a nice round of applause spearheaded by his rail which included Ryan Tepen, Ronnie Barah, and Chris Conrad.

Player Chips Progress
Tony Ruberto us
Tony Ruberto
1,300,000 650,000
Mark Darner us
Mark Darner
Busted

Tags: Mark DarnerTony Ruberto

Hands #47-55: Kitai is in Control

Level 27 : 20,000/40,000, 5,000 ante
Davidi Kitai
Davidi Kitai

Hand #47: Davidi Kitai opened for a raise from the button and won the pot uncontested.

Hand #48: Kitai raised to 85,000 and added yet more chips to his massive stack.

Hand #49: Tony Ruberto raised to 120,000 from the small blind and Kitai folded in the big blind.

Hand #50: Kitai sets the price to play at 95,000 and Gordon Vayo lets the Belgian have the pot.

Hand #51: Ruberto raised to 85,000 when first to act nd Kitai called on the button.

The dealer spread the {3-Diamonds}{7-Clubs}{J-Diamonds} flop and both players checked. The {2-Diamonds} came into play on the turn and again Ruberto checked, but Kitai was in no mood for checking behind, instead he made it 140,000 and Ruberto folded.

Hand #52: Ruberto received a walk in the big blind.

Hand #53: Ruberto raised to 85,000 from the small blind, putting the action on Kitai in the big blind. Kitai called and the {3-Diamonds}{2-Clubs}{3-Clubs} flop was placed onto the felt.

Ruberto bet 115,000, Kitai rechecked his hole cards before calling. Ruberto led for 140,000 upon the arrival of the {Q-Spades} turn, yet Kitai wouldn’t go away and he called.

The river brought the {3-Spades} into play and both players checked.

Kitai showed {A-Clubs}{5-Diamonds} and won the pot.

Hand #54: From the small blind, Kitai raised to 95,000. Vayo folded in the big blind and Kitai won another pot.

Hand #55: Once again Kitai raised preflop, but this time folded when Mark Darner three-bet all in from the big blind.

Tags: Davidi KitaiGordon VayoMark DarnerTony Ruberto

John Andress Eliminated in 5th Place ($89,734)

Level 27 : 20,000/40,000, 5,000 ante
John Andress - 5th Place
John Andress - 5th Place

Hand #42: Mark Darner received a walk in the big blind.

Hand #43: Tony Ruberto received a walk in the big blind.

Hand #44: John Andress moved all in under the gun for 260,000 and Davidi Kitai called. Andress turned over the {a-Spades}{6-Spades}, and Kitai held the same hand with the {a-Diamonds}{6-Clubs}. The board ran out {a-Spades}{3-Spades}{a-Hearts}{q-Clubs}{9-Clubs} and the two chopped the pot.

Hand #45: Tony Ruberto opened for 90,000 and won the pot.

Hand #46: Action folded to a short-stacked John Andress in the small blind and he moved all in for 230,000. Gordon Vayo was in the big and made the call.

Andress: {a-Hearts}{2-Diamonds}
Vayo: {k-Spades}{j-Clubs}

Andress got it in good, but Vayo took the lead when the {5-Spades}{k-Clubs}{4-Diamonds} flop paired his king. The {J-Diamonds} turn gave him two pair, which meant Andress needed to catch a three for a wheel to survive. The dealer burned one last time and put out the {4-Spades}. Andress missed and exited the tournament in fifth place for $89,734.

Player Chips Progress
Gordon Vayo us
Gordon Vayo
850,000 250,000
John Andress us
John Andress
Busted

Tags: John AndressGordon Vayo

Level: 27

Blinds: 20,000/40,000

Ante: 5,000

Pre-Dinner Interview With Chip Leader Davidi Kitai

Level 26 : 15,000/30,000, 5,000 ante
Davidi Kitai
Davidi Kitai

We caught up with Davidi Kitai as he prepared for the dinner break to see how the two-time World Series of Poker bracelet winner, and owner of poker's coveted Triple Crown, has managed to accumulate such massive stacks on each day of the tournament. And of course, we couldn't resist asking the proud Belgian how it felt to be called a "crazy Frenchman" by none other than the "Poker Brat" himself Phil Hellmuth.

PokerNews: Davidi, you seem to be on a tear in this tournament, finishing Day 1 in the top five on the leaderboard, bagging the second-largest stack after Day 2, and entering the final table with more than a million chips separating you from your closest competitor. Now, as you head off to dinner, you've built a castle of 4,695,000, while none of your four remaining opponents even has a million. How have you been able to consistently build such an impressive stack?

David Kitai: I started the day like second in chips, so I started with a good stack, and everything went well. I had Phil Hellmuth on my right and we play many pots together, and I don’t know, I didn’t lose many pots today. So I ran good, I played good, and that’s really it.

PokerNews: Speaking of Phil, he had an interesting quote earlier in the day after you three-bet him out of yet another pot. He said “crazy Frenchman is going to cost me my 14th bracelet … You have no chance to win sir.” Obviously, you’re not from France, you’re a proud Belgian. What would you like to say to Phil now that he’s not here, perhaps a geography lesson or a primer on the great nation of Belgium?

I mean, the confusion happens often because of my sponsorship with Winamax, so it’s not that big of a deal. The good part is that I realized he didn’t know me from the beginning, so I started to three-bet more, and to play more aggressive against him.

PokerNews: You’d think the man with more bracelets than anybody else would know that you won your second bracelet just last year.

No he didn’t know, he didn’t know anything. He called me a “random French guy,” so that was obviously a good point for my image.

PokerNews: You’re back on the WSOP final table stage competing for a third bracelet, but both of those came in Pot-Limit Hold’em events. How does this experience compare — are you more comfortable now that you’ve been here before, or does the spotlight shine just as brightly every time you make it to the peak?

It’s completely different actually because it’s six-max. Most of the time I prefer six-max; the game has more aggression and is more fun as well.

Tags: Davidi KitaiPhil HellmuthWSOP 2014

Hands #38-41

Level 26 : 15,000/30,000, 5,000 ante

Hand #38: Davidi Kitai opened with a raise to 60,000 and Tony Ruberto called.

The pair watched on as the flop came down {Q-Diamonds}{7-Spades}{9-Diamonds} and both players checked. Ruberto then checked the {A-Clubs} turn and Kitai tried his luck with a 45,000 bet and Ruberto called. The river card was the {9-Hearts} and now Ruberto came out firing, making it 100,000 to play.

Kitai sat motionless except for the riffling of some orange chips, before reaching for chips and making it 360,000 to play. Ruberto instantly folded.

Hand #39: Gordon Vayo raised to 65,000 and won the pot without a fight.

Hand #40: Vayo raised to 65,000 and Mark Darner three-bet to 152,000. Everyone else folded, as did Vayo, leaving Darner to scoop up the pot.

Hand #41: Darner folded under the gun, Ruberto was next to act and he made it 65,000 to play. Kitai was on the button and he squeezed to 140,000 and both blinds mucked. Ruberto folded and the players headed off for a 60-minute dinner break.

Tags: Davidi KitaiGordon VayoMark DarnerTony Ruberto

Hands #32-#38: Kitai vs. Vayo

Level 26 : 15,000/30,000, 5,000 ante

Hand #32: Mark Darner gets a walk in the big blind.

Hand #33: Davidi Kitai opened for 65,000 under the gun and Gordon Vayo called from the button. The {4-Spades}{j-Clubs}{6-Clubs} flop saw Kitai lead out for 60,000 and Vayo call. After the dealer burned and turned the {6-Spades}, Kitai bet again, this time 125,000, and Vayo called for a second time. When the {9-Spades} completed the board on the river, Kitai bet 140,000 and Vayo called. Davidi turned over the {j-Diamonds}{10-Spades} for jacks and sixes, and it was good as Vayo sent his cards to the muck.

Hand #34: Gordon Vayo raised to 75,000 from the cutoff and was met by a three-bet to 205,000 from Tony Ruberto in the small blind. Vayo released his hand.

Hand #35: Gordon raised under the gun and won the pot.

Hand #36: John Andress moved all in from the small blind and took it down.

Hand #37: Tony Ruberto raised to 70,000 under the gun and took down the blinds and antes.

Tags: Davidi KitaiGordon Vayo

Zachary Korik Eliminated in 6th Place ($62,690)

Level 26 : 15,000/30,000, 5,000 ante
Zachary Korik - 6th place finisher
Zachary Korik - 6th place finisher

Hand #31: Zachary Korik open-shoved from the small with what turned out to be {10-Diamonds}{7-Diamonds} and Gordon Vayo called from the big blind with {K-Diamonds}{J-Diamonds}.

The {A-Diamonds}{8-Hearts}{6-Clubs} flop did not improve either player and Korik looked in trouble. The {Q-Spades} turn kept Vayo in front and left Korik needing a seven, nine or ten to win the hand and stay in the tournament. The {3-Diamonds} fell on the river, which was not one of Korik’s outs and he busted in sixth place, a finish good for $62,690.

Player Chips Progress
Gordon Vayo us
Gordon Vayo
1,500,000 400,000
Zachary Korik us
Zachary Korik
Busted

Tags: Gordon VayoZachary Korik