It took four long days of play, but the 2014 World Series of Poker Event #15: $3,000 Six-Handed No-Limit Hold’em finally has a winner. Davidi Kitai, the first-ever braclet winner from Belgium, defeated Gordon Vayo in heads-up play today to capture his third gold bracelet and $508,640 in prize money.
The tournament originally began with 810 players, but today just Kitai and Vayo returned after their heads-up match was paused on Day 3. All told the two played 109 hands of heads-up poker, during which time the lead changed on more than one occasion. Last night Kitai began heads-up play with a 5.84 million to 1.45 million lead, but over the course of 40 hands Vayo pulled out in front.
When they return for Day 4, Vayo was slightly ahead with 3.75 million to Kitai’s 3.545 million. Even so, the Belgian got to work early whittling down Vayo. Eventually Kitai reclaimed the lead he held when heads-up play began, but Vayo didn’t go down without a fight.
First he doubled with pocket aces against Kitai’s , despite the latter flopping a big sweat. Then Vayo got lucky to double with the against Kitai’s in an all-in preflop situation. However, both of those doubles just delayed the inevitable as Vayo would only drop back down.
Eventually Vayo got it all in holding the and was dominated by the of Kitai. The board ran out clean, and Vayo had to settle for second place and a $314,535 consolation prize.
Meanwhile, Kitai joined the likes of Barry Greenstein, Michael Mizrachi, Antonio Esfandiari, and Chip Reese as three-time bracelet winners while also brining his lifetime WSOP earnings up over $1.5 million.
Congratulations to Davidi Kitai, winner of Event #15: $3,000 Six-Handed No-Limit Hold’em.
Hand #226: Gordon Vayo gave Davidi Kitai a walk in the big blind.
Hand #227: Kitai folded his button and Vayo received a walk.
Hand #228: Vayo gifted Kitai a walk.
Hand #229: Kita moved all-in and Vayo folded.
Hand #230: Vayo folded on the button.
Hand #231: Kitai moved all in and Vayo called.
Kitai showed and Vayo the dominated . Kitai left the table and went to stand with his friends on the rail. Vayo remained at the table with his hands behind his head.
The flop kept Kitai’s hand ahead and actually gave him extra outs to a straight. The on the run changed nothing and the on the river secured the win for Kitai who now has three World Series of Poker bracelets to his name and is the first non-American winner of a bracelet at the 2014 WSOP.
Hand #206: Davidi Kitai moved all in from the button and Gordon Vayo looked at one card and called off for 880,000.
"I swear to god I only looked at one," Vayo said in shock when he turned over his mystery card to reveal pocket aces.
Vayo:
Kitai:
Vayo was in a dominating position, but his confidence disappeared when the flop delivered the ultimate sweat as Kitai picked up the nut flush draw. The crowd was on its feet and held their collective breath as the dealer burned and turned the .
Vayo successfully dodged a heart, but he had to do it one more time to stay alive. The river was red, but fortunately for Vayo it was the safe and he was awarded the double.
Event #15: $3,000 Six-Handed No-Limit Hold'em of the 2014 World Series of Poker was supposed to be a three-day affair, but due to a prolonged heads-up match between Gordon Vayo and Davidi Kitai, an impromptu fourth day has been added to determine a winner.
Yesterday the final 15 players of an 810-player field returned for ten one-hour levels of play. During that time the field lost some big names including Phil Hellmuth and Tony Ruberto is eighth and third place respectively. That left Kitai and Vayo to battle it out for the $508,640 first-place prize with the former holding a significant chip lead over the latter. However, Vayo managed to win a race with pocket sixes against big slick and then slowly grinded his way into the chip lead over the course of 40 hands.
One man who wasn't surprised by Vayo's comeback was online poker's biggest tournament winner Chris Moorman, who was sweating his friend from afar. "Gordon is a great hu player and I could easily see him coming back to win this," Moorman tweeted. "Kitai is going to get himself in trouble by isolating such weak hands oop forcing himself to barrell off with poor equity."
Today Vayo will begin with a slight 3.75 million to 3.545 million chip lead over Kitai, who is seeking his third WSOP gold bracelet and second in two years. Action will pick up in Level 31 with the blinds at 50,000/100,000.
The PokerNews Live Reporting Team will be providing hand-for-hand coverage until a winner is determined. Cards will be in the air at 1 p.m. local time, which is just over an hour from now. Stay tuned!
, despite the latter flopping a big sweat. Then Vayo got lucky to double with the 
against Kitai’s 
in an all-in preflop situation. However, both of those doubles just delayed the inevitable as Vayo would only drop back down.
and was dominated by the 
of Kitai. The board ran out clean, and Vayo had to settle for second place and a $314,535 consolation prize.
on the run changed nothing and the 
on the river secured the win for Kitai who now has three World Series of Poker bracelets to his name and is the first non-American winner of a bracelet at the 2014 WSOP.
flop delivered the ultimate sweat as Kitai picked up the nut flush draw. The crowd was on its feet and held their collective breath as the dealer burned and turned the 
.
and he was awarded the double.