Davidi Kitai Wins Event #15: $3,000 Six-Handed NLHE for Third Bracelet ($508,640)
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.