The final table of Event #38 was one of those affairs where the casual fan probably would have benefited from the players having their names on the back of their shirts like they do in football or hockey. When it comes to "star power" this table was seriously lacking. Thankfully poker is less about the personalities and more about people who know how to play the game. In that particular case, this table was loaded.
Davidi Kitai started the day in the middle of the pack but that was a temporary situation at best. While he did not score any of the early eliminations, he still won a number of pots, and was quietly building his war chest while Chris Bell drove most of the final table's higher profile action. Bell started out quickly. He had gotten Michael Greco all in which wasn't difficult considering the fact that Greco had a pair of Kings, and justifiably believed he was in the best position. Of course what he didn't count on was the unlikely possibility that Bell would have a pair of Aces. When Chris tabled those cards Michael just looked in stunned disbelief. The board did nothing to improve either of them beyond two-pair, and Michael Greco was sent packing in 9th place.
Bell had also taken out Ayez Mahmood in 7th place and Robert Cheung in 6th place. Cheung, who was still enjoying the chips he had won when he eliminated "Gentleman" Ben Roberts in 8th place, before surrendering them to Bell.
Chris Bell eliminated Day 1 and 2 chip leader Lee Watkinson, but the hand before he was eliminated in 5th place he was severely crippled after being on the losing end of big pot that Kitai won with a straight. After that lose he jumped on the first Ace that showed up in his hand. Watkinson was all in against Bell who had an Ace of his own. The war of the kickers didn't go Lee's way and he was out.
Jan Von Halle had started the final table in first place, but, like Watkinson, found himself crippled after an encounter with Davidi Kitai. In the first hand, Von Halle lost most of his chips when Kitai rivered a flush. Following that, Davidi would not be content with letting Chris Bell finish off his kill, and went for the throat himself.
Jan Von Halle was all in and hoping that the pair of Queens he made on the flop would hold up. Unfortunately, the Ace that also flopped on the board matched one in Kitai's hand, and Jan Von Halle was out in 4th place.
On the very next hand, Keith Greer's pocket Jacks felt the wrath of Chris Bell's Queens, and he was out in 3rd place. The final two were Davidi Kitai who had spent most of the final table crippling opponents, and Chris Bell who seemed to enjoy finishing them off.
Davidi Kitai started heads-up play almost a half-million chips down to Chris Bell. In a lot of tournaments this would have meant a quick finish. On this day the final pairing was a marathon event that went back and forth like a tennis match.
On hand 240, Davidi Kitai finally took the chip lead for good with pocket Queens. His two ladies connected with one on the flop. In the round of betting preceding the river with an Q-3-2-4 on the board, the Kitai went all in. Inexplicably Chris Bell made the call while only holding a K-8.
Something about Kitai obviously made Bell think he was bluffing, but when Davidi flipped his cards over to expose two Queens, Chris tried to muck his hand. Obviously he had to show his cards. The river didn't matter because it was all over after the turn card. Davidi Kitai had now taken a 10 to 1 chip lead.
The singing lady may have been warming up her pipes at that point, but she wouldn't be doing any singing until fifty hands later when Chris Bell finally succumbed. In that last gasp it was Davidi's A-Q that held serve against Bell's A-J.
Davidi Kitai, the Belgian pro, went away with a hard fought, well earned bracelet and $244,546 for the first place finish.


