|
Live: $25,500 WPT World Championship
Live: $100,000 WPT Super High Roller
| Earnings | $5,000 |
| Cashes | 1 |
| Final Tables | 1 |
| Titles | 0 |
| Tournaments Played | 3 |
Est. Current Chipcount
Est. Average Chipcount
4,469,586
Current Chipleader
-
Day 1
59,900
Day 2
670,000
Day 3
6th
Level 30: 60,000-120,000, 20,000 ante
The WPT Celebrity Invitational may be a party during the early goings of the charity tournament, but Wednesday’s final table is all business. Therefore, it is only fitting that this year’s Invitational final table was stacked with poker pros, chess prodigies, and six people who take the game very seriously.
In the end though, the event came down to a heads-up battle between two friends who grinned at each other and made jokes as they shoved all-in on each other on a quest to win the $100,000 top prize. Belgian poker pro Davidi Kitai and ranked chess player Almira Skripchenko have been part of the same group of European pros for years and last night they were foes at the table as the two maneuvered their way through an action-packed final table to end up heads-up with each other for the big prize.
Both took turns holding the chip lead both early in the final table and during heads-up play. Kitai got out to an early lead, but Skripchenko vaulted to the top of the counts after doubling thru Dinara Khaziyeva. Both ladies flopped two pair on a K
10
9 board and, while Skripchenko’s 9
10 had the worst of it on the flop, she turned a 9 to fill up, take the pot, and leave Khaziyeva running on fumes. Skripchenko got the rest of Khaziyeva’s chips one hand later and chipped up to nearly 1.5 million—nearly twice that of her next closest competitor, Kitai.
Skripchenko didn’t enjoy the lead for long though, as Dan Heimiller doubled thru Damon Chramm with AK to Schramm’s A10. The very next hand, Heimiller picked up pocket aces to finish Schramm off in fifth place and take the chip lead.
Heimiller started to pull away from the field during four-handed play, but he fell back to the middle of the pack when he lost a coinflip to double up Kitai. That kick-started a run for Kitai as he chipped up to over 2.6 million while everyone else was sitting on short stacks. Skripchenko doubled back into seven figures when she made a move with K6 and ran into George Rechnitzer’s A
Q. Skripchenko pair her king to take all but 30,000 of Rechnitzer’s chips and Rechnitzer headed home in fourth just one hand later.
Heimiller was the short man on the totem pole three-handed, even after doubling thru Kitai. He later moved in with Q5 and Kitai called out of the big blind with K6. Kitai made two pair to bust Heimiller and head into heads-up play with a 2-1 chip advantage.
Despite the chip disadvantage, Skripchenko dug in and fought hard, doubling up and eventually take the chip lead. The bout was neck and neck for a while, but in the end, Kitai’s run of good cards and aggressive play prevailed.
On the final hand of play, Kitai open shoved with Q3 and Skripchenko picked off the steal, calling with A2. The AJ3 flop looked good for Skripchenko, but the Q on the turn gave Kitai two pair and the lead in the hand. The river K meant victory was Kitai’s, while Skripchenko had to settle for second place and $50,000.
Here are the results from the Season IX WPT Celebrity Invitational final table:
1st: Davidi Kitai - $100,000
2nd: Almira Skripchenko - $50,000
3rd: Dan Heimiller - $20,000
4th: George Rechnitzer - $15,000
5th: Damon Schramm - $10,000
6th: Dinara Khaziyeva - $5,000
Level 25: 20,000-40,000, 5,000 ante
Almira Skripchenko moves all in from the small blind for 1.2 million, and Dinara Khaziyeva thinks for about 30 seconds before she calls with 102. Skripchenko turns over A10, and Khaziyeva is dominated as she faces elimination.
The board comes AK86J, and Almira Skripchenko wins the pot with a pair of aces to eliminate Dinara Khaziyeva in sixth place.
Seat 1. Dinara Khaziyeva - Out in 6th Place ($5,000)
Seat 2. Damon Schramm - 770,000
Seat 3. George Rechnitzer - 655,000
Seat 4. Dan Heimiller - 665,000
Seat 5. Davidi Kitai - 880,000
Seat 6. Almira Skripchenko - 1,480,000
Level 25: 20,000-40,000, 5,000 ante
Dinara Khaziyeva raises under the gun to 105,000, and Almira Skripchenko calls. The flop comes K109, Skripchenko checks, Khaziyeva bets 130,000, and Skripchenko thinks for about 30 seconds before moving all in for 555,000.
Khaziyeva thinks for a bit before she calls all in with K10 (two pair, kings and tens). Skripchenko turns over 109 for a lower two pair (tens and nines), and she is dominated as she faces elimination.
The turn card is -- the 9! Skripchenko takes the lead with a full house, nines full of tens, and Khaziyeva needs a king on the river.
The river card is the 7, and Almira Skripchenko wins the pot with a full house to double up in chips.
Seat 1. Dinara Khaziyeva - 90,000
Seat 2. Damon Schramm - 775,000
Seat 3. George Rechnitzer - 660,000
Seat 4. Dan Heimiller - 670,000
Seat 5. Davidi Kitai - 885,000
Seat 6. Almira Skripchenko - 1,370,000
Level 24: 15,000-30,000, 5,000 ante
By BJ Nemeth
The WPT Celebrity Invitational is often called the most fun tournament of the year, and it's easy to see why. The field is a mix of actors, singers, VIPs, and professional poker players, and the first night feels more like a giant party than a poker tournament.
This year's field attracted 482 players, and about $95,000 was raised from player rebuys. (The World Poker Tour chipped in the difference to make it an even $100,000.) The money raised is donated to the Chrysalis charity, which provides job placement for the poor and the homeless to help them rebuild their lives.
When the dust settled after two days, there were six players remaining, including two international-ranked female chess masters, Almira Skripchenko and Dinara Khaziyeva. The notable poker pro at the table is Dan Heimiller, who final tabled the WPT Borgata Poker Open back in Season VII, finishing third.
There will be a 10-day break before the final table, which will be held on Wednesday, March 2nd. (This is done so it can be recorded on the WPT stage on back-to-back days with the upcoming WPT LA Poker Classic.) Here are the official seating assignments and chip counts for the six final tablists:
Seat 1. Dinara Khaziyeva - 670,000 (22 BBs)
Seat 2. Damon Schramm - 865,000 (29 BBs)
Seat 3. George Rechnitzer - 660,000 (22 BBs)
Seat 4. Dan Heimiller - 700,000 (23 BBs)
Seat 5. Davidi Kitai - 845,000 (28 BBs)
Seat 6. Almira Skripchenko - 710,000 (24 BBs)
And now, a photographic look back at the first two days of the WPT Celebrity Invitational:
Actress Jennifer Tilly admires some of the other signatures before signing the commemorative table backstage at the 2011 WPT Celebrity Invitational.
Oscar nominee John Hawkes (left) talks with actor Lou Diamond Phillips before heading out on the red carpet. Hawkes has to wait until this Sunday night to find out if he will win the Academy Award as Best Supporting Actor for his work in the film "Winter's Bone." Also pictured, former Major League Baseball player Jose Canseco (far right).
Former NFL player and actor Bubba Smith ("Police Academy") signs the commemorative table for the 2011 WPT Celebrity Invitational.
Ten-time Grammy Award-winning singer Chaka Khan pauses for an interview on the red carpet.
While Tiffany Michelle (left) and Maria Ho are professional poker players, they also received a good amount of celebrity from their appearance on the hit TV show, "The Amazing Race."
Walking the red carpet can seem like running a gauntlet, as celebrities give interview after interview to many different news outlets. Here you can see actors Ken Davitian (far left, "Borat") and Lou Diamond Phillips (center left, "La Bamba," "Stand and Deliver," "Young Guns").
Shortly before play begins, reality TV star Trishelle Cannatella takes a self-portrait with her two close friends Joe Sebok (left) and Jeff Madsen. Cannatella final tabled this event a year ago, finishing third.
Actress Camryn Manheim ("The Practice," "Ghost Whisperer") entertains poker pros Carlos Mortensen (left) and Bertrand "Elky" Grospellier (right) between hands.
Poker pro Mark Seif (left) looks on as actor Don Cheadle ("Ocean's Eleven," "Hotel Rwanda," "Iron Man 2") plays a hand on Day 1 of the WPT Celebrity Invitational.
Poker pro Phil Laak (right) takes a photo of his girlfriend, actress Jennifer Tilly, and actress Gina Gershon (left). Tilly and Gershon starred in the 1996 film "Bound" together, while Laak won this event back in Season II.
WPT Anchor Kimberly Lansing interviews actor Corey Feldman ("Goonies," "Stand By Me," "The Lost Boys," "License to Drive") after his elimination from the WPT Celebrity Invitational.
Poker pro Lauren Kling receives a good luck hug from WPT Live Updates reporter Jessica Welman, who also played in the event.
Tournament Director Matt Savage (standing, left) tries to rescue Matt Affleck (seated, center) from WSOP Main Event champion Jonathan Duhamel. As you probably remember, Affleck was painfully eliminated from the WSOP Main Event in 15th place when Duhamel cracked his aces on the river in the biggest pot of the tournament to that point.
At the end of Day 1, it was future Poker Hall of Famer Linda Johnson who had the chip lead.
Multiple WPT champion Antonio Esfandiari sits down with WPT Anchor Kimberly Lansing for an extended interview before play begins on Day 2. In addition to winning his second WPT title back in December, Esfandiari final tabled this event in Season II, a few days after winning his first WPT title in the WPT LA Poker Classic.
While Day 1 feels more like a cocktail party than a poker tournament, Day 2 becomes much more serious. Chipleader Linda Johnson (foreground, left) checks her phone after folding while poker pros David Baker (center) and Barry Greenstein (right) wait for the action to reach them.
Highly-ranked international chess player Almira Skripchenko (left) watches as actor Rich Sommer ("Mad Men," "The Devil Wears Prada") eliminates a player late on Day 2. Sommer was one of the last celebrities standing in this event.
Royal Flush Girl Melanie Iglesias interviews actor Michael Bower (center, "Salute Your Shorts") and reigning WPT Celebrity Invitational champion Leron Washington (right). Washington won his seat into last year's Invitational by playing on ClubWPT.com, and both he and Bower regularly play on the site.
Poker pro Eric Cloutier watches as highly-ranked international chess player Dinara Khaziyeva pulls in a huge pot late in the tournament. That's right, there are two highly-ranked female chess masters in this field.
Poker Pro Phil Laak finished Day 1 second in chips behind Linda Johnson, but had a prior engagement and couldn't return for Day 2. According to the rules, his stack is put out on the table and blinded off in his absence, and his 115,300 lasted long enough to finish in 24th place. Laak won this event back in Season II, but not without playing Day 2.
Future Poker Hall of Famer Linda Johnson carried her Day 1 momentum fairly deep into Day 2 before she ran into trouble. Johnson played a huge pot where she flopped top set, but Davidi Kitai's top pair caught a runner-runner diamond flush to win the pot. Johnson eventually finished in 13th place.
Actor Ashton Holmes ("A History of Violence," "The Pacific") was the last celebrity standing, finishing in ninth place.
With seven players remaining and only six seats at the televised WPT final table, a crowd gathers around as poker pro Dan Heimiller (seated, center left) plays a pot against Davidi Kitai (seated, center right).
WPT Anchor Kimberly Lansing interviews double-bubble boy Tom Christopher after his elimination in seventh place. Normally, that is just the final table bubble, but for this event, it also represents the money bubble. Lansing told Christopher that she understands his pain, because she bubbled this event in 8th place back in Season VI.
Both Almira Skripchenko (left) and Dinara Khaziyeva are internationally-ranked chess masters, and they've both made it to the final table of the WPT Celebrity Invitational. They know each other from chess, but neither realized the other was playing this event until Day 2, when Skripchenko found herself at the same table as Khaziyeva's fiance.
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To consolidate the costs of constructing the WPT set, this final table will begin at 4:00 pm PT on Wednesday, March 2, so it can be recorded on back-to-back days with the WPT LA Poker Classic final table. When they return to action, you can be sure that WPT Live Updates will be there to provide you with complete live hand-for-hand coverage.
In the meantime, the $10,000 buy-in WPT LA Poker Classic begins this Friday, February 25th. Return to WPT.com for continuing live coverage, including hand updates, chip counts, video interviews with Kimberly Lansing, and the Jess & BJ Show.
Level 23: 12,000-24,000, 4,000 ante
Hand #39 - David Mosikian moves all-in for 156,000 from middle postion and Dinara Khaziyeva calls from the hijack. Khaziyeva shows 1010 and she is racing with Mosikian's KQ. The board runs out A9728 and Khaziyeva's tens hold to take the pot and eliminate Mosikian in eighth place.
Dinara Khaziyeva - 780,000
David Mosikian - eliminated in 8th place
Level 22: 10,000-20,000, 3,000 ante
Mike Halioua raises to 82,000 from middle position and Dinara Khaziyeva reraises all-in out of the big blind. Halioua calls with A10 and Khaziyeva shows AA.
The board runs out Q63KK and Khaziyeva's aces hold to eliminate Halioua in 10th place.
Level 21: 8,000-16,000, 2,000 ante
Antonio Esfandiari (right) doubles thru Dinara Khaziyeva. Esfandiari was later eliminated in 12th place, while Khaziyeva is still alive with 10 players remaining. Khaziyeva is one of two females remaining, and both are highly-ranked chess players. (Also pictured, Mike Halioua, center.)
Almira Skripchenko is the other female still alive at the final 10-handed table, and like Khaziyeva, she is a top-ranked chess player, achieving the titles of FIDE International Master and Woman Grand Master.
Future Poker Hall of Famer Linda Johnson is interviewed by WPT Anchor Kimberly Lansing after Johnson's elimination in 13th place. The unfortunate key hand for Johnson was when she flopped top set (w/ JJ against her Davidi Kitai's top pair (w/QJ). But two running diamonds gave Kitai a set by the time they got it all in on the river. Johnson never recovered, and she was eliminated about half an hour later.
Level 19: 5,000-10,000, 1,000 ante
Ashton Holmes raises to 25,000 from middle position and Dinara Khaziyeva makes it 62,000 to go behind him. Mike Halioua is next to act and moves all-in for 139,000 total. Holmes folds and Khaziyeva calls.
Khaziyeva shows KJ and Halioua has her dominated with AK. The board runs out 654910 and Halioua doubles up.
Mike Halioua - 320,000
Dinara Khaziyeva - 235,000.
Level 19: 5,000-10,000, 1,000 ante
Dianara Khaziyeva raises from the button to 25,000, Antonio Esfandiari moves all in from the big blind, and Khaziyeva tanks for about two minutes before she calls with A9. Esfandiari shows Q-10, and he'll need to improve to bust Khaziyeva here.
The board comes A7255, and Khaziyeva wins the pot with two pair, aces and fives, to double up in chips.
Dianara Khaziyeva - Chip Count Coming Soon
Antonio Esfandiari - 200,000 (20 BBs)
Level 19: 5,000-10,000, 1,000 ante
A player raises to 25,000, Dinara Khaziyeva calls in the cutoff, and Antonion Esfandiari moves all-in from the small blind for 90,000 more. The initial raiser folds and Khaziyeva calls.
Khaziyeva shows AJ and she is racing with Esfandiari's 77. The sevens hold as the board runs out K9882 and Esfandiari doubles up.
Antonio Esfandiari - 270,000
Dinara Khaziyeva - 475,000
