Davidi Kitai Bests Friends and Pros to Win Celebrity Invitational

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 K109 board and, while Skripchenko’s 910 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 AQ. 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 

Davidi Kitai Wins the 2011 WPT Invitational

Level 30: 60,000-120,000, 20,000 ante

Hand #102: Davidi Kitai Wins the WPT Celebrity Invitational! ($100,000)

Level 30: 60,000-120,000, 20,000 ante

Kitai moves all in, and Skripchenko calls with A2. Kitai turns over Q3, and Skripchenko is a slight favorite to double up here.

The board comes AJ3QK -- Skripchenko flops a pair of aces, but Kitai turns two pair, queens and threes to win the hand -- and the tournament.

International Chess Master Almira Skripchenko Skripchenko finishes as the runner up, earning $50,000.

Davidi Kitai wins the WPT Celebrity Invitational, earning $100,000, which includes his $25,500 entry into the season-ending WPT World Championship. He also wins a WPT bracelet. Congratulations to Davidi Kitai!

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

Hand #101: Davidi Kitai

Level 30: 60,000-120,000, 20,000 ante

Skripchenko limps for 120,000, Kitai moves all in for 2.97 million, and Skripchenko folds.

Davidi Kitai  -  3,130,000
Almira Skripchenko  -  1,320,000

Level 30 Begins

Level 30: 60,000-120,000, 20,000 ante

Level 29 comes to an end, and Level 30 begins with increased blinds of 60,000-120,000 and a 20,000 ante. Play continues without a break.

Hand #100: Almira Skripchenko

Level 29: 50,000-100,000, 10,000 ante

Kitai folds.

Davidi Kitai  -  2,990,000
Almira Skripchenko  -  1,460,000

Hand #99: Almira Skripchenko

Level 29: 50,000-100,000, 10,000 ante

Skripchenko moves all in for 1.28 million, and Kitai folds.

Davidi Kitai  -  3,050,000
Almira Skripchenko  -  1,400,000

Hand #98: Davidi Kitai

Level 29: 50,000-100,000, 10,000 ante

Kitai raises to 240,000, and Skripchenko folds.

Davidi Kitai  -  3,160,000
Almira Skripchenko  -  1,290,000

Hand #97: Davidi Kitai

Level 29: 50,000-100,000, 10,000 ante

Skripchenko folds.

Davidi Kitai  -  3,050,000
Almira Skripchenko  -  1,400,000

Hand #96: Davidi Kitai Wins a Pot Worth 2.18 Million

Level 29: 50,000-100,000, 10,000 ante

Kitai limps for 100,000, and Skripchenko checks. The flop comes Q95, Skripchenko checks, Kitai bets 100,000, and Skripchenko calls. The turn card is the 6, Skripchenko checks, Kitai bets 240,000, and Skripchenko thinks for nearly two minutes before she calls.

The river card pairs the board with the 9, Skripchenko checks, Kitai bets 640,000, and Skripchenko calls rather quickly with 109 (trip nines). But Kitai turns over 87 to win the pot with a nine-high straight.

Pot Size:  2,180,000

Davidi Kitai  -  2,990,000
Almira Skripchenko  -  1,460,000