Tournament Details

Whether it's simple geography or something less tangible, East Coast poker players are very proud people. They are the type of people who eschew the ways of the West and choose to believe the brand of poker you'll find east of the Mississippi is the kind of game where you'll find the true winners. So, when the final table of the Foxwoods Poker Classic sat down with five tough East Coast players, there was little doubt there would be a bragging rights battle and an impossibly tough fight for the $1.3 million first prize. Going into the final day of play, Connecticut's Raj Patel held an enormous chip lead.

Seat 1: Raj Patel - 3,347,000
Seat 2: Paul Matteo - 570,000
Seat 3: Fred Goldberg - 1,044,000
Seat 4: Seth Berger - 1,505,000
Seat 5: Allen Kessler - 444,000
Seat 6: Tony "Bagels" Cavezza - 1,391,000

Patel's game was confounding. No one could figure him out. The guy had only been playing poker for a couple of years and, yet, he couldn't find a way to lose. He played an odd game, checking when people expected him to bet and betting when they expected him to check. Tony Cavezza, a tough Long Islander, was not ready to back down. He came in for a raise to 90,000 with 5d4d. Patel looked down at two black kings. He made it 175,000 to go and Cavezza, only having to call another 85,000, made the call. The flop seemed almost perfect for Patel—8c5cJc. He peeked down at his cards again and confirmed he had the king of clubs. In fact, he did. That's when Patel made one of his odd choices and checked behind. It would prove to be the worst check he could make. The 5h fell on the turn giving Cavezza trips. He led out for 100,000 and Patel, perhaps on the verge of realizing his mistake, smooth-called. If he was hoping to see a club on the river, he got his wish. The 4c fell. It gave Patel the king-high flush. At the same time, it gave Cavezza the full house. That's when Cavezza did Patel the biggest favor possible. He moved All-In for more than 1.1 million. The overbet seemed, if not suspicious, then, at least, a little odd. Patel likely could've called a pot-sized bet or less. The overbet, however, scared Patel away and Cavezza took down the pot.

While Patel might have played that hand in his unorthodox way, he would still prove to be a force every player at the table would have to face. Before long, he had accumulated half the chips in play at the final table. In some cases, he would make huge bets with third pair. In another case, he made trip aces on the river and checked behind a short-stacked opponent. His play was hard to grasp, but no one could dispute that whatever he was doing seemed to work.

That is, it worked until he decided to make a move against Fred Goldberg. Goldberg—on a newly found heater after taking a two-month break from poker--came in for a raise with KdKc and Patel made it a million more, enough to put Goldberg all-in. Goldberg thought for a little longer than most people would with his hand. Finally he said, "I didn't come for second place. I call." He looked over to see Patel turn over 3d3c. The board didn't bring a three and Goldberg doubled up to more than 2 million chips.

Goldberg's double up seemed to kick the short-stacks into action. Looking down at Kh3s, Paul Matteo moved all-in. He got action from Cavezza, who held AdJd. The board seemed to spell Matteo's demise. The first four cards were 4h2h7sTc. Matteo was already looking toward the door when the 3d fell on the river to give him the double-up. It was only worth 430,000 chips, but it was enough to keep him alive.

Matteo, buoyed by his double up, looked down on the next hand to find Ah8d and limped into the pot. Allen Kessler, in serious need of chips, moved all-in for 215,000 more. Matteo didn't think for long before calling. Although Kessler was way ahead, he looked sick. It was like he knew what was going to happen. The flop brought 6c3d7d. Matteo needed to hit an eight or two runners to win. Kessler, still looking like he wanted to run to the bathroom, predicted he'd see a scary card on the turn. Sure enough, there it was. The 5s came down on the turn and gave Matteo and open-ended straight draw. Now, any four, any nine, or any eight would give Matteo the win and knock Kessler out. Kessler buried his head in his hands. When the 4h fell on the river, Kessler didn't even look up. Sixty-four year old Matteo jumped from his seat and ran to the rail to high-five his friends. Kessler may have won $136,452 for his sixth place finish, but for the moment, he looked like he'd rather have been knocked out on the first day.

Kessler's elimination opened the exit door and the light that came through beckoned others. Patel, still finding a way to play every hand as tricky as he could, limped in with AsAd. Again his play worked. Goldberg made it 225,000 from the small blind with a pair of nines. Now short-stacked, Seth Berger had a decision. He either had to call all-in or fold with his Ac5h. He counted up the pot and then put his money in the middle. Patel didn't think for half a second before moving all-in. Goldberg flash-folded and Berger realized how far behind he was. He stood, rubbed his forehead, and watched his demise happen in slow motion. While he flopped an open-ended straight draw, he missed his eight outs twice. Berger finished in fifth place and earned $175,439.

Raj Patel and Paul Matteo's companies did business together off the table and that seemed to lead to a relationship on the felt. The two men sat right beside each other at the final table and played a lot of pots together. In one, Matteo managed to double up and make his way to second chip position. A few orbits later, Patel limped in from the button with 9c8c. Matteo completed form the small blind with As5d. This time, however, Fred Goldberg was destined to get involved. With JdJc, Goldberg raised another 250,000 more. Patel got out of the way, leaving Matteo to make the unorthodox call out of position in the small blind with his naked ace. The flop came 6s4s2c, giving Matteo the gutshot straight draw and the flush draw. He immediately moved all-in and Goldberg called just as quickly. Matteo may have been behind at the moment, but he was statistically favored to win. The drama ended as quickly as the turn card fell. The Ts came off and Goldberg and went out in fourth place, earning $233,918.

Sometimes the poker table is an ugly place to be. If the bust-outs to this point hadn't shown it, the next hand did. Patel came in for his standard raise with Ah8h. Cavezza had been itching for a piece of Patel all day long and finally looked down at the right hand AdAc. Cavezza re-raised another 400,000. It's probably impossible to explain the joy Cavezza must have felt when Patel announced he was re-raising to 1.2 million. "What could it be?" Cavezza must have wondered. Pocket kings? Pocket aces? It didn't matter. Cavezza announced he was all-in. Patel barely thought before announcing, "Call." Cavezza didn't even look at Patel's cards as he jumped from his seat, ripped off his hat, and walked around the stage. The $4.1 million pot sat in the middle of the table and Cavezza was a 87% favorite to win. "All black!" his sweaters implored the dealer.

The flop was not all black, but it hurt just as bad as it would've if it came all hearts: 8d8s7h. "Yes!" Patel screamed as Cavezza fell to one knee. Once an 87% favorite, Cavezza was reduced to one out that never came. At a final table of soul-crushing beats, this one had to be the worst. Cavezza could barley look Patel in the face as he walked off the stage. He gave Matteo a big hug and then slumped off to collect his $370,370.

The final two players may not have been spring chickens, but they had not spent a lot of years at the poker table. Between them, they only had five years poker experience. What's more, both men were New England businessmen. Matteo owned a waste management business. Patel owned a chain of hotels. Finally, while poker is no doubt a game of skill, these two men had been luckier than any others at the table on this given day.

As luck would have it, good fortune would play quite a role in the final hand. Patel raised to 240,000 with 6s4h. Matteo called with Kc2d. The flop fell 3dKh5c. Matteo led for 400,000 and Patel called in a shot. The turn was the Ks. Once again, Matteo bet 400,000 and Patel called. Patel had but four outs…and one of the sevens fell on the river. Matteo checked, perhaps sensing something was a little odd. Patel, however, immediately moved All-In. Matteo couldn't find a way to fold, made the call, and then made his way out in second place earning $643,275.

Patel came to the final table as chip leader and never looked back. "I'm feeling good," he said. "Feeling like a million dollars."

If he felt like a million bucks, he some change coming. His total take for his first place finish was $1,298,405 and a World Poker Tour title.