WSOP: Max Pescatori Wins Event No. 24

When Max Pescatori won his first bracelet two years ago, the stars truly aligned for the Italian poker professional. His first bracelet took place at the featured final table stage, and coincided with Italy's World Cup victory, sending "the Italian Pirate" into national pride overdrive. For his second bracelet, a secluded corner of the Amazon room would have to do. Still, a bracelet is a bracelet, no matter what the circumstances.

Here were the chip counts heading into the final table:

Kyle Kloeckner: 494,000
Allen Cunningham: 484,000
Lennart Holtkamp: 253,000
Max Pescatori: 212,000
Kyle Hegeman: 198,000
Greg Hurst: 197,000
Jonathan Depa: 185,000
Minh Ly: 177,400
John-Paul Kelly: 79,000

Here are highlights from all of the action, as featured in CardPlayer.com’s live coverage of the final table:

John-Paul Kelly Eliminated in 9th Place ($22,599) - Hold'em

Kyle Kloeckner raised to 25,000 and John-Paul Kelly moved all in for 64,000 on the short stack. Kloeckner called and showed A10. Kelly needed help with his KJ, but the board ran out A658Q to eliminate Kelly in ninth place.

Minh Ly Eliminated in 8th Place ($30,482) - Hold'em

Jonathan Depa raised to 25,000 and Minh Ly raised the pot behind him. The action folded around and Depa moved all in. Ly made the call and showed pocket jacks, and he was racing against Depa's AK. The board ran out K5552 and Ly was crippled down to his last 4,000. The next hand he was all in blind and couldn't catch up to Kyle Hegeman's K-Q.

Max Pescatori Chips Up - Omaha

Greg Hurst raised to 27,000 and Max Pescatori called on the button. Jonathan Depa also called in the small blind. All three players checked the flop of K105 and the 8 hit the turn. Depa bet 74,000 and Hurst folded. Pescatori made the call and the river was the 2. Depa checked, Pescatori bet 74,000 and Depa thought it over being folding.

Kyle Kloeckner Doubles Up - Omaha

Lennart Holtkamp raised and Kyle Kloeckner called in the big blind. The flop came A86 and Kloeckner led out at the pot. Holtkamp raised the pot and Kloeckner moved in. Holtkamp made the call with a flush draw and a pair of aces and Kloeckner showed his 101097. The turn was the 9 givig Kloeckner a straight flush and he doubled up to over 400,000.

Lennart Holtkamp Eliminated in Seventh Place ($38,365) - Omaha

Max Pescatori limped and both Greg Hurst and Lennart Holtkamp came along in the blinds. The flop came down K82 and Hurst checked to Holtkamp, who bet 21,000. Pescatori called and Hurst got out of the way. The turn was the A and Pescatori bet 75,000 when it was checked to him. Holtkamp moved all in and was instantly called by Pescatori's top set of kings. Holtkamp need a non-board pairing spade to stay alive, but the river was the 2 sending him to the rail in seventh place.

Allen Cunningham Doubles Up - Hold'em

Allen Cunningham raised on the button to 70,000 and Jonathan Depa put him all in from the big blind. Cunningham eventually made the call turning over A6, but was dominated by Depa's AQ. The flop came 542, giving Cunningham some more outs. The turn was the 8 making him doubled gutted, and the river was the miracle 7 to give him the straight and a double up to 590,000. Depa was crippled after the hand, and left with just 11,000.

Jonathan Depa Eliminated in Sixth Place ($48,876) - Hold'em

Depa was all in with less than a big blind against Max Pescatori. Depa failed to catch anything to help his hand and was eliminated in sixth place.

Kyle Hegeman Eliminated in Fifth Place ($62,015) - Omaha

Max Pescatori limped on the button and Kyle Hegeman raised to 80,000 from the small blind. Both Kyle Kloeckner and Pescatori called and the flop came J54. Hegeman moved all in for 125,000 and Kloeckner quickly called. Pescatori folded and the players turned over their hands. Hegeman had top pair, top kicker and a back door nut flush draw, and Kloeckner showed an open-ended straight draw and back door flush draw. The turn gave Kloeckner his straight, and Hegeman was drawing dead. He finished in fifth place.

Allen Cunningham Eliminated in Fourth Place ($76,205) - Omaha

After losing half of his stack on the previous hand, Allen Cunningham found himself all in against Kyle Kloeckner. Cunningham connected with the flop, but Kloeckner made a set of aces to send him to the rail in fourth place.

Greg Hurst Eliminated in 3rd Place ($94,599) - Hold'em

Kyle Kloeckner raised to 80,000 and Greg Hurst reraised to 175,000. Kloeckner made the call and the flop came down QJ9. Both players got the rest in on the flop and Kloeckner's A7 was out in front of Hurst's K7. The turn and river came 6A and Hurst was eliminated in third place.

Heads Up Play Begins

Max Pescatori Takes Commanding Chip Lead

Starting heads-up play virtually even in chips, Max Pescatori took a big chip lead over Kyle Kloeckner. Pescatori raised to 65,000 from the button and Kyle Kloeckner called from the big blind. The flop came Q105, and Pescatori bet 100,000. Kloeckner raised to 350,000 and after a few minutes in the tank, Pescatori moved all in. Kloeckner folded and Pescatori took a commanding chip lead of 1.5 million to just under 700,000.


Max Pescatori Wins Event No. 24 ($246,471)

On the final hand of the night, Max Pescatori raised to 72,000 and Kyle Kloekner made the call. The flop came KJ3, and Pescatori bet 110,000, Kloeckner called. the turn was the 2, and Pescatori bet the pot (364,000). Kloeckner tanked for a few minutes before moving all in. Pescatori called and had him covered. When they revealed their hands, Kloeckner showed jacks and threes for two pair, but he was drawing dead to one card when Pescatori showed kings and jacks with a flush draw. Kloeckner needed the last black three in the deck, but the river was the 2, giving Pescatori his second bracelet and the victory.

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