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This was almost the story of a Canadian pro finally winning an EPT title. Instead, it’s the story of the first Triple Crown winner crowned on EPT soil (only the fifth ever), as Davidi Kitai displayed considerable focus and panache to win the EPT Berlin title and a first prize of €712,000. It’s also marks the first win for a Belgian after eight seasons on the tour.

As the heads-up contest started few doubted that that Kitai, 32, and Chen, 24, would be concerned with the €80,000 left on the table after a two-way deal (merely food and lodging for next week’s furlough to Monaco). It was the title they wanted; Chen, the type of player it’s hard to believe hasn’t already won an EPT title; while for Kitai it’s the next landmark on a low-profile yet highly successful career trajectory.

David KitaiChen led first, then Kitai, but they matched each other punch for punch until Kitai pulled off a showreel call. Perhaps the clues were there earlier in the day.

Railing Kitai from the rail was Ilan Boujenah, himself a finalist in Madrid, who said that Kitai doesn’t come second or third, for him it’s first or nothing. “I told you,” he grinned later, as Kitai extended his lead, ultimately taking the crown. He was right.

Kitai on the way to the title“I feel really great,” said Kitai, not known as a man of many words. “It’s amazing. I didn’t expect to beat that field. It’s great. I feel really good.”

When Andrew Chen wakes up tomorrow he may not blink the sleep away and ask himself how it all went wrong. He’s too unruffled for that. He may not wake up after a night of consolatory debauchery; the debris of 51 rum and cokes stacked inexplicably at the end of the bed. He’s too composed for that. He may not even look back at all on what was a near-perfect week. He’s too self-assured for that.

Andrew ChenRegardless of what Chen thinks, the poker community will drink to another impeccable performances from the Canadian, who remains an EPT champion elect. Surely he will not be waiting much longer.

Chen in actionThe day started with the departure of Pratyush Buddiga, another name worth noting, who was sent to the rail by momentary chip leader Bahadir Kilickeser. Kilickeser himself would run out of momentum in fifth place, forced out by Chen who would use his chips for an assault on Kitai, but not before Marc Wright went out in seventh and Cesar Garcia from Spain departed in sixth.

Pratyush Buddiga, out in eight, also won the Skrill “last longer” promotionFor Wright it was an impressive debut, a result that would have been even more significant had the experience of a few more EPTs under his belt. For Garcia’s part, Spain will have to wait at least another week for their first champion.

Out in seventh, Marc WrightMario Puccini would be eliminated in fourth place, removed by Kitai who had surged to the lead early, never allowing his advantage to wane all the way to his heads-up contest with Chen. Andre Morath assumed the role of the overachiever on the day. Limited to premium hands, he folded, literally, having laddered into third, setting up a great heads-up exhibition.

Third place finisher Andre MorathChen started with the advantage, having seized Morath’s chips. But a key hand would swing the advantage irrevocably back to the Belgian.

Kitai opened for 350,000 with king-five of clubs, and called when Chen three-bet to 900,000 with king-jack off-suit. Both missed the deauce-queen-eight flop at which Chen bet a further 615,000; called by Kitai. Chen then bet the four on the turn – 1,480,000 this time – for a five on the river.

Now Chen shoved, sending Kitai into the tank; an 11 million chip bet that would cost Kitai everything to call. When he made his decision it was to do just that, a miracle call.

On the way…Kitai smiled, not quite believing he’d pulled off such a magnificent play. Chen couldn’t help but smile either. That moment alone spoke of the spirit these two played with, both old-timers of the tour, both reaching their third final, both understanding exactly what all this fuss meant to them.

“I guess he owned me,” said Chen, collecting €613,000 as runner-up. “He said that he was going to call a lot of rivers which seems insane. It’s really hard to say much about a hand like that.

“I was certainly going to shove a lot of rivers and it’s just a shame he hit a five. In a way he three-outed me. I hope that it’s presented on TV that way rather than him just catching me bluffing.”

But it’s Kitai who lifted the trophy, collecting the seat at the EPT Grand Final and the Shamballa bracelet from official sponsor Shamballa Jewels, to the applause of the ever present French-speaking rail, as Chen, still smiling, shrugged off any suggestion of defeat, leaving the limelight for Triple Crown winning Kitai.

Champion KitaiFor details of every step along the way check out the coverage on our live coverage page. Features from all aspects of the day, including side events, can be found at the links below.

• Final eight competing for first prize of 825,000 Euros

 

• Not until an hour from now…
• Good player, good coach, but Buddiga falls short
• Mickey Petersen on Andrew Chen
• Romanello picking up PoY points with a week to go…
• Mario “Pokerccini” Puccini powering through his second final table
• Blom busts €10,000 High Roller in seventh
• French speaking pros at it again after memorable season
• All quiet on the Berlin front as final goes heads-up
• Moorman leading high roller, ElkY chasingThere remains only one more event to play on this eight season of the European Poker Tour and you won’t have long to wait for it. The Berlin leg ends tonight, but the first event in The PokerStars and Monte-Carlo®Casino EPT Grand Final (a name sure to catch on) begins on Monday, the €100,000 Super High Roller getting things started before the main event begins on Tuesday, all of which you’ll find coverage of on the PokerStars Blog.All roads now lead to MonacoUntil then, thanks for following the coverage from Berlin. Take tomorrow off and we’ll see you on Monday. Here’s Davidi Kitai…

After a self-described bluff in a bad spot, Kevin MacPhee has crashed out of the main event, falling short of a fourth final table and a second EPT Berlin title. He followed Andreas Vlachos, the talkative Greek (albeit talking to himself) who was eliminated moments before MacPhee in a hand against Davidi Kitai, whose pocket aces ruined the Greek’s ace-jack.

It caused a brief pause in play as tables were balanced, which Tomas Cibak found disagreeable as the clock continued to tick down. Geshkenbein, next to him, stretched took the opportunity to stretch his legs, accidentally taking a blue chip with him, which he dropped like kryptonite when warned by the dealer.

Geshkenbein’s stack continued to grow but interestingly, for a civil engineering student, it wobbles a precariously. Three towers of blue worth 200,000 each sway from side to side, on top of which “lucky monkey” is perched Kong like, about to fall off.

On the other table Marc Wright was losing half of his stack, reduced to less than 1.5 million in a hand against Bahadir Kilickeser who showed a set of eights to Wright’s top pair, and is now chip leader.

Wright was cross with himself, talking out loud, telling himself what he should have done. He was powerless as the hand played out. Kilickeser let out a “yes!” as did a man who came out of nowhere to pat Kilickeser on the back. They come out of the woodwork in these deep situations.

Wright won the next hand but will surely be looking to avoid trouble. He was chip leader with 15 left at the Irish Open two weeks ago. He lost the lead and was out within four hands in a single orbit back in Dublin. He’ll want to avoid as similar fate in his first EPT.