CHOMP!NG AT THE BIT: Recap of ESHC Final Table (Event #2) [2 of 3 posts]

40-minute rounds

Ante: 500

SB: 2K

BB: 4K

The dust settled into a hypnotic residue that lulled the table into several preflop-raise wins...until Villa and D'Angelo started to tangle in a meta game.

Round 1: Villa preflop raised to T$11K but D'Angelo, in position, reraised to T$31K, to take down the pot.

Round 2: Villa preflop raised to T$12K and D'Angelo called. Flop: 9s-2d-Kc. Villa/D'Angelo check. Turn: Jh. Villa checked. D'Angelo bet T$20K and won the pot. [V vs. D, to be continued]

Folds all the way around to Capritta in the SB. She raised to T$13K and Villa called in the BB. Flop: Js-4c-3d. Capritta bet T$21K. Villa tanked for about a minute before releasing the hand.

The table seemed to slow down/tighten up. Folds all the way around to Villa on the button. He made it T$11K to go. D'Angelo folded the SB but Dyment reraised to T$31K from the BB. Villa asked, "How much more behind?" "About 100K," replied Dyment. Fold by Villa.

Another span of round-the-table-preflop-raise wins without incident.

Round 3: Folds around to Villa on the button who raised to T$11K. From the SB, D'Angelo popped it to T$31K. Villa tanked before shoving all-in. D'Angelo called. Pot = T$327K

Villa: JT

D'Angelo: TT

Flop: A-Q-7

Turn: J

River: 3

Round 4: A battle of preflop raise/reraises between Villa and D'Angelo...culminating with a comment from Villa, "Next time you three-bet me, I'm gonna four-bet it."

On the very next hand, all players folded to D'Angelo on the button, who raised to T$12K. Dyment folded the SB while Gunter called from the BB and checked in the dark. Flop: 5-A-Q. D'Angelo bet T$13K. Gunter reached for chips and raised to T$33K. D'Angelo announced, "all-in," and Gunter mucked.

The next clash occurred between Dyment and Capritta; resulting in Capritta taking it down with a sizable (T$39K) preflop reraise.

Round 5: Battle of the blinds. Villa called from the SB and D'Angelo checked in the BB to see a flop of 9c-Ad-Js. Check, check. Turn: Ts. Double check. River: Jd. Villa bet and D'Angelo called the T$4K. "Five, I mean, six high," announced Villa. D'Angelo flipped over K2 to win the pot.

Not to be deterred, Villa applied pressure with a series of preflop raises (in the last five minutes of the level) to take down the the antes/blinds (at T$9K a pop).

The very last hand of the level brought fireworks.

From early position, D'Angelo preflop raised to T$10K. The rest of the table folded, except for Capritta in the BB, who made the call.

Flop: Jc-Tc-8s.

Capritta checked.

D'Angelo tossed in a bet of T$15K and was greeted by an all-in from Capritta.

D'Angelo: "Can I get a count?"

Capritta: "99K more."

D'Angelo: "I call."

Capritta: Ac7c

D'Angelo: 9sTs

Turn: 4s

River: Th

6th place = Joanne Capritta

[to be continued...]