Matt Giannetti Wins 2013 World Poker Tour Lucky Hearts Open
On Tuesday, the 2013 World Poker Tour Lucky Hearts Poker Open at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood, Florida, played down to a winner. The original field of 369 players had been whittled down to a final table of six, and after just three levels of play, WPT Season X Malta champ and 2011 World Series of Poker Main Event fourth-place finisher Matt Giannetti walked away with his second WPT title, $323,804 in prize money and a $25,500 seat into the season-ending WPT World Championship.
WPT Lucky Hearts Poker Open Results
| *Place | Player | Prize |
| 1st | Matt Giannetti | $323,804 |
| 2nd | Lily Kiletto | $191,880 |
| 3rd | Darryll Fish | $125,921 |
| 4th | Danny Shiff | $88,946 |
| 5th | Hayden Fortini | $64,160 |
| 6th | Matt Salsberg | $50,968 |
It didn’t take long for the first elimination of the day,Matt Salsberg, who won the WPT Grand Prix de Paris late last year. According to the WPT Live Updates Team, the Champions Club member’s elimination came on Hand #9 of the final table in Level 26 (20,000/40,000/5,000) when Darryll Fish opened for 85,000 from the cutoff, and Salsberg, who began the final table fifth in chips, three-bet to 200,000 from the button. Both blinds folded, Fish moved all in, and Salsberg called off for 815,000.
Fish: 7♠5♠
Salsberg: J♣J♦
Salsberg got it in good, and according to the PokerNews Odds Calculator, he was a 78.27 percent favorite to win the hand. The 6♥6♣4♣ flop made things interesting as Fish picked up an open-ended straight draw, but he only had a 28.38 percent chance of hitting it. That meant Salsberg was still a 71.62 percent favorite. That improved to 81.81 percent when the K♠ turned, but Fish’s 18.18 percent chance came through as the 3♥ spiked on the river and gave him a straight. With that, Salsberg was eliminated in sixth place for $50,968 — the same place he finished earlier this month in the WPT Borgata Winter Poker Open.
On Hand #54, which happened in Level 27 (25,000/50,000/5,000), Hayden Fortini limped from the small blind, and Danny Shiff checked his option from the big. When the flop fell 9♣5♦4♠, Fortini led out for 75,000, Shiff raised to 175,000, and Fortini moved all in for 1.065 million. Shiff called off for 980,000 with the Q♠9♥ for top pair but was behind Fortini’s 5x4x for two pair. The 10♠ turn wasn’t anything special, but the 10♦ river was as Shiff counterfeited Fortini, who was left with only 85,000.
Four hands later, Lily Kiletto raised to 125,000 from the button, Fish called from the small blind, and Fortini called all in for 65,000. Both Kiletto and Fish then checked the J♦9♣4♦ flop. When the 2♠ turned, Kiletto check-folded to a bet of 200,000 from Fish, whose 4♥4♠ had Fortini’s J♣5♦ drawing dead. The meaningless 3♣ was run out on the river for good measure, and Fortini was sent home in fifth place for $64,160.
On Hand #67 in Level 28 (30,000/60,000/10,000), Kiletto raised to 130,000 from the button, and Shiff defended from the big blind. The 9♣8♥8♠ flop saw Shiff check, Kiletto bet 260,000, and Shiff check-raise all in for 1.025 million. Kiletto called with the 3♣3♠ and was up against the J♦10♦ open-ended straight draw of Shiff. The 6♦ turn gave Shiff additional counterfeit options, but the 2♣ blanked on the river. Shiff failed to catch and was eliminated in fourth place for $86,946.
After Fish lost a big pot to Kiletto a few hands later, he was left on the short stack with 1.86 million. He worked that stack for 40 more hands, and then on Hand #108 moved all in from the big blind for 835,000 after Giannetti had opened for 170,000 from the button. Giannetti, who started the day as chip leader and maintained that lead throughout, made the call with the Q♥J♠, and he was well out in front of Fish’s Q♣10♠. The K♠J♥J♦ flop gave Giannetti trips, but it also gave Fish an open-ended straight draw. The Q♠ turn made that draw obsolete as Giannetti filled up, and after the 3♣ was run out on the river, Fish was sent to the rail in third place for $125,921.
Heads-up play began with Giannetti holding 6.83 million and Kiletto's 4.23 million, meaning the former had 85 big blinds and the latter 52 big blinds. It had the potential to be a long affair, but it only took seven hands for a winner to be determined.
It happened on Hand #115 when Kiletto, a 30-year-old investor and fashion designer, opened for 200,000 and Giannetti three-bet to 580,000. Kiletto thought for a few moments before moving all in for 3.92 million, and Giannetti tanked for two minutes before calling with the 8♣8♥. He was glad he did, because Kiletto held the inferior 8♠7♠. The 3♣2♥2♠ flop was dry for Kiletto, though the 9♠ turn did give her a flush draw. Unfortunately for her, the J♣ river missed it. Kiletto, who began the final table as the short stack, finished as runner-up for $191,880.
Congratulations to Matt Giannetti on winning the WPT Lucky Hearts Poker Open and becoming a two-time WPT champion. By earning his second title, Giannetti joins a very elite group of 17 other players who have won two or more WPT titles. That list includes Carlos Mortensen and Gus Hansen with three each, then Alan Goehring, Antonio Esfandiari, Barry Greenstein, Cornel Cimpan, Daniel Negreanu, Erick Lindgren, Freddy Deeb, Howard Lederer, Hoyt Corkins, Jonathan Little, Marvin Rettenmaier, Michael "The Grinder" Mizrachi, Randal Flowers, Tommy Vedes and Tuan Le all with two.
The next stop for on the tour will be the WPT Baden event and PokerNews will be providing recap coverage of the €3,300 Main Event that runs Feb. 19-24, so be sure to check back for that.
Lead photo courtesy of the World Poker Tour.
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