Rubbing Buddha’s belly for luck, wealth and prosperity is an age-old custom, but for Davidi Kitai it was his pregnant wife Caroline’s bump which helped him to the €700,000 ($862,772) first prize in the second of the 2018 partypoker LIVE MILLIONS Grand Final €25,500 Super High Rollers in Barcelona yesterday!
"Every time I was all in, I kept thinking about the baby and rubbed the belly," said Kitai, the Belgian with a huge smile on his face after seeing off 89 others in the super-strong field which included Spain’s Adrian Mateos, Germany’s Manig Loeser and the high-roller trio of Americans Riess, Schindler and Bonomo.
It was the unheralded Spaniard Juan Pardo Dominguez, however, who proved to be the toughest test for Kitai, his 5th spot for €150,000 in the first of the €25K High Rollers followed up by another massively deep run yesterday, eventually facing off with 3-time WSOP bracelet winner Kitai heads-up for the title.
Despite ‘Pardo’ starting out with a 7:1 chip lead, Kitai’s secret weapon proved too much for the young Spanish player…
…although the 25-year old Malaga man, known as ‘Malakastyle’ took his eventual defeat well, and will definitely be a name to watch out for in future high-rollers…
…although his online game is already feared, basing himself out of Cardiff, Wales for the last couple of years. Playing the €100,000 Super High Roller, due to kick off in a few days, is not on his agenda, though, the young man stating: "Next year I will," and promising to do his best in the upcoming €10,300 Main Event.
Kitai, with his wedding, a child on his way and his win breaking the $9million barrier ($9,021,326 in tournament cashes according to the Hendon Mob website) has confirmed his status as Belgium’s number 1, now boasting double the earnings of 2nd placed Pierre Neuville, with Kenny Hallaert in 3rd spot.
Final table results
| 1 | Davidi Kitai | €700,000 | $862,772 |
| 2 | Juan Pardo Dominguez | €450,000 | $554,798 |
| 3 | Kamal Bejjani | €325,000 | $400,687 |
| 4 | Adrian Mateos | €215,000 | $265,070 |
| 5 | Manig Loeser | €162,500 | $200,343 |
| 6 | Ryan Riess | €120,000 | $147,946 |
| 7 | Jake Schindler | €90,000 | $110,959 |
| 8 | Justin Bonomo | €60,000 | $73,873 |
| 9 | Steve O'Dwyer | €60,000 | $73,873 |