Regional Championship
Day 4 Completed
2010-11 World Series of Poker Circuit - Harrah's Atlantic City
Regional Championship
Day: 4
Event Info
Final Results
Event Info
Level Info
2010-11 World Series of Poker Circuit - Harrah's Atlantic City
Buy-in
$9,700
Prize Pool
$1,279,624
Entries
136
Level
27
Blinds
15,000 / 30,000
Ante
4,000
![[user66118]](/img/avatars/avatar.svg){kind=avatar}
Level 27
: 15,000/30,000, 4,000 ante
The final nine players returned to the felt at the World Series of Poker Circuit Eastern Regional Championship to play it out for a major title under the bright lights of the television set. From a field of 136 players, Chris Klodnicki had risen to the top of the pack to lead the finalists into the decisive day. After about 11 hours of card playing, he was just a straight draw away from closing the deal, but Chris Bell faded the outs to collect the chips, the ring, and the title of champion.
With the average stack sitting at a hefty 75.5 big blinds to start the day, it was no surprise to see all nine players still seated when the first full break hit. They were still there at the second break, and the third break also came and went without an elimination. The fourth break was for dinner, and Klodnicki was still leading the nine left together for their evening meal.
The chip average slipped under 30 big blinds as the next level kicked in, and the eliminations finally came at a torrid pace. Seth Fischer three-bet shoved his 
into Jason Burt's 
just a few hands into the after-dinner session to exit in ninth place and cue the procession to the payout desk. Nick Mitchell doubled his short stack a moment later, but he was next to fall in eighth place. Micah Raskin had been the aggressor on the flop and turn of a 
board, but he checked the river. When he did, Mitchell shoved his ten remaining big blinds into the pot with 
, and Raskin's 
(two pair) sent "agriffrod" to the exit.
Burt (seventh place) couldn't last much longer himself, shoving his into Chris Bell's 
, and the dead-man's hand struck another player as the 
sealed the day's third elimination. Just a few hands later, Andy Frankenberger and Klodnicki got it all in on a 
flop, and Klodnicki's 
had Frankenberger and his 
drawing slim. The 
turn put him in an even bigger hole, and the blank 
river cued his exit in sixth place just prior to the end of a brutal level.
A quick break saw five players return with the chips becoming polarized, and Todd Terry was on the bad end of that disparity. He had just over 6 big blinds when he shoved with 
against Klodnicki's 
. The 
was "not a good flop" as Terry astutely noted, and the turn and river 
and 
sent him off in fifth place.
Raskin was the shortest stack down under 100,000 at one point today, but he rallied back over 800,000 within a few orbits to put himself back in contention. That stack was eventually whittled back down to half of its former self, and the last 396,000 of those went into the middle on a three-bet with 
. It was Klodnicki doing the deed again as his 
held up on the 
board to eliminate Raskin in fourth place.
Klodnicki was soon over 2 million chips (of 4.08 million in play), and his lead was safe from there on out. Almost. It was Bell who took care of Ketan Pandya in third place when the two men each found a pocket pair in the hole. Klodnicki claimed he folded a pair as well, but Pandya and his 
fell to Bell's 
to bring the match nearly square as heads-up play began.
The pots were mostly small during the course of the duel, apart from one large split pot in which both men made jacks full of aces. The chip stacks were nearly even on the final hand when Bell's flopped set put him two cards from the ring. The dealer blessed him with blanks on both the turn and the river, and the deed was done.
So then, it's North Carolina's Chris Bell who wins this Eastern Regional Championship, his second WSOP title this year. Along with it comes some serious bragging rights, a gold-and-diamond ring, and $358,295 in cash. It was an unusually fun table to watch with tons of post-flop poker, and it ends with a very smiley Bell posing for the winner's photos with his new jewelry and some holiday spending money.
That concludes our coverage from the Eastern Regional Championship in Atlantic City. For that matter, it puts the final stamp on our 2010 calendar year. We want to thank you for joining us here and for the past 12 months, and we hope you'll help us in send our congratulations to Chris Bell on his big win here today!
Until January then, all that's left is goodnight.
Level 27
: 15,000/30,000, 4,000 ante
Chris Bell opened to 75,000 from the button, and Chris Klodnicki three-bet to 225,000. Bell took a minute to make sure before forcefully sticking the chips in.
The flop came out 
, and Klodnicki continued out with a bet of 260,000. Bell sat in the tank for a couple minutes, then announced an all in. Klodnicki got all wide-eyed at the size of the bet, and he double-checked his cards before quietly announcing the call. Nobody was certain who had the larger stack as both men were nearly dead even throughout the duration of this heads-up battle. In any event, nearly all of the chips in play were up for grabs, and the cards were on their backs.
Showdown
Klodnicki:
Bell: 
Bell was in front with his set of crabs, but Klodnicki had the pair and an open-ender to work with. The drama built as the dealer was held for a pause by the production crew. The turn, please:
Turn:
That's no trouble for Bell, now one card away from the monster pot. Another pause followed, this one a bit shorter. Both men were standing to sweat what might be the final card of the day.
River: 
Bell wins the pot with his set of threes holding up, but there's some business to take care of. The stacks are awfully close, and Bell's is counted down at 1.918 million first. With the chips in the pot added, that should mean Bell's stack was the bigger of the two. For verification, Klodnicki's stack was cut down next, and the dealer ran out of chips somewhere in the 1.7 millions. It was a bit of a quiet finish as nobody knew for sure whether or not it was over, but indeed it was.
Klodnicki came within a straight draw of going back-to-back here at Harrah's Atlantic City, but his bid for a second gold ring has come up just short. He falls in second place, but he'll be rewarded with a consolation prize of nearly a quarter-million dollars and a $6,000 increase over his Main Event win from 2009.
Level 27
: 15,000/30,000, 4,000 ante
Chris Klodnicki raised to 60,000 on the button. Chris Bell called from the big blind and the flop came down .
Bell check-called Klodnicki’s bet of 75,000. The followed on the turn, and both checked. The hit the turn and Bell checked. Klodnicki fired 500,000, forcing a fold from Bell.
Level 27
: 15,000/30,000, 4,000 ante
Chris Klodnicki raised to 60,000 and Chris Bell called. Bell checked the 
flop, and Klodnicki continued out with 85,000 chips to win the pot.
On the next hand, Bell raised the button, and Klodnicki just folded without incident. Bell grumbled, and Klodnicki asked, "Did you have it?" Indeed. Bell flashed his two kings as the dealer pushed him the small pot.
Level 27
: 15,000/30,000, 4,000 ante
Chris Bell raised to 65,000 on the button and Chris Klodnicki called.
The flop fell 
and Klodnicki checked to Bell, who took a stab at the pot with 85,000. Klodnicki put together raising chips, making it 230,000 to play. Bell called after about 90 seconds, landing the on fourth street. Both checked, with the following on the fifth street. Klodnicki bet a massive 780,000 and Bell called instantly.
It was a chopped pot, as Bell tabled while Klodnicki showed 
.
Level: 27
Blinds: 15,000/30,000
Ante: 4,000
Level 27
: 15,000/30,000, 4,000 ante
Chris Bell opened to 50,000, and Chris Klodnicki called. They check-checked through the 
turn, and Klodnicki fired 70,000 on the river. Bell took a long while to consider before splashing in the call.
"Jack," Klodnicki said, tabling his 
. It was good, grabbing 124,000 of those chips back from Bell's stack into his own.
Level 26
: 12,000/24,000, 4,000 ante
Chris Klodnicki made it 50,000 to play from the button. Chris Bell popped it to 150,000 out of the big blind and Klodnicki four-bet, making it 375,000 total. Bell squirmed in his seat a bit, but after about a minute moved all in.
Klodnicki quickly slid his hand to the dealer, giving Bell the pot and upping his stack to about 2,000,000.
Level 26
: 12,000/24,000, 4,000 ante
Chris Bell raised to 50,000 from the button, and Chris Klodnicki three-bet to 150,000 straight. Bell double-checked his hole cards and stacked the calling chips into the pot.
The flop came out , and Klodnicki bet about 180,000, though the chips were never cut down. That's because Bell quickly folded, and Klodnicki snags another small pot.