Attilio Bitondo Calls it All
Joe McKeehen was the odds on favorite to take down yet another title here in Atlantic City - the home of the young pro's major scores, including a WSOP Circuit ring and a Borgata Winter Poker Open win - but a recent hand saw most of his stack slip away.
Attilio Bitondo held and decided to call bets of increasing magnitude on the flop, turn and river. The final board was all baby cards and a bullet - something like (we missed the exact cards in the dealer's rapid scramble) - and despite holding the lowest pair possible, Bitondo refused to find the fold button.
McKeehen tabled upon showdown, and when he saw Bitondo's cards the look of astonishment on the young pro's face was plain as day.
The shift in chips makes Bitondo the leader at this point, while McKeehen will have to regain his focus if he hopes to add another trophy to his parent's china cabinet. Although, from the looks of this recent tweet issued by McKeehen, he is already making contingency plans if he falls short here today:
Player | Chips | Progress |
---|---|---|
Attilio Bitondo (Attilio Bitando)
|
780,000
615,000
|
615,000 |
Joe Mckeehen |
130,000
-115,000
|
-115,000 |
|