The final three players left have stood to stretch, and play will resume in 15 minutes.
2014 Hollywood Poker Open Charles Town Regional Event
Lee Childs opened to 25,000 from the cutoff, and with the button in front of him, Mark Castaldo flatted to see a flop.
The dealer fanned the across the felt and Childs led out for a 32,000 c-bet. When Castaldo flatted once more, the hit the board on the turn.
Childs slowed down with a check this time, and Castaldo pounced on the pot with a 45,000 bet. After deliberating for more than two minutes, counting out the calling stack, adding raising chips and then returning the excess amount, Childs decided to see the river.
Fifth street produced the and Childs checked once more, only to hear Castaldo announce himself all in for more than 200,000 - a bet which barely had Childs covered.
Diving deep down into the tank once again, Childs pondered his options for more than four minutes, staring silently at Castaldo and studying in search of a tell.
Apparently Childs found something to move on, and he suddenly made the call while peering over to see what Castaldo brought to bear. When the was revealed to be the bad news, Childs could only wince when he saw that his read had been off base. Childs and his had been behind the whole time, and when it was all said and done, his stack was shipped to the next seat over.
"Nice hand..." said Childs sincerely, shaking hands with his three opponents before heading over to commiserate with his father Bill. Childs earned $11,693 for the 4th place finish, while also locking up the Points Standings Championship for this HPO series stop.
Player | Chips | Progress |
---|---|---|
Mark Castaldo |
580,000
344,000
|
344,000 |
Lee Childs | Busted |
On a board showing by the turn, and a sizable pot chock full of charcoal grey T5000 chips up for grabs, Joseph Stiers tried to take it down with a 75,000 wager.
Lee Childs was undeterred, however, and he raised all in for 211,000 effective, putting Stiers at risk if he chose to call off.
After agonizing briefly over the spot he found himself in, Stiers decided that enough of his chips were already committed to justify a call. Tabling for a pair and a flush draw, Stiers found he had a few less outs than he envisioned when Childs rolled over the for two pair on the turn.
River:
"Sorry..." offered Stiers at the sight of his salvation. "I just had too much in there to fold."
Childs was impassive in defeat, absorbing the bad beat like a consummate professional, and the two players effectively reversed their chip positions for the second time at this marathon final table.
Player | Chips | Progress |
---|---|---|
Joseph Stiers |
525,000
247,000
|
247,000 |
Lee Childs |
260,000
-365,000
|
-365,000 |
The title really does say it all.
Player | Chips | Progress |
---|---|---|
Lee Childs |
625,000
102,000
|
102,000 |
Brian Cavaliere |
307,000
-29,000
|
-29,000 |
Joseph Stiers |
278,000
3,000
|
3,000 |
Mark Castaldo |
236,000
15,000
|
15,000 |
The action folded around to Lee Childs in the small blind, and with only Mark Castaldo and his 10-big blind stack standing between him and an uncontested pot, Childs simply moved all in to put Castaldo at risk.
Castaldo held the and did not appear to like his spot, but with his stack slipping into the danger zone, he made called off and hoped for the best.
Childs tabled the and despite Castaldo's marginal holding, the two were actually racing for the pot.
Flop:
Castaldo jumped out to a huge head start by flopping trip queens, and when the rained down on the turn, the pot was officially his. The completed the board on the river, and Castaldo doubled through to keep his hopes for an HPO Regional Championship title intact.
Player | Chips | Progress |
---|---|---|
Lee Childs |
523,000
-121,000
|
-121,000 |
Mark Castaldo |
221,000
59,000
|
59,000 |
Level: 21
Blinds: 6,000/12,000
Ante: 1,000
After playing in a number of Hollywood Poker Open Feature Events here at the Charles Town stop - and winning Event #13 ($235 Deep Stack NLHE) - Lee Childs' run to at least a 4th place finish here in the Main Event secured him top honors on the points leaderboard.
Childs accumulated more points during the 10-day series, cashing multiple times, winning once and possibly taking down his first HPO Regional Championship here tonight.
For the accomplishment Childs will be rewarded with a $2,500 prize package, which includes travel accommodations and a coveted seat to the HPO Championship Event at the M Resort Casino Spa in Las Vegas this June.
To cap off the festivities, Lee's father Bill Childs is enjoying a bit of fun as well, as the elder Childs secured 2nd place in the points standings by virtue of his own final table run here tonight. With just eight players left in contention in Event #33 ($235 Deep Stack NLHE), Bill has also earned his own $2,500 prize package and Championship Event seat.
Joseph Stiers held the big stack and opened to 22,000 from under the gun, only to see Lee Childs three-bet to 52,000 from the button.
Stiers assessed the situation for a moment before announcing himself all in, and Childs had to confirm before snapping the bet off with .
With 297,000 to his name, it was Childs who was all in and at risk, but he was in a great spot with his bullets up against Stiers' .
The final board ran out and with a flopped set of aces, Childs scored the double to effectively reverse the chip positions, claiming the chip lead in one fell swoop.
Player | Chips | Progress |
---|---|---|
Lee Childs |
644,000
256,000
|
256,000 |
Joseph Stiers |
275,000
-294,000
|
-294,000 |
Jim Boyd open-shoved for his last 85,000 from the hijack, and Brian Cavaliere made the call from the small blind.
Showdown:
Boyd:
Cavaliere:
The pocket pair produced by Cavaliere put him in command of the hand, and when the board ran clean with no diamonds or straights, he sent Boyd packing with a 5th place finish.
Cavaliere, meanwhile, re-assumed his position of power after entering the day with a significant chip lead.
Player | Chips | Progress |
---|---|---|
Brian Cavaliere |
336,000
102,000
|
102,000 |
Jim Boyd | Busted |
Level: 20
Blinds: 5,000/10,000
Ante: 1,000