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Anthony Criniti
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Criniti Smokes ‘em
By Steven E. Way
The weather outside might have been frightening, but the festive atmosphere inside the Poker Room at Foxwoods Resort Casino just before the start of the $120 No Limit Texas Hold’em event belied that fact.
With a field of 346 players who came in out of the rain, the prize pool grew to over $65,000 including the rebuys and the $2,000 added by Foxwoods.
The final table of ten was assembled at just before 9:00 last evening. Almost immediately two players went all in for the same amount on the same hand. Both Michael Mandrell of Ontario, Canada playing pocket eights and Ray DiDonato of Laurel Springs, New Jersey playing Ace, Trey were all-in against “CT” Harris of Storyville, New York with Ace, Queen. After the men watched a board bring all rags except for a lone Ace, DiDonato and Mandrell went to the rails having split ninth and tenth place monies.
Eighth place would soon be awarded to Lou Procopio of Liverpool, New York when he played Ace, five of spades all-in but was knocked out when Henry Gullotti of Astoria, New York flopped trip Kings.
Steven Coughlin of nearby Manchester, Connecticut when he was forced out in seventh position after having been bled down to just his big blind. Hoping to stay alive, pocket rags provided no comfort as both Harris and Richard Cook of Potomac, Maryland flopped a pair of Kings and split Coughlin’s blind.
Forced to play nine, six on his blind, “Okie” O’Connell of Grafton, Massachusetts got to meet Anthony Criniti who hails from Southampton, Pennsylvania with his pocket Aces. With a board busy with blanks, Criniti won the pot.
Now with half the final field eliminated, the remaining five players focused on the task at hand. David Borchert of Bridgewater, New Jersey would be the first to part company. Playing King, Queen as an all-in hand seemed like a good play, until Criniti again showed a pocket pair, this time Queens. The board brought no help, and left Criniti to take the pot and stack the chips.
The four seat would then be knocked out in fourth place. Henry Gullotti pushed all-in with King, Queen and watched the board bring a pair of eights and no other help. While the pair of pocket nines in the hand of “CT” Harris was enough to take the pot.
The remaining three players took a while to figure out who wanted third place. Finally Cook, who did not rebuy in the event, pushed his chips in with pocket sixes. Criniti would again be the bearer of bad news when he showed down King, Jack to match the Queen, Jack, Queen on the flop.
Now heads up, the last few hands took place as the excited crowd of spectators edged ever closer to see the final play. Harris with a scarcity of chips pushed the last few remaining in based on pocket eights. Criniti called and showed five, deuce off suit and the men watched as the board added a pair of fives to give Criniti a Hold’em championship to go with last years $550 Stud Championship.
Congratulations Tony, I’m sure the martini will taste even sweeter tonight.
Steven E. Way
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