Stephanie Moore / © NBC Universal, Inc.

It was a battle-of-the-sexes theme again on Poker After Dark as three men and three women all known to be chatty at the tables attempted to win this week’s title and the $120,000 winner-take-all first prize. Competing were Erica Schoenberg, Jean-Robert Bellande, David Grey, Karina Jett, Mike Matusow, and Annie Duke.

On Day 2 with the blinds at 200/400, Schoenberg found pocket kings and opened for a raise to 1100, but Jett found pocket aces and raised to 2500. Schoenberg three-bet to 7500, Jett moved all in and Schoenberg made the call. A 4:1 underdog, Schoenberg couldn’t improve on a board of 9h 10s Js 4s 6h and she was sent to the rail in 6th place.

Bellande’s run of bad luck on Poker After Dark continued when he got it all in preflop with Ad Qh against Grey holding pocket threes. Two aces on the flop gave Bellande trip aces, but the 3d on the river gave Grey a full house and a much needed double-up while crippling Bellande.

Then on the first hand of Day 3 Bellande moved all in preflop for his last 4300 with Kc Qd and was called by Matusow holding pocket 10s. A queen on the flop gave Bellande the lead, but after the turn bricked Matusow caught his two-outer on the river when the 10d fell, and a stunned Bellande was eliminated in 5th place.

Late on Day 3, Grey was crippled when his pocket aces were cracked as Duke called his preflop raise with pocket fours and spiked a four on the flop. All the money went in on the turn, but Duke’s set held up against Grey, leaving him with only 1175 in chips. He would regain a few chips in subsequent hands, but would exit in 4th place early on Day 4 when his pocket fives didn’t hold up against Duke’s Ac 9h when a nine fell on both the flop and the river.

The table quieted down when Grey left as the remaining three players focused on winning the $120,000. Then with the blinds at 400/800 Matusow doubled up through Jett while holding Ac 10s when the flop came 6d 10c 10h. Jett also held a ten, but Matusow paired his ace kicker on the turn to make tens full and draw the match closer to even, meaning that play on Day 5 would begin with Duke holding a slight chip lead over Jett with Matusow not far behind.

On the very first hand of Day 5 Jett raised preflop with Qh 10c and only Duke called with 10d 8d. The flop came 7d 9d Qc giving Jett top pair and Duke an open-ended straight flush draw for a total of 15 outs. It didn’t take long for all of the money to go into the middle with Duke a slight favorite, but Jett faded all of Duke’s outs vaulting her back into the chip lead while leaving Duke with only about 4000 chips. Duke would depart in 3rd place a short time after, again courtesy of Jett, who spiked a deuce on the river holding Ah 2c against Duke’s Ac 10h.

Heads-up play began with Jett holding a 3:1 chip lead, a lead she was never in jeopardy of losing. With the blinds at only 400/800, the final hand saw Jett open-raise to 2400 with Ac 5d and Matusow call with 9h 7h. The flop came 7s 5c 5s giving Jett trip fives and Matusow two pair. Matusow checked, Jett bet, and Matusow moved all in with Jett snap-calling. Matusow needed one of the two remaining sevens in the deck to stave off elimination, but couldn’t spike either of them as Jett impressively won her first PAD title in her very first appearance, doing so in record time.

Dennis Oehring serves as the Public Relations Coordinator for the firm POKER PROductions.