Va l’Italia!

The entities that comprise Wicked Chops Enterprises were torn this weekend. As Americans, we are all contractually obligated to hate the French. We cannot, in almost any circumstances, root for the French.

Yet, after watching the 2006 World Cup (of Soccer), and watching the way Italians flopped and whined and cried so consistently in faux-pain that, as Bill Simmons wrote, they’d give Ric Flair a run for his money, it became nearly impossible to want Italia to take the title.

This is doubly hard for us, as 1/3 of Wicked Chops Enterprises is 1/2 Italian.

Eventually, Italy won, and people all over the country undoubtedly jammed the streets to eat spaghetti in a prolonged dinner that starts at 10pm and doesn’t end until 1am, put grease in their hair, begin or end all of their sentences with "eh?," and start little cosa nostras.

The Italian soccer team, however, wasn’t the only, eh, Italians winning a World [of Something] this weekend.

Respected pro Max "The Italian Pirate" Pescatori captured his first bracelet by defeating Anthony "Leatherhead" Reategui for the title. Putting aside the fact that the entities that comprise Wicked Chops Enterprises would immediately file cease and desist orders on anyone that gave us a nickname that ended in "Pirate," not to mention our previously stated aversion to the Italian soccer team, we were glad to see Pescatori win the title, because really, after getting their asses handed to them in not one but two World Wars, it’s nice to see Italy, at least for one day each century, come out on top.

In other weekend WSOP news…

:: The final table is set for the $1,000 + rebuy tournament, and once again some big-time “name pros” are filling the seats. Leading the way is “Captain” Tom Franklin stacked at 590,000. Franklin won a bracelet in 1999 in limit Omaha. Right behind him is Tim Phan with 551,000. Joining them are John Hoang (274,000), who finished second to David Williams in the 7-Card Stud event earlier in the week, last year’s WSOP point leader Allen Cunningham (233,000), and Andy Bloch (163,000).

:: Twenty-six remain in the $10k PLO event. Lots of big names among the big stacks. Hasan Habib leads them all with 242,500. Others include: Jim McManus (109,000), Patrik Antonius (99,500), Sam Grizzle (96,500), Roland De Wolfe (95,000), Barry Greenstein (86,000), Lee Watkinson (74,500), Mickey Appleman (47,500), Daniel Negreanu (22,000), and David “Devil Fish” Ulliott (14,000).

:: And 26 women remain in the women’s only event. Laurie Scott is the chip leader.