bwin poker blog » WPT Venice

Signing off from the WPT Venice

Daniel Willis — Mon, 11 May 2009 01:12:03 +0000

Well well, just like that the fantastic event that was the WPT Venice is now complete. Sven Ragnar Åström might have taken home the biggest prize of the week as the proud new owner of a WPT Bracelet, but the bwin team did pretty damn well for themselves combining for a total of 285,300€ in tournament winnings.

Leading the way for the team was French player vincent582 who brought home a whopping 159,740€ for his 3rd place finish. It really was a fairytale story for vincent582, winning his $8,700 WPT Venice Package in a freeroll on bwin and now turning it into the experience of a lifetime.

vincent582's amazing WPT Venice journey

12 more of vincent582’s teammates also made it into the money and there were so many more great stories, from Ilawa taking down 16,740€ in his first major live tournament, to LocsStaOnfire becoming the first bwin player to cash at two live events (after the 2007 WPT Canada). And of course then there is team veteran nammer4life finally breaking his duck by getting his first cash after 5 live events with the team.

nammer4life got his cash!

Ilawa got 16,740 in his first major live tournament

Double up! That's two cashes on bwin team live events for LocStaOnFire

The bwin team's many champs

Here is another look at all the bwin team members who cashed. Congrats to all!

Ilawa – 16,740 €
muchaz11 – 16,740 €
Daumbeach – 13,700 €
LocStaOnFire – 11,400 €
nammer4life – 9,980 €
puchi x – 8,360 €
yoggielours – 8,360 €
nestelous_x – 8,360 €
Psycho2620 – 8,360 €
freetcha – 8,360 €
BonniePBilly – 7,600 €
pokerng – 7,600 €

As always on bwin team live events, there was plenty more to the trip than just poker and the players got treated to a fantastic week which they are not likely to forget for a long time. Venice was simply an amazing setting for a poker tournament and the players were able to see so many beautiful sights through out the city when they were not on the tables.

The team enjoying themselves at the farewell party

Venice is just an amazing place to have a poker tournament

The main entrance to Casino di Venezia

Aussie Millions veterans corpseGR and King_Dirk enjoying the chance to catch up at another bwin team live event

Time for a Gondala ride

More smiles from the team

KristapsK3 cruising on his way to the Casino

The Grand Canal on dusk

Well folks that’s a wrap from WPT Venice! If you would like to be part of the next bwin team live event then make sure you watch out for the 2009 WSOP Main Event Online Finals which are now running every weekend. The WSOP Main Event is the biggest tournament on the poker calendar and the bwin team always has an incredible time in Las Vegas. There are satellites to the Online Finals for every bankroll so make sure you get on board for your chance to be part of the fun. I’ll see you there in July!

‘TourLive’ a big hit at WPT Venice

admin — Sun, 10 May 2009 23:58:06 +0000

When the dusts settles on the WPT Venice it will be remembered as a landmark tournament for a many reasons. From being the first WPT event in Italy, to being the first event sponsored by bwin, the WPT Venice certainly broke a lot of new ground. But possibly the most exciting thing to come out of the week was the unveiling of one of the biggest developments we’ve seen for a long time in the world of live poker; bwin’s ˜TourLive’ Tournament Information System.

Spearheaded by bwin’s Creative Director Kim Lund the ‘TourLive’ system really pushed the envelope in the tracking and broadcasting of live tournament information. The system allowed for hand histories, chip counts, photos, recent elimination, individual chip count trends and many other statistics to be communicated to the railers, media and players live via dedicated monitors found through out the poker room, casino and gardens, making sure that no-one missed a moment of the action.

Basically, for the first time ever everyone at the tournament could follow all the action across all the tables as easily as someone at home reading live updates on the internet.

The TourLive system tracking everything from big hands to player achievements and even individual player chip count trends

Kim and his team of technical gurus worked around the clock fine tuning their fantastic looking ˜TourLive’ system all week here at the WPT Venice and it really paid off all with all players, media and railers extremely impressed with the innovation. Even more impressive was the fact that this was just the Beta testing of the system and with all that was learned from its implementation at this tournament the system will be even bigger and better next time! Great work guys, keep on pushing the envelope!

Sven Ragnar Åström is WPT Champion – 397,960€

Liam Clark — Sun, 10 May 2009 14:49:53 +0000

Swedish player Sven Ragnar Åström has just taken down the WPT Venice by beating out fellow countryman Martin Jacobson in heads up play.

Sven Ragnar Åströmis WPT Venice Champion

With Åström still holding the chip lead and the board showing 7d7cJhAh4h he checked the action to Jacobson, who fired out a value bet. Åström ¶m then moved all in over the top and Jacobson insta-called showing Kh6h for the nut flush. Åström then showed his 4s4d for the rivered full house and the young Swede took down the 397,960€ first prize, a seat at the WPT World Championships and, of course, a prized WPT Bracelet.

Åström revealed in his post-win interview that this was actually his first major live tournament – a pretty amazing effort by anyones standards!

Åström in the spotlight after his win

Åström receiving his WPT Bracelet...

...and his cheque from bwin's Hendrik Knopp

Martin Jacobson took home 238,840€ for his 2nd place and must be congratulated for his incredible play throughout the whole tournament. Every player who busted from the final table commented on what a tough opponent Jacobson was to play against and he clearly has the respect of all his competitors.

Jacobson was clearly disappointed after his bust, but the young Swede should be so proud of his effort

Well that’s it from the WPT Venice for now, but make sure you stick around for a summary of the whole event and some of the highlights from the bwin team’s incredible trip.

I’ll leave you with another look at the payouts from the final table and a photo of our champion;

1st. Sven Ragnar Åström- 397,960 €
2nd. Per Martin Jacobson – 238,840 €
3rd. vincent582 – 159, 740 €
4th. Michael McDonald – 109,540 €
5th. Michele Slama – 86,720 €
6th. Mario Adinolfi – 66,940 €

Jättebra! Swedish WPT Champion Sven Ragnar Åström

Åström takes the advantage as the players take a break

Liam Clark — Sun, 10 May 2009 13:28:02 +0000

Play has just stopped for a 15 minute break at the Final Table of the WPT Venice and Sven Ragnar Åström has taken the advantage after the first hour of heads up play.

Åström and Jacobson in heads up

Jacobson took a lead of about 1 million into the heads up battle, and as the Swedes exchanged blows the chip lead changed hands on a number of occasions. Neither player really seemed able to keep the momentum for long however, and the respect between the two Swedes was evident.

Åström however was able to take down a big 1 million pot in the last hand before the break and is now holding a pretty sizable chip lead. When play resumes we will move to blind level 26 with 20k/40k and a 4k ante.

Åström has taken a nice chip lead

Jacobson is down but not out

Chip counts;

Sven Ragnar Åström – 4,420,000
Per Martin Jacobson – 1,535,000

vincent582 finishes in third place! 159,740€

Liam Clark — Sun, 10 May 2009 12:10:13 +0000

vincent582’s incredible run at the WPT Venice has come to an end in 3rd place with an incredible 159,740€ for his efforts! vincent582 achievement is simply amazing considering he qualified for this tournament on bwin through a freeroll and this was his first live tournament!

It was just an amazing experience for vincent582 to be the Final Table in his first live tournament

Our French team member had just been sitting back and watching the action unfold on the final table, moving up the payout structure with every bust. He got involved in his first and last hand when he was on SB and pushed his 400k into in preflop after Jacobson folded the button. Åström looked him up from BB and turned over AsQh to dominate vincent582’s Qh5d. The board ran out Jh6h6d2hAs and vincent582’s amazing WPT Venice journey was over.

Here is an interview with vincent582 after his bust;

It’s now a battle of the Swedes with Jacobson taking a decent advantage in heads up.

Battle of Sweden - Åström vs Jacobson

Chip Counts:

Per Martin Jacobson – 3,333,000
Sven Ragnar Åström- 2,609,000

McDonald out in 4th – Jacobson’s run continues

Liam Clark — Sun, 10 May 2009 11:49:11 +0000

Wow! The action just keeps coming and coming!

Michael McDonald has just been busted in 4th place with Martin Jacobson claiming another scalp.
With the board showing 6s8KsQ McDonald led out with a small bet, Jacobson pushed all-in over the top and McDonald went to the tank before calling and turning over KdTh for top pair against Jacobson’s 6h7h for bottom pair and flush draw. McDonald looked pretty well set to double up and get some chips back from Jacobson, but when you’re hot, you’re hot and a 7s gave Jacobson two pair and sent McDonald to the rail in 4th.

Michael McDonald takes home 109,840€

vincent582 hasn’t played a hand yet but is now guaranteed at least 159,70€!! Incredible!

Jacobson strikes again – Slama out in 5th

Liam Clark — Sun, 10 May 2009 11:27:46 +0000

Italian player Michele Slama has just been eliminated in the 5th place, Martin Jacobson again the man doing the damage.

Slama was down to 453k and pushed pre-flop with 6h6d, but was looked up by Jacobson who was again holding the higher pocket pair with TcTd. Nothing of interest on the board and Slama was out in 5th with 86,720€.

Slama is out in 5th

Jacobson picked up another 500k in this pot, and also picked up another 500k off Michael McDonald when he rivered a higher flush. He is now up to an imposing 2.76million.

Jacobson is hot!

bwin team member vincent582 is now guaranteed a massive 109,840€!

vincent582 in up for at least 109,840€

Latest chip counts

Liam Clark — Sun, 10 May 2009 11:09:31 +0000

Latest chip counts;

Seat 1 – Vincent Pasdeloup (bwin vincent582) – 671,000
Seat 3 – Sven Ragnar Åström – 2,182,000
Seat 4 – Michael McDonald – 425,000
Seat 5 – Michele Slama – 453,000
Seat 6 – Per Martin Jacobson – 2,211,000

OUT – Mario Adinolfi – 66,940 €

Super Mario out on the first hand!

Liam Clark — Sun, 10 May 2009 11:06:14 +0000

First hand, first bust!!

Play on the final table has just started and the first action was an all-in push from Mario Adinolfi. Adinolfi pushed from UTG with his 490k and was called by Martin Jacobson on the button. Adinolfi showed QQ and Jacobson showed KK in a massive first hand. The board blanked and Adinolfi was out in 6th with 66,940€.

Mario Adinolfi

Nice start to the day for Jacobson

vincent582 ready for his date with destiny

Liam Clark — Sun, 10 May 2009 10:03:51 +0000

Here we go ladies and gentlemen! The Final Table of the WPT Venice is just 30 minutes from getting started and the bwin team’s very own vincent582 is ready to embark on the most important day in his poker life.

vincent582 is ready for the biggest day of his poker life

vincent582 will start the day with a stack of 764k, well behind chip leader Sven Ragnar Åström(2,161 Million), but still with enough chips to throw around and make his presence felt. The 20 year-old Frenchman from Valence said this morning that he was feeling pretty relaxed and ready to play and after qualifying for this tournament in a freeroll on bwin vincent582 just can’t believe how far he has come.

Standing between vincent582 and WPT Bracelet today will be pretty damn good bunch of poker players, including chipleader Åströmand Canadian Pro Michael McDonald. Both players have been incredibly solid so far and if vincent582 is able to get past them and take home the 397,960€ first prize he will certainly earn every Euro!

Chipleader Sven Åström

Canadian Pro Michael McDonald

Here is another look at the chip counts;

Sven Ragnar Åström- 2,161,000
Per Martin Jacobsen – 1,049,000
Michael McDonald – 1,022,000
vincent582 – 764,000
Mario Adinolfi – 487,000
Michele Slama – 459,000

The WPT Venice Final Table

When play starts blinds are still 12k/24k/3k, there will be a live stream of the action on the bwin Pokerblog right down to the final hand so make sure you keep it tuned right here!