Defying the odds like no other in recent memory, Italy’s Simone Lombardo has emerged as the latest victor on the European Masters of Poker circuit.
His €63,000 payday comes courtesy of a field of 240 other players, each of whom ponied up for a €1,500 + €150 event held Malta’s Casino di Venezia. After qualifying through a €1 Satellite for fans of Wasino.com’s Facebook page, Lambardo’s amazing success should come as a shining light to low stakes players across the internet. Perhaps just as impressive is the fact that he managed to win out in the satellite, despite losing his internet connection with only four players remaining. Upon returning to the table, he was dealt A-A in consecutive hands to get back on track.
After such a trying ordeal, the victory at Malta provided a huge measure of relief. As astute observers will notice, Lombardo, while finishing in first, did not receive the lion’s share of the profits. This honor instead went to second place Mathias Fricke, after the pair stuck a deal during heads -up play. This came after the eventual winner landed a diamond flush, putting Fricke in a tough position.
Here’s how the final table finished:
#1 – Simone Lombardo, €63,000 (Italy)
#2 – Mathias Fricke, €81,590 (Germany)
#3 – John O´Shea, €36,150.00 (Ireland)
#4 – Johan Berg, €22,410 (Sweden)
#5 – Henrik Waltersson, €17,350 (Sweden)
#6 – Jan Bures, €14,090 (Czech Republic)
#7 – Raul Gonzales, €12,290 (Spain)
#8 – Jari Kylmälä, €10,480 (Finland)
#9 – Christoffer Gross, €8,670 (Germany)
#10 – Manfred Wartenberg, €7,230 (Germany)
For those interested in getting in on the European Masters action, there is one event remaining on the schedule. The second season will wrap in style, with their final send off taking place on a cruise ship bound for the Mexican Riviera. Taking place from December 5-12, this luxurious experience will feature a pot equivalent to four percent of the total Masters’ prize pools from all of Season Two’s previous tournaments. The field will be made of of the top 16 players on the current leaderboard, which should make for truly competitive play.
Here’s a list of the names currently slated to appear: Manig Löser, Simone Lombardo, Primož Urek, Manfred Kåvestam, Maciej Lipny, Mathias Fricke, John O´Shea, Henri Ovaska, Povilas Purtokas, Erik Skarp, Kalle, Björn Lundgren, Vladimir Mefodichev, Timothy Timotheou, Matias Knappinen, and Giovanni Sutera.