Roberto Romanello Wins World Poker Tour BratislavaRomanello Adds Another Title To His Name In Slovakia |
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Just a couple of months after taking down the European Poker Tour Prague for €640,000, Roberto Romanello has done it again, this time in Slovakia at the World Poker Tour Bratislava.
The Welshman adds €140,685 to his tournament winnings, plus a $25,500 WPT World Championship seat, and a Tiffany bracelet. After beating 210 players to the highest rung of the €493,155 prize pool, an emotional Romanello said, “I don’t quite know what to say, it means so much to win a WPT title. I am so grateful to everyone who has supported me.”
It was Mayu Roca who looked as if he could be the one to stand in Romanello’s way of another victory, and when the two got heads up, a battle of wits and skill ensued. In the end, the Full Tilt pro was victorious, while Roca had to make do with €71,000 for second place. In generous fashion, the two then threw a party for all the supporters, players, staff, and dealers.
Here is what the final table looked like at the start:
Roberto Romanello 1,803,000
Jesper Hoog 1,042,000
Mayu Roca 899,000
Alexander Jager 594,000
Bodo Sbrzesny 594,000
Christopher Williamsson 564,000
Frank Dollinger 549,000
Lubomir Kudlicka 406,000
Marek Tatar 105,000
Action started off with a couple of bluffs. The first was by Jesper Hoog, although it didn’t work out because Mayu Roca wasn’t falling for any of it. Roberto Romanello was more successful versus Lubomir Kublicka as he bluffed him off a healthy pot and left Kublicka with just 300,000 behind. In the very next hand, Kublicka got the rest of it in against Alexander Jager and left in ninth place for €11,000.
Marek Tatar was surprisingly the next to go. After a raise from Roca, Tatar re-raised all in with 5
4
and Roca made the call flipping over A 7. The board looked good for Tatar as it fell 10 9
5 9
, but the A on the river sent him hurtling out of the event in eighth place with €14,000 for his efforts.
After doubling up through Jesper Hoog, Bodo Sbrzesny found himself back in the middle of the action yet again. With pocket queens on the button, Sbrzesny raised to 40,000 and Roca made it 114,000 from the small blind. Sbrzesny then four-bet to 195,000 and Roca moved all in. Sbrzesny made the call and saw that he was up against pocket kings. The board didn’t change anything and Sbrzesny hit the rail in seventh place with €17,000.
It was up to Roberto Romanello to put the next player out as both he and Roca competed for the chip lead. Chris Williamson bet 32,000 from the hijack and Romanello pushed it up to 69,000 from the cut-off. It folded to Williamson who watched his opponent intently before electing to raise it up by 58,000. Romanello showed no fear and made it 100,000 more. Williamson then moved all in and Romanello called. The Welshman’s pocket queens managed to stay ahead of Williamson’s A-K and as Romanello moved onwards and upwards, Williamson went out in sixth place with €21,000 more to his name.
Jesper Hoog was next to go after moving all in with A-J and getting called by Roca with pocket kings. The kings held and Hoog took €26,000 for fifth place. Frank Dollinger then followed him out in fourth for €33,000 after shoving with K-10 and getting called by Jager and his A-7 which stayed ahead.
Jager’s celebrations did not last too long however as Romanello was ready to finish another opponent off. He raised with pocket fours from the small blind and Jager reraised with A-K from the big blind. Romanello then moved all in and Jager called. The board fell 8-5-3-8-7 and Jager busted out in third place for a payday of €42,000.
Heads-Up Chip Counts:
Roberto Romanello 3,500,000
Mayu Roca 2,800,000
The heads-up duo struggled for the lead with chips flying back and forth. Finally, Roca raised to 90,000 and Romanello three-bet to 255,000. As the atmosphere bubbled explosively with anticipation, Roca made it 590,000. Romanello then popped the tension by announcing that he was all in. Roca made the call and there was nothing more either player could do.
It was down to the cards but before the board could be dealt, Romanello asked Roca did he have a pair and Roca answered “no”. This excited Romanello as he exclaimed, “It’s a race!” It was Roca’s A-K versus Romanello’s pocket fives and the cards came down J 8 6 3 Q to give Romanello another title. Roca walks away with €71,000 while Romanello steamrolls forward in the hopes of becoming the first player to achieve the triple crown in one year.
The World Series of Poker is on its way, and with an EPT title and a WPT title now in the bag, Romanello is hungry for desert.
Here are the results and payouts:
1. Roberto Romanello €140,685
2. Mayu Roca €71,000
3. Alexander Jager €42,000
4. Frank Dollinger €33,000
5. Jesper Hoog €26,000
6. Chris Williamson €21,000
7. Bodo Sbrzesny €17,000
8. Marek Tatar €14,000
9. Lubomir Kudlicka €11,000
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