Andrea Dato made it third time lucky at the WPT Venice Carnival 2014 main event, defeating Britain’s Sam Trickett heads-up for the title and €105,000, after having made the final table twice before in 2011 and 2012.
Trickett, who signed a sponsorship deal with Everest Poker earlier this week, held an almost 3:1 chip lead when heads-up play began but after a two-hour duel it was the Italian who earned the single largest cash of his career.
The two battled for four levels and took turns exchanging the chip lead but in level 30 (50,000/100,000/15,000), Dato doubled through Trickett and pulled out to a 10-1 chip lead. Soon after Trickett moved all-in holding KC-7C, Dato calling with the 10S-2H. Trickett was ahead, but the 5H-4S-2C flop paired Dato. A 9S on the turn was of no consequence and neither was the 5C on the river.
Trickett was eliminated in second place for €66,000, while Dato captured a WPT title and a seat into the WPT World Championship at the Borgata Hotel in April.
An hour into the final table Sotirios Koutoupas was the first player eliminated. He moved all in on the turn holding an open-ended straight draw and Dato called him holding top pair. The river blanked and Koutoupas left in sixth place.
A few hands later Alessio Isaia moved all in pre-flop after being crippled by Maurizio Saieva. Trickett called holding Q-9 and was ahead of Isaia’s 8-6. The flop fell Trickett’s way with Q-Q-9 for a flopped full house and Isaia was out in fifth place.
Next to go was Mario Vojvoda who fell victim to another Q-Q-9 flop that went Trickett’s way. Vojvoda bet 70,000, Trickett min-raised to 140,000, Vojvoda made it 280,000 and Trickett called. The turn brought a jack and Vojvoda check-shoved all-in. Trickett called with Q-8 for trip queens. Vojvoda tabled pocket jacks for a turned full house, but an eight on the river shipped the pot to Trickett.
Three-handed lasted for an hour before a short-stacked Saieva shoved holding A-J and Trickett called holding 6-4. The board ran 8-7-6-Q-K and Saieva was eliminated.
WPT Venice Main Event
1st Andrea Dato €105,000
2nd Sam Trickett €66,000
3rd Maurizio Saieva €42,000
4th Mario Vojvoda €31,000
5th Alessio Isaia €24,000
6th Sotirios Koutoupas €19,400
