Italian player Simone Andrian has made headlines in the poker world by winning title at the World Series of Poker (WSOP) Europe Main Event. This victory marked a significant milestone in Simone Andrian’s poker career. Simone Andrian, after winning the tournament, took home his third WSOP gold bracelet and a top prize of $1,443,000. This was his maiden seven-figure win, outplacing his previous best cash of $177,650 from a 2021 event. His career earnings now exceed $2.9 million.

This year’s World Series of Poker Europe attracted an impressive turnout, with 768 players entering the €10,350 buy-in no-limit hold’em championship. The event surpassed its €5 million guarantee, creating a prize pool of over $8 million. Andrian earned 2,280 Player of the Year points, bringing his total to 3,660 and placing him 30th in the 2024 standings. The competition featured two starting flights and spanned four additional days at Kings Resort Rozvadov in the Czech Republic. A total of 116 players cashed, with notable participants including Niklas Astedt, Viktor Blom, and Shaun Deeb.

Personal reflection

After his victory, Andrian shared his views and thoughts with reporters. “Winning this title is a dream come true,” he said. “I’ve put in countless hours of practice and dedication, and it feels incredible to see it pay off. I’m grateful for the support from my friends and family throughout this journey.” He further added “It was very, very tough. We were super deep. Playing heads-up super deep, with 100 big blinds each, it’s tough. Usually, you don’t get to play super big pots.”

Final table

The final table showed some of the top talent in professional poker, creating a healthy atmosphere. Andrian entered the final showdown with a chip lead, but he faced competitors who were ready to challenge him. Over the course of the final hours, the action deepened, with hands and strategic plays keeping spectators on the edge of their seats.

The final day began with Andrian leading and just six contenders left. Enrico Camosci was the first to go in sixth place, followed by David Hochheim in fifth, and Mariusz Golinski in fourth. Ran Ilani finished in third after losing a key hand to Urmo Velvelt.

In heads-up play, Velvelt had the chip lead initially, but the two players swapped the lead during three hours of play. Andrian eventually gained the upper hand and made a winning call with pocket tens against Velvelt’s ace-ten. Velvelt took home $947,940 as the runner-up, which is his largest cash prize to date.

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