News

Kwaysser Valdemar Akos takes title of IPT San Remo 5 Champion and €227,000 – posted 03.02.10

After eight hours of play Kwaysser Valdemar Akos from Hungary has won IPT San Remo 5 and walks away with the incredible first prize of €227,000. In second place is PokerStars Qualifiers Enrico Castaldi who finished the day with a respectable €142,000.

Kwaysser Valdemar, age 26, has been playing poker for five years. In that time he has had excellent winnings and cashed first place at the PokerStars LAPT San José (2008) in Costa Rica.

On the final hand the flop revealed Jc-5s-Jd. Castaldi with Kd-Js bet 200,000 which Kwaysser then called. Both players checked after an 8c appeared on the turn. Ac was revealed on the river prompting Castaldi to bet another 200,000. With the board at Jc-5s-Jd-8c-Ac Kwaysser took his time to think about his next move before going all-in which Castaldi then called without hesitation.

Kwaysser went on to win the hand and the €227,000 grand prize with his 5c-6c giving him a backdoor flush.

IPT San Remo 5 has been a great success with the 488 players who entered creating the biggest prize pool the IPT has ever seen at €946,720.

Click the following links for information on payout and prizes, final table profiles, chip counts and seat draws and gallery pictures from each day.

For the next Italian Poker Tour event we will be returning to Slovenia for IPT Nova Gorica 2. IPT Nova Gorica 2 will be taking place from March 18-22 buy-ins of €2,200. For full details visit the IPT Nova Gorica 2 tournament page.

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Final Table set for IPT San Remo 5– posted 03.01.10

The final table for IPT San Remo 5 has been set. From the 488 players who entered the tournament we have finally played down to the final eight. In first position is Michele Di Lauro holding 2,638,000, Followed by Valdemar Kwaysser in second place on 1,626k.

Two PokerStars Qualifiers Massimo Valentini and Enrico Castaldi both from Italy have made it through to the final. For full player bios see the IPT Players page.

Tomorrow the final eight will take their place at the final table. Play will begin at 3.00pm local time and we will play down until we have reached a new IPT San Remo 5 Champion and winner of €227,000.

You can find all the information from the event so far by visiting our payout and prizes, chip counts and seat draws and gallery pictures pages. Be sure to check back here later for the latest news from the final table.

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PokerStars Qualifier leads as players move into Day 3 at IPT San Remo 5 – posted 02.28.10

PokerStars Qualifier Massimo Valentini leads the field at the end of Day 2 at IPT San Remo 5 with a chip count of 673,000.  Right behind him in second place is Patrick Vittet on 642,000 with the average chip stack at 216,856.

A total of 45 players are through to Day 3 out of the starting field of 219. We are now in the money and so far 27 players have cashed.

A total of 488 players have entered the event creating a prize pool of €946,720 with the top 72 places paid. Along with title of IPT San Remo 5 Champion first place offers up a handsome €227,000.

The action starts up again today at 2.00pm local time for Day 3 where the remaining players will continue the battle to cash and to make the final table.

You can find all the information from the event so far by visiting our payout and prizes, chip counts and seat draws and gallery pictures pages. Be sure to check back here later for the latest news from the end of Day 3.

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 IPT San Remo 5 breaks records with a field of 488 – posted 02.27.10

An incredible 285 players turned out for Day 1b of IPT San Remo 5 which brings the total field to a record breaking 488 players. This in turn has created the biggest prize pool in IPT history, an astonishing €946,720.

At the end of play on Day 1b we were left with 133 players, they will join the survivors from Day 1a and go on to play at Day 2. The Day 1b chip leader and new overall chip leader is Andrea Benelli from Italy on 153,900. Finishing in second on Day 1b is fellow countryman Slama Saad Michele on 128k.

The action will start again today at 2.00pm local time where the 219 survivors will battle it out for a piece of the €946,720 prize pool. 72 players will cash with first place taking home a handsome €227,000.

You can find all the information from the event so far by visiting our payout and prizes, chip counts and seat draws and gallery pictures pages. Be sure to check back here later for the latest news from the end of Day 2.

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Field of 203 hits Day 1a of IPT San Remo 5 – posted 02.26.10

Italian Fabrizio Ascari emerges as our chip leader at the end of Day 1a. The day started with 203 players and after 9 levels of play the number of players left on the field was just 86.

With blinds at 400/800 and a running ante of 100, Ascari managed to finish the day with 150k in chips. Close behind him is Brent Scott Wheeler from the United States on 139k with the average stack at 44k. So far 22 PokerStars Qualifiers have made it through to Day 2.

Play will begin again today at 2.00pm local time for Day 1b where the field is expected to be even bigger than Day 1a potentially creating a new record. Notable players in attendance include IPT Venice 2 Champion Salvatore Bonavera and Team PokerStars Pro Luca Pagano. After the day is over we will have a full list of our Day 1 survivors who will go on to battle it out on Day 2.

You can find all the information from the event so far by visiting our chip counts and seat draws and gallery pictures pages. Be sure to check back here later for the latest news from the Final Table.

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Day 1a of IPT San Remo 5 gets underway – posted 02.25.10

Day 1a of IPT San Remo 5 is now well underway, we are currently at level three with blinds at 75/150.

Players started the day with 20,000 in chips with blinds at 25/50. The event is off to a great start with 203 players making up the field for Day 1a.

Among the field is PokerStars Team Italy’s Elena Ichim who also took part in the previous San Remo event.

You can find a full player list of the Day 1a entrants here and view the latest photos from the event here in our gallery. Check back later for the results of Day 1a which will include chip counts and more photos from the event.

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IPT San Remo 5 gears up for Day 1a – posted 02.25.10

The PokerStars.it Italian Poker Tour (IPT) is gearing up for IPT San Remo 5. The beautiful city which sits on the Mediterranean coast of north western Italy is quickly becoming the heart of the IPT.

Day 1a of San Remo 5 will commence today at 2.00pm at Casino Sanremo. The event will run for five days with the final table taking place on Monday March 1st at 3.00pm

The most successful San Remo event to date IPT San Remo 2 took place last year and saw 368 players entering the event generating an incredible prize pool of €713,920. Swedish player Ramzi Jelassi took home the first place prize of €170,000.

The IPT San Remo events have continually shown great success with prize pools averaging $592,185. In other locations the IPT has done exceptionally well as was the case at IPT Venice where a staggering 439 players came together to create a prize pool of € 851,660.

Check back here later today for the latest updates live from the event.

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Salvatore Bonavena Crowned  as new IPT Champion at IPT Venice 2 – posted 01.19.10

Salvatore Bonavena emerges as our new IPT Champion for IPT Venice 2. After a gruelling 10 hours of play then a relatively short one hour heads up Salvatore managed to outwit his opponents and take home the € 155,000 first place prize along with the coveted IPT Trophy.  

Heads up battle was between Salvatore and Giuseppe Minh Khoa. On the final hand both players went all in pre-flop, Salvatore with As-6c and Giuseppe with Ks-8d.  On the board Jc-5d-Jd-4c-Js were revealed leaving Salvatore the winner with Ace high.

Giuseppe Minh Khoa played a great final table and left with a respectable €100,000 added to his bankroll. 

Salvatore Bonavena had the highest tournament results of any player on the Final Table. The 45 year old professional has three years experience and has cashed first place for €774,000 at EPT Prague. Over the past four years he has cashed an incredible $1,348.971. He says the winnings from the IPT will go to his family and charity.

The Italian Poker Tour will be back on February 25th for IPT San Remo 5. If you want to take part in the event download the PokerStars client and start playing our satellites.

Click the following links for information on payout and prizes, chip counts and seat draws and gallery pictures from each day.

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IPT Venice 2 down to Final Eight – posted 01.18.10

Day 3 of IPT Venice 2 started with 23 players and now just after six hours of play we have reached our Final Eight. The Final Table will take place today at 3pm local time where the remaining players will battle it out for title of IPT Champion and the first place prize of €155,000.

Last to leave on Day 3 was PokerStars Qualifier Emiliano Bono who finished in 9th place taking home €9,000. PokerStars Qualifier Gianni Luca Calanni Billa is our current chip leader with a massive 1.7 million in chips.

The Final Table is comprised of seven Italians and one Hungarian. All players apart from one are aged 30 or above. PokerStars Qualifier Massimiliano Forti made the last Final Table at IPT Venice achieving back to back final tables.

Play will continue today at 3pm local time and will carry on until we have reached our new IPT Champion and one hopeful player walks away with €155,000.

You can find all the information from the event so far by visiting our payout and prizes, chip counts and seat draws and gallery pictures pages which also contain all the updates from the event so far. Be sure to check back here later for the latest news from the Final Table.

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16 Players Remain at IPT Venice 2 – posted 01.17.10

Day 3 of IPT Venice 2 is now fully underway. The Day started with 23 players and after three hours in to play just 16 are left.  The current chip leader is PokerStars Qualifier Gianni Luca Calanni Billa on 815k closely followed by PokerStars Qualifier Gianluca Scarpantoni.

Play will continue until we reach the Final Eight who tomorrow will then battle it out for the title of IPT Champion and the first place prize of €155,000.

You can find all the information from the event so far by visiting our payout and prizes, chip counts and seat draws and gallery pictures pages which also contain all the updates from the event so far. Be sure to check back here later for the latest news from the end of Day 3.

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Bubble Bursts at Day 2 of IPT Venice 2 – posted 01.17.10

At Day 2 of IPT Venice 2 we saw the amount of players drop from 117 to just 23. The action was fast paced and by 8pm the bubble burst as we went into the top 48 players, all of which are in the money.

The pack is led by three players who all Qualified on PokerStars. Leading them is PokerStars Qualifier Gianni Luca Calanni Billa on 737k in chips.

Play for Day 3 will start today at 2pm local time where we will play down to the final eight. Tomorrow the action will continue as the remaining players step up to the final table where  we will see out next IPT Champion and the winner of the illustrious €155,000 first place prize.

You can find all the information from the event so far by visiting our payout and prizes, chip counts and seat draws and gallery pictures pages which also contain all the updates from the event so far. Be sure to check back here later for the latest news from the end of Day 3.

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85 Players remain at Day 2 of IPT Venice 2 – posted 01.16.10

IPT Venice 2 Day 2 has now started. Play began at 2pm local time with 117 players. After 2 hours of play we are now at level 12 with blinds of 800/1600 and a running ante of 200.

Just 85 players remain with our current chip leader, Luca Merelli, on 242k. Not far behind is PokerStars Qualifier Gianni Luca Calanni Billa who started the day on 188k and built up an early lead to 215k.

You can find all the information from Day 2 by visiting our payout and prizes, chip counts and seat draws and gallery pictures pages which also contain all the updates from the event so far. Be sure to check back here later for the latest news from the end of Day 2.

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117 Players go through to Day 2 at IPT Venice 2 – posted 01.16.10

Day 1B of IPT Venice 2 has now finished, the day started with 149 players making their way to the tables and by the end of the day we were left with just 60. The Day 1A and 1B survivors make up the 117 players who will be going through to Day 2.

Currently in the lead with 152k in chips is Emiliano Marianelli with the average stack at 40k. Day 2 will start at 2pm today local time where the remaining players will battle it out for a share of the €600,000 prize pool.

You can find all the information from the event so far by visiting our payout and prizes, chip counts and seat draws and gallery pictures pages which also contain all the updates from the event so far. Be sure to check back here later for the latest news from the end of Day 2.

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Play begins at Day 1B of IPT Venice 2 – posted 01.15.10

Day 1B of IPT Venice 2 is now underway. Play began at 2pm local time with 149 players turning out for the event making a grand total of 310 entrants to this IPT event. The prize pool is over €600,000 with payouts going to the top 48 players. First place will take home the healthy sum of €155,000.

Players started the day with 20k in chips each, we are currently at level three with blinds at 100/300 and 133 players remain. The current chip leader is Hungarian Hajas Mate Gabor on 61k, close on his tail is PokerStars Qualifier Gianluca Scarpantoni in 3rd place with 41k in chips.

Big names on the felt include PokerStars Team Pro Dario Minieri who has only just arrived back from the PCA in the Bahamas a few hours ago. You can find a full player list of the Day 1B entrants here, payouts here and view the latest photos from the event here in our gallery. Check back later for the results of Day 1B which will include chip counts and more photos from the event.

PokerStars Qualifier leads at the end of Day 1A of IPT Venice 2 – posted 01.15.10

IPT Venice 2 Day 1A is now over with only 57 players remaining out of the 161 which started the day. Our current chip leader is PokerStars Qualifier Gianni Luca Calanni Billa on 188k, with the average stack at 49k.

Play ended at level nine with blinds at 400/800 and a running ante of 100. 13 PokerStars Qualifiers have made it through to Day 2.

Play for Day 1B will start today at 2pm local time and will run for 9 levels in total. Survivors from both Day 1A and Day 1B will then go on to battle it out on Day 2.

You can find a full player list of the Day 1A entrants here and view the latest photos from the event here in our gallery. Check back later for the results of Day 1A which will include chip counts and more photos from the event.

Poker Players gear up for IPT Venice 2 – posted 01.14.10

The PokerStars.it Italian Poker Tour has returned to the iconic city of Venice once again for IPT Venice 2. The event started at 2pm today at Casino Ca' Noghera and saw 161 entrants pass through casino doors for Day 1A.

Play is currently on going at level seven with blinds at 200/400 and running ante of 50. Our current chip leader is Italian player Grudi Grudev with 125k in chips. He is closely followed by PokerStars Qualifier Davide Marangio who is in 2nd place with 94k.

Last year at IPT Venice 1 a massive 439 entrants took part and created a prize pool of €851,660. The event broke new ground by being the most successful IPT event up to that point – a record which it still holds today. At IPT Venice we also saw our first foreign player to win an IPT title. Matt Perrins from Manchester in the UK took home the first place prize of €200,000 after a gruelling 14 hours play on the final day.

Out of the 161 players who turned out for Day 1A 27 are PokerStars Qualifiers who managed to gain entry via the PokerStars client. As usual with IPT events a wealth of players from all over have entered including players from Italy, Austria, Brazil, Bulgaria, Hungary, Israel, Poland, Slovenia and Sweden.

You can find a full player list of the Day 1A entrants here and view the latest photos from the event here in our gallery. Check back later for the results of Day 1A which will include chip counts and more photos from the event.

Alessio Isaia claims IPT San Remo 4 Championship and €140,000 – posted 15.12.09

The winner of the PokerStars.it Italian Poker Tour San Remo 4 tour is Alessio Isaia from Italy who adds a handsome €140,000 to his bankroll.

Just 23 years old and 4 years of live poker experience behind him. Alessio has already cashed over $600,000 to his name and two final tables at the WSOP. Today’s victory allows him to add the title of IPT Champion to his winnings.

The Final Table lasted 10 hours during which we saw IPT Champion Stefano Puccilli knocked in 5th place losing his chance at a double championship. After eight hours of play we entered heads up.

Alessio Isaia went head to head with PokerStars.it player Alioscia Oliva. For a gruelling 2 hours and 40 minutes the two players battled it out for the first place prize and title of IPT Champion.

On the final hand it was Isaia’s 10c-Ac against Oliva’s 5h-9h. On the board Jd-8h-Kd-7s-4s was revealed leaving Isaia our new champion and €140,000 richer with a high card ace.

PokerStars player Alioscia Oliva takes home a respectable €93,000 for 2nd place.

For the next IPT event we will be heading back to Venice for IPT Venice 2 which will be taking place January 14th-18th 2010 with a buy in of €2000 + €200. More details to follow.

Click the following links for information on payout and prizes, chip counts and seat draws and gallery pictures from each day.

Final Table underway at IPT San Remo 4 – posted 14.12.09

IPT San Remo 4 is now underway having started at 3:45pm local time. Play is currently at level 21 with blinds at 6000/12000 and a running ante of 1000. The average chip stack is 682k.

Just five minutes into the event and our first player was eliminated. Short stack PokerStars Qualifier Riku Koivurienne from Finland was taken out by fellow country man Joni Petteri Jouhkimai. It was Koivurienne’s AJ against Johukimai's A7, as a 68% favourite he was looking good to double up but a 7 on the turn ruined his chances and left him as our 8th place finisher.

Riku was upset that his stay on the Final table was so short but is looking forward to playing future IPT Events.

You can catch all the action from the Final Table of IPT San Remo 4 live from IPT Live.

IPT San Remo 4 down to Final Eight – posted13.12.09

At the end of Day 3 at IPT San Remo 4 we are down from 25 players to just eight. The play today was extremely aggressive as after just two hours of play we were down to only nine players. Each of them desperately trying to make it through to the TV Final Table.

By 5:17pm the final eight had been reached. PokerStars Qualifier Xie Linng was eliminated in 9th place taking €10,500 back home to Greece. The Final Table will start tomorrow at 3pm and will be stream live online at IPT Live.

The final table includes two PokerStars Players and IPT San Remo 1 Champion Stefano Puccilli who will be hoping to become the first double IPT Champion. There also two players from Finland who managed to make it through and one female player who will become our first female Champion if she wins.

Check back here tomorrow for all the latest updates from the Final Table where players will be battling it out for the title of IPT Champion and the prize of €140,000. Click the following links for information on payout and prizes, chip counts and seat draws and gallery pictures from each day.

Players in the Money at IPT San Remo 4 – posted13.12.09

Day 2 of IPT San Remo 4 saw the bubble burst as the number of players went from 118 at the start of the day to 25 at the end.  Payouts go to the top 32 players so we are already in the money.

Alessio Isaia is the current chip leader with 443k. Finnish PokerStars Qualifier Riku Koivurienne is in 4th with 344k. Will he be able to take the grand prize?

Play will begin again today at 2pm local time where we will play down to the final 8 who will then battle it out for the title of IPT Champion and a massive €140,000. You will be able to catch all the action from the final table live on IPT Live.

Visit the following links for information on players, payouts and gallery pictures from each day. Check back here later for all the latest news from Day 3 of IPT San Remo 4.

80 Players remain at Day 2 of IPT San Remo 4 – posted 12.12.09

Day 2 of IPT San Remo 4 is well underway and the action has been moving rapidly. Out of the 118 players that started play today 80 are still in the running. Play is currently at level 11 with blinds at 800/1600 and a running ante of 200.

Giovanni Maresca still holds the chip lead after ascending to the top of the pack during Day 1B. He currently on 210k in chips and will be hoping to use his lead to secure a place at the final table.

You can find all the information from the start of Day 2 by visiting our payout and prizes, chip counts and seat draws and gallery pictures pages which also contain all the updates from the event so far. Be sure to check back here later for the latest news from the end of Day 2.

Giovanni Maresca leads as IPT San Remo 4 moves into Day 2 – posted 12.12.09

Day 1B started with 155 players and now after 9 levels of play and blinds at 500/1000 we are left with just 71. Giovanni Maresca is the current chip leader with 214k in chips while the average stack is 41k.

Day 2 will start at 2pm local time with the remaining 118 players battling it out for a share of the €529,620 prize pool. Our next IPT Champion will walk away with a bankroll boosting €140,000 and payouts will go to the top 32 players.

24 PokerStars Qualifiers still remain including Giovanni Gigante who is currently in third place with 127k in chips. Today we saw the end of the Italian Dream final table with player Michele Serpilli taking first place and becoming the proud owner of the fabulous PokerStars Lamborghini Gallardo.

Visit the following links for information on players, payouts and gallery pictures from each day. Check back here later for all the latest news from Day 1b of IPT San Remo 4.

Players generate €529,620 Prize Pool at IPT San Remo 4 – posted 11.12.09

There have been some exciting developments already here at IPT San Remo 4 as Day 1b gets underway. 155 players turned up to the event bringing the total number of players to 273. An incredible €529,620 prize pool has been created with first place taking home €140,000 along with the title of IPT Champion.

At the start of the day an awards ceremony was held for the Italian Championship of Online Poker (ICOOP) winners. Each of the 22 winners received a Gold Bracelet with the two Main Event winners also claiming a Diamond Bracelet each.

As well as the Main Event running today, the final table of the Italian Dream online promotion is taking place where 9 players are battling it out for the Lamborghini Gallardo first prize. Friends and family watch on the edge of their seats as the action unfolds.

At the Main Event play is currently at level 5 with blinds at 150/300. The current chip leader is Giovanni Maresca on 73k and 133 players remain.

Visit the following links for information on players, payouts and gallery pictures from each day. Check back here later for all the latest news from Day 1b of IPT San Remo 4.

Croatian Valent Babic emerges as Chip Leader at the end of Day 1A – posted 11.12.09

Valent Babic from Croatia leads in chips at the end of Day 1A with 135k. He’s closely followed by PokerStars Qualifier Giovanni Gigante on 127k. The day started with 118 players turning out and after 9 levels we were left with 47.

Day 1B will start today at 2pm local time and an even larger field is expected to battle it out to make it through to Day 2. Not only will some more exciting poker be played today but an award ceremony for the 22 winners of the first edition of the Italian Championship of Online Poker (ICOOP) will be taking place where players will receive their gold and diamond bracelets.

On top of that the Final Table of the Italian Dream online promotion will be starting in the theatre of the San Remo Casino at 3pm where one lucky player will walk away with a stunning Lamborghini Gallardo.

Schedule for Day 1B:

Click the following links for information on chip counts and seat draws and gallery pictures from the start of Day 1A.  

Field of 118 take to the felt for IPT San Remo 4 – posted 12.10.09

The Italian Poker Tour has returned to the "Riviera dei Fiori" for the sixth stop of the PokerStars.it Italian Poker Tour. IPT San Remo 4 began earlier today at 2.30pm with 118 players going through casino doors for the start of Day 1A.

110 players are in action after eight were knocked out after just 2 levels of play. 18 players gained entry to the event online with PokerStars and there are 12 PokerStars sponsored players taking part. The remaining players will play out 9 levels in total battling it out to make it through to Day 2.

Players have come from all over including locations such as Argentina, Belgium, Croatia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Iran, Netherlands, Russia, United Kingdom and of course Italy.

Notable players in attendance include Team PokerStars Pro Dario Minieri and PokerStars Team Italy’s Pier Paolo Fabretti and Elena Ichim. These players will be once again playing their best to secure the title of IPT Champion for Italy once again.

Last month at IPT San Remo 3 Italian player Giovanni Salvatore took the title of IPT Champion and received a handsome €150,000 for his efforts. At these early stages its anyone’s guess who will walk away with the title this time round but the event is already shaping up to be an excellent note to end the year on.

Click the following links for information on chip counts and seat draws and gallery pictures from the start of Day 1A.  

A new IPT Champion Giovanni Salvatore is crowned at IPT San Remo 3 – posted 17.11.09

The winner of the PokerStars.it Italian Poker Tour San Remo 3 event is Giovanni Salvatore who walks away with €150,000. Salvatore started the day as one of the shortest stacks, in the middle of level 26 he had only one blind left but managed to regain his strength and went on to become an IPT Champion.

The heads up action was between Umberto Pavoncello and Salvatore. At the last hand of the tournament Pavoncello raised to 300,000 with Tc-Js.  Salvatore moved all in with Ad-3d covering Pavoncello’s stack.  After a five minute pause, Pavoncello finally made the call.

The flop revealed two aces, giving Salvatore trip aces and devastating Pavoncello’s hand. The turn and river came up blank leaving Salvatore as the winner of €150,000 and new IPT Champion.

IPT San Remo 3 was the Italian Poker Tour’s return to Italian soil and proved to be a successful event. 325 players attended the event creating an incredible €630,500 prize pool. Several PokerStars Qualifiers attended the event and one player, Gianbattista sacchella, took home a handsome €25,000.

The action will be back again in December here at Casino Sanremo for IPT San Remo 4. The event will be taking place between December 10th – 14th with a buy in of €2000 + €200. More details will be available soon.

Click the following links for information on payout and prizes, chip counts and seat draws and gallery pictures from each day.

IPT San Remo 3 down to Final Eight – posted 16.11.09

At the end of Day 3 at IPT San Remo 3 we went from 43 players down to the final eight.  Play ended at level 24 with blinds at 15k/30k plus a running ante of 3k.

Alessandro Pennisi from Messina, Italy is our current chip leader with 1,704,000 in chips. PokerStars Player Mario Ristaldi closely follows in second with 1,256,000. The average chip stack for tomorrow’s final is 812k.

The TV Table will start tomorrow at 3pm where we will play down until the next IPT Champion is revealed.  Our next IPT Champion will be taking home a cool €150,000, a nice boost for the festive season. You will also be able to watch the action live from the IPT website here.

43 Players remain at the start of Day 3 of IPT San Remo 3 – posted 15.11.09

Day 3 begins with only 43 players remaining. Today these 43 will battle down to the final eight which will be streamed live on the Italian Poker Tour site.  Alessandro Pennisi currently holds the chip lead with 399k, can he hold his lead to the final? Check back here on Monday when the final is due to take place.

The Two PokerStars players and 10 PokerStars Qualifiers still in play have a shot at making the final eight and even going on to become our new IPT Champion where they would be taking home a handsome €150,000. Stay tuned as the action unfolds and we decide which players will make it to the final table.

Bubble Bursts at Day 2 of IPT San Remo 3 – posted 15.11.09

The bubble finally burst today at Day 2 of IPT San Remo 3. The drama was high as there was a total of six different times where players were all in for their tournament life.  After 1 hour and 20 minutes on the bubble Pier Paolo Ruscalla extremely short stack called for his last chips and was eliminated in 49th place.

Five players have now cashed and we are down to just 43 players. Alessandro Pennisi is the current chip leader with 399k and the average stack is 140k. PokerStars Qualifier Salvatore Mongiovi is in 5th place with 298k in chips.

On Day 3 we will play down to the final 8 who will then battle it out for the title of IPT Champion and a massive €150,000. You will be able to catch all the action from the final table live on IPT Live.

Visit the following links for information on players, payouts and gallery pictures from each day. Check back here later for all the latest news from Day 3 of IPT San Remo 3.

Field of 137 hit Day 2 at IPT San Remo 3 – posted 14.11.09

The action at IPT San Remo 3 Day 2 is now in progress. 137 players made it through from the Day1s to start Day 2 and after just 1 hour and 30 minutes we are down to 110 players. The blinds are currently 600/1200 with a running ante of 100. Claudio Rinaldi from Italy has taken the chip lead with 202k in chips.

At the start of the day there were three Italian PokerStars Qualifiers leading the way in chip counts. They were able to gain entry to the event by qualifying online with PokerStars which you can download here. Its not just players from Italy at the event though, a mix of nationalities have attended IPT San Remo 3 including players from France, Russia, Germany, Bulgaria, Denmark and Norway.

You can find all the information from the start of Day 2 by visiting our payout and prizes, chip counts and seat draws and gallery pictures pages which also contain all the updates from the event so far. Be sure to check back here later for the latest news from the end of Day 2.

Three PokerStars Qualifiers lead the pack into Day 2 – posted 14.11.09

Three PokerStars Qualifiers played some excellent poker on Day 1B and emerged as our top 3 chip leaders. Leading the trio is Andrea Fazi with 146k, in second is Giuseppe Chiariello with 133k and in third is Giorgio Fenino with 129k.

Day 1B started with 187 players and at the end we are down to 75. Coupled with the 62 players from Day 1A there is a total of 137 players going through to Day 2. The prize pool stands at €630,500.00 with first place paying a cool €150,000.00.

Day 2 will start today at 2.00pm local time with an average stack of 49k. There will be 9 levels of play and with the top 48 entrants cashing there is a possibility that we will start seeing some players in the money.

Click the following links for information on payout and prizes, chip counts and seat draws and gallery pictures from each day.

Field of 187 players hit IPT San Remo 3 Day 1B – posted 13.11.09

Things are beginning to pick up here at IPT San Remo 3 as Day 1B enters full flow. 187 players entered today bringing the total number of entrants to a successful 325 and generating a prize pool of €630,500.

Currently play is at level 3 with blinds 75/150 and 24 players have already been knocked out leaving 163 to battle it out for a piece of the €630,500 prize pool. The top 48 players will cash with first place taking home a bankroll boosting €150,000.

Today players will go through nine levels of play each 60 minutes long with a one hour dinner break. Tomorrow the survivors from Day 1A and Day 1B will go on to perform in Day 2. Check back here later for chip counts, photos and the latest news at the end of Day 1B.

Action kicks off at IPT San Remo 3 for Day 1B – posted 13.11.09

The action is back on for Day 1B, play began at 2.00pm and an expected 160-180 players going through casino doors. Yesterday we saw some great poker being played with 138 players entering for day 1A. PokerStars Qualifier Giorgio Fenino emerged as the chip leader with 129k in chips.

Today there is another exciting line up of players with the likes of Team PokerStars Pro Luca Pagano who has cashed over $1 million in live tournaments and PokerStars Team Italy players Nicola Fedeli and Pier Paolo Fabretti. Just last month at the IPT Nova Gorica High Roller event Fabretti finished 1st place and took home a handsome 52,000.

The field also includes 38 PokerStars Qualifiers who managed to gain entry online via the PokerStars client. Check back here later today for player lists, photos and more from Day 1B.

PokerStars Qualifier emerges as Chip Leader at the end of Day 1A – posted 13.11.09

PokerStars Qualifier Giorgio Fenino from Italy emerges as our chip leader at the end of Day 1A. The day started with 138 players and after 9 levels of play the number of players left on the field was just 62.

With blinds at 400/800 and a running ante of 100 Fenino managed to finish the day with 129k in chips. The current average stack is 50k and seven PokerStars sponsored players have fought their way to those in the top 10 chip count.

Now the next batch of players are gearing up for Day 1B which kicks off today at 2pm local time. Today we expect an even bigger field of players fighting for their chance to join the survivors from Day 1A on Day 2. As always visit our tournament pages for more information where you can find player lists, photos and more.

138 turn out for Day 1A of IPT San Remo 3 – posted 12.11.09

Day 1A of IPT San Remo 3 is currently on going. The day started with 138 entrants and we are now down to 121 players. Play is at level 4 with blinds of 150/300 average stack of 22k.

Clemenson Tristan is the current chip leader on 87k but with 5 more levels of play left that could all change. Out of the 138 players who entered 32 are PokerStars Qualifiers who managed to gain entry via the PokerStars client.

You can find a full player list of the Day 1a entrants here and view the latest photos from the event here in our gallery. Check back later for the results of day 1A which will include chip counts and more photos from the event.

Day 1A is underway at IPT San Remo 3 – posted 11.12.09

Day 1A of IPT San Remo 3 is now officially underway.  Over the next five days an expected 250-300 players will battle it out to decide who will become the next IPT Champion.   Entrants will start with 20,000 in chips and blinds of 25/50. There will be a total of nine levels of play with each level lasting one hour.

Over 100 entrants are expected today and include IPT Nova Gorica Champion Marco Figuccia who is back to defend his title.  Figuccia managed to take home €160,000 for his first place prize in October. Will he be able to achieve a double win? Also in attendance are PokerStars Team Italy’s Elena Ichim and Simone Ruggeri.

The event schedule for the five day event is as follows:

Be sure to check back here later for further details including player lists and photos from the event.  Also make sure you visit IPT Live on November 16th at 15:00 CET for live streaming of IPT San Remo 3’s final table.

The Italian Poker Tour returns to Italy for San Remo 3 – posted 11.12.09

Play returns to San Remo today for the 5th stop on the Italian Poker Tour.  After crossing into neighbouring Slovenia for IPT Nova Gorica the IPT has returned home for San Remo 3.  Registration for the €2,000 + €200 Main Event opens today at 12.00pm and play will start at 2.00pm.

At the previous event held in Nova Gorica 332 players turned out to be part of the action. Together they generated a prize pool of €664,000 with the top 48 players cashing.  Marco Figuccia was crowned champion after he defeated Marco Pistilli in a heads up battle and took home a handsome € 160,000.00.

Check back here later today at 3.00pm where we will bring you all the latest news from the start of the event.

Marco Figuccia claims IPT Nova Gorica Championship and €160,000 – posted 10.13.09

The winner of the PokerStars.it Italian Poker Tour Nova Gorica event is Marco Figuccia who takes home €160,000. Figuccia started the day as our chip leader and ended as our IPT Nova Gorica Champion.

The action on the final table went on for a grueling nine hours and 30 minutes until it came down to a heads up battle between Marco Figuccia and Marco Pistilli. After Figuccia raised and Pistilli re-raised, Figuccia moved all in with Qc-Jd. Pistilli called with Ac-7h.

On the flop Figuccia caught a queen which gave him a pair over Pistilli’s ace high. The turn and river produced no relevant cards leaving Figuccia as the winner of €160,000 and IPT Nova Gorica Champion.

The 28 year old professional poker player has been playing poker for three years with IPT Nova Gorica being his biggest victory to date. Marco Pistilli claimed the second place prize and added a handsome €95,000 to his bankroll which he will almost certainly be investing in IPT San Remo 3 taking place November 12th.

IPT Nova Gorica was the Italian Poker Tour’s first expansion into neighbouring Sloviena and managed to rack up a prize pool of €664,000 with 332 players entering the event. The top prize weighed in at €160,000 and the top 48 players cashed.

For the next IPT event we will be heading back to Casino Sanremo for San Remo 3 which will be taking place November 12th-16th with a buy in of €2000 + €200. More details to follow.

Click the following links for information on payout and prizes, chip counts and seat draws and gallery pictures from each day.

Final Table set to begin play at IPT Nova Gorica – posted 10.12.09

Today we enter the final day of play at IPT Nova Gorica as the remaining eight battle it out for the grand prize of €160,000. It’s been a grueling four days of poker and now the time has come for a champion to emerge. Marco Figuccia is our current chip leader with a total of 1.7 million.

Compared with his performance on Day 1B finishing with 78700 chips, Figuccia has increased his chip count over the course of the event by an incredible 1.6 million. The 28 year old is a professional poker player who has been playing for three years now. If he wins, Figuccia plans to buy a house and car for the family.

The final table will be a televised event which you will be able to live stream from the IPT website. Broadcasting will begin when players take their seats at 3pm. Be sure to check out the action by visiting the IPT Live page where you catch all the poker action as it happens.

Down to Final 8 at IPT Nova Gorica – posted 10.12.09

IPT Nova Gorica Day 3 went from 31 players down to the final eight. The Final 8 ended today at level 24 with blinds at 15k/30k plus a running ante of 3k.

The current chip leader is Marco Figuccia from Italy on 1.7 million in chips. The average chip stack for tomorrow’s final table is 650k.

The TV table will start tomorrow at 3pm and we play down until the winner takes 1st place and €664,000. For the first time ever you will also be able to watch the action here on the IPT website.

Field of just 32 set for Day 3 of IPT Nova Gorica – posted 10.11.09

We enter Day 3 with only 32 players remaining. Today we will battle down to the final eight which will be televised live and for the first time ever you can also live stream the action from the Italian Poker Tour site. Check back here on Monday when the final is due to take place.

The biggest chip stack belongs to Czech Republic player Martin Kabrhel who is 400k ahead of second place PokerStars player Antonio Tarantino. Four PokerStars Qualifiers are still in play and have a shot at the massive €664,000  first prize. Will they go all the way? Stay tuned for the latest updates as we decide which players will take a place at the final table.

Czech Republic leads pack into Day 3 of IPT Nova Gorica – posted 10.11.09

IPT Nova Gorica Day 2 started with 136 players but after nine levels of battle we are down to just 31. A total of four PokerStars Qualifiers are still in play and 17 players have already cashed. The current chip leader is Martin Kabrhel from the Czech Republic who is on a massive 855k.

Not long before the end of Day 2 Kabrhel was on 600k but after eliminating Michele Limongi from Italy he managed to add another 250k to his stack leaving him with a stack which doubles that of second place player Antonio Tarantino on 400k.

Martin Kabrhel’s lead gives him a great opportunity of making the final table and wining this stop on the Italian Poker Tour but he will need to watch out for PokerStars player Antonio Tarantino who could pose a threat during Day 3. Play will once again start at 2pm for Day 3 where we will play down to the final eight.

Click the following links for information on payout and prizes, chip counts and seat draws and gallery pictures from each day.

Field of 136 set for Day 2 of IPT Nova Gorica – posted 10.10.09

Day 2 is underway here at IPT Nova Gorica and 136 players remain to battle it out for poker glory. The prize pool stands at €664,000 and top prizes fetches a handsome €160,000.

The current chip leader is Genadiev Anton Parvanov  on 177k with PokerStars Pro Dario Minieri following in 2nd with 141k. The average stack is now 41k which means PokerStars Qualifier Damiano Zaccaria with 123k stands a high chance of cashing in on some of the €664,000 in prize money.

Only the top 48 players will cash so there is still a battle ahead for all players at IPT Nova Gorica, check back here at the end of the day for all the latest updates and news from the event.

A total of 136 players going through to Day 2 at the end of Day 1B – posted 10.10.09

Genadiev Anton Parvanov has secured his place as chip leader at the end of Day 1B here at the IPT Nova Gorica event. After many gruelling hours of play the Bulgarian player managed to gain 177k in chips. Hes followed closely by Team PokerStars Pro Dario Minieri on 141k.

186 new entrants rushed through casino doors to get to the tables earlier today. The new arrivals brought the total number of players to 332 to create an incredible prize pool of €664,000. The top 48 players will cash with a cool €160,000 going to first place.

Out of the 186 players that entered just 74 made it through to the end of the day bringing the total number of players starting on Day 2 to 136 players. Play for the main event will continue as follows:

Day 2 will start 1 hour earlier at 2pm local time and we will play down to 24 players or 9 levels which ever happens first.

Day 3 shall take us down to the final 8.

Day 4 is all final table action and celebrating the new Italian PokerTour Champion.

Be sure to check back here later today for the latest news and updates for Day 2.

Expected Field of 200 at Day 1B of IPT Nova Gorica - posted 10.09.09

Day 1B of the Italian Poker Tour has started.  An estimated 200 players will attend the event hoping to claim poker glory and win big. Yesterday saw Anton Genadiev from Bulgaria take the lead with 177,200 in chips. Some ferocious poker was played during Day 1A and out of the 146 players that entered only 62 were left by the end of the day.

There is no doubt that players today are in for a challenge.  In attendance is IPT San Remo Champion Stefano Puccilli who has been making his presence felt throughout the tour since he won € 120,000 at the first event.

Other  players to watch out for include Team Pokerstars Pros Luca Pagano and Dario Minieri and PokerStars Team Italy Pros Nicola Fedeli and Simone Ruggeri who are out to make their mark on Nova Gorica.

The action is just getting started here at IPT Nova Gorica, anything can happen in the next few hours. Be sure to check back here soon where we will bring you the latest news and updates from the event.

Field of 146 hit Day 1a of IPT Nova Goricia – posted 10.09.09

A field of 146 hit the felt today at the Perla Casino in Sloveinia for the start of IPT Nova Gorica.

The event in Slovenia is billed as being one of the biggest live tournaments to be held in the country, which sits on the border with Italy.

Play began promptly at 3pm local time. Entrants are due to play over 9 levels set at 60 minutes with starting stacks of 20,000 and allowing deep play. The schedule for the Main Event is as follows:

Day 1A - 9 Levels

Day 1B - 9 Levels

Day 2 - 9 Levels

Day 3 - Play down to final 8

Day 4 - Final Table

Noteable players out in force today include PokerStars Team Italy Pro's Elena Ichim and Pier Paolo Fabretti.

Pierpaolo Fabretti (PokerStars Team Italy): The 24 years old started playing about four years ago. Since then, he began specialising in sit and go and in multi-table tournaments and obtained several great results in the most important online tournaments on PokerStars, winning different titles in important live tournaments too.

Elena Ichim (PokerStars Team Italy) The 25 years old is the only female team member and a promising player for women’s poker in Italy. This charming girl has been playing poker full time for one year.

They take their seats alongside 16 PokerStars Qualifiers and one PokerStars player. Be sure to check back here at the end of the day for all the latest results.

Start of IPT Nova Gorica breaks new ground for Italian Poker Tour  –  posted 10.08.09

The Italian Poker Tour breaks new ground as it crosses into neighbouring Slovenia with IPT Nova Gorica. Players today will be hoping to follow in the footsteps of previous winners who have taken home hundreds of thousands of euros in prizes.

At the opening event in San Remo PokerStars Qualifier Stefano Puccilli won a cool €120,000. In Venice, a record breaking total of 439 players attended the event creating a prize pool of €851,660 and a top prize of €200,000 which was taken home by UK player Matt Perrins. At the second event held in San Remo a greater number of players turned out which allowed winner Ramzi Jelassi to scoop €170,000.

The crowds are still queuing for registration and as the dealers lay their cards on the table we are only minutes away from starting. Be sure to check back here when we will bring you all the latest news and results from the event.

Sweden shifts from neutral to claim IPT San Remo 2 championship - posted 08.31.09

The winner of the PokerStars.it Italian Poker Tour San Remo 2 tour is Ramzi Jelassi from Sweden who walks away with €170,000.

Ramzi was the only non-Italian at the table having flown over from Sweden to play in the event. The 22 year-old was already a professional poker player with a great success record of final tables before claiming victory today.

He previously won the No Limit Hold'em World Headsup Poker Championship in 2006. He now adds €170,000 to that after winning IPT San Remo 2. He went heads up with Andrea Sapere who was flying the flag for the host nation. Don't feel too bad for Sapere though, he takes home a massive €100,000.00 for 2nd place.

The second PokerStars.it IPT San Remo stop became the first event to best its own previous prize pool in less than three months with a record breaking €713,920 prize pool.

The first IPT stop in San Remo June 2009 took a total of 255 players who generated a prize pool of €494,700. But the prize pool for IPT San Remo 2 weighed in at €713,920, with over 368 players and a top prize of €170,000 – €50,000 more than last year’s top prize. Payout is to the top 56.

The next IPT event will be held at the PERLA CASINO in Nova Gorica, Slovenia 8th-12th October 2009 with a buy in of €2000 + €200. More details to follow.

IPT San Remo 2: the final table set – posted 08.31.09

IPT San Remo 2 Day 3 went from 35 players down to the final eight. Action started off fast, however after break play started to tighten up.

The current chip leader is Ramzi Jelassi from Sweden on 1.2 million, average stack is around 950k, PokerStars Qualifier Giuseppe Pipino has made the final table on 630k.

The TV table will start tomorrow at 3pm and we will play down until the winner takes 1st place and €170,000.00.

IPT San Remo 2 down to 35 – posted 08.30.09

IPT San Remo 2 Day 2 started with 164 players and we are now down to the last 35 players. A total of  5 PokerStars Qualifers are still in play, along with Pier Paolo Fabretti from PokerStars Team Italy and Alberto De Nardi Friend of PokerStars who doubled up just before the end of play and now sits with a stack of 290k, with the average stack at 190k.

The current chip leader is Massimo Di Cicco on 480k chips. Play resumes tomorrow at 3pm on Level 19 with blinds of 4000/8000 and a running  ante of 500. Tomorrow’s play will end when we reach the final 8 and the TV table will resume on Monday.

Field of 164 set for Day 2 – posted 08.29.09

The field for Day 2 here at IPT San Remo is set for a climactic battle today as 164 poker players take to the felt.

The current chip leader is Paolo Boi on 184,800 with PokerStars Qualifier Giuseppe Pipino follows in 2nd with 128k, and play resumes promptly today at 2pm starting on Level 10 with blinds at 600/1200 and a running 100 Ante. 

Average stacks will start the day on 45k meaning over half the field will be below average, so expect to see lots of double ups and bust outs out in the early stages.

IPT San Remo shatters its own record with EUR 713,920 prize pool – posted 08.28.09

The second PokerStars.it IPT San Remo stop has become the first event to best its own previous prize pool in less than three months with a record breaking EUR 713,920 prize pool.

The first IPT stop in San Remo June 2009 took a total of 255 players who generated a prize pool of EUR 494,700. But today, the prize pool for IPT San Remo 2 stands at EUR 713,920, with over 368 players and a top prize of EUR 170,000 – EUR 50,000 more than last year’s top prize. Payout is to the top 56.

Day 1b is now underway and with today’s field of 238 players. Stars out in force include Team PokerStars Pros Luca Pagano and Dario Minieri and PokerStars Team Italy Pros Filippo Candio, Elena Ichim, Nicola Fedeli and Pier Paolo Fabretti.

Also of note is PokerStars Player Stefano Puccilli – the winner of IPT San Remo June 2009 – will he do the double? Stick with us closely as we bring you the latest coverage as it happens.

PokerStars Qualifier leads the pack on end of Day 1a – posted 08.28.09

A PokerStars Qualifier has rushed to pole position at end of Day 1a IPT San Remo 2. Giuseppe Pipino qualified online with PokerStars.it in a €100 IPT San Remo Satellite and now stands to win thousands after making the cut for Day 2.

Trailing Pipino in a close is second is Andrea Gandini on 120,700  and fellow Italian Luca Topazio is holding his own in third at 112,700.  

A total of 130 players started play today with 52 qualifying for Day 2 and approximately 200 are expected to start Day 1b.

Italian Poker Tour returns to San Remo to double the poker pleasure – posted 08.27.09

The PokerStars.it Italian Poker Tour returns to where it all began today by hosting its second tournament in the beautiful city of San Remo.

Registration for the €2,000 + €200 Main Event opens today at 12pm local time and play begins promptly at 14:00 as another batch of sporting hopefuls take to the felt at the Casino Sanremo to claim the title of IPT champion.

Players will be hoping to follow in the footsteps of previous winners on the tour so far, such as Matt  Perrins, 21, from Manchester in the UK who last month claimed the title IPT Venice champion and a cool EUR 200,000 pay day, and the first IPT San Remo champion, Stefano Puccilli, 37, who collected a EUR 120,000 cheque in June.

 Approximately 48 PokerStars Qualifiers players and pros are scheduled to play over the course of the five day event and seat draw and chip count information can be found here.  

IPT Champ Perrins claims a victory in Venice – posted 08.03.09

Matt Perrins has become the first foreign player to win an IPT title after he bested a field of 439 to claim the title of IPT Venice Champion.

Perrins, 21, from Manchester in the UK, walks away with EUR 200,000.00 after a final day which lasted over 14 hours. His heads-up opponent was Johannes Soderstrom who finished second for a pay-off of EUR 120,000.00

The final hand unfolded with Perrins holding K-10 of spades while Sodestrom had 4s-4h. The board played out: 8c-kc-kh-2d-3h giving Perrin trips over two pair.

Perrins showed impressive form over this course of the tournament. He finished Day 1a as the chip leader, held third at the end of Day 2 and was back to being chip leader at the start of Day 3. His rise to the top exemplifies the stamina and endurance required by poker players to reach the top. He said the winnings will be put towards a house upon his return home.

Above the victor of IPT Venice: Matt Perrins

Other notables who cashed at the tournament included Team PokerStars Pro Vanessa Russo (14th,EUR 8,000) and Friend of PokerStars Marco Verzillo ( 18th, 6,000).

A total of seven players who qualified for IPT Venice through PokerStars went on to cash at the tournament to earn upwards of EUR 4,500.

IPT Venice, the second stop on the successful Italian Poker Tour, has been the most successful to date and attracted a final field of 439 players and generated a prize pool of €851,660.00.

The next event takes place back in San Remo at the end of the month Aug 28-Aug 30. See the IPT San Remo 2 page for more details.

Scene set for IPT Final Table – posted 08.02.09

The final table for IPT Venice is underway with a top prize of €200,000.00 up for grabs.

Here are the illustrious eight to make it through:

Seat 1: Marco Petrocchi (Rome) (600,000 in chips): Petrocchi, 29, has been a poker player for two years now. He said that this would be his first big tournament win of his poker career if he goes all the way. He learnt to play poker from his brother.

Seat 2: Johannes Soderstrom (Sweden) (1,430,000 in chips): A young player with a lot of experience, Soderstrom, 23, is a professional poker player. Soderstrom learnt how to play poker though a friend.

Seat 3: Matt Perrins (Manchester) (795,000 in chips): Perrins, 21, takes his seat at the final table after being the day 1a chip leader. Perrins is no stranger to winning tournaments. His biggest win so far was coming 1st in the GUKPT - Brighton for £9,210. He mastered his game by playing in pub tournaments and says if he wins IPT Venice he’ll buy a house.

Seat 4: Gianluca Bovini (Italy - Bologana) (1,790,000 in chips): Bovini makes a return to the PokerStars tour scene following a win at EPT San Remo of EUR 8,000. He’s been playing poker for four years and takes his seat at the final table as chip leader.

Seat 5: Sandro Mescola (Italy Venice) (875,000 in chips): Mescola, 63, is the most senior member to take a place at the final table with over 20 years experience of playing poker. His biggest win to date has been $100,000.

Seat 6: Luigi Pignataro PokerStars Qualifier pictured (Italy) (1,935,000 in chips): Pignataro, 25, is no stranger to big wins. A serial tournament player, his two biggest cashes are 120,000 Euros and 150,000 Euros to date. He credits Dario Minieri for being his mentor.  

Seat 7: Massimiliano Forti (Italy) (180,000 in chips): Forti, 36 won his way to the tournament.  

Seat 8: Jesper Roll Witved (Denmark) (1,125,000 in chips): Witved, 31, has been playing poker for six years and in that time has placed 14th at EPT Dortmund where he won approx. EUR 30,000.

Team PokerStars Pro Russo rockets to second on cusp of Day 3 – posted 08.02.09

If poker is a sport then poker player Matt Perris and Team PokerStars Pro Vanessa Russo must be marathon runners.

The pair are now in 1st and 2nd place respectively, after playing a gruelling 21 levels which saw the day’s field cut from 173 to 19.

Perris, who finished Day 1a as chip leader, maintains his lead here at the end of Day 2 with a monster stack of 1,233,000. Russo, who finished Day 1b in fourth, now jumps to second and trails Perris with 877,000.

Four PokerStars Qualifiers are through to the final day of play with Daniele Guidetti placed the highest at 5th on 582,000.

Click here to see the full day 3 starting line up. Confirmed payout details for Day 2 are here.

Monster chip leader dominates Day 2 for shot at €200,000.00 top prize – posted 08.01.09

An out-of-the blue Day 1b player has taken the lead here at the start of IPT Venice Day 2 and could be set to win the €200,000.00 top prize.

Italian player Marcello Demma leaps to the top spot with a Day 2 starting stack of 184,000 – a full 32,400 above the previous chip leader, Matt Perris, who now moves to third, and more the than three times the average stack in play today (51,000).

Hot on Demma’s heels in second place is Manuel Coppola with 166,300. Coppola will try to close the gap in chips today but will have his work cut out for him as lying in wait is Team PokerStars Pro Vanessa Russo, who doubled up to place fourth on 127,000 at the end of Day 1b.

Other notables through to Day 2 include Friends of PokerStars Alberto Russo and Alberto De Nardi, PokerStars Team Italy Simone Ruggeri and Team PokerStars Pro Johnny Lodden. For the complete list of seat draws click here.

The end of Day 1b saw the final field stand at 439 which creates a prize pool of €851,660. Payouts are to the top 64 and we’re playing down to the final table here on Day 2.

Above: Team PokerStars Pro Russo doubles up

Perris leads pack on Day 1a / Day 1b begins with prize pool estimated at EUR 850k – posted 07.31.09

Italian player Matt Perris has jumped to into the chip lead here at the end of Day 1a IPT Venice.

Perris stands in pole position with a monster stack of 151,600 and fellow countryman Luca Menelli is in second with 126,400. The average stack is around 51,000 with a total of 86 player s through to Day 2.

Team PokerStars Pro Johnny Lodden is through and stands on 25,100, while PokerStars Team Italy Pro Simone Ruggeri is doing better with an above average starting stack of 62,200.

EPT San Remo champion Constant Rijkenberg was unfortunately knocked out but IPT San Remo Champion and PokerStars Venice Qualifier Stefano Puccilli still has lifeline with 27,800. A total of 19 PokerStars qualifiers are through to Day 2 with Luigi Pignataro placing the highest at third with 103,500.

In related news, registration for Day 1b has now closed with organisers pegging today’s field at 217 and the total field for IPT Venice at 437. Early estimates indicate a total prize pool available to players of approximately EUR 850,000.

We will bring you details of the final confirmed prize pool along with seat draws and chip counts later today.

IPT Venice Day 1A takes flight with field of 220 – posted 30.07.09

The queues for registration may have stretched out the door of the casino, but for the field of 220 that started IPT Venice today, the wait was worth it.

Action is underway for 10 levels of tournament poker in the €2000+200 Main Event and organisers are hoping to get to at least 50 players before calling it a day here in Italy.

Players all around will have their work cut out for them. A total of 45 competitors starting today won their seats by playing online with PokerStars and will bring their online skills to the felt.

Team PokerStars Pro Johnny Lodden and PokerStars Team Italy Pro Filippo Candio are also on hand to provide a formidable challenge.

But perhaps the two names that stand out the most will be EPT Season 5 San Remo winner, Constant Rijkenberg, and IPT San Remo 1 winner, Stefano Puccilli, who met earlier today.

Above: Battle of the San Remo Champs? Maybe!

A final table consisting of these two would make for some awesome poker, and better still, a “Battle of the San Remo Champs” headline!

 Seat draws for today’s action can be found here. Check back at the end of the day for our news wrap and final chip counts.

Queues stretching out the door at IPT Venice – posted 30.07.09

On-site registrations for IPT Venice have swelled here on the start of Day 1A with tournament staff reporting queues stretching out the door at the Casino Ca'Vendramin.

Staff are collecting registration slips hand over fist as players bustle their way through to grab a seat at the second stop of Italy’s first dedicated poker tour.

Above: Queues for IPT Venice swell!

Already spotted in attendance is inaugural IPT Champ, Stefano Puccilli, who won 120,000 Euros at the first event in San Remo last month.  Puccilli has once again won entry by playing online at PokerStars and could be set to do the double if he reaches the final table – a first for any PokerStars Main Event tournament.

Above: Stefano Puccilli hopes to do the double in Venice

Organisers expect approximately 400 players for the €2000+200 Main Event which would peg the prize pool at around 1,000,000 euros.

Owing to excessive demand, full player lists and seat draw information will be available later today.

PokerStars.it brings tournament poker to Venice this Thursday – posted 07.29.09

Tournament poker extends its global reach this week as PokerStars.it hosts the first ever Italian Poker Tour (IPT) in Venice.

IPT Venice is the second event on the tour and begins 14:00 local time on Thursday with an accessible buy-in of €2000+200. Two day one flights run across July 30 and July 31 giving players two chances to gain entry to this exciting event.

The current field for IPT Venice stands at 102+ which would peg the prize pool at around the 200,000 Euros mark.

Rewards are big when playing in the IPT. Last month, Stefano Puccilli, 37, played poker for a grueling 14 hours at the San Remo final table to claim the grand prize of 120,000 Euros and the title of IPT San Remo champion.

Players at IPT Venice will have their work cut out of them if they want a sniff of the top prize though. Some of the sport’s finest cadre of players will be on hand to provide a challenge. Bragging rights will be afforded to anyone who can take out Team PokerStars Pros Dario Minieri,  Marcel Luske,  Johnny Lodden,  Vanessa Rousso and Chad Brown.

What’s more, fighting for local pride once again are the formidable PokerStars Team Italy, consisting of - Filippo Candio, Simone Ruggeri , Pierpaolo Fabretti, Nicola Fedeli  and Elena Ichim.

Players can check the Day 1a and Day 1b starting day draws by clicking here.

37–year old Italian banker wins 120,000 Euros by qualifying online with PokerStars – posted 08.06.09

An Italian banker has made the history books today by becoming the first PokerStars.it Italian Poker Tour (IPT) champion.

Stefano Puccilli, 37, played poker for a gruelling 14 hours in San Remo tonight to claim the grand prize of 120,000 Euros and the title of IPT San Remo champion.

His heads up opponent was fellow PokerStars Qualifier Vittorio Meraviglia who finished 2nd for 75,000 Euros.  

The final action was truly exciting. An all-in call by Vittorio with A-3 was met by Puccilli who revealed 8d-8c, giving Puccilli a massive advantage (70%) pre-flop. However, the flop ran Jc-Ah-Qc, which not only paired Vittorio’s A, but made Puccilli a massive underdog (10%).

A 9d on the turn opened the possibility of a straight to the queen for Puccilli but only a 10 or 8 (13%) could now save him.

And then the miracle: the 10s appeared on the river and the game was Puccilli’s.

Above:Stefano Puccilli the first PokerStars.it Italian Poker Tour (IPT) champion.

Stefano has only been playing poker for four years and learned the game after watching televised poker with friends. He eventually outgrew games with friends and started playing with PokerStars, where he qualified on a satellite that led him to San Remo and glory.

The inaugural event here at San Remo has continued the huge success of PokerStars’ brand of tours. A total of 255 players attended IPT San Remo, showcasing the huge interest in poker in the region and generating a prize pool of 494,700 Euros.

The 2nd IPT event has been confirmed for July 30 - August 2 in Venice, Italy at the Venice Casino. The buy-in will be 2,000+200 Euros with more events to be confirmed soon.

IPT San Remo Day 3: The final table starts...at the end of Day 3! – posted 07.06.09

Tonight, at the Casino of San Remo, eight players will be putting their skill and stamina to the test as they settle down to decide who will be crowned the first PokerStars.it Italian Poker Tour San Remo champion.

The final table begins at 22:30 Italian time – a full nine and a half hours after Day 3 started. There were 22 players that started Day 3 and all of them were keen to take their stack of chips to the final table.

This resulted in super-tight play, with resulting all-ins and calls turning into virtual coin flips in terms of probability, which decided the outcome.

Above: the final table - where dreams take flight.

After already nine plus hours of play, the final eight are settling in for the night and not expected to finish playing until the early Monday morning. They will be tired and hungry – whoever takes the grand prize of 120,000 Euros will have kept their smarts up for 12+ hours. No mean feat.

The final table is made up of the following players and player profiles are available here.

IPT San Remo Day 3: Final table nearly in sight as last ten fight it out – posted 07.06.09

Ten determined players are still battling it out on the felt to decide who will make the final table here at the PokerStars.it Italian Poker Tour in San Remo.

Play has become ultra-tight here on Day 3, the last official day of the tour, and we are just two spots away from deciding the final table.

Earlier in the day, Russian PokerStars Qualifier, Sergey Lebedev (pictured below), took home 5,500 Euros after finishing 14th.

Above: PokerStars Qualifier Sergey Lebedev finished 14th, 5,500 Euros

Sergey pushed all in pre-flop with AQ and was called by Luca Moschitta’s pocket sixes in a virtual coin-flip.

The sixes held up on a board which ran 7c-Ks-2c 7d-5h.

Sergey takes home 5,500 Euros for his very first live event. He qualified online using 10,000 Frequent Player Points (FPPs) and will be looking forward to future PokerStars.it IPT events.

Fellow PokerStars Qualifier, Alessandro De Michele, also took home the same pay packet after finishing 16th leaving only Stefano Puccilli and Vittorio Mervaglia as the only PokerStars qualifiers left in it, at the time of writing.

It looks like play here at San Remo will run into the early hours of tomorrow morning, which will test the endurance and resilience of the players who eventually make the final table.

The current standings at time of writing are as follows:

1 - €120.000
2 - €75.000
3 - €50.000
4 - €35.000
5 - €27.000
6 - €22.000
7 - €17.000
8 - €12.000
9 - Jean Filippe Rohr - €9.400
10 - Nicola Fedeli - €5.500
11 - Armando Masini - €5.500
12 - Marco Sordello - €5.500
13 - Stefano Garbarino €5.500
14 - Sergey Lebedev - €5.500
15 - Francesco De Vivo - €5.500
16 - Alessandro De Michele - €5.500
17 - Simone Rossi - €4.500
18 - Stefano Canfailla - €4.500
19 - Mario Albanese - €4.500
20 - Roberto Ferrari - €4.500
21 - Paolo Arcudi - €4.500

Bubble bursts at San Remo but super tight play sees 22 move forward to Day 3 – posted 07.06.09

The first 18 out of 40 players entered the money here today at the PokerStars.it Main Event in San Remo. However, the drama of Day 2 has spilled over into Day 3 as play tightened considerably, leaving 22 players to continue the action into the final day.

The current chip leader is Jean Philippe Rohr, who cashed $16,000 at the PokerStars Carribean Adventure in 116th place, last year. He holds the lead with 528,500, but hot on his heels in 2nd place is the PokerStars Qualifier Alessandro Speranza, with 491,500. The Day 1 chip leader, Daniele Amatruda, was unfortunately knocked out before he could make the money.

Above: the current chip leader is Jean Philippe Rohr, on 528,500

A total of four PokerStars online qualifiers have made it through to Day 3 and at least three of them will clash directly against each other on Table 1 when Day 3 starts. Nicola Fedeli, the only remaining PokerStars.it Team Italy player, will also continue to fly the flag for event sponsor PokerStars.it into the final day.

A total of 18 players entered the money here on Day 2, with each cashing between 3,100 to 4,500 euros. The PokerStars qualifier, Daniele Gabellieri, finished 34th to take home 3,100 euros.

Join us back here once the final table is decided and updates on how players are doing later today.

IPT San Remo Daniele Amatruda leads field of 109 into Day 2 – posted 06.06.09

The field of 255 players at the PokerStars.it IPT San Remo Main Event has been cut down to 109 in just over 12 hours of play, here at Day 1 of this exciting new tour.

The professional poker player, Daniele Amatruda, leads the field into Day 2 with a monster stack of 201,800 and dominates his nearest rivals Andrea Buzzelli, 2nd, 126,400 and Adolfo Rendina, 3rd.

If Amatruda continues to play tight on Day 2 here at San Remo, which starts at 15:00 local time, there is a good chance he will cash and possibly make the final table where the grand prize is a huge 120,000 euros.

From the 37 PokerStars  Qualifiers that started the day, 19 remain. Sergey Lebedev leads the charge for event sponsor PokerStars.it with 101,700 and is closely followed by Vittorio Meraviglia, 101,100 and Rocco Pandiscia 100,000 who are in 6th, 7th and 8th place respectively.

Above: Daniele Amatruda leads field of 109 into Day 2

Unfortunately three members of PokerStars.it Team Italy were knocked out; however, Filippo Candio 73,600, 16th and Nicola Fedeli 66,800, 22nd, remain to fight for the pride of the Italian team. Team PokerStars Pro Isabelle Mercier, 71,100, 19th is also in the running.

The end of Day 2 will see the first set of players to cash and the final table decided. Join us back here to find the official tournament information.

PokerStars.it Team Italy launches at IPT San Remo – posted 06.06.09

PokerStars.it officially presented the PokerStars.it Team Italy here today at the launch of the inaugural IPT event in San Remo.

The team is made of five Italian professional players who stood out for their live and online poker performances. International champions like the Team PokerStars Pro Luca Pagano and Dario Minieri will lead the Italian Team. The members of this new team are: Filippo Candio, Simone Ruggeri, Pierpaolo Fabretti, Nicola Fedeli and the only woman Elena Ichim.

The Italian Team will be sponsored to play in every leg of the PokerStars.it Italian Poker Tour and in the Italian leg of the European Poker Tour. On PokerStars.it everybody will be able to play against the members of the Italian Team.

Besides the Italian Team, PokerStars.it is proud to introduce two members to the Friends of PokerStars group, who will be playing in every leg of the IPT. They are Alberto Russo, the famous commentator of the EPT live and coach of Intellipoker, and Alberto De Nardi, a great player both live and online, well known and appreciated by the whole online poker community.

The PokerStars.it Team Italy players are:

Filippo Candio: 23 years old, he has been a professional player for over two years. In January 2009 won the PRO Championship sponsored by PokerStars.it and took home a staggering €175.000 prize. His career winnings amount to €250.000.

Simone Ruggeri: 27 years old, has started playing poker online full time two years ago with great results which allowed him to reach the Supernova status.  

Pierpaolo Fabretti: 24 years old, started playing about four years ago. Since then he specialised in sit and go and in multi-table tournaments. He has obtained several great results in the most important online tournaments on PokerStars, winning different titles in important live tournaments too.

Elena Ichim 25 years old, is the only female team member and a promising player for women’s poker in Italy. This charming girl has been playing poker full time for one year.

Nicola Fedeli: 36 years old, started playing poker in 2006. His interest in the game began by watching the tv show Poker1Mania, commented by Team PokerStars Pro Luca Pagano. He then started playing live and online reaching very good results. Over the last year he has cashed in three of the main tournaments in Italy, the PRO Championship among them, and he took part in the EPT San Remo winning his seat through a live satellite.

PokerStars.it Italian Poker Tour (IPT) premieres today – posted 05.06.09

PokerStars.it launches its Italian Poker Tour today in the glorious city of San Remo, Italy.

The tour kicks off at 15:00 local time and has already gathered huge interest in the region with organisers expecting a field of at least 200+. A total of 37 players have won entry to the live event by playing online with PokerStars.it.

"PokerStars is really happy with the developments in live and online poker in Italy,” said Fabio Angeli Bufalini, PokerStars Italian Manager. “The great success has been registered on the PokerStars.it website and the record breaking turnout for the San Remo leg of the PokerStars Season 5 EPT makes us hopeful that the PokerStars Italian Poker Tour will arouse huge interest in Italy and all over Europe."

The start of the PokerStars.it Italian Poker Tour follows the successes of other PokerStars tours including the well-established European Poker Tour (EPT), the Asia Pacific Poker Tour (APPT), the Latin American Poker Tour (LAPT) and the Australia New Zealand Poker Tour (ANZPT) which launched in January.

Above: Andrea Freda, PokerStars Qualifier, right gets going on Day 1 of IPT San Remo

Players in the San Remo leg will have the chance to go up against seasoned pros in the form of PokerStars.it Team Italy including: Filippo Candio, Pierpaolo Fabretti, Nicola Fedeli, Elena Ichim and Simone Ruggeri. 

Also, Team PokerStars Pro Isabelle “No Mercy” Mercier will be gracing the table with her mix of glamour and razor sharp poker prowess.

We’ll be providing official tournament information as the day progresses. Stay tuned for further information.