WPT Venice: Alessio Isaia wins €380,000
WPT Venice Main Event 2011 is won by Alessio Isaia after a record-breaking eight hour heads-up clash
| by Alligator Blood |  February, 9th 2011 |
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Above: WPT Venice 2011 champion Alessio Isaia celebrates his win
The WPT Venice Main Event 2011 has been won by Italian Alessio Isaia after a staggering eight hours of heads-up play against Szabolcs Mayer.
The 24-year-old, who led the tournament at the Casino di Venezia from the very start, pockets €380,000 and a WPT bracelet for the win - the biggest of his career to date.
An 8hr 20 minute heads-up fight left both Isaia and Mayer shattered - with both struggling to find the energy to answer WPT TV host Jesse May's questions after the longest heads-up clash ever seen in the WPT.
Isaia becomes First Italian winner in World Poker Tour history. He is also the first player to win in a tuxedo - after getting all dressed up for the final table.
He said: "I'm very happy. I've been trying to win a big tournament for three or four years.
"I came close in the EPT, but I never achieved it.
"I'm even more happy to win it in Italy, my home country."
He added: "I'm very very tired. We played for eight hours heads-up, which was exhausting. Mayer is a very good opponent."
"The money will enable me to play other tournaments, but I'm more happy with the title and the bracelet."
Both players were so tired towards the end that they were just moving all-in continuously for the final hour.
At 3am local time, Szabolcs Mayer mastered the energy to lift his cards one final time and, seeing Q♣, 6♣, announced all-in.
Isaia peered down at his A♥ Q♦ for an eternity before announcing the call.
The flop came 8♣, 4♠, 2♠, leading to excited cheering from the massed Italians who had stayed awake at the Casino di Venezia.
The turn was the 3♥ and, to much local delight, when the river came down J♣, Isaia was crowned champion.
He was immediately thrown an Italian flag from the rail and draped it around his neck, before collapsing into the arms offamily and friends.
Earlier the final Brit in the hunt, David Vamplew, saw his hopes of adding a WPT bracelet to his EPT London crown evaporate after being knocked out in third by Szabolcs Mayer.
Vamplew was eliminated when Mayer raised to 160,000 on the button and Vamplew moved all-in for 2,000,000 with K♠, Q♠ and Mayer called with A♥, J♥. The flop missed both players, but when A♣ came on the turn, the Edinburgh ace was on his way.
WPT Venice
Main Event 2011
Final table payouts
1. Alessio Isaia €380,000
2. Szabolcs Mayer €228,990
3. David Vamplew €149,910
4. Emmanuel Rodrigues €101,960
5. Adrien Camille Garrigues €73,180
6. Luca Fiorini €57,830
7. Max Lykov €43,370
8. Renato Paolini €31,960
9. Paolo Della Penna €22,820
10. Andrea Ferrari €15,210
